“Want to send another message?” Cole’s breath tickled her ear.
“No. What I want to do is kiss my boyfriend.” She turned to face him. “Sending a message would just be an added bonus.”
“What my girl wants, she gets. I’m here to please,” he pulled her to his chest.
“I bet you are,” Bri replied huskily, her eyes drawn to his incredibly sexy lips.
Those lips gave a wicked quirk before devouring hers. They kissed each other passionately and hungrily, despite the audience around them. And even though the kiss was kind of an F-you to Serena, Bri could still feel Cole’s underlying emotions. She felt her own desire rush up to meet his, and for a moment it was just the two of them, alone in their own world. The warning bell rang, bringing them back to reality.
“I gotta run. See you after class.” Cole kissed her nose and ran off down the hall.
Bri turned and caught Serena staring at her in shock. It was Bri’s turn to throw a cocky smirk. Serena just glowered at her and stormed off down the hall. Smiling, Bri headed off to class.
Chapter 23
By the end of the week, Bri was almost getting used to the looks and whispers. Almost. She was in the bathroom one day, and a group of girls came in, discussing some of the rumors going around. Apparently Layla had given Bri the PG version, because what these girls were saying was downright disgusting. It took all of Bri’s willpower not to drop kick every last one of them.
Due to the success of the basketball team, the school reinstated Spirit Day on Fridays for the games. So that Friday, Bri had to wear her Dance Team uniform, tight pants and all. She was just grateful it was fairly warm, because her halter top offered no protection from the elements. It also offered no protection from the leering looks from the male population, or from Cole’s hands. The hands she didn’t mind, and he touched her every chance he got. Not inappropriately, but like he just couldn’t physically restrain himself. As she sat down next to him at lunch, he leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“You should wear this every day.” His lips grazed her tattoo.
“Really? Somehow I don’t think your hormones would be able to handle that.” She replied quietly.
“Oh, they can handle it,” he murmured, his lips brushing down her neck. “They have a very specific and pleasurable way of handling it, but believe me, they can definitely handle it.”
A shiver raced through Bri as he pulled away.
“Just let me know anytime you’re interested, and I can demonstrate.” He looked her up and down hungrily, like he’d demonstrate right then if he could. Bri’s breath caught and warmth flooded her whole body.
“Alright you two,” Layla cut in. “Your sexual tension is ruining my appetite.”
Completely embarrassed, Bri tore her eyes from Cole and hit Layla on the arm. But she couldn’t get Cole’s hungry look out of her mind.
That night, after performing for halftime, Bri saw Jimmy in the stands and sat down next to him. She’d changed as fast as she could and managed to make it out just before the start of the second half. She glanced around, quickly locating the group of scouts there to watch Cole. She immediately recognized the Blue Devil on one of the scout’s shirts.
“Is that a Duke scout?” she asked Jimmy, amazed.
“Yep,” he smiled proudly. “There are also scouts here from Kansas and Arizona. He’s had some local colleges come watch him before, but these guys are a big deal.”
“Yes, they are. How did the first half go?”
“Good, but I think Cole was waiting for you,” Jimmy winked.
Just then the team emerged from the locker room and began warming up. Cole spotted Bri in the stands and ran up to give her a quick kiss.
“For luck,” he smiled.
“Like you need it,” she blushed back.
“Glad you’re finally here. It took you long enough,” he teased.
“Yeah, well, you’d better make it worth my while.”
“Just you wait! Hey Dad, did you get Bri’s performance?”
“Yep,” Jimmy held up his phone, “got it right here.”
Bri gave Cole a questioning glance.
“What? I miss seeing you dance, so I have my dad record it for me. No big deal,” he shrugged.
Bri beamed at him, overcome by his sweet gesture.
“Hey Marra,” Coach Davies called from the floor. “I don’t know if you remember or not, but we kind of have a game to win here.” Grinning, Cole ran to join his team.
Twenty-four game time minutes later, Cole and the Tigers had demolished the other team and the full to capacity gym erupted. Cole bounded up to Bri for an extra excited victory kiss.
“I have a few people to talk to,” he pulled back. “Will you wait for me?”
Knowing she had a few minutes, Bri nodded. She sat and watched as Cole, Jimmy, and Coach Davies talked with the three scouts. After a final handshake, Cole bounced over to her. And yes, he was actually bouncing. He pulled her into a tight hug.
“Thanks for waiting, Beautiful. Can you believe how crazy this is?” He pulled back to look at her, and his eyes were dancing. Bri had never seen him this happy and excited before. “Hey, the guy from Duke wants to go to dinner tonight and talk. Want to come?”
“Oh, I would love to, but I can’t,” she replied, disappointed. “The Dance Team is going out to dinner tonight. You know, a kind of team building thing before Region tomorrow. I’m sorry,” she pouted. “But will you promise to call me tonight and tell me all about it?”
“Definitely.” He leaned in and kissed her longingly. “Thanks for being here tonight,” he said softly.
“Of course. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. I gotta run, but call me later?”
Cole nodded. “Have fun at your dinner.”
“You too,” she smiled.
“Duke!” Cole breathed and ran both hands through his hair. He looked like he’d just won the Super Bowl or something and still couldn’t believe it’d happened. Bri felt herself fall a little harder for him right then. Shaking herself out of it, she forced herself to head out to her car.
Dinner with the team didn’t go as badly as she’d thought it would. Layla had been busy dispelling Natalie’s rumors, and the girls weren’t nearly as hostile. As they were leaving, Bri grabbed Layla and gave her a big hug.
“Thank you,” Bri told her sincerely. “I don’t know what kind of magic you had to work, but I’m very grateful. I love you, you know that?”
“Awww, who knew my Bri was such a softy,” Layla teased and squeezed her back. “I love you too, girl. I’ll always be there for you.”
“Me too. Whatever you need,” Bri promised.
The girls parted and Bri climbed into her Mazda. An idea popped into her head, and she pulled out her phone.
Are you home? Can I stop by? she texted Cole. A moment later he responded.
Yep, I’m home. And it would make my night if you stopped by!
She sent a quick text to her dad, letting him know she’d be a little late, and then tried not to speed as she drove to Cole’s. He let her in, and she said a quick hello to Jimmy, before Cole led her to his room. Closing his bedroom door, he pulled her to him and kissed her like he hadn’t seen her in years instead of hours. Finally needing to breath, Bri pulled back.
“Well, hello to you, too,” she grinned. She turned to go sit on the bed, but stopped when she noticed a new painting hanging above it. There were two canvases, hung side by side, and unlike the rest of the black and white artwork in the room, these were full of color. The left one was a painting of Bri smiling lovingly at something across from her. That something was a painting of Cole gazing intently and lovingly back at her. They were surprisingly intimate, and Bri was suddenly very conscious of the fact that they hung right above Cole’s bed. Her heart picked up, but it was more out of fear and panic.
“I’m in your room?” she asked quietly, her eyes not leaving the paintings.
Cole came up behind her and wrappe
d his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Does that bother you?”
“No, it just seems...”
“What?”
Like too much, too fast. She wasn’t sure exactly how deep her feelings for Cole ran, aside from the obvious physical attraction, but she wasn’t in love with him, and she was pretty sure he didn’t love her either. It would be crazy for them to allow that to happen. But, Cole’s paintings seemed to imply something deeper between them. It made Bri a little uncomfortable.
But, not wanting to hurt Cole’s feelings, and definitely not wanting to get into another let’s-define-our-relationship talk, she replied, “Nothing. They’re really good. But I think you may have exaggerated me a bit. I’m not really that pretty,” she smiled at him.
“I didn’t exaggerate anything, and you are beautiful. That’s the way I see you.” His lips grazed her ear. Wanting to shift the attention off her, she changed the subject.
“So, how did your dinner go? How was Duke?” She sat down on the bed and pulled him down with her.
“It was great,” he beamed. “More than great! They are interested in me. Duke is interested in me! Do you have any idea how big this is?”
“It’s huge,” Bri agreed, squeezing his hand. She could feel the tremors of excitement running through him.
“I mean, I’ve dreamed of playing for Duke my whole life. Never, never, did I think it might actually happen!” He shook his head in wonder. “The other schools are interested, too. I have meetings with both of them tomorrow. But, Duke!”
Bri smiled at him, but there was something like sadness beneath it.
“So, is Duke where you’d want to go then?”
“Ideally, yes,” he let out a breath. “I wouldn’t be starting, the scout made that clear. But he said that there’s a good chance I could earn a starting position next year.”
“I know you could. What does your dad think? Has he said anything?”
“Not really,” Cole looked a little sad. “I think he’d still like for me to play football. You know, follow in his footsteps. But, I don’t know.”
“That’s not what you want,” Bri stated knowingly.
“No.” His forehead creased in confusion, like this was the first time he’d been able to admit that, even to himself. “I need to hear out the other offers from the other schools who’ll be coming, but if Duke offers me a spot, I don’t think I can turn it down.”
“You’d be crazy not to take it. I’m really happy for you, Cole.” But she didn’t feel happy. She suddenly felt very empty.
“Oh, shoot, tomorrow! I’m going to miss your competition! I’ll reschedule my meetings. We can talk over the phone or something.”
“Coleston James Marra, you will do no such thing!” She looked him sternly in the eyes. “This is important. It’s your future! You are not going to give up possible scholarships for a dance competition.”
“But it’s important to you. I should be there. I want to be there.”
“Go to your meetings,” Bri smiled, touched. “The competition is an all-day thing, come after you’re done. It’s not a big deal.”
“Are you sure?” Cole looked doubtful still.
“I’m positive.”
“Okay. But I’m taking you out tomorrow night to celebrate. I want you all to myself!”
“Well, you’ll have to share me with my family for dinner after, which you are totally invited to, but then I’m completely yours.”
“Mmm, completely?” Cole’s voice dripped with innuendo.
Bri remembered Layla’s comment from lunch earlier, and her face flushed. Only half of it was from embarrassment, though. Instead of answering she leaned in and kissed him.
“So, was that a yes or a no?” Cole murmured against her lips.
“Well, it wasn’t a yes...”
“But it wasn’t a no, either,” he grinned wickedly and captured her lips again. Bri felt her resistance beginning to slip, and knew it was time to go.
“I better get going. My dad’s waiting up for me.” She managed to detach herself from Cole, amid his groans and protests. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Good luck with the scouts.” She gave him a quick kiss and headed out to her car.
As Bri drove away, an unexpected sadness hit her. Cole was going away. She had always known that their lives were going to take them down different paths, sooner now than later. But the reality of that fact hit her hard just then, and she was surprised about how much that hurt. She had never expected Cole to follow her to Stanford, but she hadn’t given much thought to what would happen to them after graduation. A cross country, long distance relationship wasn’t going to work. Her heart ached as she realized that she and Cole had a definite expiration date, and the countdown clock was ticking. The ironic thing was that Bri had sent in an application to Duke already, as her backup in case Stanford fell through. And now it looked like that was where Cole would be going.
As she climbed into bed that night, Bri decided that she was going to take advantage of the time they had left, enjoy every minute. Four months was a long time, and she was going to cherish it. As long as they didn’t get too involved, she and Cole should be able to part ways amicably. Sure, she would be sad, and would miss him, but at least she wouldn’t have a broken heart to deal with. Because, let’s face it, heartbreak was just not worth it. She and Cole would have to be careful, but they should be able to enjoy each other without getting too attached.
Bri woke the next morning feeling much better. The Regional competition was held at Santa Monica High this year, so her dad, brothers, and even Summer were in the stands to cheer her on. The day passed chaotically but quickly, and it was almost three in the afternoon before she found Cole in the stands. He and Jimmy were sitting next to Connor and Summer, chatting. When Bri and the team took the floor, Cole jumped up, screaming and whistling. She smiled at him as she took her position.
By five o’clock, the performances were all done, and all the teams sat on the gym floor awaiting the results. Despite what Bri had told Cole, this competition was a big deal. The teams that took first, second, and third got to advance to Divisionals down in San Diego the next Friday. The top two teams at Division got to go to State. So the whole team was nervous, as the awards presentation began. They needn’t have worried though, because they swept first place in every categories and took first place overall. The home crowd erupted, and Bri’s family and friends rushed out to congratulate her.
Liam and Logan reached her first, and she opened an arm for each of them. They rushed her so excitedly, they almost knocked her over.
“You were so pretty, Bri,” Logan said. Then he whispered to her, “That’s what Cole said!”
“You were really shiny,” Liam agreed, remembering her sequins costumes.
“Thanks, Monkeys! I’m so glad you came!” She gave them each a big kiss, before standing to receive a hug from her dad, and then Jimmy. Summer gave her a small smile.
Cole had been waiting patiently for his turn, but as Bri finally turned to him, he pulled her in for a not so parent friendly kiss. There was a very deliberate throat clearing from Connor, and Bri pulled back, breathless and flushed.
“So,” Connor gave his daughter a look. “What sound good for dinner, Pumpkin? Anywhere you want to go. Oh, Jimmy, Cole, you’re more than welcome to join us.”
“That would be great,” Cole answered, smiling at Bri.
Bri chose a local steakhouse, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with her family. Connor and Jimmy got along great, and where trading jokes back and forth that had everyone laughing.
Afterward, Cole and Bri went out to a movie. Cole had said he wanted to do something “normal couples” did. They settled on a comedy and laughed the whole way through. After the movie, they went back to Cole’s place and took advantage of the quiet house, and their rare alone time. A little before midnight, Cole dropped Bri off on her doorstep.
“I had a really great time tonight,” she smiled. “We should do this �
�normal” thing more often. It was nice.”
“Anytime you want.” Cole gave her a delicious, lingering goodnight kiss that was sure to make an appearance in her dreams that night. “Goodnight, Ambria,” he reluctantly stepped away.
“Goodnight, Cole.” Bri went inside in a blissful daze.
Division was the next Friday, and the team got to skip school that day to head down to San Diego. The only downside was that Cole, Devon, and the rest of their cheering section weren’t able to come down for the competition. Layla and Bri were bummed, obviously, but it surprised Bri to see that the rest of the team missed their fan club, also. Luckily, it didn’t affect their performance, and the team dominated Division, coming in first place and earning themselves a trip to State in Sacramento in two weeks.
The next day, Bri headed over to Layla’s house to get ready for MORP. The girl’s choice formal had snuck up on them, and the girls were lucky to have found dresses. Layla chose a short, silver, strapless dress that showed off her long legs. She managed to convince Bri to get a knee length, ruched, royal blue strapless that showed off her curves. Bri opted to have Layla twist her hair up, while Layla left hers long. As the girls stood in front of Layla’s mirror, admiring the finished product, Layla glanced at Bri.
“You’ve been awfully quiet today. Is something bothering you? You and Cole didn’t fight, did you?”
“What? No! It’s just... the whole college thing is kind of weighing on me.”
“Why?” Layla pulled her over to sit on the bed. “Aren’t you excited about going to Stanford?”
“Of course I am. It’s just that it finally hit me that Cole will be going away to college somewhere else, which means that our relationship has an expiration date. It makes me a little sad is all.”
Beautiful Mess Page 29
