I grunted in response. I didn’t know how to tell Angus that would be impossible because I liked someone else.
“And I think it would be a great idea if you guys kissed at the end of the date.”
I placed a hand on his chest. “Hold it right there,” I replied. “I will not be kissing Laurie. There’s no chance of that happening.”
“It’s just a little kiss,” Angus tried to argue.
“It is never just a small kiss with her. One kiss and she’ll be planning the names of our children.” Surely he’d heard about the Dave fiasco last year? He and Laurie made out at a party just once, and I’m pretty sure she’s been sleeping with a lock of his hair under her pillow ever since.
“I’m sure she’s not that bad.”
“You kiss her then,” I replied.
Angus wouldn’t be put off though. “Look, Cole; can’t you take one for the team. This is for charity.”
“No,” I replied. “And if you ask me again, I’m walking away from this whole competition.”
“Fine,” Angus said. “No kiss, but play nice.” He sent me off with one annoyed flick of his wrists.
I took a moment to compose myself before I returned to the carriage and joined Laurie. She was sitting across the back seat, and Brett was sitting directly opposite her with his camera. There was barely a foot separating them. I’d always found it quite easy to forget the guys were filming during the dates, but it was going to be impossible with the camera jammed right in our faces.
“There you are,” Laurie said, with a smile. “I missed you.”
“I was gone for two seconds, Laurie.”
“Two seconds too long,” she replied.
I lifted my head to the sky. Kill me now. I took a deep breath before I lowered my gaze. This night could not end fast enough.
Unfortunately, the night seemed to have other ideas. The ride through the park went painfully slowly, and Laurie chatted incessantly. I couldn’t repeat one word she said because I was too busy wondering what it would have been like if Madi was on the date with me instead. I imagined she would have laughed when she saw the horse and carriage, but she’d still have been eager to make the most of it. I wished it were her seated next to me. If I had to be subjected to a horse and carriage ride, I wanted it to be with someone I liked. There was nothing I hated more than being fake, and that was exactly how I was feeling now.
I knew Angus had been hoping the date would come across as romantic, but it was nothing like that. I felt uncomfortable sitting next to Laurie and awkward so close to the camera. I especially felt sorry for Brett. If I felt awkward on the date, I could only imagine what he was feeling as our silent third wheel.
It was sweet relief when the carriage ride finally ended, but I quickly discovered the torture wasn’t over. Angus had planned a candlelit picnic dinner in the park.
Laurie squealed for the camera when she saw the spread, really warming into her role as the perfect True Love date. She grabbed my hand, pulling me over to the rug, making sure to snuggle in nice and close to me as we sat down.
I was starting to feel claustrophobic as the dinner wore on. Inch by inch, Laurie drew closer to me until she was more on me than she was on the picnic rug. She also kept on insisting on feeding me food, and I could barely stomach a bite. The whole thing made me feel sick. I had thought the True Love competition would be a little fun for a great cause, but Laurie made me wish I had never agreed to take part.
She finally let out a sigh and pulled back from me. “You’re not enjoying this, are you?” she said.
Her expression was usually so carefully crafted, displaying only the emotions she wanted to portray. But right now, her lips were downcast, and her eyes were wide and sad. She looked surprisingly vulnerable, and I suddenly realized what a complete dick I’d been acting toward her.
“I’m sorry, Laurie,” I said. “I haven’t been a very good date.”
“No,” she murmured in agreement. She looked up at me and gave a small shrug. “It’s not like I blame you. I can come on a little strong sometimes.”
“Just a little?” I asked
“Okay, maybe a lot.” She laughed softly but shook her head before she continued. “I just don’t know how to act around guys. None of them ever seem interested in getting to know me. They only want me because I’m a cheerleader, so I sometimes feel like my looks are all I have to work with, you know?”
I shook my head, not liking that she thought so little of herself. “Don’t say that. You’re not just a pretty face. You’re funny and confident. And yes, you’re a cheerleader, but cheerleading’s not easy. I’ve seen how hard you work at it.”
I found it tough to be saying these things to Laurie of all people, but I could see how much she needed the reassurance. Her eyes were beginning to light up like she was drinking my every word in and savoring it.
“You’ve got dedication and determination,” I continued, “which is a pretty fierce combination. You need to believe in yourself a little more. You’re actually pretty cool when you’re not trying so hard.”
“You really think so?” she murmured. She was staring at me with such a genuine look of hope on her face that I was taken aback. I was so used to her giving me flirtatious smiles and laughing at my jokes, even though the amusement never reached her eyes. I suddenly realized I didn’t really know the girl before me. She was different from the persona she put on at school, I just wished she believed in herself enough to be that person all the time. I hadn’t been lying before; she wasn’t half bad when she wasn’t trying so hard.
“I know so,” I said.
She smiled up at me. “Thanks, Cole,” she said. “I really needed to hear that.” She placed her arms around my shoulders and hugged me. It wasn’t the same showy embrace Laurie usually gave when she was in front of a crowd. There was a vulnerability to it that I hadn’t expected. I let out a sigh as I hugged her in return.
When she went to pull away, she kept her hands on my shoulders. She skimmed her cheek against the side of my face and, before I realized what was happening, her lips were pressed on mine. It only lasted for the briefest of seconds, and I jerked away before Laurie could deepen the kiss. She didn’t seem to notice the wild look in my eyes as she smiled up at me.
“Maybe this date isn’t so bad after all,” she said.
“Laurie, why would you…” I was about to submit to my anger and tell her off for kissing me, but I caught sight of Angus behind one of the cameras giving me two thumbs up. My heart sunk as I remembered the cameras were watching. Laurie’s kiss would be all over the screen come Sunday and everyone, including Madi, would see what just happened.
“Why would I what?” Laurie asked, tilting her head as she looked at me.
I let out a breath, knowing I couldn’t bring myself to say what I’d planned to tell her. I couldn’t humiliate her in front of the cameras, even if I was angry she’d kissed me. “I just wanted to say, thank you for putting up with me tonight.”
“It was a chore,” she said, with a grin. “But I won’t hold it against you.”
“Thanks,” I said with a chuckle.
Apparently, Angus was satisfied with the performance because after the kiss he quickly called an end to the date.
“That was brilliant,” Angus said to me, once Laurie had left and the crew was packing up. “All that stuff you were saying to Laurie is going to make the viewers melt. You’re a natural at this.”
I shook my head at him. “I wasn’t pretending.”
“I know,” he grinned. “Hence why I said you’re a natural. People are going to be so torn when they see that you might be starting to like Laurie instead of Madi. Good job on getting that kiss in, by the way. I knew you were a team player.”
“Is this all just some game to you?” I asked. I was struggling to keep my tone calm.
“Cole, this is a show, and we’re garnering quite the following. It’s not a game, but we are in the industry of entertaining people.”
&nb
sp; I scowled at Angus. He sounded so conceited, and I was starting to worry about him. He was growing more interested in how many viewers the show had than how much money it was raising for charity.
“Just remember why we’re doing this,” I grumbled, before walking back to my car. The competition was making Angus lose his grip on reality, and I felt like it was beginning to make me lose my mind too. In what world would I ever let Laurie get away with kissing me? I was still seething over the fact it had happened, but I also kept thinking about Madi. How would she react when she saw the episode?
I didn’t want it to upset her, but a part of me was worried she wouldn’t care at all. Whatever her reaction, I just hoped it didn’t mess things up between us. I finally felt like we might have a chance together, and I didn’t want us to end before we’d even begun.
19
Madison
I had barely made it to my locker in the morning when I was greeted with news of Laurie and Cole’s date the previous night. It hadn’t even appeared on the website yet, but apparently people already knew what had gone down.
“Did you hear?” Evan said, coming to stand beside me as I opened my locker door.
I fished around the back of it for my history book as I looked at him. “Hear about what?” I asked.
“Laurie and Cole made out on their date last night.” He watched me carefully as he waited for my reaction.
I turned to my locker as my hand grasped the thick textbook I was after. I gripped onto it tightly but didn’t pull it out as I gave myself a moment to try and breathe. Evan’s news had stolen the breath from my lungs, and my stomach sank as a heavy feeling took root in it. Finally, I gave the book a yank to release it from under the other texts.
“They did?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.
“Yeah, I thought I’d tell you before one of Laurie’s minions came to gloat.”
I grabbed another book out of my locker before I responded. I was struggling to remain calm in front of Evan, but my insides were in total turmoil. I’d finally admitted to myself that I liked the guy, and he goes off with Laurie of all people.
I felt Evan’s arm at my back. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Sure,” I replied, giving him a tight smile. He was looking at me like my reassurance didn’t fool him, so I quickly turned the question around on him before he probed too deeply. “Are you okay?” I nudged him with my arm.
“Well, my heart is clearly broken. It may take me many moons to put it back together again.” He winked at me, drawing out a pathetic laugh. It sounded more like a choking noise, and I hoped he didn’t notice.
“Actually,” he continued. “I think Cole will be the one with a broken heart. I met someone.”
“You did?” My question lacked its usual enthusiasm; I couldn’t seem to get Cole and Laurie out of my mind. I felt like I was being a bad friend, so I tried my best to focus my whole attention on him.
“Yeah, it was when we were at the ice arena last weekend.”
“Who was it?” I asked. The place had been closed for a couple of hours while we’d been filming, so it’s not like there had been anyone around.
“Do you remember the hot guy who organized our skates?”
“Um…”
“The one who kind of looked like Thor?” he prompted.
“Oh, him. He was kind of hard to miss, Evan.”
“He was, wasn’t he?” Evan grinned. “We’re going on a date tomorrow.”
“That’s great!” I gave him a smile, but it lacked any warmth. I clutched my books in tighter to my chest, wishing I were better at pretending everything was okay when it really didn’t feel like it was. I felt like an echo of my usual self, and I hoped that Evan couldn’t see how affected I was by the news of Cole and Laurie kissing.
“I know,” Evan gushed, clearly excited by his date. “I only wish I didn’t have to do our group date with Cole tonight or we could have met up tonight.”
Evan wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to go on the group date with Cole anymore. I let a sigh slip out as I considered how painful tonight would be. It was bad enough hearing about Cole and Laurie kissing. I wasn’t sure that I was ready to witness it.
“It’ll be okay,” Evan said, as if he sensed my apprehension.
“Will it though?” I asked.
He linked his arm through mine as we started to walk to history. “I suspect that Cole Kingston likes you every bit as much as you like him,” he said.
I shook my head. “I don’t like him like that.”
Evan paused and looked at me. “I think we both know that you do, but I understand if you’re not ready to say it out loud. I’m totally here for when you decide you need a wingman to help you get the guy though.”
“Thanks, Evan, you’re the best.”
“I really am,” he agreed.
I didn’t have any classes with Cole on Fridays, and I couldn’t decide if it was a good or a bad thing that I might not see him. A couple of weeks ago I wouldn’t have cared that Cole and Laurie had kissed, but we’d come such a long way in that time, and I found that the news hurt. I decided it was probably for the best that I avoided him. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same luck with Laurie.
I’d somehow managed to go the whole school day without seeing either one of them. But, just after the final bell, I spotted Laurie and her friends coming down the corridor toward me.
I felt like a rabbit in the headlights as Laurie’s eyes met mine and lit with glee. I half considered turning and running away, but I couldn’t bring myself to hide from whatever confrontation was coming. I knew I would have to face her another time, and if I didn’t do it now, Laurie would feel she’d won.
“You may as well give up now, Madi. Cole’s as good as mine,” Laurie said. Sally and Brooke were both standing behind her like bodyguards protecting their mob boss. Not that Laurie needed any back up when she picked a battle.
I merely shook my head at her. Getting into a fight with Laurie was the last thing I wanted. I didn’t fancy my chances. If only Hayley were with me. She was the fire in our dynamic duo and would have no problem putting Laurie in her place—head cheerleader or not.
“He’s such an amazing kisser,” she gloated. “Not that you would know. The closest you’ll ever get to his lips is watching our incredible kiss this Sunday.”
I went to walk past her, but Laurie grabbed my arm tightly, her nails digging into my skin. She stepped in close, lowering her lips to my ear. “Tell me you give up,” she said.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Laurie murmured darkly. “Tell me he’s mine or a few words on your locker will be the least of your worries.”
I jerked back from her and looked her in the eyes. “That was you?”
“I never said that.” She smiled, but there was no friendliness in the expression. It was 100% cruel.
My heart was racing though, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was her. I felt a wave of relief as I spotted Hayley coming toward me down the corridor. Laurie followed my gaze and immediately dropped my arm. I guess she didn’t want an audience, or at least not one that wasn’t afraid to fight back.
“Remember what I’ve said,” Laurie warned before turning her back on me and sauntering away. Her threat was clear. Leave Cole alone or else…
Brooke and Sally went to follow. Sally was giggling, like what she’d just witnessed was highly entertaining. But Brook paused as she went to leave. Her cheeks were flushed and there was a sad look in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she sighed and turned to follow her friends.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Hayley said, as she came up to me.
I realized I was shaking after my encounter with Laurie, so it didn’t surprise me that the blood had also rushed from my face. I wasn’t sure if it was anger or sadness I was feeling though. It felt like a mixture of both.
“I’ve been speaking to Laurie,” I replied, “which is far more ter
rifying than seeing a ghost.”
Hayley frowned and glanced over her shoulder in the direction Laurie had disappeared. “What did she want?”
I repeated my conversation with Laurie to Hayley as we slowly started to make our way out to her car. When I finished, I had to physically grab hold of Hayley’s arm to stop her from racing back into the school.
“Please don’t make a scene,” I pleaded with her.
“But she threatened you!”
“I know,” I agreed. “But Laurie’s my problem. Will you let me deal with her?”
Hayley let out a sigh and nodded, but she grumbled the rest of the way to the car. It was only once we were driving home that she started speaking to me again.
“So, are you going to tell me your plan for dealing with Laurie, or do I have to beg?” Hayley asked.
I had hoped she’d drop it, but apparently not.
“You don’t have to beg,” I replied. “I just plan to keep my distance until this whole competition is over. I’m sure that once Laurie's got Cole all to herself she’ll be as right as rain.”
“Well that’s the stupidest suggestion ever,” Hayley said. “You can’t let her win.”
“I’m not,” I replied.
“Sounds like you are to me.”
I frowned at her. Sometimes it was really hard having a best friend who always told you exactly what they thought. I kind of wished, just for once, that she would lie to me and say my plan sounded great and it would all work out in the end.
“I’m not,” I repeated.
Hayley suddenly jerked the car to a stop in the middle of the street and someone laid on their horn behind us.
“Hayley!” I hated when she did this, but it wasn’t the first time, and I knew she’d only start driving again once she’d said her piece.
“Look,” Hayley said, turning to face me. “If keeping your distance from Cole is what you really want, then go for it. But if there is even the smallest chance you like him, then it’s not fair to either of you if you hold back because you’re scared of pissing Laurie off. We both know she’s only ever after whichever jock is the most popular at the time. As soon as this competition is over, Laurie will drop Cole like a hotcake.”
The Wrong Bachelor Page 18
