Elizabeth Lee - Storm Warning

Yeah. He felt like that pretty much all of the time. “Maybe you should stop.” He shrugged and surveyed the crowd. He didn’t really care about any of these people anymore. Not since he’d learned what it was like to really care about someone. The way he cared about Ella Jane, the way he cared about his grandparents.

A few guys were already arguing, some couples were dry humping in plain sight, and girls were prancing around like they did. Grouping up and giggling at stupid shit. God, he was ready to see his girl. The one who was just herself, all of the time. No games and no bullshit. But looking at Cami, he knew he needed to explain before the whole situation was just thrown in her face. She was down about something, and he cared about her enough as a friend not to pour salt in her wound.

“Look, I can tell something’s wrong, and if you want to tell me then that’s cool. But if you don’t then that’s okay too. But I’ve got something to tell you and I’d rather you hear it from me.”

She turned her round wide doe eyes to his. “What’s going on, Hayden?”

“You probably won’t even care. It’s not like you want to get back together or anything. Um, do you?” God, he hoped the answer was no. Otherwise this was about to get extremely awkward.

He watched as her eyebrows dipped in contemplation. Before he could even blink, she grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward. He sputtered and nearly choked on his own tongue when she slammed her mouth down on his.

As soon as she pulled back, he rubbed the traces of her kiss from his lips. “What the hell was that for?”

“Egh. Just had to see. You’re in the clear. I don’t want to get back together.” She shrugged. “So you can save your breakup speech for the next girl.”

Suddenly uneasy, Hayden took a slow sip of beer. Ella Jane probably wouldn’t have approved of his ex laying one on him like that. “Cami, I’m sorry. I met someone this summer. She’s…she’s not like anyone we know. She’s different…and pretty amazing. And I hope this doesn’t hurt you or make you mad, but I wanted you to hear it from me.”

When she turned to face him, there were tears in her eyes. He felt like a complete and total jerk.

“Shit, Cam. I’m sorry. I thought we were good. You said you didn’t want to get back together.”

She shook her head, causing a few of her tears to fall. “I don’t. This isn’t…” She paused to scrub her hand roughly across her cheeks. “This isn’t about that. I met someone too. Someone…different. And amazing. And I blew him off because…” She was cut off by the sob that left her choking on her words. “Because I’m an idiot.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Hayden slung an arm over her shoulder. “You’re not an idiot, Cameron Nickelson. Far from it. I’m sure whatever dude you blew off is sitting around crying in his French beer hoping you’ll change your mind soon.”

“You think?” She frowned but then her expression turned hopeful.

“I’d bet my ass on it. And betting is my specialty.”

She grinned, and for the first time since he’d seen her tonight, she looked happy. Excited. “Thanks. And hey, good luck with your girl.” Planting a quick peck of a kiss on his cheek, she hugged him. “I gotta go.”

“See ya, Cam.”

As she hopped up and walked away, Hayden felt like a huge weight had been lifted. Cami had met someone, too. He knew a smile was spreading across his face as he pulled his bottle to his mouth. She understood. No drama necessary. After everything this summer with his gran, he really needed something to actually go his way for once.

But his relief didn’t last long. When he turned back to the party, he saw someone he was absolutely positive he hadn’t invited.

Brantley Cooper was heading his way. And from the looks of it, Cooper was the bull and Hayden was a shiny red flag.

“SO where is lover boy?” Lynlee asked, lifting onto her toes to try and see through the crowd. “I’ll give him this much—he knows how to throw a decent party. For a city boy.”

Ella Jane laughed. City kids throwing some bales of straw around a fire and calling it a field party made her smile and shake her head. Bless their hearts. They tried.

“His name is Hayden, Lyn. Hayden Prescott. Though he might like being called loverboy. He’ll be around here somewhere. He wasn’t too excited about the whole thing.” Ella Jane shrugged her way through the crowd beside her friend. “He’s really worried about his gran. She’s not doing well.” She bit her lip to keep from saying anything else. Pops had sworn her to secrecy, and she hadn’t even told her mama about Gran’s dementia. Her stomach twisted at the memory of what she’d just seen.

On her way to the party, she’d stopped to drop off the chicken and dumplings her mama had made the Prescotts. She’d hoped to catch Hayden before he left but he was already gone. Pops was sitting on the porch swing with Gran’s feet in his lap when she arrived.

Thankfully, she hadn’t freaked out and called EJ any mean names, but she was singing softly to herself and seemingly unaware of her surroundings.

“Good day or bad day?” she’d asked Pops. He smiled and nodded for her to take the food in the house.

“We’re together. Far as I’m concerned, that makes it a good day.”

Her heart had both swelled and ached from the encounter. Love could be fleeting. She knew that from her parents. But the Prescotts had something she hoped she’d have one day too. The kind of love that never ended. The kind that made it through fights, time apart, illnesses, and whatever storms came their way.

Maybe she and Hayden would have something like that. One day.

The idea she’d just given birth to died a fiery death the minute she laid eyes on Hayden. The crowd had thinned a little over by the fire, and between the bodies and the shadows the flames cast around her, she saw him. He was smiling, looking more carefree than she’d ever seen him. The gorgeous brunette sitting next to him kissed him square on the mouth. EJ’s hand flew to hers.

Her chest felt like it was trying to cave in. She didn’t know if it was trying to protect her heart or crush it. Hurt like hell either way.

Fate must’ve decided she’d had as much as she could take because a group of guys moved in her path, blocking her view. She used the brief reprieve to try and catch the breath that had fled from her lungs.

“Was that him? With the Kardashian wannabe?” Lynlee was actually somewhat subdued as she looked on in the same direction. Ella Jane was thankful her friend didn’t take the opportunity to make some bitchy comment about how that’s what she got for committing to one guy.

All she could do was nod and blink. Trying her best not to lose control in front of all these people, she glanced down at the denim dress she’d worn to remind him of their first date.

“Well he didn’t look all that upset about Granny to me,” her friend said, barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

I am exactly the naïve hillbilly idiot he thought I was.

Memories of watching trains, of kissing in every possible place at work—Jesus, where she freaking lived—of what had happened in her truck, the way he’d moved gently inside of her, asking her over and over if she was okay, telling her how much he cared about her pummeled her like punches from a prizefighter.

She could still remember his promise. I’m a lot of things, but an outright liar isn’t one of them. It echoed louder and louder inside her head.

Her knees went weak as every ounce of blood and oxygen and whatever else she was made of slid to the tips of her toes.

Thankfully, Lynlee had enough pissed-off in her for the both of them. “Kent,” she hollered, grabbing the Jarrod guy Ella Jane vaguely recognized from the movies. “Who’s that girl over there all over Hayden Prescott?”

He turned and grinned at them in greeting. “Well, hey there, Red. And Ella Jane. It’s good to see both of you beautiful ladies again.”

“Cut the crap, limp dick. Wide Ass Barbie, what’s her name?” Lynlee jerked her head in Hayden’s direction.

Ella Jane’s face began to tingle as she listened to their conversation. Just like when her mom had announced that her dad had moved out, EJ wished the words would just go back into everyone’s mouths. Wished she could freeze time and rewind. Go back to before everything hurt so badly.

Before everyone she trusted did their absolute best to break her.

Jarrod glanced over his shoulder. “Cameron Nickelson? She’s Hayden’s girlfriend. Has been for years. Why?” His light gray eyes moved back and forth between them until he saw EJ falling apart and understanding dawned on him. “Oh shit.”

It didn’t help that a small noise escaped her throat. That must be the sound my heart makes when it breaks.

It was one thing if Hayden had used her. But it was worse than that. So much worse.

He had a girlfriend. A serious one he’d had for years.

She’d been the other woman.

The same kind of woman her father had an affair with and ditched their family for.

It was all a lie.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

COOP slammed the door to his dad’s truck. He’d taken it by Kyle’s to get him to help him put some pictures of it online. The Cooper family financial situation was still in the shitter, and his dad had given him the job of putting it up for sale. Little did he know that stopping by Kyle’s would result in a wild goose chase. Or a piece of ass chase. Same difference as far as he was concerned.