Page 12 of Stealing for Keeps
He doesn’t even acknowledge her, just keeps staring hard at me. I don’t know what’s happening, but he’s pissed. Then he levels me with seven words. “What are you doing kissing my girlfriend?”
Chapter Four
Claire
“What the hell, Claire?” Vaughn steps in front of Austin.
Bringing a hand to my lips, I move back. I’m in a daze, so it takes a moment of my ex-boyfriend staring at me with anger and disbelief etched onto his face before I remember he has no right to be mad. He broke up with me.
“Hi to you too.” I return to the back of Doyle’s four-wheeler where I’d been sitting when the new guy walked over and asked to kiss me. I’m ignoring Vaughn’s question. And why did he call me his girlfriend?
It’s obvious from the panicked look in Austin’s eyes that he had no idea why Barrett dared him to kiss me out of all the girls here tonight.
Vaughn follows me, but when I glance back around, Austin is nowhere to be seen. Figures. He’s smart to put some distance between him and his team captain. Right or not, it was a predictable outcome for Vaughn to react the way he did. If I had known he was here, I would have acted differently.
In fact, I’m not sure why I kissed Austin at all. I couldhave easily told him to get lost. I should have. Cocky jerk. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with Vaughn pretending like he still has any claim over me.
“If you’re trying to make me jealous, it’s working.” He leans closer and speaks quietly. We have an audience, and everyone within a five-foot radius has an ear turned in our direction to catch the latest Frost Lake High drama.
School hasn’t even started, but the rumor mill is always alive and well.
“Jealous?” I can’t help the huff of air that leaves my lungs as I watch Vaughn’s brows furrow.
“I’m sorry, did I miss the memo?” Lacey gets to her feet and puts herself between me and my ex-boyfriend. “Are you two back together?”
I don’t have to see Lacey’s expression to know she’s pinning Vaughn with a murderous stare. She is tiny but terrifying when she wants to be. She was never a huge fan of Vaughn, because he’s so serious and stoic—basically the opposite of her—but ever since he broke up with me, she despises him.
“Lace, this is between me and Claire,” he says softly. A muscle in his jaw gives away his irritation, but he understands that making my best friend angry isn’t going to get him anywhere.
I don’t need her to protect me, but she always does anyway.
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Yes, but she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
I probably should talk to him. I know him well enough to know that he isn’t going to let this go. Once he’s got something on his mind, he won’t rest until it’s resolved. It’s a trait I admired when it was focused on something otherthan me.
He doesn’t get to race in here all jealous when he sees me with another guy. He broke up with me.
When Lacey doesn’t budge and I don’t speak up, Vaughn finally relents. He takes a small step back and flicks his gaze up from Lacey to me. “I’m sorry about the way I ended things. I messed up, but we belong together, Claire.We’renot over.”
He turns on his heel and walks away. Air slowly returns to my lungs, and I inhale deeply, then let it out in a whoosh.
“Are you okay?” Lacey asks in a much gentler tone than she’d used with Vaughn.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say automatically. I’m aware people are whispering and still watching, like they hope we’ll shout at each other across the party and don’t want to miss it.
“Hey, who wants to play flip cup!” Rowan appears out of nowhere with a six-pack of beer in one hand and a stack of Solo cups in the other.
There’s a beat of silence, and then people are calling out and moving toward the makeshift table laid out on top of a large tree stump.
I breathe a little easier as soon as the focus is off me. Rowan glances at me, and I know he’s doing it for my benefit—or at least partially. He doesn’t usually need a reason to party, but he’s the kind of guy who knows when to step in and change the mood.
“Thank you,” I mouth to him.
He winks in response.
“Well, that was interesting,” Lacey says with amusement in her tone. “Tell me, are you planning on kissing any more boys tonight? Because it might be fun to watch Vaughn’shead explode.”
I hadn’t planned on kissing Austin. My lips tingle at the memory. I also hadn’t planned on liking it. The last thing I need is another guy like Vaughn.
