West [ COMPLETED ]

XLI

"Okay," I said in a whisper.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Matt with his feet kicked up on the coffee table looking at his phone and my dad still asleep, and I knew he would sleep until someone woke him, so I breathed easier.

Weston stood and motioned for me to follow him, and I did, across the deck and down the stairs to the patio.

We used to have bonfires out here, and I could see embers smoldering from the last one.

I stood next to the fire and warmed my hands as Weston snapped some sticks into kindling and placed them on the coals.

We were both quiet for a time as he stoked the fire and continued to add fuel until there was a healthy little flame licking up the firewood.

He stepped back then and sat down on the stone bench that was behind me.

"Sit, Ave," he said softly.

I did so, leaving plenty of space between us.

"So," he began," Before I say anything stupid, can you tell me if you have a boyfriend or not?"

I whipped my head around to look at him.

"No...no I don't...not really."

"Really?" He said skeptically. "Then...who was...that guy you were with? If you don't mind me asking. I know it's none of my business, but...what I'm about to say depends on what you tell me Ave," he said.

I was silent for a moment or two, trying to repress my quickening heartbeat.

"That man is a good friend of mine, and he likes me but...I won't date him."

"Okay. Sorry I know it's none of my business."

"You're fine," I shook my head.
"So...what do you want to talk about...?" I encouraged, sensing his nervousness. Any other time it would have amused me, the thought of someone with the looks and poise of someone like Weston being nervous in front of me, but at the moment I just wanting to get this over with, because the longer I wondered what he was going to say the more apprehensive I got.

"I want to know...why I never heard from you. Tell me honestly."

I replied evenly, watching the flames play light across his face, " Because...I never heard from you. Not a single word."

He nodded slowly, gaze fixed on the fire.

"So your brother never told you about me then, did he?"

"No."

"I don't know why I never thought about that, but I shouldn't have been such an idiot." He took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair.

"I just figured...you forgot about me Wes. Why couldn't you have just...followed me on Facebook or something?"

"I don't use Facebook, but I looked you up on my brothers once, and there were too many people with the same name, and none of the pictures looked like you."

"Oh...but I looked you up on Facebook before, right after you left..."

"Why didn't you follow me then?" He asked.

" well, first of all, I saw that girl Ashley had tagged you in like 50 photos of y'all at your cabin, y'all looked perfectly cozy together," I started off with.

"That's just how she is, kind of over the top affectionate with everyone she knows. It was a mutual breakup so we have more of a sibling relationship now. I completely understand if that's how it looked though. Fucking Ashley," he growled out in frustration, and then lifted his eyes to mine.