Tonight is one step toward that, toward getting my old life back.
“I'll be right back,” Jamie says, patting Oakley on the back. “Need to run up to the front and give my dad his ticket.”
We both wave at him as he melts into the crowd, and Oakley returns her attention to the target game she's playing. I've been fading in and out of paying attention to my surroundings, but I'm pretty sure we've been here for a while. This game was always her favorite when we were kids.
“Oakley!” a voice calls from behind us. “And, uh, MacKenzie, right?”
We turn to see a lanky blond approaching us, broad rim of his cowboy hat shadowing his eyes. His lips are stretched into a wide smile, and Oakley returns it easily. The guy looks vaguely familiar, but he obviously knows Oakley.
“Keith, it's been forever!” she says brightly.
She pulls him into a brief hug before looking back at me.
“Kenz, I don't know if y’all ever met, but Keith’s dad owns that barn out by the creek that we used to party in when we were in school,” Oakley tells me.
I nod awkwardly and raise a hand in a wave. Thankfully, he just returns the wave and doesn't try to pull me into a hug. “Ah,yeah, I was never much of the party type, but I know the place. Nice to officially meet you.”
Everyone I went to school with wound up at that barn for something or other. The after-party for every school dance was held there, and half the time, people just poured in for an excuse to get drunk and hook up somewhere prying adult eyes wouldn't look.
“Yeah, you too,” he says politely before returning his attention to Oakley. “I wasn't expecting to see you here. I thought you and Jamie were off in college. Is he in town too?”
“Oh, yeah, we're just back to clean up some family stuff,” she says with an easy shrug. “He's meeting up with his dad right now, but he'll be back soon!”
The energy between them shifts slightly, and a wince passes over Keith's face. He glances around and lowers his voice so I can barely hear it over the din of the rodeo.
“I heard about the stuff with your brother.” The mention of Bo makes my heart ache and my stomach twist unpleasantly, but I keep my face stoic when Oakley glances over at me. I'm here to relax and not think about any of that. “It's all bullshit, man. Savannah’s up to something. People have been waking up in bed with her without any memory of the night before for months before it happened to Bo. It even happened to me, man. My sister thinks she drugged me for some reason. I don't want to stick my nose in your business, but I want you to know that you've got backup. Bo’s a good guy, and we all wish him the best.”
Oakley’s eyes meet mine in a heavy glance, uncertainty and suspicion taking root on both of us simultaneously. I may be pissed at Bo’s acceptance of the situation, but if we can prove she's lying about this, that'll change everything.
Even if it seems far-fetched, though.
Sure, Savannah fuckingsucks, but she's not ugly. There’s no reason she'd need to resort to drugging people to get them in bed. She's always had a questionable sense of fun, but this seems extreme, even for her.
A drawn out scream of excitement breaks me out of my thoughts, and I look up to find the source. Oakley and Keith are still talking, her hand on his shoulder as she badgers him for details while simultaneously being grateful and supportive. My eyes skip over them quickly and settle on a head of blonde curls nestled beneath a cowboy hat with a sparkly rim.
Speak of the fucking devil.
I nudge Oakley and nod subtly in Savannah’s direction. She's leaning on the railing of the mechanical bull ring, hollering at her friend with a beer in her hand. Her shorts are so tiny that I'm tempted to call them underwear, and her top stops just below breasts, emblazoned with a saying about riding cowboys. My blood boils at the sight of her.
“Is she drinking?” Oakley asks.
I was so wrapped up in how much I hate even being in the same place as her that I didn't even think about it.
“Maybe she's holding it for her friend?” I say hesitantly.
It's not like I want to defend her, but having a beer in her hand doesn't mean she's drinking.
“I need to find my sisters before they get in trouble,” Keith says, not noticing where we're looking. “Just be careful where you leave your drinks, and let me know if there's anything we can do to help y’all.”
Oakley thanks him and gives him a hug before he leaves, but my eyes are glued to Savannah. Her friend topples off the bull and onto the inflatable mat with a drunken laugh, and she staggers over to the railing to leave the pen. My heart sinks when she takes the beer from Savannah’s hand and chugs it, but I wasn't expecting any less.
She's not stupid enough to blow her story in public. If sheislying.
“Guess it was her friend’s,” Oakley mutters, sounding as disappointed as I feel.
I tear my eyes off Savannah, intent on forgetting about her entirely, but Oakley’s brow furrows and she whips out her phone before I can say anything.
“Oh, you stupid bitch,” she hisses gleefully.
