lauren turned to colt and tilted her head. "i thought you and rachel were going out. did y'all break up?"

colt gave me a dirty look. "will's just screwing around. you meeting anyone at the party, lauren?"

lauren stared at colt for just a little too long before she looked toward the rest of the girls. "no. i've officially given up on guys."

colt and i both laughed.

"why?" colt asked.

lauren turned to colt and then glanced at me. when the tears filled her eyes, i instantly got pissed.

someone hurt her.

colt lifted lauren's chin up, so she would look at him. "what happened?"

lauren sucked in her bottom lip and shook her head. "nothing," she whispered.

"i swear to god, lauren, if you don't tell me right now..."

lauren quickly wiped a tear away. "colt, it's okay. i'm sorry. i didn't mean to get all emotional. just drop it. i'm going to head on over-"

colt cut her off, "lauren."

i walked up to her. "lauren, please tell us what happened."

lauren looked between us. "do you both promise not to go all big-brother crazy?"

i nodded, but colt remained silent.

lauren sniffed. "paul hines...he, um...he tried, um..."

oh, holy shit. i'm gonna kill that fucker.

i quickly glanced over to colt, and he looked like he was about to get sick.

"lauren, honey, take a deep breath. what did he do?" colt said in a soft voice.

"i told him no, and he got upset with me. he said i was a tease. i swear, y'all, i never did anything to make him think i would have sex with him. when i got out of his truck, he jumped out, grabbed my arm, and pushed me against his truck. he said...he said i really did want it and that i was just scared. i told him that even if he was the last guy on earth, i'd still rather get myself off than sleep with him. he...he..." she looked down and then looked up into colt's eyes. "he slapped me and called me a whore."

when i saw colt's body shaking, i quickly grabbed lauren in for a hug. i pointed to colt and mouthed, calm down.

lauren started crying.

"shh...it's okay, sweetie. don't listen to that bastard. lauren, you didn't do anything wrong, and if your dad ever found out that ass hit you, he would kill that guy."

lauren pulled back and wiped her tears. "i know. it was just...scary, ya know? when he pinned me against his truck, i was really scared."

i looked up to see luke, grace, and lex walking up.

grace and lex both dropped their smiles as they walked up to lauren. "why are you crying?" they both asked at the same time.

"what's wrong? what's going on?" luke asked as he glanced at colt and then me.

lauren looked at colt and me with pleading eyes. "nothing. i twisted my ankle, and i'm just crying like a baby," she said.

lex looked at me, and i knew she wasn't buying it.

"you okay, baby girl?" luke asked.

lauren nodded her head and attempted to smile.

luke slapped his hands together and said, "then, let's go."

"where are meg and taylor?" grace asked.

luke shrugged his shoulders. "not sure. maybe they'll be at the party. let's get going. colt, you're driving, so nothing but soda."

colt gave luke a weak smile.

lex and i were sitting on the back of my tailgate, watching everyone at the party.

she bumped me with her shoulder and smiled. "you're so quiet tonight. what are you thinking about?"

"i'm watching colt."

she turned and scanned through everyone, looking for colt. "why?"

"'cause paul hines just showed up."

she looked at me. "so? does colt have something against paul?"

i raised my eyebrows. "you could say that he does."

"will, what's going on? lauren was upset earlier, and now, you're telling me that my brother is pissed at paul. i know lauren went out with paul last week. so, what gives?"

i glanced over at my girl. i love her so much. nothing gets by her. i can't wait to make her mine. i moved my hand and slid it across my front left pocket. it's still there.

"i promised lauren i wouldn't say anything," i said.

lex nodded her head. "then, i trust you and colt know what you're doing."

i grabbed her hand and jumped off the tailgate as gloriana's song "best night ever" began playing. "dance with me, lex."