Page 50 of Stealing Summer
“What the fuck, Chandler?” It was Parker. His eyes loomed over me, burning with anger and something else—disappointment. “Are you gonna date the whole fucking team or something? Just the infield or the outfield, too?” His words were sharp, cutting deeper than I expected.
“I don’t need this shit right now, Parker,” I snapped, my own anger flaring. “That’s not what I’m trying to do.”
“Sure looks like it from here,” Parker shot back with a scowl, glancing over at the interaction.
“Move,” I said sternly, as I shoved past Parker.
I saw that Boston stormed out—the door slamming behind him with a resounding echo that cut through the music and laughter. My heart raced, panic threading through my veins. What had Reese said to shatter Boston’s composure?
I knew I had to go after him, rising from my seat, my gaze fixed on the imposing doors that had just swallowed him.
I sprinted after him. His long strides had already put him far ahead. “Boston!” I called out, my voice strained with concern. He didn’t turn back, he didn’t even falter. The broad set of his shoulders just tensed further, signaling a storm of emotions that I couldn’t read from this distance.
He reached his truck and stopped after walking to the passenger side. The door creaked open under his hand, and for a fleeting moment, I caught a glimpse of his profile—those once bright blue eyes now seemed distant and clouded over. He tugged at his collar, then gestured for me to get in with his other hand.
“Will you just talk to me? What did he say?” I asked, finally coming to a stop by the car, trying to catch my breath and make sense of what was happening.
Boston shook his head, and the corner of his mouth twitched as if he was fighting back words or emotions, maybe both. “Just... get in, Chandler,” he pointed, his voice hoarse.
The vulnerability in his tone struck me. This was not the happy, laid-back Boston I knew. He let out a long sigh, closing the door gently behind me before walking around to the driver’s side. An unspoken turbulence hung between us, putting us in a strange unfamiliar territory.
“Fine.” I huffed, slipping into the passenger seat, my mind racing with questions. “But you’re going to tell me what’s going on, Boston Riley. You can’t shut me out.”
Once Boston slid into the driver’s seat beside me, a heavy silence filled the air. My thoughts were swirling as I replayed the disastrous events of the night. I wondered if Boston knew anything about the family history Blair brought up, but I knew both of us didn’t feel like talking about it tonight. I felt so stupid for believing Reese actually cared about me.
Boston gripped the steering wheel with an intensity that was far from his usual easy going nature. His knuckles whitened with the effort, and every now and then, he would flex his fingers as if to remind them they were still alive. I wasn’t sure who was more upset, me or him.
Boston kept sneaking occasional glances my way as he drove, but didn’t say a word. The moonlight illuminated his face, and the streetlights flashed by in a blur. The low rumble of his truck’s engine was the only sound breaking the heavy silence between us.
“Are you okay?” I asked, noting the stiffness in his shoulders. They rose and fell with a deep breath, showing the inner conflict he must have been feeling.
He didn’t look at me, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but I saw the way his jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “I’m fine,” he said. The words were short and there was no mistaking it. Something was really wrong.
“Come on, Boston,” I coaxed, hoping I could break through his walls. “Talk to me.”
“He told me some bullshit lie. But that doesn’t matter. I should be asking about you,” a sigh escaped him, ruffling through his wavy hair as he glanced briefly in my direction before returning his gaze to the road. “I don’t know what happened back there between you and him… But I swear, if Reese did anything to hurt you, I’ll kick his ass.”
I turned to look at him, taking in the tense set of his jaw, the anger simmering in his blue eyes. Sweet, protective Boston—the one I always wished would be my knight in shining armor, was now prepared to defend my honor. Yet, this moment didn’t feel quite as I had always imagined it would.
“I think you already kicked his ass.” I said, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “And don’t worry about me. I just want to make sure you’re okay. Is your hand okay?”
He nodded, exhaling slowly as some of the tension left his shoulders. We drove the rest of the way in a more comfortable silence. My heart ached, wishing things would have ended differently tonight. But some things just weren’t meant to be.
Boston pulled up in front of the cabin, shifting the truck into park. He turned to look at me, his eyes gentle.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Come here.”
There was something about those words, “come here” that made my breath hitch. Before I could react, he reached out and pulled me into a hug. I melted against him, breathing in his familiar scent—something uniquely Boston. I felt safe as his powerful arms wrapped around me.
We stayed like that for a long moment, neither of us wanting to let go. Finally, Boston pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. His hand came up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my cheek. I shivered, a fluttering started low in my belly. We were so close I could feel his breath and see the intensity in his eyes.
“You deserve so much better,” he whispered. “I never wanted you to get caught up in all that.”
My heart pounded as he leaned in, looking at me with his eyes hazy in a way he never had before. For a moment—just one brief heartbeat suspended in time—he leaned closer, so close I could almost count each one of his long perfect eyelashes. I could have sworn Boston Riley was about to kiss me, and every fantasy I'd ever imagined about this very moment flickered through my mind.
But then he pulled back, and I didn’t feel his warmth anymore. It was torture, an undescribable agony, knowing that the one thing I'd been picturing for years was within reach for a moment and yet still so far away.
"I'm gonna head to the lake," he said abruptly, breaking the moment as he shoved the car door open. "Sit on the dock and clear my head for a while."