Chapter Fourteen

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Wes ~

It had been well over a week since I had seen Gracie and whoever came up with the phrase "out of sight out of mind" was a damn liar.

Every time I had asked Maggie or Amanda about Gracie, they all told me the same thing - that she had holed up in the library writing a research paper that was 80% of her final grade. I was relieved to hear that she wasn't avoiding me, but I was still disappointed that I hadn't gotten to see her.

Disappointed was an understatement, I was downright irritated, feeling uneasy in my own skin the longer I went without seeing Gracie which was confusing and frustrating. My mind knew I was no good for Gracie, but every cell in my body wanted her, thirsted for her in a way I had never experienced before.

"Just text her dude." Blake said as if he could hear my internal struggle.

"Who?" I replied innocently.

Blake arched a brow at me and sipped at his beer before turning his attention back to the crowd of people that had filled our house that evening.

"The person you keep looking for." Blake finally said.

"I'm not lookin' for anyone."

"Bullshit." Blake chuckled. "You've been popping wood for every brunette that walks in here until you realize they're not Gracie."

"Fuck you, no I haven't." I muttered against the mouth of my beer.

Chad had appeared over Blakes shoulder, grabbing a beer from the fridge as he joined our conversation.

"Lots of worthy prospects here tonight fellas."

"But then again, none of them are Amanda and Gracie right?" He snickered as he popped the top off his beer and took a sip.

Blake and I both tried our best to look shocked and confused, but the truth was, Chad was right. There were some gorgeous women in our house that night, but none of them compared to Gracie.

"What does Amanda have to do with anything?" Blake asked, recoiling his head in confusion.

See, doesn't feel so great does it Blake?

"Oh come on. You two flirt non-stop." Chad scoffed.

"So? All that proves is that I'm a flirt...and women love me." Blake said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Whatever. And what about you? You get the balls to text Gracie yet?" Chad asked, motioning over to me with a chin lift.

"Gracie and I are just friends." I muttered. It was the truth, but the words tasted bad in my mouth.

"Fine, all I'm saying is I bet she'd come if you text her - that's all." Chad said, shrugging his shoulders before making his way back over to Maggie.

The truth was, I had toyed with the idea of texting her multiple times, but I was too chicken shit to follow through with it. I wasn't used to making casual conversation through text. Most of my text exchanges were with girls like Trisha who needed addresses to parties or wanted to meet up for sex. Still - the idea of having Gracie around was appealing and Chad wouldn't have thrown the idea out there if he didn't mean it.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I searched Gracie's number laughing at how I'd saved it in my phone from the first night we'd met. "Gracie the farm stripper"

I typed out a quick text and pocketed my phone quickly, but felt it buzz in my hand with an immediate response. My heart pounded a little harder once I saw her name on the screen which was off brand for me. Women never made me nervous.

Wes: Hey stranger, what are you up to tonight?

Gracie: Did you really save your name in my phone as Wes the assassin? Lol

Wes: Maybe

Wes: You're rolling your eyes at me aren't you

Gracie: Can you see me? Lol

Wes: No, but I want to. We're havin a party at the house. You feel like stopping by?

Gracie: Ugh I wish I could. I'm at my second home working on a research paper

Wes: That sucks. All work and no play huh?

Gracie: Welcome to my life

Gracie: But for the record, I'd much rather be there.

Wes: Me too, but I get it. Maybe another time

Gracie: 100%

I slipped my phone back in my pocket with mixed emotions. I was thrilled to be talking to Gracie, but bummed that she wasn't going to come out.

Feeling a large hand slap me on the back, I turned to see my friend Shawn who was using the edge of the counter to pop the top of his beer.

"What up Wes?" He said, eyeing the girls that were gathered around the beer pong table.

I gave him a lift of my chin, making sure my phone was completely concealed, feeling the need to hide my text exchange with Gracie from any onlooking eyes.

My friend Hillary has been eyeing you all night, I was gonna try to get you two hooked up, but Blake said you might have a thing for Gracie. That true?"

Damn you and your fat mouth Blake.

"You know me better than that." I said without looking him in the eye.

"Good, cause I saw her a couple times this week out with Emmit." Shawn said casually.

"Emmitt Fields?" I asked in disbelief and disgust.

"The one and only," Shawn confirmed. "Saw them together at the coffee house on campus two or three times this week."

Shit.

Emmitt Fields was second string quarterback for the football team and a grade A douchebag. I had a few classes with him over the years and could barely stand the sight of his arrogant ass. Just the thought of Emmitt going on dates with Gracie made my stomach twist into knots before I realized how stupid I was being.

Gracie is allowed to date whoever she wants. If she wants to continue dating assholes then that's her decision. It has nothing to do with you, Wes. You don't have any kind of claim on her and she doesn't owe you anything.

I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair as I shifted uncomfortably on my feet in the kitchen. I have never been jealous like this before. I didn't compete for women, I just moved on to the next one without a second thought. But this - this felt awful. Like my chest and bones were aching and my skin was uncomfortable all of a sudden.

What the hell is up with me?

Shawn eyed me up and down before shooting his gaze just beyond my right shoulder as I felt a hand snake up my back, wrapping around my torso and strong smelling perfume assaulted my senses.

Trisha.

"Weeeeessssss, where have you been?" Trisha's voice slammed into my ears, breaking my short name into eight whiney syllables.

I turned to face her, removing her hands from my chest and torso.

"Hey Trish." I said flatly.

"I've been looking everywhere for you." Trisha purred, leaning up toward my neck.

"Well you found me." I said, looking down at her, playing with the idea in my head that a quickie might distract me enough to get my mind off Gracie.

"What do you say we go somewhere a little more private and make up for lost time?" Trisha whispered.

I had slept with Trisha dozens of times, but hadn't called her in a few months which she clearly wasn't happy about. Sex with Trisha was easy - no feelings involved - just physical - and maybe that's exactly what I needed to get my head on straight again.

Before I could overthink it, I downed the rest of my beer before grabbing Trisha's hand, leading her to the only guest bedroom we had that was technically supposed to be an office.

Kicking the door shut behind me, I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket and tossed it onto the floor next to the bed, anticipating the need for a condom in my near future. Trisha wasted no time and started to frantically pull at my belt, undoing the buckle and letting it hang loose around my waist as she leaned up to press her lips against mine.

I wrapped my hand behind her head and pulled her lips against mine like I had done so many times before, but the second her lips made contact with my skin, my entire body seemed to reject the sensation. All of a sudden I hated the feeling of her lips and became aware of the waxy lipstick she was wearing. The kiss felt wrong and forced and I had never regretted a decision so much in my life. I pulled away instantly, but felt her chase my lips trying to maintain the connection. 

Pulling my head back sharply and taking hold of her shoulders to hold her in place, I broke the connection and shook my head in disbelief of my body's betrayal.

"What's wrong with you?" Trisha asked breathlessly.

That's a good fucking question.

My entire body was screaming at me to stop, sending waves of repulsion throughout my body that I had never experienced before.

I can't do this.

"I can't." I muttered, running a frustrated hand through my hair as I spoke the words.

"Can't what?" Trisha snapped.

"I can't do this, Trish."

She folded her arms across her chest and bounced her eyes from my feet to my head, glaring at me with lipstick smeared across her cheek.

"They make pills for that you know." She hissed, snatching her jacket off the floor.

That's not the problem...the problem is you. My problem is that you aren't Gracie.

"Sorry" I said flatly, without much emotion because I didn't really mean it. I wasn't sorry.

"Whatever Wes."

Trisha flung the door open and stormed out as I headed toward my bathroom to wash my face. I used the back of my arm to wipe some of Trisha's lipstick from my mouth, but as I crossed the living room my eyes instantly settled on the only person I had wanted to see all week, but was now dreading the sight of.

Gracie.

Gracie's eyes were trained on Trisha who was gathering her friends at the beer pong tables, before they shifted toward me. She gave me a light hearted smirk but there was the smallest bit of hurt behind her eyes and I hated myself for that.

She took a few steps toward me with a smile that I didn't deserve before she spoke.

"Having a good night so far?" She joked, eyeing me up and down, clearly having witnessed Trisha and I leaving the guest bedroom.

"I uh...that was...We...I didn't..." My dumbass had forgotten how to speak English and I rambled nonsense at Gracie for a few seconds before she cut me off.

"That good huh?" She sassed as she sipped at the drink in her cup.

"No! It wasn't...we...I...Uh."

Jesus Christ Wes, form a damn sentence.

"So it wasn't good?" Gracie asked, scrunching her face in pity.

"No it just wasn't...It wasn't anything. Nothing happened." I managed to spit out.

Gracie cleared her throat and grinned at me, shooting her eyes toward my unfastened belt, then back up to my eyes.

Wes, you big fucking idiot.

My hands immediately shot down to my belt as I secured it in place and tried to figure out a way to convince Gracie that I hadn't slept with Trisha just now.

"Nothing happened in there." I said as casually as I could manage.

Gracie maintained her playful smile and held her hands up in a surrender pose, shaking her head and giggling to herself at my words.

"You don't owe me an explanation Wes...and um you've got some lipstick right here." She sassed with a smile, pointing to the right side of her own perfect lips.

I wiped harshly at my face trying to remove any evidence of my stupid mistake with Trisha, but Gracie had already turned her back to me and headed toward the beer pong table.

Dammit!

Letting out a frustrated breath, I went straight to my bathroom and scrubbed the shit out of my face until my skin felt raw and painful.

Way to go, dumbass.

I stared at myself in the mirror for a second or two trying to get myself under control before I rejoined the party. My body completely rejected the idea of being with anyone, but Gracie and I didn't know how to handle it. I'd never felt this kind of pull toward anyone before - the type of magnetic attraction that was completely out of my control and out of my comfort zone.

Get your shit together and go fix the mess you just created, Wes.

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