Cole: A Boulder Series Novella

by Eve L Mitchell

The ride to the hospital was short. I was allowed into the room with her, she still didn’t realise she was holding on to me.

  “Ari?” Her dad showed her the most hideous pyjamas I had ever seen in my life.

  “They’re great Dad.” She was totally unfocused. “How long am I here for?”

  “Probably just overnight,” I answered her as I sat on the hospital bed. Her dad went into the adjoining bathroom to put away toiletries.

  “You’re still here.” Her smile was soft and I felt my own smile as I looked at her.

  “Yeah,” I held our hands up, “You need to let me go.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. “Do you want me to let you go?” Her gaze was searching as she looked at me, I felt like she could see past every defence I had.

  “No,” I answered truthfully.

  “Oh.” Her eyes searched my face looking for something that I was sure I wasn’t hiding.

  “That’s you sorted.” Her dad was back in the room. “Are you okay?” He looked between us.

  “Yes,” I replied with a smile so fake I’m surprised my face didn’t crack.

  “I have to let Colton go.” Ari’s laugh was high pitched as she reached forward and using her other hand pried her fingers off mine. It was painful when she was finished and the blood started to flow back to my hand, but it had been more painful to watch.

  “We should let you rest,” I said as I stood.

  “Thank you, Colton.” Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me.

  “Of course.” I left the room while I still had the resolve and the strength to do so.

  “You want me to let them come here?” Dad looked at me with suspicion.

  “I think it would be a kind gesture.” I shrugged as I ate my grapefruit and returned to reading the finance section of the paper.

  “Why do I feel like I’m being played?”

  “I don’t know Dad. Why do you feel like that?” I sipped my coffee as I looked at him.

  “You’re up to something.” He took a drink of his own coffee as he watched me.

  “I’m having breakfast with my dad,” I sighed. “Look, he lost his wife. She was a bitch, we all know it, but he loved her. He has no money; he doesn’t want to go into that house where his wife killed herself and almost killed his daughter.” I took another drink of coffee. “I thought you may have empathy for the guy.”

  “I loved your mother very much.” Dad narrowed his eyes at me.

  “I know that.” I nodded as I took another mouthful of grapefruit.

  “His situation isn’t even remotely similar Colton.” Dad sipped his coffee again. “Is this about Arielle?”

  “Is what about Arielle?” Connor came into the conservatory.

  “Your brother thinks I should offer the Millers our home as temporary accommodation,” Dad muttered.

  “Dad, that’s awesome, you’re so kind. I’ll phone and tell Lil Bit.” Connor ran back out of the conservatory.

  I met my dad’s heavy stare. “Well done.” He sat back.

  “I thought I timed it well myself.” I returned to the paper.

  “Outsmarted by a teenager’s hormones,” he muttered as he rose to his feet and dropped his napkin on the table. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied. My smile was huge once he left the conservatory to go to the hospital.

  Dad outdid his own generosity by hosting the wake in the house. I wasn’t sure if he was testing me, or genuinely being nice. All I knew was Ari was a mess. Her grandparents flew in from Scotland and even they stayed at our house. Ari was never settled around my dad and I had the feeling she’d been hoping that her gran and papa were going to go to a hotel.

  In the night when I heard her screaming, I would slip into her room and hold her, letting her cry out her fear. Ari would clutch onto me, like she did the day ‘the incident’ happened. She would burrow into me; if she could have crawled under my skin, I think she would have. She wouldn’t speak and because of that, I wouldn’t either. I knew she didn’t want to talk, she just wanted to be held. Her head would press into my neck, her arms would wrap around me, and I would rock her until the tears stopped. When her arms would loosen, I would lay her back down and wait until I knew she was definitely asleep.

  Every time, Matt would be in the hall, waiting. “She okay?”

  “No.” Together we would go back to my room and wait until the next nightmare.

  Ari and I spoke little, but I watched her constantly. She completely avoided Connor. It hurt him and I could see it but there was nothing I could do about it. The only people she let near her were me and Matt. Theo was still at Berkeley, covering classes for us both.

  There had been two instances where I had just removed her from a conversation. She was so close to just telling people the truth that I had just gone to her, taken a hold of her arm, and walked her out of the room. Each time she had turned to me and stared silently. Desperate for the life and fire I knew she had in her, I was waiting for the eruption, but she didn’t react, each time she just ascended the stairs and went to her room.

  Matt and I were in my room, sharing. Dad had stipulated that I was responsible for her, but that I was to keep my hands to myself. What did he think I was going to do? Jump her? Matt was to monitor my behaviour. The stream of visitors made any time alone with her impossible. The strain was too much for her. She was going to crack and the one thing she did need was alone time. But not with just anyone, hell at this point in time, I was willing to give her to Connor.

  The funeral day came and it was pleasant enough considering who it was for. Personally, I would have burned her mom in the back yard and been done with it. However, funerals were for the living and the witch had people who loved her. Because they didn’t know the real her. We were back at the house and Ari was talking to the other librarian from school. Ari looked animated. this was a bad sign because she hadn’t looked awake in days, never mind lively. I looked for Matt, his mom had caught him, it looked like he’d been caught trying to take his tie off. I grinned as I watched Mary Ellen chastise him. He was so busted.

  “Your mother was such a wonderful woman.” Oh no, I needed to get over there.

  “Yeah, right.” Ari snorted.

  Ah shit. I was moving across the room, my hand on her elbow, the recognised code that it was time for her to leave. She started to giggle. “Fuck… not now,” I muttered. “Hold it together ‘til we are upstairs.” She’d definitely lost it because she started to giggle more. I held on to her tighter; if she made a break for it, I wasn’t above tackling her, fuck the funeral.

  “Really, Colton, again with this?” Dad’s voice from behind me slowed us down as I turned to look at him. He wasn’t happy. I glanced at Ari, who was grinning mockingly at him. I sighed inwardly, now was not the time for this.

  “I’m just taking her upstairs, she needs to lie down,” I said. Not now Dad, can’t you see she’s in pain?

  “No, I don’t,” Ari piped up. My hand tightened on her elbow; did she know she wasn’t helping right now?

  “Yes, you do,” I corrected her firmly. “Matt?” I called to him, he had been hovering just at the door, watching. “Come take Ari upstairs, she needs to lie down. I need a word with my dad.” I handed her over to Matt as I went down to talk to my dad.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded.

  “She needs to lie down.” I sighed, “Come on Dad, you know how hard this is on her. What are you doing?”

  “You’re running after her like a lapdog, I don’t like it.” He glared up the stairs. “And how do you think Connor feels?”

  “I don’t really care, Dad.” I cursed inwardly as soon as I said it. That was the wrong thing to say.

  “She’s making you lose yourself.”

  “No, she isn’t,” I bit back. “Look, I’m sorry. Let me just get her through today.”

  We stared at each other before my dad relented. “Fine. But this needs to stop.”

  “I’ll fix i
t.” I nodded. “I promise.”

  I hurried up the stairs. I could hear the quiet voices as I approached the slightly open door.

  “I don’t know,” Matt answered.

  “Don’t know what?” I asked from the doorway. Matt jumped at the sound of my voice and he smiled tightly when he saw it was me. I saw Ari turn back to the window, dismissing both of us.

  “I asked Matt if what my mother said about me and you was true.” She sounded off, not like the Lil Bit I knew. God, I was so fed up with this indifference from her. I jerked my head to the door to Matt, he raised his eyebrows, but he got up and left and I closed the door behind him. She turned to me, surprise on her face as she realised that she was alone with me. Thank God, finally, a reaction! Something other than numb indifference. I strode over to her and grabbed her arm, shaking her a little. I wanted to do more than shake her.

  “Let me go!” she snapped at me.

  There she is!

  She shook free of me, anger in her eyes, colour finally in her cheeks.

  “Will you snap out of it, Ari? I’m fed up with this vacancy bullshit you have going on,” I bit back at her.

  “Snap out of it? Snap out of it? Are you shitting me? I just buried my mother. Who by the way I happened to murder, so no, I won’t snap out of it! And stop telling me what to do, you don’t own me Colton!” Her temper was high and her voice was raised.

  Yes, come on baby, fight me. Show me you’re still fighting.

  “You didn’t murder her, you little idiot. And from what I heard you tell the police, that witch is better off dead! I don’t want to own you, but I won’t let you make this harder for your dad or yourself,” I argued with her, dragging my hand through my hair in frustration at her and this whole situation.

  “Little idiot? Well aren’t you the charmer. Gee thanks, friend!” She took a step back from me, scorn dripping from her voice. “And to think that I’ve been driving myself insane, terrified that what she said to me was true!” Yes, she was angry now. Good.

  I stopped. All thoughts of provoking her, gone. What? What did she say?

  “Terrified?” She was scared of…me? “Terrified?” I asked her again. I walked towards her as she backed away. Was she really scared of me? No, I realised as I noticed the way she was looking at me, she was scared of us. My blood thumped in my veins. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. “Do I scare you Lil Bit?” I used her nickname, softly mocking her as I watched her chest rise and fall. God, she was actually panting. Oh babe, you don’t even know what panting is.

  “No.” She sounded breathless.

  I grinned at her; she was a terrible liar. Always had been. I could read her like one of her books, I’d always been able to. “No?” I stooped down to look into her eyes, placing a finger under her chin to lift her face up to mine. I watched her gulp. I felt exhilarated. “Are you scared of wanting me to do this?” My lips closed over hers briefly. I felt her respond but she looked at me in confusion. Softly I ran my hand down the side of her cheek. I was all in now, I dipped my head again and kissed her again. Gently. I needed to take this gently, but when she murmured my name and pressed her body into mine, I couldn’t hold back anymore. When her arms slid up around my neck and her fingers pulled at my hair, I demanded her mouth open and I was stroking her tongue and she was kissing me back.

  My own hands were in her hair as I held her in place. I had her exactly where I wanted her, she was divine. I always knew she would be. Her hands were at my shirt pulling it free and I smiled against her jawline as I walked her to the bed. Her moan was my undoing as were her hands were under my shirt and she pushed me back while I sat on the bed. Dissatisfied that she was so far away from me, I pulled her towards me. She sat in my lap straddling me. Pulling her over my dick, she ground down, knowing exactly where I needed her. My hands on her ass had her rubbing herself over me as we continued to kiss hungrily. Reluctantly I took a hand from her as I moved to unzip her dress. I needed her naked. Fuck, I needed her naked so bad. Ari seemed to agree as her hands worked on the buttons of my shirt. All other thought was gone. I needed her and I wanted her, she had to be under me, and soon.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Fuck!

  Startled I looked at my little brother in the doorway who glared back at me as I sat on the bed with his ex-girlfriend, who was half naked and wrapped around me as I got ready to fuck her. He turned and ran from us. “Shit!” I pushed Ari off of me. What the fuck was I doing? I needed to go after Con. I rushed to the door. Ari! I could come back and explain to Ari. I looked back to her to find she was on the floor. I hesitated. I needed to go back to her. No if I went back, I would finish what we started. I needed to get to Connor before he did something stupid.

  I could speak to Ari later. We could sort us out later.

  “What the hell were you thinking?” Dad shouted at me.

  I stood with my head bowed, my teeth clenched and my hands fisted at my sides. I daren’t speak, I was scared of what I would say.

  “Colton, I’m talking to you,” Dad said more evenly.

  “Yes Dad,” I raised my head and looked at him. We had a tense stare off for a few moments, before I looked away. “Where is he?” I sighed.

  “He’s gone to the cabin,” my dad replied, his tone heavy with resignation. “I can’t even send you after him.” I grunted in agreement. Dad turned to Matt. “Matt, take him to your house, I don’t trust him in the house with her.”

  “Sure thing,” Matt said easily. I flicked a glance to him, but his jaw was hard. I was in the shit with him too.

  “I better go see to the rest of this funeral.” He looked at both of us. “I’ll see you both later.” He walked out of my bedroom and I turned to Matt.

  “You wanna rip into me now or later?” I asked quietly.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?” Matt bit out.

  “I wasn’t,” I admitted. “I just wanted a reaction from her, and then when I realised she wanted me just as much…” I sighed as I looked at him. “I lost control. I should have waited.”

  “Ya think?” He snorted. “Come on idiot. Let’s go get Theo, get out of this shitshow.” He headed to the door and together we headed down the stairs. “You should go out the back, best not let anyone see you, if you know what I mean?” Matt looked at me intently.

  Reluctantly I nodded. A few moments later the three of us were in Matt’s car heading to his house.

  “I’ll see her tomorrow and we can talk about us,” I said out loud to the car. I didn’t like leaving Ari without saying goodbye, but I knew my dad would have my hide if I went near her today. Matt had seen her when he went to get Theo, said she was crying beside her gran, so he hadn’t wanted to intrude.

  “Yes lover boy, for the millionth time, you can have your talk with the girl of your dreams tomorrow. Let her do the wake today, tomorrow you can sort your relationship out.” Theo laughed.

  “Just remember to give her space this time,” Matt warned me. “Bit’s going through hell, try not to crowd her.”

  We pulled up at his house and got out of the car as I tried to rein in my frustration at the situation. “I know I acted impulsively. I’ll do better,” I muttered.

  “Good, now let’s go get drunk.” Theo laughed as we headed inside.

  “What do you mean she’s gone?” I took a step towards my dad as he held his ground but even he wasn’t sure I wasn’t going to hit him. Because I had never come this close to striking my father in my life. The idea of it before would be alien to me, but now? Now, the desire to strike out at him was strong.

  “They left this morning. They wanted to move on. They don’t know where yet, so they left to go to Scotland.” Dad watched me carefully.

  “You let her leave?” My voice sounded foreign to me.

  “I couldn’t hold her captive, she isn’t my charge.”

  “You couldn’t call me?” I kept my voice steady, cool, controlled. He should be impressed. No emotion. That’s what he was striving to teach me for th
e business world.

  “Jeff said Arielle didn’t want a fuss, she wanted to leave with no goodbyes. He said his daughter had gone through enough emotional turmoil, saying goodbye to her friends would be too much.” His own face betrayed no emotion.

  “You bastard.” I shook my head in disbelief. “You cold-hearted bastard.”

  “Because you are upset, I’ll let that slide Colton.” His eyes flicked to Matt and Theo. “Boys, look after him. I’m going to go get your brother. I’m going to tell him that she made a move on you in her grief and you being a hot-blooded male, reacted.”

  “What?” My jaw clenched. “He’ll never believe that.”

  “Make him,” my dad snapped at me. “That girl has been a thorn in this family’s side since she came into your lives. She’s gone. I don’t foresee her coming back. Clean up this mess. She made a move, you reacted, make your brother believe it meant nothing.” He walked past me and stormed out the door.

  “Wow.” Theo scratched his jaw.

  “I can’t believe she wouldn’t say goodbye,” Matt said as he looked at his phone.

  “Call her,” I snapped pulling my own phone out of my pocket. “How the fuck could he let her leave?” I punched the wall. “I was supposed to talk to her. Fuck!”

  “Phone’s off,” Matt said angrily.

  “I can’t believe she’s gone,” I whispered. “I was supposed to talk to her.” I sat down on the stairs as my head dropped into my hands.

  “Bit won’t leave us,” Matt said to me as he rubbed my shoulder. “She’ll call us.”

  I looked up at my two best friends, I had a terrible sinking feeling in my stomach. “What if she doesn’t?” They couldn’t answer me, and I knew they didn’t have the answer to the possibility either.

  Two months later…

  “You want me to move colleges?” I asked as I drank my coffee. We were in the conservatory having Sunday breakfast, Connor was still in bed. Dad was reading the paper despite the fact I had already snagged the finance section.

  “Yes, I want to set up a Denver office, it would be good if you moved to CU, they have a very good Business Degree and I think it would do well for you in Colorado if you had a degree from the local area.” He kept reading the paper, his head down, telling me this like it was an ordinary thing to do. He wanted me to leave Berkeley for Boulder? It made little sense to me.