“You’re angry about Madi’s locker this morning, right?” he asked. Clearly, he didn’t get the hint that I didn’t want to talk. Although he was probably just too stubborn to care.
“Yeah,” I finally caved. “Any chance you know who did it?”
“Nah, I’ve got no idea,” Tanner said, leaning back in his chair. “Not cool, though. Not cool.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, scowling down into my bowl of spaghetti.
Tanner patted me on the back. “I’ll ask around; see if we can find the culprit.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, looking over at him. Knowing Tanner, he’d probably have it figured out by the end of the day. As I looked at him, I noticed Teagan get up from her table on the other side of the cafeteria. She looked like she was on a mission as she hurried to the exit.
“I’ll catch you later, Tanner,” I said, before pushing up from my chair and taking off after Teagan.
“Hey,” I called, catching up with her.
“Oh, hey Cole,” she replied, smiling at me. She always looked angelic, but her smile was what really knocked guys out.
“I was hoping you might know where Madi is. I didn’t see her at lunch,” I said.
She gave a small and genuine laugh. “I thought that might be why you couldn’t keep your eyes off our table today. Evan was convinced that maybe his charms were starting to work on you.”
“Ah, I might have to have a talk with Evan. I don’t want to break his heart.”
“I’m fairly certain he knows you’re only into girls; he just likes a challenge,” she said. “Besides, you’re not really his type.”
“Well, now I’m the one who’s heartbroken,” I replied.
She shook her head, a smile still on her lips.
“So, do you know where Madi is?” I asked.
“I think she went to the art room to work on her project.”
I let out a breath of relief. “Thanks, Teagan,” I replied, already walking off in the direction of the art room. “I’ll see you tonight,” I shouted back over my shoulder as I left the cafeteria.
The art room was at the far side of the building. I’d never taken any art classes, and it took me a couple of tries before I found the right room. The lights were off and the room was dim, with only sunlight streaming in through the far window.
There were easels with large paintings scattered around the place, and it took me a moment before I spotted Madi in the corner of the room. She was seated with her back to the door, working a brush over her painting. I slowly made my way toward her and stopped when I caught sight of the piece she was working on.
It was incredible. The canvas was a wash of blues and whites with a lone hockey player in the center of it. Madi had somehow managed to capture the player’s movement perfectly as they went to take a shot.
“That looks awesome,” I said softly.
Madi jumped from her stool, her paintbrush dropping to the ground. She had her hands pressed to her chest as she turned around to face me. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to sneak up on people!” she exclaimed.
“I was hardly sneaking,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.
She shook her head. “No, I’m pretty certain that since you haven’t managed to annoy me to death yet, now you’re working on scaring me.”
I smiled. “Nah, I need you around to keep my big ego in check.”
“True,” she replied, with a smile that matched mine. It didn’t quite reach her eyes though, and I knew she was still upset after this morning.
“I wanted to check on you,” I said, pulling a stool up next to hers.
“Well, as you can see, I’m fine,” she replied, turning back to her work.
She didn’t look fine. Not one bit. Her face was paler than usual, and there was an emptiness to her eyes that even her smiles couldn’t erase. I reached out and took her hand in mine.
“You can’t let those words on your locker get to you,” I said.
“I’m not,” she replied.
I waved my free hand around the art room. “You never come in here at lunch.”
She shrugged. “Is it so bad I wanted some time to myself today?”
“No, I’m just worried. I don’t like seeing you upset.”
She nodded, her eyes focused on her canvas. “I’m trying not to be.”
We both knew she was failing.
She let out a breath and faced me once more. “I don’t think I can be a part of the competition anymore.”
My insides clenched and I tried to remain calm. “Why not?”
“I just don’t want all this drama in my life. I talked to Angus today, and he said that after last night we’ve already raised triple our goal for the charity. You guys don’t need me.”
“I need you,” I said without thought. It was the truth.
She swallowed, and her teeth took hold of her lower lip as she returned my gaze. “You don’t need me,” she finally said.
“What if I do?”
“I’m sure you can handle a couple of dates without me there to hold your hand.”
I let out a sigh. She didn’t get it. Either that or she didn’t feel the same. She just wanted to be friends and nothing more.
“You really don’t want to be a part of the competition anymore?” I asked.
She nodded, and I sighed again. It was hard to hide my disappointment. “Okay, if the audience doesn’t vote for you, I’ll eliminate you tonight if that’s what you want.”
“It’s what I want,” she said.
I slowly stood to leave but paused. “Just so you know, I think you’re making the wrong decision. People are always going to find someone to talk about, but what they say are just their opinions, not fact. We both know those things that were written on your locker weren’t true. You can’t keep allowing other people’s opinions to influence how you feel about yourself.”
I took a deep breath before I continued. “You’re beautiful inside and out, Madi. I just wish you could see it for yourself.”
She wasn’t looking at me. Her eyes were on her canvas, and it was impossible to know what she was thinking. She let out a breath and faced me, but her eyes still didn’t meet mine.
“It’s easier to believe the bad stuff than the good,” she murmured. She turned back to her canvas once more, and I knew that was my cue to leave.
It broke my heart to see her so sad though. I wanted to fix things for her so badly. The problem was, I couldn’t miraculously make her feel better. She needed to be the one to realize that she was worth so much more than the nasty things that people said. She needed to start believing in herself, but she was the only one who could do that. I just wondered if there was something I could do to help kick start it.
17
Madison
I didn’t want to dress up for the selection ceremony on Monday night like I had for the last one. I still wore a nice enough dress, but I couldn’t bring myself to wear anything that could be seen as even remotely slutty.
It was kind of sad to arrive at Cole’s house knowing that I would be eliminated tonight. It was what I wanted, but a part of me felt like I was giving up; that I was surrendering to the people who wanted me to fail. It was for the best though. At least, I hoped it was.
I barely listened as Angus reeled off his introduction for the camera. I must’ve looked pretty miserable because Skye kept shooting me concerned glances and trying to get me to smile. All the other contestants were watching Cole with hopeful eyes. I knew that mine were filled with resignation though.
When I glanced at Cole, I found that he was watching me too. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but his lips remained tense and the smile lacked any warmth. He obviously wasn’t happy, but he wanted to do the right thing by me. I had to be grateful to him for that.
Angus handed him the first heart for the night, and the room started to buzz with nervous excitement. The contestants became still at my side, and all eyes were narrowed on that one heart-shaped piece of pape
r. The audience’s pick.
I had a feeling that Willow would be the one to be selected. She’d seemed so much more comfortable in front of the camera during her single date with Cole last week. I already knew how sweet she was, and I got the feeling that the audience would have discovered it during the episode too. I’d even overheard multiple people at school today talking about how cute the date had been and how they’d voted for her.
The moment Cole looked down at the heart his eyes snapped up to meet mine, and my stomach dropped.
“Madi.” He whispered my name. There was dread in his eyes, and I could see how sorry he was to have to call on me. I wanted to be angry with him, but it wasn’t his fault. The audience had voted for me to stay, so he didn’t have a choice.
I slowly walked up and stood before him.
“Madi, will you take a piece of my heart?” he asked. He looked so nervous and sad as he said it, like he was just as upset as I was.
I nodded and took the piece of paper he offered out to me. I couldn’t pretend to be excited in the way I knew Angus wanted, and he was practically glaring at me as I walked past him to take my place.
Once I was in position, I turned to face the cameras and tried to make my face a mask. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the audience votes. Cole caught my eye and gave a subtle nod toward the paper in my hand.
I glanced down at it and was surprised to find he’d written me another note.
“Madi, I’m not sure if you’ll get this tonight,” the note started. “But I prepared this card just in case the audience picked you again. If you are holding it now, then know that I understand why you don’t want to be in this competition. I would willingly let you go if that would make you happy. But you also need to know that you’re always going to miss the shot you never take. I haven’t given up on taking my shot with you.”
I smiled up at him, and his eyes brightened as a smile slowly started forming on his lips in return. We only shared a brief moment before he had to continue announcing the other contestants, but it left me feeling better about being selected. His reassurance made me feel like I could face another week of whispers in the school corridors because I wasn’t in this alone. I felt a flicker of hope for the first time that day, and I knew it had everything to do with the boy standing before me.
Watching him hand hearts to the others brought me a little more down to Earth though. Cole would still essentially be dating five other people after tonight. Yes, he’d written me a sweet note, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t doing things equally as sweet for everyone else.
As I watched the way his face lit up as he gave a heart to Teagan, I found myself feeling very confused. I couldn’t deny the sparks I’d begun to feel whenever I was close to him. But there was every chance he was feeling those sparks with other girls as well.
Cole continued handing out hearts until only Maria, Zoe and Brooke were left. There was a tense moment as Cole held up the last heart and looked between the three girls. Their expressions turned to stone as they waited for him to announce the final contender. This was the part of the show I hated the most. The seconds dragged out, and I could sense the torment the girls were going through.
When Cole finally called out a name it was like the air had suddenly rushed back into the room and everyone could breathe again. Zoe was his final choice. She walked up to receive her heart with a look of relief in her eyes. He appeared happy to give it to her, but it was clear from the way he kept sending worried glances toward the eliminated girls that he also felt guilty.
“Maria and Brooke,” Angus said, stepping forward. “I’m sorry, but neither of you has been selected to continue in Cole’s search for true love. You have both been eliminated from the competition.”
Brett walked forward, focusing his camera on the two girls as he captured their reactions. Maria didn’t seem too bothered and gave a small shrug, but I could see how annoyed Brooke was to have been taken out of contention. She was frowning and kept sending irritated glances toward her sister, as if it irked her that Laurie remained while she was being eliminated.
Cole’s choices weren’t too surprising seeing as he’d barely spent any time with Brooke or Maria on the group dates. It was so hard to know where his head was at though, and I wondered which one he’d been planning to keep. I knew that he’d agreed for me to take one of those two places, and I couldn’t help but feel like I didn’t deserve to still be in the contest.
“Now it’s time for Cole to announce who will be joining him on this week’s single date,” Angus said. My fingers twitched at my sides as Cole’s eyes roamed over the group of contestants before him. He barely even looked at me though. I didn’t know whether to feel upset or relieved. I’d told him I wanted to play no more part in the contest, and I still felt apprehensive about the increased spotlight a single date would bring.
“Laurie,” Cole announced, giving the girl a big smile.
My heart skipped a beat and my mouth dropped open slightly. Laurie? He picked Laurie of all people? I couldn’t stop myself from turning to look at her. There was a smug smile gracing her features, and she appeared thoroughly pleased with herself.
I couldn’t stop the hurt and confusion from furrowing my brow as Laurie sashayed toward Cole and threw her arms around his neck. “Thanks for picking me, hot stuff. I’m going to show you the night of your life,” Laurie said.
I had to suppress a gag. Why couldn’t Cole see how fake Laurie was?
There were so many other lovely people still in the competition, and I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t picked someone like Teagan, who was incredibly beautiful both inside and out. I wasn’t jealous. At least, I didn’t think it was jealousy I was feeling. It was more like disappointment.
Once Angus wrapped up filming for the night, I made a quick exit. I knew Laurie would relish the opportunity to gloat about her upcoming date with Cole, and I didn’t want to hang around to hear it.
I was almost at my front doorstep when I heard my name being shouted from across the street. I slowly turned and was surprised to find Cole chasing after me.
“Shouldn’t you be finishing up with the others?” I asked, not even bothering to disguise my confusion.
“Angus has it under control,” Cole replied. “I just wanted to explain things to you.”
“What’s to explain?” I asked with a shrug. “The audience picked me; it’s not your fault I’m in this for another week. You can get rid of me next ceremony.”
He frowned, like he was confused about what I was saying, before he suddenly shook his head. “I actually wanted to talk to you about Laurie.”
“Oh, what about her?”
He dug his hands into his back pockets, and his gaze dropped to the ground for a second. “I just wanted to explain why I chose her tonight.”
My heart sped up as he spoke. I was desperate to know his reasons but also feared his answer. Was he hinting that Laurie wasn’t the person he wanted to pick, or was he about to open up and tell me about his feelings for her? I didn’t know either way, and I wasn’t sure I could handle the latter.
“Cole, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” I said. “It’s fine that you chose Laurie, really.”
His eyes darted up to look into mine and a flicker of confusion ran through them. “You’re okay with it?” he asked.
“Sure,” I shrugged again. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, his gaze still fraught with uncertainty. “I just thought that after Friday… And then you smiled when you read my note… I just wanted to check that you weren’t sad I didn’t pick you.”
I frowned, not really sure what he was trying to get at. The one thing I did know was that I definitely didn’t want him thinking I was jealous.
“Not at all,” I replied. “You know I want out of the competition anyway.” Ugh. The words were like some horrid sticky, chewy candy in my mouth. They tasted horrible, were impossible to spit out and all I wanted was to
just swallow them.
“So, you’re not upset?”
“Of course not,” I said with a laugh. I was such a liar. “Laurie seems to really like you. I think you guys will have a great time together.”
I needed to tape my mouth closed. Why was I saying this crap to him? I didn’t think he’d have a good time with Laurie at all. In fact, the small devil sitting on my shoulder hoped they had a horrible time.
“Yeah, I guess,” he agreed.
There was so much going on beneath the surface of his cool expression. I could see it in his eyes, though I had no clue what he was thinking. I often found it hard to know what the hell was going on in that head of his.
“Anyway, I should probably get inside,” I said, jerking my thumb in the direction of the house. I needed to get away from him before I said something else stupid.
“It’s been a pretty long day.”
“Yeah, it has,” Cole agreed. “I’ll leave you to it.” He turned and walked back across the street without so much as a goodbye. I frowned after him, trying to understand what had gone wrong. He’d chosen Laurie for the date, and yet I felt like he was angry with me.
I rubbed my eyes tiredly and went into the house. Why did I feel like I had just made everything worse?
When Hayley and I arrived at school the next morning, there was a “Channel Five News” van parked by the front entrance and a gathering of students milling around it. I’d never seen a news truck at school before, and I searched the crowd for the source of the excitement. In the middle of it all, I saw the local news anchor standing in front of a camera.
“Is that Peggy Walton?” Hayley gasped as we got out of her car.
“Yeah, I think so,” I replied. The blonde reporter that had been gracing my TV screen every night for the last ten years was stunning in real life. She also seemed much taller than I expected.
She was standing on the front steps of the school interviewing Angus, with Cole and Laurie paired up at his side. Laurie had her arm tucked into Cole’s, and they looked like the picture perfect couple as they smiled for the news camera.
The Wrong Bachelor Page 16
