Page 8 of Meet Me in the Vines
My voice booms enough to capture unwanted attention, causing heads to turn. “Look, I’m really sorry. Okay? I need to go find Audrey. Enjoy the party,” I say dryly and walk away, refusing to look back at her.
I hear her scoff and shout at me as I leave her in my path.
“You’re such a fucking dick, Donavan!”
Yeah, well, so be it, Jess.
“Dude, this party is the shit. Rosie Teak has been on me all night. Can I borrow your quad and take her down past the sunset house? I think we are totally gonna hook up tonight, man.”
A laugh escapes me as I stare into my best friend’s ardent eyes. Logan has been trying to get in Rosie’s pants since sophomore year. He will probably revoke my bro card if I deny him. I shake my head, clasping his shoulder with a thud.
“Glad you’re enjoying yourself, bud. Keys are already in the ignition. Stay on the path or Jeff is gonna kill you. Don’t make me regret this.” I say sarcastically in my dad voice. Our vineyard manager would shit a brick if he saw any unwanted quad marks on the soil.
Logan rams into my chest for a hug. We’ve known each other since birth. Our moms met in a yoga birthing class, convinced it would make their labor easier. Joke was on them. They bonded over mocktails and the kismet fact that their due dates were on the same day. I always give Logan shit for me coming out first, four days before him. We’ve celebrated every birthday together since we were one. He leaves for college in Texas at the end of the summer—our first birthday apart. Deep down, I wish he wasn’t going so far away. But according to Logan, Austin is home to the most beautiful girls in the world. He’ll need to show me where he cites that source because I’ll have to disagree with him on that one. The most beautiful girl in the world is somewhere in this backyard, and I’m aching to get back to her.
“Thanks, man. I love ya. Go get your girl. She looks pretty lonely sitting there all by herself.” Logan nods his head overbehind me where Audrey is sitting by the fire pit holding a drink, gazing up at the sky.
“And looking fine as hell, might I add,” he quips, waggling his brows. He lands a kiss on my head as I playfully shove him off, attempting to kick him in the nuts. He flips me off with both of his middle fingers as he shuffles backwards, shouting at Rosie to follow him. I shake my head and laugh, making my way to the fire pit with my hands nervously twitching in my pockets.
Audrey keeps her eyes on the sky, and I stand there, unable to stop myself from staring. She must feel my eyes on her, prompting her to turn her head toward me. Our eyes meet just as they did during graduation, and my stomach clenches at the sight of her. I move toward her, instantly pulled by her gravity. The moment I sit beside her, that bright white smiles melts my insides. I’m so gone for this girl.
“You came back for me.”
“I told you I would. Having fun?” I watch the embers dance in her green irises as she stares into the flames.
“I am. I never get invited to parties, so I guess it’s easy to keep me entertained,” she says, her eyes finding mine. “Thank you again for inviting me. It seems I didn’t do a great job making memories in high school. So this is…nice.”
There’s a sadness in her tone. I scoot myself closer to her and take the drink out of her hand, placing it on a side table. I grab both her hands and look down at her dainty fingers, gently caressing her knuckles.
“Donovan…” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “What are we doing?”
Don’t be a chickenshit.
I take a deep inhale through my nose and breathe out slowly. I squeeze her hands and look up at her. “Audrey, I’ve known you my whole life. I know we didn’t run in the same circles growing up, but that doesn’t mean I never noticed you. I’ve wanted toask you this for a long time and…now that we’ve graduated and have our futures ahead of us, I want to feel free this summer.” I swallow. “I want to spend it with you.”
I try to decode her expression, but her pinched brow unsettles me. She looks back at the flames, and I wonder if I’ve said something wrong.
“But…why? Why now? We barely know each other,” she whispers as her eyes settle on our hands linked with one another. She studies them as if they’re an ancient artifact, curious to how they fit so perfectly together.
I peek up at her gaze. “I know you got into NYU early admission and that you’re one of the smartest girls in our school? I know your favorite author is Jane Austen because your nose is always in one of her books.”
Her eyes widen at the Jane Austen comment. She starts to say something, but I need to say more, afraid she’ll reject me.
“All I’m saying is, I may notknow youknow you, but I want the chance to. You’re beautiful, smart, kind. I’m drawn to you, and I think I’ll go crazy if I don’t ask you,” I stammer, kicking myself internally on why I sound like a trembling mess of nerves.
Get it together, man.
“So, Audrey…will you go on a date with me tomorrow night?”
I’m known for being a smooth talker, but this girl has me sweating through my shirt. Her hands squeeze mine as she scoots closer to me. With her cheeks adorably flushed, the corners of her delectable lips curve up in the most tantalizing way.
“Donovan, I’d love to.”
Holy shit, she said yes.
Her lips are inches from mine. Strawberries and firewood engulf my senses, putting me in a dreamy haze that’s all Audrey. I lean in, my nose touching hers. This is it.
A loud cough alerts me to my father on the other side of the fire pit, standing with his hands on his hips. Audrey jerks away quickly. An audible sigh escapes me.
