This wasn’t just a contest for a date to the dance anymore. It had become more than just raising money for charity. I wanted to stay, and I wanted to fight for a chance to be with Cole. But that decision was no longer in my hands.
“Cole, you only have one more piece of your heart left to give tonight. Who is your final choice to stay?” Angus asked.
Cole wasn’t looking at me, which I knew was a bad sign. In fact, he was looking everywhere but at me. A part of me just wished he would say a name already, but another part of me hoped he never opened his mouth to make the announcement.
“Madi,” he finally said.
I blinked, not quite sure I’d heard him right. He hadn’t looked my way as he spoke my name; had I really heard him correctly? I glanced at Evan who was nodding for me to go over to Cole.
I should’ve been happy, but instead I felt confused. I was frowning as I closed the distance that separated me from Cole. He still hadn’t looked me in the eyes, and I couldn’t understand why he was avoiding me. I could barely work out my own thoughts, so it wasn’t really a big surprise that I had no idea what Cole’s were.
“Madi, will you accept a piece of my heart?” he asked. Finally, he looked into my eyes. I was surprised by the amount of turmoil and emotion in them. He seemed so unsure, so nervous. The pit in my stomach dropped further. He didn’t want to hand me the heart. My eyes flickered in Angus’ direction. Was he forcing Cole’s hand?
“Madi?” Cole prompted, pulling my gaze back to him.
I couldn’t bring myself to speak, so I merely nodded and took the heart-shaped piece of paper he held out to me and walked over to the others. As I went to stand with them, I glanced down at the heart and found Cole had written a message on it again.
“I know your heart’s not in this, but mine is, and I’m hoping it’s big enough for the two of us.”
I frowned at the words and looked up at him. He was watching me closely; waiting for some kind of signal I’d read his note. I didn’t know what to make of it though. He seemed unhappy to have selected me, but this note indicated the opposite.
Cole glanced away from me as Angus began to speak, and I suddenly felt like I could breathe properly again. Being stared down by him was like being caught in an emotional vacuum.
“Evan and Zoe, I’m afraid that neither of you have been selected to continue in Cole’s search for true love,” Angus stated. “You have both been eliminated.”
The two of them nodded, giving the rest of us contestants a wave as they followed one of the film club members from the room. Evan paused by Cole as he went to leave. “If things don’t work out with the girls, Cole…” he said, lifting a hand to his ear like a telephone. “Call me,” he mouthed, earning a laugh from everyone in the room.
Angus waited for Evan to leave and the laughs to settle before he continued. “There will be no single date this week,” he announced. “Instead, the group date this Friday night will be an overnight activity.”
“What do you think that means?” Teagan whispered at my side.
I shrugged, hoping that Angus knew what he was doing. A thunderclap roared overhead, and the lights in Cole’s house flickered.
“And on that note, we’ll be calling it a night,” Angus said, focusing on the camera lens once more. “Don’t forget to watch next Sunday night, folks. It’s our final group date, and you’re going to love the mysterious location we’ll be taking our contestants. We’re on the home stretch now, and with just four contestants left, you’re going to want to stick around and see them battle it out to the finish! Good night!"
The camera finally dipped down, and Angus clapped before going around the room to congratulate everyone.
As the others began to pack up and leave, I looked down at my note again, trying to figure it out. I needed to talk to Cole and ask him what he meant. When I looked up again though, I could see he was chatting with Laurie. I wasn’t sure if I could watch the two of them together, so I made a quick and quiet exit. The note would have to wait.
The rain was heavy as I left the house and lightning streaked brightly across the sky. I was glad I didn’t have to walk far to get home.
“Madi, wait up,” Cole yelled, as I was halfway across the street.
I turned and watched as he ran out to meet me. He had taken his suit jacket off, and the white material of his shirt was quickly becoming soaked. It clung to his skin like a second layer, showing off his muscles.
“What is it, Cole?” I had to raise my voice to be heard over the rain as the downpour grew heavier.
“I need to speak with you,” he said, stopping to stand before me.
“Now?” I lifted my hands and pointed to the rain swirling around us. Already my hair was drenched, and I was feeling cold despite the humidity that clung to the air.
“Yes, now,” he replied.
I hesitated. I wanted to speak with him too, but he’d been distant with me in the ceremony, and I was suddenly scared of what he wanted with me.
“Please,” Cole begged. He took hold of my hand, drawing me close to him.
His fingers lightly gripped mine, and his eyes were swirling and storming with emotions more potent than the weather around us. His gaze held me in place, and I was as powerless to leave him as I was to stop the storm. “Can we at least get out of this rain?”
He shook his head at me as he finally let go of his grasp on my hand. “Don’t pretend you don’t love the rain, puddles.”
His use of my nickname and the loss of contact between us brought me out of the daze I’d fallen into. I shot him a scowl. “Fine, what do you want?”
He chuckled darkly under his breath as his gaze dropped to my lips. “What do I want?” It seemed like he was asking the question to himself, but he quickly shook his head, as if he was clearing his mind of whatever he had been thinking. He focused his eyes back on mine. “I want to tell you that I’m sorry. I know I’ve upset you by keeping you in the contest.”
“You think I’m angry at you for that?”
“Well, yeah…” His voice trailed off and he frowned. “That’s not why you’re upset?”
I took a small step backward from him, hesitating as I tried to come up with a response. He mimicked my step though, keeping close to me.
“Well?” he prompted. Rain was running down his face, and every emotion he was feeling was laid bare in his eyes. He was curious and confused, but he wasn’t the only one. My mind was in a state of chaos.
I looked away from him and out into the stormy night as I tried to line up my thoughts. My feelings were like a messed up bundle of yarn, and my mind was just as muddled.
“Madi … if there’s something I’ve done.”
My eyes flicked back to look at his.
“You’re right. There is something you’ve done,” I admitted.
He slowly nodded, his lips tensed and a trace of unease entered his eyes. “What?” he whispered, like he wasn’t sure he actually wanted to know.
“You changed,” I replied. “You were supposed to be my enemy, and then you went and started acting differently.”
“And you’re angry at me for that?”
“Yeah, I am,” I replied, folding my arms across my chest as my confusion and annoyance with him swirled stronger inside of me. “I’m angry that you went and reminded me of the sweet guy who was once my friend. I’m upset because you forced your way back into my life. And I’m confused as hell because you made me have feelings for you. Feelings that I’m not supposed to have; feelings that make me crazy because I’m stuck in some stupid contest where I’m not the only one who’s dating you. So, yeah, you’re the reason I’m upset.”
His eyes grew wide at my confession, and his face was blank. Several moments passed and he didn’t respond. I’d pretty much laid my heart bare to him and he didn’t have a word for me.
I took a breath before I finally gave up waiting for an answer and walked away. I was embarrassed by my revelation and wasn’t going to stick around if Cole d
idn’t feel even slightly the same in return. He couldn’t even find the words to turn me down.
I’d only taken a couple of steps away from him when he called after me.
“You owe me a kiss!” he shouted through the rain.
I paused where I was standing and slowly turned to face him. “You think I’m going to kiss you after I told you all of that and you said nothing in return?” I shouted back at him.
He closed the distance between us with powerful strides. “No,” he said, stopping before me, only a millimeter away. “I think you’re going to kiss me because I can’t stop thinking about you. Because you drive me crazy too. But mostly because you’ve been stealing pieces of my heart since the moment we met and it’s about time you gave me some of yours in return.”
All of my responses left me as I stared at him. His words warmed me; they broke me; they pulled me apart and put me back together again. His eyes stared so deeply into mine as he waited for me to process what he had said.
“You like me?” I asked, still not quite able to believe it even after all he’d said.
“Madi, I’m crazy about you, and only you could be blind enough not to see it.”
The words had barely left his mouth when I closed the small distance between us and pressed my lips against his. Cole responded by reaching out and taking hold of my waist. He pulled me to him so I was enveloped in his arms and deepened the kiss so that I felt the tingle from my lips to my toes.
The kiss was every bit as heartfelt and passionate as Cole’s words had been, and I felt every fiery emotion buzzing through my skin at his touch. His lips were warm despite the cold water that ran down our faces, and his body was hot as it pressed against mine.
My heart raced as we clung to one another. The weather was raging around us, and I felt like we were at the intense epicenter of the storm. I was feeling every strike of lightning and every boom of thunder deep in my chest, and I never wanted the downpour to cease.
When Cole finally pulled away from me, I felt changed. He had come and claimed a huge piece of my heart, and I wasn’t sure if I was ever getting it back. He lifted a hand to cup my face and stared into my eyes. A cyclone could have touched down beside us and I don’t think either one of us would have noticed.
“I don’t ever want to stop doing that,” he said.
I smiled up at him, a feeling of elation and warmth still rushing through me after our kiss. “That could make life super awkward. Nobody likes too much PDA.”
He laughed, and the sound hit me in the gut. It was deep and filled with so much affection and happiness. Wow, I loved it when he laughed like that.
He shook his head at me. “I didn’t mean literally all the time.”
“I should hope not,” I replied.
“Just most of it,” he added.
A shiver ran down my spine as a breeze of wind swept against us. Despite the warmth of Cole’s body next to mine, my clothes were fully saturated from the rain and they clung uncomfortably to my skin.
As if he had only just noticed the rain, Cole’s eyes clouded with worry. “Madi, you’re soaked,” he said.
“Well, yeah, some idiot insisted on talking in the rain.”
He didn’t laugh at my joke though. Instead, he dropped his hands from my cheeks and took my hand in his. “Come on. I’ll walk you home.”
I simply nodded in reply. When we reached my front doorstep, Cole turned to me, his face far more serious than it had been before.
“I don’t know if I can continue with the competition,” he said.
“What?” It was the last thing I expected him to say.
“I can’t date other girls when I know the way you feel about me. It isn’t right.” I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed hearing him say those words, and my heart swelled as he spoke, but I already knew he couldn’t leave the contest—as much as I might like it.
“But you’re the bachelor. Can you even quit?” I asked.
“Sure…” he said, though I could hear the doubt in his voice.
“What about the charity and everyone who's been voting?” I asked.
“Well, we’ve already reached the goal,” he replied.
“Yes, but you’d be letting people down…”
The realization seemed to deflate him, and he let out a long breath. “You’re right,” he said. “Plus, I can’t imagine Angus agreeing to let me go.”
I didn’t want to be right. This was one time I’d quite happily be wrong.
“So, if you can’t leave the contest, what are we going to do about us?” I asked.
“I really like you saying that,” Cole said, with a grin. “Us.”
“I’m serious, Cole. What are we going to do?”
“Right, that,” he said, suddenly thoughtful. He lifted a hand to grip the back of his neck as he contemplated it. “I guess we can’t really date until the contest is over.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured.”
“It’s just until next weekend, so it’s not too long,” Cole said, though his face gave the impression he felt like it was forever. “We just have to get through the group date on Friday night and then two single dates with the final two next week.”
I frowned as I considered the obstacles that lay ahead of us, but he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to be you and Willow in the final two. And she’s my cousin, you know that, right?”
I nodded. It did make me feel better knowing that Cole's only other single date would be with his cousin.
“So, we’re just keeping this a secret until next weekend?” I said.
“Only until next weekend,” he agreed. “But I can’t pretend to be interested in the other girls. Angus will just have to deal.”
“So, you’re not interested in Laurie or Teagan?” I sounded nervous, and my chest grew tight as I waited for him to answer. I wasn’t even sure why I’d asked him about them.
He lifted an eyebrow. “Madi, were you even here for the last few minutes of our life?”
The look of total disapproval on his face made me laugh “Okay, okay, you only like me.”
“Damn straight, I only like you,” he replied.
His words made my heart flutter. Every moment I spent with Cole, I could feel myself falling in deeper.
Man, I was in trouble.
21
Cole
I couldn’t keep the stupid grin from my face at school. Madi Matthews liked me. She actually liked me. It almost felt like Monday night was a dream. But when I saw her beaming at me from her locker first thing in the morning, I knew that I hadn’t made it up.
“Hey, muffin,” I said, walking up beside her.
“I thought I told you not to call me pet names,” she replied. She didn’t seem genuinely annoyed though, and her face lit up when I brought out an actual muffin from behind my back.
“But I will totally reconsider if that muffin is for me,” she said, her eyes growing wide.
I laughed as I handed it to her. “Sure is. I stopped by the bakery this morning to grab some breakfast and thought you might like it.”
“You thought right.” She took a bite and let out a small groan. “Raspberry and white chocolate is my favorite,” she said.
I couldn’t work out how Madi managed to make eating look so cute.
She took another bite before looking up at me. “If baked goods are a part of dating Cole Kingston, I can’t wait until this contest is over.”
“It’s all part of the package, raindrop,” I replied.
She lifted her eyes up to the ceiling but shook her head and laughed. My nicknames were growing on her. There was nothing I wanted more than to rest my arm over her shoulders and walk her to class, but I knew I couldn’t do that when so many people were watching.
Just until the end of next week, I reminded myself.
I struggled not to sit with Madi when lunchtime came. She was still at another table with Hayley and Teagan, while I was stuck with my usual group. I wanted to abandon them for the dra
ma table, but I knew I couldn’t do that yet.
“I thought we talked about you being a creeper,” Tanner said.
I laughed and looked away from Madi. It was a welcome change that my stares weren’t one-sided anymore. I often found her looking back at me, and whenever she caught my eye, she’d smile and blush before looking away. If anyone was watching us closely enough, they’d probably figure out our secret straight away.
Tanner looked like he suspected something as I turned back to our table. He had raised one eyebrow at me, and there was an annoying smirk lifting the corner of his lips.
“Do I need to host an intervention?” he asked.
“Probably,” I muttered, making him laugh.
He gave me a firm slap on the back. I knew it was supposed to be friendly, but it felt a little more like someone slamming a cement brick against my spine. “Dude, you’ve got to make her work for it.”
“I’m not sure you’re the best person to give dating advice,” I said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tanner replied.
“Do I need to say her name out loud?”
Tanner scowled at me, which drastically improved my mood. “Stacy and I are doing great right now, if you have to know.”
I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. “Since when?”
“Since Saturday.”
“I give it a week.”
“Come on, be generous.”
“I was,” I said with a shrug. From the dark look Tanner was giving me, I could tell he didn't agree.
“I’m only joking about…” my voice trailed off as I felt a set of hands on my shoulders. They were light and delicate, and my heart leaped at the thought of Madi, but then I caught a whiff of overbearing perfume.
“Hey, Cole,” Laurie purred in my ear.
I pulled her hands off my shoulders and turned to face her. I couldn’t stop the disappointment from showing on my face that it wasn’t Madi standing in front of me.
“Hey, Laurie,” I said.
The Wrong Bachelor Page 20
