The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, #1) QUOTES

121 " Start at the beginning, Ash, and tell me everything.”
There was no way I’d tell him everything. I stared out at the road as Beau’s truck drove away. The silence was deafening as Sawyer waited for me to speak.
“This summer, Beau and I rekindled our friendship. We were close once, Sawyer, you know that.” I paused and took a deep breath. “He understands me. He knows when I’m full of bullcrap and he knows I’m not perfect even though I try really hard to be. With Beau, I can let myself go and not worry about losing his friendship.”
“So this is a friends’ thing? Because the way he was caressing your mouth and eating you up with his eyes, I find that a little hard to believe.”
“All it can ever be with Beau is friendship. He knows that. Beau is affectionate. He touches a lot of girls’ lips.”
Sawyer raised his eyebrows as if he thought what I was saying was ludicrous. “I don’t know if we’re talking about the same guy, but Beau, my cousin Beau, doesn’t longingly gaze at anyone the way I just caught him staring at you. You’re too naïve to see it, but trust me, baby, he wants you, and I’m going to kick his ass. "

― Abbi Glines , The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, #1)

122 " Ashton wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her bare chest up against mine, causing me to shudder for the first time in my life. I kissed a trail from her mouth to her ear then down her neck. I’d crossed the line kissing her and touching her. I needed to stop this.
“Please, Beau,” she pleaded, and sat up on her knees, presenting her tight, pink nipples to my incredibly eager mouth.
I was weak, and more turned on than I’d been in my entire life.

More than an hour later I held her as she sat curled up in my lap. I was waiting on the horror of what I’d done to wash over me, but having Ashton in my arms wasn’t helping me work up the remorse I should be feeling. Instead I finally felt alive. "

― Abbi Glines , The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, #1)

123 " You run on along now. Don’t you have a bible study somewhere you should be at?”
Arguing with him was pointless. He would just start throwing out more snide comments until he had me so mad I couldn’t see straight. I pressed the gas and turned into the parking lot. Like I was going to be able to just leave and let him drive home drunk. He could infuriate me with a wink of his eye, and I worked real hard at being nice to everyone. I scanned the parked cars for his old, black Chevy truck. Once I spotted it, I walked over to him and held out my hand.
“Either you can give me the keys to your truck or I can go digging for them. What’s it going to be, Beau? You want me searching your pockets?”
A crooked grin touched his face. “As a matter of fact, I think I might just enjoy you digging around in my pockets, Ash. Why don’t we go with option number two?”
Heat rose up my neck and left splotches of color on my cheeks. I didn’t need a mirror to know I was blushing like an idiot. Beau never made suggestive comments to me or even flirted with me. I happened to be the only reasonably attractive female at school he completely ignored. "

― Abbi Glines , The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, #1)

124 " I opened my car door and turned to peek back at Beau. My heart fluttered wildly at the sight of him. I’d wanted to go all the way, but he’d stopped us. A smile tugged at my lips; I knew he hadn’t stopped me because it was wrong. Or because he didn’t want to. He had stopped only because we’d had no protection. Beau had been as deliriously turned on as I’d been. He’d looked at me with those beautiful hazel eyes, no longer hiding his feelings.
“Can you get out tonight?” he asked me as he stepped toward me just close enough to touch my waist. The skin where his hand grazed tingled with anticipation.
“Yes, it’ll be late, though. I’ve got to go to Grana’s. People will be bringing food and all that stuff. I’ll need to see you to cheer me up. Make me forget.” I’d crawl out my window for him if I had to.
He stepped closer, and I watched as he lowered his mouth to mine. Just like before, the earth fell out from under me with the touch of his lips. I clung to his shoulders, afraid I’d fall if he let me go. He broke the kiss and moved his mouth to my ear. I shivered and pressed closer to him.
“Text me when you’re ready, and I’ll meet you at the park behind your house,” he whispered, then stepped back.
I grabbed the door for support before nodding and getting into my car. "

― Abbi Glines , The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, #1)

125 " Ash, you were my girl for years. But before that, we were friends. The best of friends. I should have never let one snag in the road cause me to turn on you like I did. It was wrong. You took all the blame for something that wasn’t entirely your fault. It was Beau’s and it was mine.”
“Yours? How?”
“I knew Beau loved you. I’d seen the way he looked at you. I also knew you loved him more than you loved me. You two had a secret bond I didn’t get to be a part of. I was jealous. Beau was my cousin and you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. I wanted you for myself. So I asked you out, never once going to Beau first. Never once asking him how he felt about it. You accepted, and just like magic I broke up the bond you two shared. You guys never talked anymore. There were no more late-night roof talks and no more bailing y’all out of trouble. Beau was my cousin and you were my girlfriend. It was as if your friendship had never been. I was selfish and ignored the guilt until it went away. Only the times I saw him watching you with that pained, needy expression did the guilt stir in my gut. It was mixed with fear. Fear you’d see that I’d done and go to him. Fear I’d lose you.”
I reached down and ran my hand over his hair. “I loved you, too. I wanted to be good enough for you. I wanted to be the good girl you deserved.”
“Ash, you were perfect just the way you were. I was the one who let you change. I liked the change. It’s one of the many reasons I feared I’d lose you. Deep down I knew one day that free spirit you’d quenched would fight to be released. It happened. And the fact it happened with Beau doesn’t surprise me in the least.”
“I’m sorry, Sawyer. I never meant to hurt you. I made a mess of things. You aren’t going to have to watch Beau and me together. I’m stepping out of both of your lives. You can get back what was lost.”
Sawyer reached up and grabbed my hand. “Don’t do that, Ash. He needs you.”
“No, it’s what he wants too. Today he hardly acknowledged me. He only spoke to me when he was making a point to everyone else that I was to be left alone.”
Sawyer let out a sad laugh. “He won’t last long. He’s never been able to ignore you. Not even when he knew I was watching him. Right now he’s dealing with a lot. And he’s dealing with it alone. Don’t push him away.”
I jumped down from the branch and hugged Sawyer. “Thank you. Your acceptance means the world to me. But right now he needs you. You’re his brother. I’ll just be hindrance to you two dealing with everything.”
Sawyer reached out and twirled a strand of my hair around his finger. “Even if I was wrong to take you without a thought to Beau’s feelings, I can’t make myself regret it. I’ve had three amazing years with you, Ash.”
I didn’t know what to say. I’d had good times too, but I did regret choosing the wrong Vincent boy. He gave me one last sad smile, then dropped my hair and walked away. "

― Abbi Glines , The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, #1)