He obliged. The second their lips touched, a wave of heat exploded over her skin. His lips were hot and his kiss hungry. She clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulder muscles. A myriad of feelings coursed through her as they kissed. Attraction. Desire. Fascination. She’d known Cole for how long? And she’d never imagined what it would be like to be in his arms. To kiss him like this. To taste his lips.
His hand pressed on her back, pulling her closer. Her hand slid up his chest. It was a solid wall. Her skin erupted in goosebumps as he kissed her jaw. Her neck.
“Maybe we should stop,” she said, breathless.
“Maybe,” he said, but his lips kept going.
“Cole.”
He pulled back. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?”
“No.” His words implied a long time, which was odd to her. He’d never made a move. Never asked her out, at least, not until the dance. He’d even dated other girls.
He touched his forehead to hers. “Since you told me you were Destiny’s best friend and I should just live with it because she would never like me as much.”
Amanda laughed. “I remember that. Sixth grade?”
“Yeah.”
“Man, I was such a dork. Why did you even like me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You were fiercely loyal. And cute.”
She sobered and put her arms around his neck. “Was it worth the wait?”
He nuzzled her neck. “If you don’t know the answer to that, then I’m not telling you.”
“What kind of a non-answer is that?” She giggled as he nipped at her earlobe.
“All right. I’ll tell you.” He stopped to give her a lingering look. Then he pressed his lips to hers in a slow, tantalizing kiss. She melted into him. “Worth. Every. Second,” he said between kisses.
She ran her fingers through his soft hair. “You smell good.”
He chuckled. “Really?” he said, his tone teasing.
“Yes. And you taste even better.” She kissed him again.
A crashing noise sounded from below them and Amanda froze, fear jolting through her. “What was that?” she hissed, even though asking Cole was stupid because he was in the same room she was and he had no way of knowing what it was, either. She grabbed her glasses and shoved them onto her face.
“Has anyone ever come in here while you were here?”
“No.”
He was silent for a moment, and they both listened for any other sounds. When nothing came, Cole slid Amanda off his lap and stood up. “We’d better go investigate.”
Amanda didn’t want to investigate. She’d rather pretend she didn’t hear anything and sneak back out the window. “Isn’t this the part of the movie where one of us gets chopped up into tiny pieces?”
Cole smiled, but she could tell it was strained. “Come on.” He held out his hand to her.
“Okay,” she whispered. “But if you die, it’s not my fault.”
“I die? What about you?” he said, the teasing tone back in his voice.
“I’m using you as a shield.” She grabbed onto his shoulders and pressed into his back. Man, he was a solid wall of muscles. “Dang, you work out a lot, don’t you?”
“Sure,” he said. “Doesn’t every guy?”
“No.” Definitely not every guy. Did Cole not realize how sexy his muscles were?
They descended the stairs, and Amanda strained to hear any sound at all. No sounds came except the occasional creaking of the stairs.
They stepped onto the stage and walked past the curtains. A stage light had fallen and now lay in pieces on the hardwood floor. Amanda looked up. “It must have had a few screws loose.”
“Or termites chewed through the wood.”
She frowned. “Is the building in that bad of shape?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t look that bad, but it’s dark, and I’m not a building inspector. My father said it’s not worth restoring.”
The words cut through Amanda’s heart, and she let out a gasp.
Cole turned to her. “I’m sorry. That was not what I meant to say.”
She took a second to gain her composure. “You can’t help what your father said. But I’m hoping there can be something we can do.”
Cole looked confused. “What can we do?”
She let out a frustrated grunt. “I don’t know. Call someone? Find a buyer who would want to restore this into something grand again.”
Cole frowned. “Mandy,” he said, like he was lecturing a child. “That’s not going to happen.”
So, she’d brought him here and cut open her veins to bleed all over the floor, only to have it not matter at all. She blinked back tears. “You’re not going to try to save the opera house with me?”
He opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped and closed his mouth. He ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t. Don’t you see? I can’t defy my father.”
“You wouldn’t have to defy him. All you would have to do is try to help him see this as more than just a dilapidated building.”
His gaze flashed to the fallen stage light, and Amanda knew the answer. He was not going to help her. She swallowed and turned from him. She had no more words left. Nothing she could do would change his mind. He was his father’s son.
And apparently, she wasn’t worth fighting for.
Chapter 15
Amanda pulled a washcloth from the cupboard and turned on the hot water. She washed her face and tried to scrub away the tears. To scrub away the pain. She’d opened up to Cole and had thought he’d understood. But no. He had turned his back on her. And that hurt worse than anything.
For the first time, she’d shared with him something she’d never shared before. She’d put her heart out on a line. And Cole had stabbed a knife through it.
Why didn’t he see how important this was to her? Why didn’t he care enough to make an effort? She needed him to see her side of things. Needed him to be there for her. But no, he acted like the building was going to be destroyed no matter what. And she couldn’t face that.
Couldn’t let it go. Not when it meant that much to her.
As she grabbed a towel, her phone chimed. She dried her face and put her glasses back on before she picked up her phone.
Are you awake?
It was her secret texter. She was glad to have someone to talk to. She needed to let some things out.
Yes.
Good. I was hoping to chat.
Me, too. I had a terrible night. I need someone to talk to about it.
Why? What happened?
She climbed into bed and leaned against her pillows. Emotions and thoughts raced through her. How much should she say?
I opened up to someone tonight and got stabbed in the back.
Oh, no. I’m so sorry. Tell me about it.
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She should feel weird talking to a total stranger about this stuff, but she felt at peace about it. She wanted to tell him.
I took someone to my secret place. The place I go when I feel my world is falling apart.
You have a secret place?
Yes. And I’ve never told a soul about it. I go there when my life gets out of control. When I think nothing will get better, when it all crumbles, this place helps heal me.
Was that sappy? She held her breath, hoping it didn’t sound dumb to him.
That sounds like heaven.
Relief poured over her.
Yes, exactly. That is my heaven. And I went out on a limb and shared it with someone. And he didn’t appreciate it at all.
Wow. Sounds like a jerk.
Amanda thought about Cole. About how he’d pulled her close as she got emotional. How he’d comforted her and rocked her until she calmed down. That was kind of him. And the way he’d tenderly kissed her. She closed her eyes and touched the tips of her fingers to her lips. He had meant that kiss.
No, he’s not a jerk. I guess he just didn’t understand how import
ant that place was to me.
What did he do?
He… Amanda stopped. What had Cole done? He had implied the building was falling apart. Which, if she were being honest, it was. Heck, part of it fell apart while they were there.
He’d told her he couldn’t defy his father. And maybe he was right. Maybe he couldn’t defy his father.
She chewed her lip. She couldn’t admit Cole was right. She didn’t want him to be right. She needed her father. She needed to feel close to him. She debated what to tell her secret texter.
He refused to help me.
Guilt closed her throat. That wasn’t exactly true. Maybe she wasn’t treating Cole very fairly.
Three dots appeared, then disappeared, then reappeared. He was typing and then deleting what he said.
What do you want him to do?
Amanda rolled onto her shoulder. What did she want Cole to do? He was just a teenager. He couldn’t buy the building. He couldn’t stop his father from doing what he really wanted to do. But he could talk to his father, at the very least. He could show he cared by supporting her.
Before she had a chance to tell those things to her texter, she got another message.
You know what? It doesn’t matter what you wanted. It matters that he made you feel unsupported. And he shouldn’t have done that.
Tears pricked Amanda’s eyes. He understood. And he didn’t even fully know the situation. But somehow, he knew what she needed to hear.
OMG, I could kiss you right now.
He sent her three dots, as if he didn’t know what to say. Amanda laughed. What? Too forward of me?
Sorry. You just surprised me.
How?
You just don’t seem like the kind of girl who would kiss just any guy.
Once again, the memory of Cole’s lips on hers invaded her mind.
You’re right. I’m not.
Good. Because when I kiss a girl, it means something.
How many girls have you kissed?
Amanda wasn’t sure why she asked him that. It was slightly flirty, and maybe she just wanted to lighten the mood. Plus, now she was curious.
That is a pretty private question. If I answer truthfully, will you answer it back?
Oh, great. What was she getting herself into? She didn’t really want to answer that. But she didn’t want to tell him no. He’d think it was odd.
Yes.
Her phone indicated he was typing for quite a while before the message came through.
I’ve kissed four. One was in second grade, though, and doesn’t count. She kissed me because I was sad, and she wanted to cheer me up.
And the other three?
One was my first date. I kissed her on her doorstep because I thought that’s what you always did. I didn’t realize until later that I probably shouldn’t kiss a girl unless I really liked her.
That was sweet of you, though.
Yeah, I guess. Then I dated a girl for a while and she was my first real kiss. My first kiss with a girl who I liked. But then she started liking another guy and we broke up.
And the last one?
He paused for a while, and she thought maybe she’d lost him until an answer finally came through.
The last one meant something special. She’s one I could fall in love with.
A strange feeling came over Amanda. It was a mixture of jealousy and something else she couldn’t put her finger on. She didn’t know who this guy was, but he sounded like a really nice guy. The kind of guy she could like. And to know that he had kissed other girls…and specifically a girl he was still interested in wasn’t comfortable.
Good for you.
She whacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. Good for you? What kind of a thing was that to say? How stupid was she?
Okay. Your turn. How many guys have you kissed?
Amanda grew nervous to tell him.
Aside from my uncles at family events?
Yes.
And aside from my cousin who wanted to know what kissing a girl felt like?
Gross.
It was just a peck.
Okay, then. Yes, aside from your cousin who you kissed, even though that’s gross.
Amanda rolled onto her back and pulled the covers over her shoulders. Her room had gotten cold. And she was kind of trying to delay answering the question because she was self-conscious about it. But she agreed to tell him, so she typed it fast and hit enter.
One.
No answer came back. Amanda started to freak out. What was he thinking? Did he care that she had only had one real kiss? What would he think if she told him it had happened tonight? Her phone vibrated and she looked at the screen.
Wow.
Chapter 16
Cole jumped off the weight machine, his pulse racing. One? Was Amanda saying what he thought she was saying? Her first kiss had been with him? Tonight?
Wow what? Is that good? Bad? Are you thinking I’m such a prude? That I’m naive? What?
I wasn’t thinking any of those things.
Then what did your wow mean?
Cole ran a hand over his hair. Suddenly the kiss he’d shared with Amanda meant so much more. She had never experienced that before, and she chose to share it with him. He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat. She’d kissed him...and then he’d made her feel terrible.
What a jerk move. He didn’t need to do that. He could have told her he’d fight with her. Even if all he did was talk to his father, it would be something, right?
He texted her back.
I was just surprised is all.
Well, you’re making me self-conscious.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He sat back down on the weight machine.
I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you feel bad. Cole tapped the side of his phone. Was it bad that he wanted to know what Amanda thought of the kiss? He wondered if he would regret talking to her about it. But he really wanted to know. Tell me about him. The guy you kissed.
He waited a long time for Amanda to answer and he started to get nervous she’d figured out it was him. But then her text came through.
He can be amazingly kind. And understanding. And then he can be pig-headed and a real jerk face.
Cole stared at the phone. He did mess up back at the opera house. He didn’t know what to say to make everything better, though. His father was going to get his way. There wasn’t anything else to do but back off and let the building be destroyed.
And yet, if he was going to make Amanda his girl, he needed to support her—fully. He was starting to see that now. He had to take her side, even if that meant standing up to his father.
I’m sorry he was a jerk to you. You don’t deserve that.
He didn’t receive a text back right away, so he stood and crossed the room. It was late, but Cole wasn’t tired. He was done working out, though, so he shut off the lights in the weights room and walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge in the dark and rummaged around for something.
His father came into the kitchen and flicked on the light. Cole slid his phone into his pocket and nodded at his father. “You’re home late.”
His father exhaled and loosened his tie. “Just dealing with a few hiccups.”
“Hiccups with the opera house?”
His father raised his eyebrows. “No. Why?”
Disappointment filled him. If his father was having trouble with the demolition, maybe he could find a way to delay it. But it sounded like it was still going well. “No reason.” His phone chimed in his pocket, but he ignored it.
His father sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Just dealing with some bad PR. I have to turn things around, or it will be bad for our company.” He pointed to the refrigerator door. “Are you going to eat something or are you going to just stand there and let the cold air out?”
Cole grabbed a pudding cup and let the door swing shut. His father looked a bit disheveled. “You fall asleep at the desk again?”
His father
shook his head. “No.”
“What’s that on your cheek?” Cole squinted. OMG. Was that lipstick? It was red. And it looked like it could be lipstick. What was his father doing?
His father wiped at his cheek and shrugged. “Sweet and sour sauce, probably. You headed to bed?”
Cole stared at him. Was his father seeing someone? And why had the possibility never even registered to him? He shook his head. “Uh, yeah. After I shower.”
“Okay. Good night.” He left the kitchen.
Cole pulled a spoon out of the drawer, this new information filtering through his brain. If his father was dating a woman, that would explain all the late nights he’d been having at work. The way he seemed preoccupied even when he was at home.
Cole pulled out his phone and looked at what Amanda had sent as he dug his spoon into his pudding.
Sorry, my sister came in and wanted to talk.
What did she want?
Nothing important.
No worries. I was talking to my father. I think he’s secretly dating a woman behind my back.
Amanda sent him a shocked emoji face. Wow, seriously?
Yeah, he had lipstick on his cheek. And he’s been staying later and later at work.
Dang. What are you going to do? Confront him?
Cole hadn’t thought about it. Would he ever confront him? Or just pretend he didn’t know? At what point would his father tell him?
I don’t know.
That’s kind of weird, huh? My mom doesn’t date. But if she did, it would feel odd.
It’s different. I never thought about him dating. I wonder who she is.
Maybe you can follow him. Do some undercover work. Find out.
That’s creepy.
Yeah, maybe. I know. I could find out for you. Tell me who your father is. She sent him a winky face.
Haha. Funny.
His spoon scraped the bottom of the pudding cup. He rinsed it under the faucet and tossed it into the recycling bin. Then he threw the spoon in the sink. It made a clanging noise.
I hope you know I’m kidding.
Yes, I do.
I’d better say good night. My sister is bugging me to shut off my phone.
Cole chuckled. He often wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. When he was younger, he begged for a brother. When he realized it wasn’t going to happen, he decided he was okay with being an only child. But he had to admit he was a little jealous of those who had siblings growing up.
A Young Adult Romance Collection Page 43
