Without You (4 page)

He tilted his head and asked, “So, Will, how long have you been in love with my daughter?”

I kept looking down at my phone, waiting to hear something from Will.

“Stop staring at that thing and enjoy nature, Alex.”

I smiled and pushed my cell into the pocket of my shorts. “Grams, may I ask you a question?”

Grams and I were on one of our daily walks. We’d been going on walks for as long as I could remember. We usually walked in the morning, but Grams had felt that we needed an evening walk since I’d kept pacing on the back porch while waiting for Daddy and Will to get back from their ride.

“Of course you can. You can ask me anything you want, Alex.”

I took a deep breath and stopped walking. “Grams, this is kind of weird, but I know you’ll be honest with me.” I stood there, staring at her. I wasn’t sure how to say what I wanted to ask.

The look in her eyes changed, and she nodded her head. “Well, are you gonna just stand there and stare at me? Or are you going to ask me if I saved myself for marriage?”

My mouth dropped open, and I couldn’t even form words to speak. I’d overheard my mom and Aunt Ari talking about how Grams knew things. They had said it was like she knew what you were going to say or do before you even did. I’d always thought they were crazy, but as I looked at my great-grandmother, I knew they were so spot-on.

“Grams, how did you know what I was going to ask you?”

She let out a chuckle and started walking again. “Alex, I was seventeen years old when I met your gramps. I knew the moment I saw him that he was the one. I couldn’t wait for him to make me his.”

I smiled. I could just picture Grams and Gramps meeting for the first time. “So, you didn’t wait for marriage?”

She shook her head. “No, honey, we didn’t.”

“How did you know?” I felt the blush hit my cheeks.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Anytime Garrett walked into a room, I used to get the strangest feelings. I once begged him to make me his, but he wouldn’t. He said he wanted to make it special. I’m glad we didn’t rush into anything because the first time should be special, Alex. It should be with someone you love. Now, your mama and daddy would want me to tell you to be a good little girl and wait. I’m not gonna preach something to you when I have no right to. Do I think it would be better to wait? Yes. Just be careful, baby girl. Don’t rush into anything because y’all think you have to prove something. You don’t. Love is more than sex.”

“Daddy thinks what I feel for Will isn’t love. He says I need to get out of Mason and see what else is out there for me. I know what I feel in my heart, Grams. I want to be with Will more than anything. The way my body feels when he is around me…I just don’t understand it.”

She stopped and turned to face me. She reached for my hands and smiled the same smile she had given me since I could remember. “Alex, don’t rush into anything because you’re afraid of what your daddy is going to make you do.”

“Grams, I’ve been in love with Will for so long now. He’s all I’ve ever known.”

She raised her eyebrow. “Maybe that’s why your daddy wants you to go to UT.”

I placed my hand on my stomach and took a deep breath. I looked down, and for the first time in the last few years, I felt doubt. “Yeah. Maybe.”

We continued on with our walk, and neither one of us said another word. By the time we returned to the house, Will was sitting on my back porch. I picked up my pace and then practically ran, so I could be in his arms. He stood up and gave me a funny look. I slowed down as I went up the steps. When my father came walking out, I stopped and tried to read his face.

“Alex, did you enjoy your walk with Grams?” Daddy asked with a slight smile. He looked at Grams as she made her way up the steps.

I nodded my head. “Yes, sir.”

Grams stopped in front of Daddy. “Whew, I think I’m getting too old for two walks a day. Drew, will you take your grandmother back home now? I’d better check on Garrett and make sure he hasn’t gotten himself into any kind of trouble.”

My father smiled and nodded his head. He looked back at me and smiled. He appeared to be a lot calmer, and I couldn’t help but wonder why.

Did he talk Will into breaking up with me? Did he threaten Will? Oh God, what if Daddy threatened him?

“Come on, Grams. Let’s get you home.” Daddy took Grams by the arm and led her back into the house.

I slowly turned and looked at Will. My eyes traveled up and down his body. He appeared to be unhurt. He slowly smiled and winked at me.

There goes my stomach.

“What did he say to you?” I held my breath.

Will glanced at the door and then turned back to me. He walked up to me and took my hand in his. We began walking to his truck.

“Wait—are you leaving?”

“I have to get back home, Lex. Are you still planning on going to the party tomorrow night?”

I nodded my head and barely said, “Yes. I thought we were going together.”

He stopped and leaned against his truck as he smiled. “We are.”

I rolled my eyes and looked away before glancing back at him. “What did my father say to you?”

He grabbed my hips and pulled me to him. I was shocked he was being so forward with his affections, especially knowing my father or mother could see him at any moment.

“He asked me how long I’ve been in love with you. Then, he asked again if we’ve had sex.”

I slammed my hands up to my mouth. “What?”

He laughed. “That was about my reaction, too.”

“He didn’t!”

“Yeah, he did. I was just glad as hell that I could honestly tell him we haven’t had sex…yet.”

My heart dropped, and I felt sick. “Will, please don’t let him change anything between us. If I have to go to another college…well, I want us to be together before we leave for school.”

He closed his eyes and then opened them. “Lex, I don’t want to have sex just because we’re afraid.”

“I’m not afraid, Will. I love you. I know what I want, and I want you. I’m tired of waiting.”

Will licked his lips, and then he let out what sounded like a growl. “Fuck, Lex. I want you, too, but I want it to be special.”

He looked my body up and down and pulled me closer to him, so I could feel just how much he wanted me.

“You have no idea how hard it is to wait,” he said.

I leaned up and went to kiss him when something hit the back of my head. I quickly turned around to see Luke standing there.

“What the hell, Luke?” I picked up the Nerf football and threw it back at him.

“Gunner is going to kick your ass if he sees you pawing on her,” Luke said.

“Shut up, Luke. Gunner knows about me and Lex,” Will said.

Luke’s face dropped. “No shit?”

I smiled and leaned back against Will as he wrapped his arms around me.

“He’s okay with this?” Luke asked.

Will stiffened behind me, and then he relaxed a bit. “After he threatened to kill me if I ever hurt her, he gave me his blessing.”

I spun around. “He threatened to kill you?”

Will laughed as he placed his finger on my chin and pulled my lips to his. “I love you, Lex,” he whispered before kissing me gently. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you when I get home.”

I smiled. “I love you, too. Be careful driving.”

I took a step back and watched as Will got into his truck. He waved and took off down the driveway. When I couldn’t see his truck anymore, I turned and glared at Luke.

He held his hands up. “What? You’re like my little sister, Alex. I’m gonna protect you even if it means beating the shit out of my best friend.”

I grinned. “You should be more concerned about Michael Clark and Grace.”

Luke’s smile faded, and he pushed his hand through his hair. “I hate that guy. I don’t know what Grace sees in that ass.”

“Me either.”

Luke slowly grinned. “So, Uncle Gunner knows. You finally tell him?”

“Uh, no. He caught us kissing in the barn.”

Luke started laughing. “Shit. I would have given my right arm to see Hayes’s face.”

I giggled as I walked up to him and pushed him in the chest. “You’re so mean.”

He threw his arm around me, and we headed back to my house.

“Alex, if he ever hurts you, I hope you know you’re going to ruin a damn good friendship.”

I punched him in the stomach. “He won’t.”

He dropped his arm as we walked into the house. “For his sake, I hope not,” he whispered.

Grace, Maegan, Libby, and I all sat on Will’s tailgate as we watched Colt, Will, and Luke load a trailer with square bales of hay. Luke stopped to pull his T-shirt off, and he threw it down on the ground.

Maegan and Libby both sighed.

“I swear, Grace, your brother has the body of a god. What I wouldn’t do to have my legs wrapped around him,” Maegan said as she fanned herself with a piece of paper.

Grace looked at Meg. “Gross, Meg. I just threw up in my mouth.”

I giggled, but then I noticed how Libby shot her head over and looked at Meg. Both Libby and Meg had a thing for Luke. He was getting ready to head off to his second year at A&M, and from what Will and Colt had said, Luke had his fair share of girls falling over him. He was totally clueless when it came to Meg and Libby liking him.

I bumped my shoulder into Libby’s. “You getting excited about heading to A&M?”

She smiled. “Yeah, I’m pretty excited about it.”

Meg looked over and let out a sigh. “Crap, I really wish my parents weren’t so hell-bent on me going to Baylor.”

Grace started laughing. “Please, bitch. The only reason you want to go to A&M is because Luke is going there. Hence, the reason your daddy won’t let you go to A&M.”

We all started laughing.

“Right? I wonder if I have any chance of hooking up with Luke before the end of the summer,” Meg said.

Grace jumped off the truck, and as she turned to look at Maegan, she put her hands on her hips. In that moment, I saw Aunt Ari all over Grace’s face.

“Jesus H. Christ, stop with the talk about my brother. I can’t take it. It’s disgusting, Maegan.”

I peeked over at Libby, and she was staring at Maegan. I glanced back out and noticed the guys were nearly done. I leaned over to Libby and said, “You should go offer them a drink of tea.”

She quickly looked at me. “Yeah?”

I smiled as I nodded my head.

Libby wasn’t shy by any means, but when it came to Luke, she was beyond shy. Last year, Luke had kissed her behind the bleachers before he headed off for college. After Will had found out about the kiss, he’d punched Luke, but then Luke had explained that he hated himself for kissing Libby. It wasn’t because he hadn’t wanted to kiss her. It had just made their friendship awkward. They used to spend a lot of time together, but Libby and Luke’s friendship hadn’t really been the same since.

While Grace and Maegan were busy going back and forth, Libby jumped down and grabbed three bottles of tea before making her way toward the guys.

“Where is she going?” Maegan jumped off the tailgate.

“Taking tea to the guys.” I looked at Grace and winked.

Grace rolled her eyes and put her finger in her mouth like she was gagging herself. I chortled and jumped off the tailgate. I needed to distract Maegan for a bit to give Libby a chance. I wasn’t playing sides by any means. I just knew that Maegan wanted to sleep with Luke only because she knew Libby liked Luke a lot.

“What are y’all wearing to the party tonight?” I asked.

Grace was the first to answer, “Oh my gosh, I found the cutest dress in my mom’s closet. It’s all vintage and shit. I’m totally wearing it.”

“Jean shorts and a T-shirt,” Maegan mumbled as she watched Libby.

I looked at her. “You of all people wearing just shorts and a T-shirt?”

Maegan glanced back at me and smiled. “Yep. I’m so sick of dressing up for these country bumpkins, only to have them talk about fences and cows. God, I can’t wait to get out of Fredericksburg and Mason. I just want to be in the city.”

My heart sank a little when Maegan talked about leaving. She and Grace wanted to leave Mason as fast as they could while Libby and I dreaded leaving. Mason was my comfort zone. It was where I felt happy, safe, and loved. I hated the few times I’d been to Austin, and I hated UT also. It was too big and had way too many people. Grace was over the moon about going to UT, especially after she’d found out that Michael Clark was going there.