That had always been good enough for me.
Dylan hugged Aubrey closer into his chest. Her back pressed up against him with her head tilted to the side, resting on his shoulder. Both of them watched the flames of the fire, lost in their own thoughts.
Dylan had started showing interest in the new girl, Aubrey two years ago, and to be honest, I was still dumbfounded by it. He was a bigger whore than I was. He pretty much chased her down until she finally gave in, challenging him to keep his dick in his pants for a month before she agreed to go on a date with him.
They’d been together ever since.
What once was a happy-go-lucky relationship turned into something volatile a few years later. Only proving to me that love was a bunch of fucking bullshit.
And Jacob, well… he was another story. One that I would learn soon enough, showing me how much of a hypocritical son of a bitch he really was.
Alex took a sip of her drink.
“Take it easy on that,” Lucas warned, his eyes still intently placed on us.
Alex wanted to forget, she wanted to rebel, she wanted to prove something to us, and that’s why she was drinking in the first place. As much as I hated to admit it, Lucas was right. But I was the last person that had any right to tell her what to do, so I just grabbed the drink out of her hands and finished it off for her instead.
Yeah, I’m a fucking hypocrite too.
“Ugh,” Alex protested. “I’ll just go get another one.”
She stood, losing her balance. Aubrey grabbed ahold of her.
“I’ll go with you.” She knowingly winked down at Dylan.
Aubrey loved our Half-Pint, too. Her and Cole were both seventeen like me, and going into their senior year of high school as well. To be honest, I really liked Aubrey. She was good for Dylan, kept him on his toes and put up with all his bullshit. He was lucky to finally find someone who would. Aubrey was the best thing to walk into his life. They were meant to be together.
We watched them leave.
“You alright over there, McGraw?” I asked Dylan who was gazing at Aubrey with the same yearning that Lucas displayed over Alex.
“Just fuckin’ peachy, brother,” he replied, shaking his head. “How about you? How you holdin’ up? You ready to run this fuckin’ town without us?”
“Been doin’ that since the day I was born.”
We all smiled.
“I know. I taught you well,” Jacob chimed in, cracking his neck.
I chuckled. Lucas still hadn’t taken his stare off Alex. He wasn’t paying us any mind.
“You’re the last one left, Austin,” Dylan said out of nowhere, catching me off guard.
I turned from the fire to look at him, not sure where he was going with this.
“I know we all give you shit for being the youngest and you used to be the smallest. Come to think of it, there was a time I thought Half-Pint might be bigger than you.” He grinned.
“Asshole,” I muttered, holding back my own grin.
“But you grew up,” he added with a sudden serious expression. “And you’re up, brother. We’re not goin’ to be around, and Half-Pint is gonna need you now more than ever. Especially since this is her last year before she’s really alone.”
I nodded, understanding.
“She’s your responsibility. You watch out and take care of our girl,” Jacob added.
“Of course,” I vowed.
Jacob nudged my shoulder. “Won’t be the same without you, bro.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Dylan stood. “But enough of this sappy shit, I feel like kicking someone’s ass in a game of beer pong.”
“You’re on, fucker,” Jacob challenged.
Dylan stopped in front of me to do our usual handshake, patting me on the shoulder. Jacob followed his lead and they left.
Lucas and I found ourselves sitting in uncomfortable silence for what seemed like a lifetime, staring at the flames and the sparks soaring up into the dark sky. There were no stars out; there was barely a moon. The wind blew all around us, mimicking the waves of the ocean. I immediately wondered if the boys would miss this.
It was all we’d ever known.
All I knew was that I wanted out of this town.
“You know they’re right,” Lucas declared, breaking the silence and bringing my attention back to him.
His intense stare hadn’t wavered from Alex, who was giggling like a little girl, hanging all over Cole.
“She’s drunk,” he stated, taking the words right out of my mouth.
I shook my head, taking a deep, long breath, not knowing how to reply.
“Fuck,” he whispered to himself, bowing his head and running his hands roughly through his hair.
“Lucas—”
“I didn’t think it was going to be this fucking hard… leaving her. With you.”
“We all love her. Just as much as you do.”