Watermelon Moonshine - Lainey Wilson

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The drive back to Colt's house was unbearingly silent. You could hear the quarters in his console sliding around as he turned. I wish he'd at least turn the radio on. At least it was only a short drive back, yet it felt like an hour.

He pulled the truck into the spot next to my car, and I couldn't decide whether to give himself space or to follow him inside. I follow him. He still rests his hand on my back as we reach the front door, but I think it is more of a habit. He immediately heads to the fridge and pulls a beer out as soon as he walks inside. I watched his every movement, trying to read him, but his face was neutral, and I couldn't read it.

I slip off my shoes by the door and give him a moment alone, using the restroom to allow myself to breathe. Am I overreacting? Is he even mad? I think it's because I care about him so much, and I don't want to disappoint him. 

I look at myself in the mirror. I fix my flyaways and wipe underneath my eyes where mascara had smudged. "Get a grip," I mutter to myself. I take a deep breath before walking back into the living room, where Colt is now on the couch watching football on the television.

He sat in the dark, the TV giving off the only light in the house. The moon peaking in from the windows added more light to the room, but you could still barely see to move around. It was almost ten, and I was exhausted from stressing about Colt's family all day.

I sit on the couch near him and touch his arm that is on the top of the pillows. He jumped at my touch, "Are you mad at me?" I quietly say.

He furrows his eyebrows before looking at me, slightly smiling, "No, baby, you're good." It was a fake smile. I had never seen him smile like that. He set his beer down on the end table next to him. He leaned over to me, grabbed my side, and pulled me closer to him.

I make myself comfortable next to him, spreading my legs across his and leaning against the crook of his armpit. We sit silently for a moment, listening to the announcer on the TV. "You're just quiet."

"Just thinking," he whispers. I had never seen this man act like this. He just completely shut down. Don't men realize they can't hide their feelings and need to speak about them?

I frown and look up at him, "About me leaving?"

He shrugs, taking a long sip of his beer before looking down at me, "I guess I just never thought about you graduating." Oh my gosh. He makes me want to wrap him up in a hug and never let him go. He finishes the rest of his beer, sets it on the end table, and lets out a quiet burp. "About you leaving," he adds.

My hand moves to his neck, and I slowly rub his facial hair between my fingers, "Colt, It's not for another six months." He purses his lips and nods. Him being sad makes me almost cry. I hate seeing him like this. "I don't know if I'm actually leaving. I could get a job around here."

This would be one of the hardest decisions I would make. If I stay here, my family won't have me. But if I go home, then I would have to leave Colt. I couldn't ask him to leave here, nor would he want to.

"Okay," he whispers, slowly kissing my forehead. I shut my eyes, trying to believe that he's fine now. That it was all cleared up. But, deep down, I didn't think he was okay. We needed to talk about this more, but maybe another day. Perhaps we've said all we needed to say for now. Maybe in the new year, we can discuss it.

We sit in silence for a few more minutes before I get up to leave. "I guess I better go. I got class in the morning."

He frowns, grabbing my arm and pulling me back down. "No, Charlie, stay."

The ends of my lips curl up, wanting to smile, "I have class early." Even when he's upset, he still makes me feel wanted. He wants me to stay.

He wraps both arms around me, hugging me tightly, "Well, I gotta be up early to move cows. Just leave when I leave."

I nod and sigh, "Can we at least go lay in the bed?" He nods before standing up and stretching. We follow each other into the bedroom, and I take my dress off, trading it for one of Colt's T-shirts from his drawer. I head to the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed and climb into the bed next to Colt.

He scrolls through his Instagram feed, where I close my eyes whenever I see a girl. I didn't want to know if he liked the picture or not. He gets bored after a while, puts his phone down, and turns to me. "When do I get to meet your family?"

I smile for the first time since we were at his parent's house, "Well, I am going home the week for Thanksgiving, but I'm coming back for THE game on Friday. Do you want to come with me?" Everyone in the state of Alabama knew what THE game was, where Auburn and Alabama faced each other during Thanksgiving.

"I'd love to go home with you."

"What about to the game?"

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his finger stroking my cheek, "I guess I'd go. I've never been to the stadium. I've only watched football on TV. Not sure how I'd fit in with college kids."

I roll my eyes, "You'll be fine! It'll be so fun! You know it's the best game to watch all season."

"Yeah," he mutters before gently kissing me closer. I scooted closer to him so my body was pressed up against him. "I gotta ride in Mississippi this weekend."

I stick my lower lip out at him, "Boo."

"You can come, you know?"

I sigh, "I wish I could, but I promised Willow and the girls we would go to Opelika and go shopping this weekend."

His hands slid underneath my shirt and began to roam over my body, "Brooke is going."

My eyes widened. "She is?" I question. Of course, she is. Because why would she go shopping with us even though she had already said yes?

His hands squeezed my ass cheeks slightly; it was getting harder to keep focus, "Yea, Knox told me earlier she was comin'. She's even supposedly staying with us in the trailer somehow, so that means I'm sleepin' in the truck."

I rolled my eyes, "Well, at least you get to hang out with my best friend. I haven't seen her in weeks." 

"I'm sorry, baby."

I sigh, "I swear the next time she walks through our apartment door, she's not leaving. I am going to kidnap her."

"Yeah, that's one way to solve that issue," he sarcastically says.

"Shut up and kiss me."