Distraction (Westbrook Series Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter Four:
That's the Guy?
 

Mumford and Sons is playing “I Will Wait” and the deck is really starting to get crowded. The French doors are still propped open, and people are standing in small groups; some are inside, and others are scattered across the deck.

I see Trevor's parents inside talking to my parents. Nobody seems to notice me. I check the area one more time before I discreetly slip another bottle under my cardigan, and walk back towards the stairs.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" His soft, smooth voice startles me.

I can feel his hot, minty breath on my bare shoulder, and it sends about a million tingles dancing madly down my arm. He is really close, almost too close and yet not close enough. As usual, he smells completely amazing. I have no idea what it is that he wears. It seems like his very own mixture of a light cologne, soap, and maybe even deodorant. Whatever it is, it is uniquely him and one whiff sends my head in to a complete tailspin.

This is usually about when I become speechless. I worry my knees are going to buckle because I feel that faint. I take a deep breath before turning around to face him. Sure enough, Sam is standing right behind me looking better than I ever remember him being.
Yes. College has been very good to you, Sam.

"Hey Sam. So, where's Kyle?" I ask casually, my voice catching a little in my throat. Well, it is my attempt to act cool and indifferent, which is a far cry from how I really feel inside. I continue down the stairs acting as if he should just follow me.

I am trying really hard not to trip or do something else that is wildly embarrassing. Of course if I didn't do that, it would be uncharacteristic of me in most situations when Sam is involved. I just have this knack for instantly transforming into a bumbling fool when he's near.

"Around, I guess." I can feel his shrug by the tone in his voice when he finally answers. "He's been talking non-stop with your parents' friends. I got pretty bored. Mind if I hang with you guys for a while?" he asks casually. I stop at the bottom of the stairs and turn around to face him.

A confident, lopsided grin sneaks onto his face as he winks at me. His sparkling blue eyes seem to be drinking me in, while he flashes me his full signature Sammy smile. That smile always turns my stomach to mush. I notice he is drinking a beer out in the open, as if he isn't even trying to hide it. I have to remind myself that he is in college now. My parents have allowed Kyle to drink since he graduated from high school, so long as he promises to be responsible, and to never drive under the influence.

"Yeah, sure. I mean, it's just Avery, Trevor, and me right now, but whatever. More people will start trickling in after eight. You've been to enough of Kyle's parties to know how it goes."

I can't help but notice how his eyes keep traveling down the length of my body. Every time they start to veer, my heart leaps as if it is jumping on a trampoline.
I wonder if he notices that this is the same dress I wore to the wedding.

I casually slip my Smirnoff Ice bottle out from under my sweater, hoping he won't say anything else about me drinking. I am trying to twist the cap off, but it's being extra stubborn and won't budge. It might have something to do with the fact that my hands are sweaty and shaky.

"Here," Sam says.

His warm hand is covering mine before I can look up. I feel a burst of electricity pulsing through my body the instant his fingers make contact. I don't know if he has ever actually touched me before. No, I know that there is no way he has ever touched me like this because I would definitely remember. I briefly wonder if he feels the same way because his hand lingers there for a moment longer than it should, and he is looking at me in that way again, just like he did at the wedding.

His eyes are smoky and his face is slightly flushed. He gently tugs the bottle out of my hand, twists the lid off, and places it back in my hand. Once again, his hand is wrapped around mine as we hold the bottle together and it's driving me crazy. My heart is racing madly. I feel like I can't breathe, but I force myself to muster out a quick, "Thanks."

"This must be Devon." Trevor's deep voice breaks our moment and Sam reclaims his hand.

It's hard to tell what it is exactly, but Trevor sounds kind of strange. There seems to be a slight edge in the way he is speaking to Sam. Then again, he sounds like he is desperately trying to cover it up. Sam doesn't seem to notice anything weird though, which makes me wonder if it isn't just in my head. Then it finally hits me; what Trevor said.

"What? No. She told you his name? No, no, no. Um, this is Sam. He's a . . . friend of Kyle's. They go to NEU together. They are just in town for the weekend. Sam, this is Trevor," I say awkwardly.

Sam looks at me curiously and then nods quickly at Trevor.
I cannot believe Avery told him Devon's name. She is in so much trouble.

"So, who is this Devon guy?" Sam asks me while lightly nudging me with his elbow.

"Nobody," I say quickly.

"That's not what I heard," Trevor teases me while sharing another amused look with Avery.

Sam's eyes dart between the two of them before they find me again. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend, lil sis. Really?"

I cringe as soon as I hear him say my nickname. The look he had on his face before Trevor came over has completely vanished.
So, we are instantly back to being like brother and sister. Really?
Sam used to call me
lil sis
, which is what Kyle still calls me. I don't mind when my brother calls me that, but I really don't want Sam thinking of me like I'm his little sister. It kind of hampers my fantasy of us one day becoming a real couple.

"He's not. I mean . . . I don't have a boyfriend," I say a little too sharply while glaring at Avery.

"Yet. Ask her again tomorrow if that's true. Hi, Sam," Avery says in almost a singsong way. She tilts her head to the side and casts a flirtatious smile in Sam's direction.

Avery strikes yet again. She is on a roll tonight.
I seriously am starting to wonder if she revels in my humiliation.

"Avery," Sam repeats her name and nods as if that is enough of a greeting. For some reason, he seems to hardly notice her. I've always wondered how she has managed to stay off his radar. He might just be the only guy in the universe who doesn't notice how gorgeous she is. Either that, or he is just really good at hiding it.

"Paige just texted me. She said that she, Kylie, and Allie are on their way over with Chase, Mark, and Devon. She also said that Devon keeps asking about you, Laila." Her animated voice is now high-pitched and she is almost shrieking with excitement.

For some reason, I am not as excited as I should be. Ok, so the reason isn't quite so mysterious. It is six foot three with wavy, sandy-blond hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and a smile that could melt butter. I remind myself that he just called me
lil sis
. That seems to help me snap out of my Sammy coma.

Trevor is still looking at me strangely and he keeps eyeing Sam suspiciously.
What is that about
? I barely even know Trevor anymore and it's almost like he's being . . . .
What is it that he's being
? It's almost protective, but that can't be right, either. I must be reading way too much into it. Then again, if Trevor glares at Sam one more time, I might just have to smack him. Thankfully, Sam is completely oblivious.

We all head over to the patio to wait for the rest of the group. The rattling sound of the wrought-iron gate grabs our attention. We turn around to see who is causing the ruckus. Chase, Mark, and Devon come barreling through with a huge, red cooler full of (no doubt) their own supply of alcoholic beverages.

"Let the party begin, y'all. Chase is in da howse." He uses his signature DJ voice, which makes us all laugh. We can always count on Chase to keep everyone laughing and having a good time.

"No, actually you are outside and the party has been going on for some time, McDew." Sam fist bumps Chase and then picks up the other end of the cooler to help him carry it.

I didn't even realize they knew each other.

"Woodson, waz up? Good to see you, bro. How the hell have you been?" Chase asks.

I've always wondered why guys address each other by last name only. They set the cooler down on the patio by the pool.

"I need your keys," Sam says, holding his hands out as people file past him. I'm glad he is stepping in to be on party patrol. He always did that at Kyle's parties, but I didn't think he would bother tonight. It gives me one less thing to worry about. When he glances my way, I smile appreciatively. His lopsided grin returns, but he isn't looking at me like I'm his little sister anymore. I feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I look away.

Devon and Mark stroll on over to the other patio behind Chase and Sam. I was hoping that Devon might come over and say, "Hi" to me, but he just sits down with his friends and completely ignores me.

After a few minutes, he finally looks up at me. He nods and smiles, but doesn't say anything. He is wearing a light blue polo with white cargo shorts, which makes his tan look darker. He looks cute, but for some reason, he looks much younger than I remember him being. We've only been out of school a week.
How could he possibly look so different to me
?

Maybe it's just that standing next to both Sam and Trevor, he looks shorter and kind of on the small side. Surprisingly, Trevor looks like he could already be in college.
He definitely has the body of a college boy, not that I'm looking.

For some reason, Trevor is looking at Mark and Devon, and then back at me, as if he is silently asking me which one Devon is. I pretend not to notice. Avery runs over to the gate to meet the girls. Not long after that, a few more groups start making their way into the back yard. Sam is busy collecting car keys and handing out red cups, so people can discard their beer cans and bottles before my parents catch us.

Everyone is having a good time, but I can't help but notice that Devon has yet to say one word to me. Avery is surrounded by a big group of girls. They are all listening to one of her fashion stories, which I could probably recite in my sleep because I've heard it so many times.

And then, there is Devon and a few other guys that I don't really know very well. They are just staying huddled in their own corner on the far patio by the pool. Trevor and I are lounging on the sectional with our feet propped up on the table. We are sitting close to each other, but are not really talking. His well-toned, athletic legs are only inches from mine, which is making my heart hammer uncontrollably. He smells really good, too.
How is it that certain guys know exactly what kind of scent to wear in order to drive me crazy?

"So, when did you get your braces taken off?" Trevor asks me in an attempt to break the silence.

I look up at him curiously. His question throws me off.

"About two and a half years ago. Geeze, Trevor. It's not like I would have ever stepped one foot into high school with those god-awful things on."

I'm not even exaggerating. If the orthodontist would have told me I needed one more year, I think I would have said, "Screw it" and would just live with my crooked teeth
. I hated those damned things
.

"They weren't so bad. I mean you kind of made them look . . . cute."

I look at him curiously.

"I mean don't get me wrong, I like you better without them, but I guess you could sort of get away with it. More than other girls, anyway."

I know I must be imagining this, because there is no way Trevor's golden brown cheeks are flushing pink right now.
Wait, did he just say I was cute back in junior high? Nobody thought I was cute back then.
Awkward?
Sure
. Skinny?
Absolutely.
Frumpy?
Maybe. Although, I was in no way, shape, or form, cute.

"So, how long are you guys in town?" I attempt to change the subject because I'm not sure how to respond to his confession. Plus, I will do just about anything to put out this fire that is pulsing through my body.

"We just moved back. My dad's job transferred him back here when they completed the project they were working on. We are looking for a house right now. The idea is to get settled somewhere before Sasha and I start school in the fall."

I was definitely not expecting him to say that
.

"Where is Sasha?" I ask. I had completely forgotten about his little sister.

"She had a softball tournament this weekend. She is staying with my aunt in Philadelphia for the rest of the summer. That way, she can finish out the season with her team and friends."

"That's cool. I didn't realize she played softball."

"Yeah. She is even the starting pitcher. She plays for this elite team where they only take the area's best players in her age range. My parents didn't want her to have to take a year off just because we were moving. If she keeps playing well, she should have no problem landing a scholarship when she graduates," he explains.

"What about you? Wasn't it hard for you to leave your friends behind? I mean, I can't imagine starting my senior year in an all new school where I don't know anyone."