Social Experiment

26 | Riding Shotgun

Apparently, Nathan meant it when he said he wasn't letting me out of his sight. The second we got to the tracks, he pulled me into the garage and made me stick by his side as he went to check in with Cotter. He held my hand tightly the entire way to make sure I wouldn't stray away from him. Not that I was complaining.

Maybe it was just me, but it felt like our hands fit perfectly together. It was like the curves of his palm were crafted to fit into the curves of mine, and the coolness on his hand was balanced by the warmth in mine. It was like he brought a shock of electrifying comfort with his hand placed in mine, and I didn't want to let go any time soon. 

Unfortunately, my wish was not granted, because the moment we walked up to our group of friends gathered by the racetrack, he dropped my hand. I tried to ignore the disappointment that settled in my stomach as I approached our friends empty handed and forced a smile onto my face in greeting. 

Vincent had his arms around Tess' shoulders, drawing her back into his chest, as he leaned against the side of his pick up. Mike and Holden had busied themselves with two girls with platinum blonde hair and clothes so skinny that I wondered how they didn't get frostbite. Asher was sitting on the bed of the pick up with his legs dangling off. 

"Lauren, it's good to see you!" Asher greeted happily, and then his gaze fell on my outfit before his grin morphed into a smirk. "I take it Nathan dressed you like that?"

I pout jokingly and cry dramatically, "He forced me to dress like a sack of potatoes."

Asher barked out a laugh as his easygoing grin returns to his face, but this time, there's a wicked glint in his eye. "He just doesn't want any other guys looking at you. You know, Nathan gets really possessive over girls that he-"

Nathan shoots Asher a dangerous look, one so cold that I even shrank backward, but Asher looks unaffected. He rolled his eyes at Nathan and smiled sweetly at me. 

"That he's friends with," Asher continues monotonously.

But I swear I saw the tips of Nathan's ears turn pink and my breath caught in my throat. Nathan blushing? In what world does that exist?

"Hey Lauren," Tess smiles at me and pulls me out of my jumbled thoughts as I shoot her a friendly smile. "Do you want a beer? We have plenty in the cooler."

A beer sounded like the perfect thing to calm my nerves. After all, I was surrounded by drunk, hollering strangers in the very place that I'd come a little too close to having someone force himself on me for comfort. 

I nod feverishly and say, "Please." 

Tess moves from Vincent's hold and he groans in protest with a frown on his face. I can't help the small smile on my lips when I watch him pull Tess back into his arms the second that she has the beer for me in her hands. She giggles as Vincent tightens his hold on her and nuzzles his face into her neck.

Their adorableness made a small pang hit my chest as I wondered if I would ever have love like they have. Fortunately, the feeling came and went with the wind as soon as Tess smiles at me and hands me my drink.

"Here you go," Tess says in between giggles. "Sorry, Vince is-"

"Is what?" Her boyfriend interrupts challengingly with a playful expression on his face, and she just begins to giggle again.