Stealing for Keeps (Frost Lake High Book 1)
Stealing for Keeps: Chapter 4

“What the hell, Claire?” Vaughn steps in front of Austin.

Bringing a hand to my lips, I move back. I’m in a daze, so it takes a moment of my ex-boyfriend staring at me with anger and disbelief etched onto his face before I remember he has no right to be mad. He broke up with me.

“Hi to you too.” I return to the back of Doyle’s four-wheeler where I’d been sitting when the new guy walked over and asked to kiss me. I’m ignoring Vaughn’s question. And why did he call me his girlfriend?

It’s obvious from the panicked look in Austin’s eyes that he had no idea why Barrett dared him to kiss me out of all the girls here tonight.

Vaughn follows me, but when I glance back around, Austin is nowhere to be seen. Figures. He’s smart to put some distance between him and his team captain. Right or not, it was a predictable outcome for Vaughn to react the way he did. If I had known he was here, I would have acted differently.

In fact, I’m not sure why I kissed Austin at all. I could have easily told him to get lost. I should have. Cocky jerk. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with Vaughn pretending like he still has any claim over me.

“If you’re trying to make me jealous, it’s working.” He leans closer and speaks quietly. We have an audience, and everyone within a five-foot radius has an ear turned in our direction to catch the latest Frost Lake High drama.

School hasn’t even started, but the rumor mill is always alive and well.

“Jealous?” I can’t help the huff of air that leaves my lungs as I watch Vaughn’s brows furrow.

“I’m sorry, did I miss the memo?” Lacey gets to her feet and puts herself between me and my ex-boyfriend. “Are you two back together?”

I don’t have to see Lacey’s expression to know she’s pinning Vaughn with a murderous stare. She is tiny but terrifying when she wants to be. She was never a huge fan of Vaughn, because he’s so serious and stoic—basically the opposite of her—but ever since he broke up with me, she despises him.

“Lace, this is between me and Claire,” he says softly. A muscle in his jaw gives away his irritation, but he understands that making my best friend angry isn’t going to get him anywhere.

I don’t need her to protect me, but she always does anyway.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Yes, but she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

I probably should talk to him. I know him well enough to know that he isn’t going to let this go. Once he’s got something on his mind, he won’t rest until it’s resolved. It’s a trait I admired when it was focused on something other than me.

He doesn’t get to race in here all jealous when he sees me with another guy. He broke up with me.

When Lacey doesn’t budge and I don’t speak up, Vaughn finally relents. He takes a small step back and flicks his gaze up from Lacey to me. “I’m sorry about the way I ended things. I messed up, but we belong together, Claire. We’re not over.”

He turns on his heel and walks away. Air slowly returns to my lungs, and I inhale deeply, then let it out in a whoosh.

“Are you okay?” Lacey asks in a much gentler tone than she’d used with Vaughn.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say automatically. I’m aware people are whispering and still watching, like they hope we’ll shout at each other across the party and don’t want to miss it.

“Hey, who wants to play flip cup!” Rowan appears out of nowhere with a six-pack of beer in one hand and a stack of Solo cups in the other.

There’s a beat of silence, and then people are calling out and moving toward the makeshift table laid out on top of a large tree stump.

I breathe a little easier as soon as the focus is off me. Rowan glances at me, and I know he’s doing it for my benefit—or at least partially. He doesn’t usually need a reason to party, but he’s the kind of guy who knows when to step in and change the mood.

“Thank you,” I mouth to him.

He winks in response.

“Well, that was interesting,” Lacey says with amusement in her tone. “Tell me, are you planning on kissing any more boys tonight? Because it might be fun to watch Vaughn’s head explode.”

I hadn’t planned on kissing Austin. My lips tingle at the memory. I also hadn’t planned on liking it. The last thing I need is another guy like Vaughn.

“The night is still young,” I joke.

“I think I’m going to like single Claire this year.” She bumps her shoulder against mine.

For the rest of the night, Lacey sticks to my side. She doesn’t say it, but I know she’s acting as a shield from Vaughn. He rarely comes to these parties, and if he does, he usually doesn’t stay this late.

As he finally heads toward the gate to leave, he glances back at me. Our gazes lock, and I feel a thousand different emotions pass through me. My anger and frustration at the way he ended things and how he thinks we can just pick up where we left off has fizzled out, and I’m left with a twinge of sadness and remorse.

I wouldn’t have kissed Austin if I knew Vaughn was here. I probably shouldn’t have kissed him at all. But it reminded me that there are a lot of guys out there. I don’t have to settle for someone who only wants me when it’s convenient for them or someone who is just doing it for a stupid dare.

I look away first.

Lacey and I are saying our goodbyes to everyone when I finally spot Austin. He’s in a circle of soccer players, talking and laughing. As if he can feel my eyes on him, he looks up. I quickly avert my gaze, and my cheeks heat at being caught staring. The last thing I want is to feed his ego.

I drop a hand to Lacey’s forearm to get her attention. “I’m going to use the bathroom before we leave.”

“Okay.” She nods. “I’ll meet you inside in five.”

I cross the yard and head into the house. It’s empty. The dining room table where the guys had been playing cards earlier is abandoned, decks of cards and empty bottles and cans littering the top.

When I finish in the bathroom, I come back out to replace Austin standing in the dining room. His gaze is on his phone, but as soon as he hears me approaching, he looks up.

My steps slow as he pockets his phone and stands tall.

“Hey,” he says with no uncertainty or trepidation in his tone. I expected him to avoid me, maybe give me some weak apology. He had no idea why Barrett dared him to kiss me, that much I know, but I guess I expected him to look…guilty or regretful. He looks neither of those things. Instead, he seems happy to see me. Which doesn’t explain why he kept his distance all night.

I decide to pretend like nothing happened. So we kissed a little. He was doing it because he was dared, and I was doing it…well, I’m still not sure why I did it. But it didn’t mean anything. It was a nice kiss. Okay, better than nice. He’s a great kisser. He didn’t lie about that. But maybe I just forgot what it was like. It’s been almost two months since I’ve so much as held hands with anyone.

“Hi.” My lips pull up into an amused smile. “I’m surprised you’re still here and that you’re talking to me.” I place a hand on my chest and lean in to whisper, “Does Vaughn know?”

His light green eyes are laser focused on me as he cocks his head to one side. “I don’t need his permission to talk to you.”

That is not the response I was expecting. It pulls a laugh from me, and Austin steps closer.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

“Sorry that you kissed me or sorry that you got on the bad side of your team captain?”

“Nah, he’ll get over it.”

He’s so cocky. So confident.

“But I am sorry that I put you in that position. I’m still replaceing my place with my new teammates, but I should have just told him to screw off. That was a crappy way to have our first kiss.”

“Our only kiss. I don’t date soccer players.”

“You dated Vaughn.”

“A mistake I don’t intend to repeat with one of his minions.”

“Minion?” One of his dark brows lifts. “I’m no one’s minion.”

“No? Because I think you set a world record with how fast you ran off when you found out I was his ex-girlfriend.”

“He didn’t say ex. He said girlfriend. Current.”

“We broke up,” I say, feeling a little of that earlier irritation rising.

“Well, either way, it didn’t seem like a conversation I should be a part of.” He shrugs one shoulder.

“It’s not a conversation that needs to happen at all. Vaughn and I aren’t together, but you’d be smart to stay on his good side. The guys respect him, even if they like to mess with him from time to time.”

“Like daring me to kiss his ex?”

I nod. “Exactly.”

“I’ll be all right.” He gives me another shrug. “What year are you?”

I’m surprised by his determination. Most guys would have given up by now. After a moment of silence, I say, “Junior.”

“Me too.”

I shift my weight. My foot is bugging me a little from being on it more today than I have previously.

His gaze drops to the boot. “What’d you do to your foot?”

“I broke my fibula and tore the ligaments in my ankle.” I move to go around him. I’d rather talk about Vaughn than my injury.

Lacey is coming inside as I head toward the door. She smiles at me, then her expression morphs to confusion when she sees Austin behind me.

“Sorry,” she says, a smile slowly forming on her lips. “I can wait outside for you.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m ready to go.”

“Wait,” Austin calls as both Lacey and I turn to go through the house to the front door. “Can I get your number?”

“Why?” I ask, genuinely surprised that he thinks that’s a good idea. Did he not hear me? Vaughn is the captain this year. And the best player on the team. Making him mad would be stupid.

“So I can text you. Maybe you could show me around next week.”

Lacey giggles, and when I glance over at her, she is fighting to keep it together. I can’t help but smile back at her. The new guy is incorrigible.

“Student council has volunteers to help acclimate new students,” I tell him.

“Or you could just volunteer.”

“I don’t think so.”

Austin is following us toward the door, but he stops when we reach it. Lacey pats him on the chest as she goes by him. “I admire your determination in the face of certain social ruin.”

She opens the door and steps outside. I hesitate in front of Austin. I don’t know what to say to this guy. I can’t believe he’s for real.

“You don’t even know me,” I say.

“That’s the point. I want to get to know you.”

I don’t want to be flattered that he’s so determined in his pursuit of me, but a spark of excitement flickers inside me anyway.

I can’t think of a single thing to say as I move out the front door.

“See you around,” he says to my back.

And it feels like a promise.