That Summer (Part Two)

by Lauren Crossley

  “How do you know all of this stuff? I swear you’re practically a pro at this sort of thing.”

  “I’ve hijacked a few getaway cars in my time.” He answers simply, shrugging as though it’s no big deal.

  “You’re kidding.” I state coolly.

  “Yes, baby. I’m kidding.” He chuckles lightly and takes hold of my hand, tugging me along behind him. “Now come on, we have to make our way onto the main road where they’ll be plenty of taxis passing by. I want to put as much distance as I can between us and this place.”

  It takes us no time at all to get a taxi, one ends up stopping for us right away and Cole leans forward in his seat, giving the driver our address of the new hotel he intends us to stay in. It sounds much nicer than the motel we left behind and I can only hope it lives up to my newfound expectations.

  “How did you come to hear of this new hotel?” I question Cole as soon as we start our journey.

  “I actually stumbled across it last month when I was doing some research, hoping to surprise you for your eighteenth birthday next week. I wanted to take you somewhere special and I thought this hotel would be perfect. I just never thought I would be bringing you here so soon, especially under these circumstances.”

  “I can’t believe you planned something like this for me. No one has ever done anything so kind for me before.”

  “Get used to it, Green.” He whispers softly, speaking directly into my ear. “Because I plan on spoiling you often.”

  His words cause me to tremble as he tucks a stray strand of my hair behind my ear and I shift uncomfortably, struggling to conceal my desire for him.

  I can scarcely believe my eyes when we pull up outside our new hotel. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and everything you could ever hope for when it comes to staying somewhere luxurious.

  “Cole, how on earth can we afford this?” I gasp, staring up at the exquisite building and its architecture.

  “I told you not to worry about that. I’m taking care of everything from now on, remember?”

  “I know but…”

  “But nothing. Just think of this as an early birthday present.” He assures me, paying the driver before we head inside.

  Cole strides towards the main reception desk and orders us a room, making a point of requesting one of the hotel’s grandest suites. I try tugging on his arm in an attempt to stop him but he ignores me and carries on by providing the attractive receptionist with false details. He gives her the wrong name, a fake address and informs her that he cannot provide a date for our departure as we will be staying indefinitely.

  I’m amazed by his ability to lie like that and almost envy his confidence when doing so. He’s practically flirting with the young girl behind the desk, flashing her his million dollar smile and giving her a small wink when she hands over our room key.

  The envy that I feel cannot be explained, watching him flirt with her so openly causes me to experience a fury I never even knew existed, as well as heartbroken. He turns around to face me and smiles, frowning when I don’t return his gesture.

  “What’s wrong?” He asks, appearing concerned.

  “You know what’s wrong.” I hiss, sneering at him in contempt.

  “I really don’t, so why don’t you tell me?” He retorts sharply.

  “Fuck you, Cole.” I sneer, striding towards the main stairway.

  “I already told you that’s not a problem.” He whispers, catching me up. “We’ve got a whole hotel suite to ourselves for as long as we want it.”

  “You’re sick.” I fire back at him, unable to believe that he would say such a thing.

  “Is everything alright?”

  We both turn around to see the receptionist from behind the counter has followed us. Her eyes are sparkling as she stares at Cole. She’s making it so obvious that she’s attracted to him, it’s enough to stir up my jealousy once more.

  “Everything’s fine.” Cole assures her, turning on the charm like he did with her before. “Please excuse my sister, she’s in one of her moods.”

  I inhale sharply as I stare at him in horror. Why would he say that? What on earth possessed him to tell this complete stranger something which neither one of us can even say out loud?

  “Oh, I see.” The receptionist chuckles lightly. “I didn’t realise that you two were… I thought you were… together.”

  “No, of course not. Whatever gave you that idea?” Cole laughs alongside her, closing the small space between them.

  “Well, the suite you ordered only has one bed in it and it’s a double.” She explains, clearly confused by the whole situation.

  There’s a momentary silence as Cole tries to figure out what he’s going to say next. I can tell he hasn’t thought this through and is now struggling to come up with an explanation as to why the two of us would be sharing a bed.

  “I’ll sleep on the floor. I know it sounds a little strange but I just wanted to spoil my sister. She’s turning eighteen next week and I thought a deluxe suite in a posh hotel would be the perfect gift for her. I didn’t even think about what bed would be included.”

  “I can always put you in the room next door or one along the corridor if you would like?” She offers, barely glancing in my direction.

  She’s clearly enamoured by him and as much as I hate the fact that she’s interested in Cole, I can’t blame her. He is breathtakingly handsome but still possessed that rugged, masculine appearance which you instinctively associate with someone who is dominant and possessive. His dark brown hair is tussled and his jawline has now gained some stubble. All of this adds to Cole’s magnetic and irrefutable sex appeal which exudes from him in an effortless manner.

  “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.” Cole replies indifferently, glowering at me when the girl looks away.

  “Actually, I’d really appreciate that.” I say confidently, taking them both by surprise. “If there is any way you could provide my brother with a second room, I’d be so grateful.”

  “Of course I can.” She beams, pleased that we’ve taken her up on her her suggestion. “I’ll be back in a moment with a new room key for you.”

  Trying to be coy, the twenty-something girl smiles at Cole before leaving us alone. As soon as she’s out of sight, Cole spins around to face me.

  “What the hell have you done? Why would you want us to be in separate rooms?!” He demands brusquely.

  “Why did you tell her that I’m your sister?” I challenge him, still shaken up and reeling from that cruel outburst

  “To make you jealous.” He answers simply, as though it’s no big deal at all.

  “Why would you want to do that?”

  “Because I was desperate. I wanted you to see how it would be if we decided to be honest and face the truth. I wanted you to experience how it would be if we were to acknowledge who we really are to one another. I needed you to hate every single second of me referring to you as my sister and beg me not to do it ever again.”

  “Well, your plan backfired.” I reply sombrely. “She believes you and neither one of us can risk staying in the same room together anymore. It’s too late now.”

  I glance behind Cole to see that she’s heading towards us with a new room key.

  “I don’t want to be apart from you.” He whispers, leaning towards me so that no one else can hear.

  “We have no choice. We’re stuck with this charade for the time being.”

  “I’m such a fucking idiot. Why the hell did I say anything to her?”

  “You wanted to hurt me.” I remind him. “And guess what, Cole? You did.”

  “There you go, here’s your new room key. It’s right next door to your sister’s but that now means it will be double the price.”

  She hands it over to Cole with an optimistic smile on her face. She truly believes she has a chance with him and I find myself feeling sorry for her. After all, she has no idea about our relationship and I expect she’s used to guys falling over themselves to impress her on
a daily basis.

  “Brilliant.” Cole snaps harshly, grabbing the pass key from her before he strides towards the elevators next to the main stairway.

  “I’m sorry… did I do something wrong?” She asks me, looking helpless and a little hurt.

  “No, no you didn’t.” I assure her, smiling warmly. “Thanks for all your help.”

  I follow Cole and catch up with him just as he’s about to step into the elevator.

  “What did she say to you?” He asks me as soon as the doors close behind us and we’re alone.

  “She thought she had done something wrong.” I explain, still sympathetic for the girl who misunderstood it all.

  “She did.” Cole growls bitterly, clenching his jaw in anger and frustration.

  “Let’s just forget about it now.” I placate him, sighing deeply.

  “You’re not sleeping in a separate room from me, Serena. There’s not a chance in hell I’m going to let that happen.”

  His tone is so possessive and controlling, I almost long to defy him on purpose.

  “Oh, really?” I retort sharply.

  “Yeah, really.”

  I gasp when he grabs hold of my shoulders and pushes me back against the elevator wall behind me. His strong hands hold me still as his smouldering brown eyes bore right through me. His penetrative glare causes my whole body to start trembling with anticipation and excitement.

  “W-what are you doing?” I stammer, struggling to conceal my anxiety from him.

  “You want it, don’t you?” He taunts me, lowering his voice to a seductive whisper. “You want my lips on you, you want me deep inside you and you want my tongue to taste you. You want it all, just like I do and you no longer have the strength to fight it.”

  “I’ll always fight it. I’ll never let it win.” I say, trying to remain focused and resolute.

  “But you will. Your defences are already slipping and if I were to kiss you right now, you wouldn’t stop me.” He speaks with such certainty, it angers me even more.

  “I-I would.” I stutter, quivering underneath his scorching touch.

  “Prove it.” He growls, crashing his lips against my own.

  The force behind his kiss takes my breath away, reminding me just how strong Cole is and how erotic our intimate moments have been in the past… before we knew.

  “No! Stop it!” I cry, struggling to push him backwards.

  “Quit fighting it!” He snarls, trailing his lips across the sensitive skin on my neck. “I know you want this just as much as I do and I’m damn sure I’m going to get it.”

  “Why are you being like this?! This isn’t you.” I whimper, turning my face away from him so I no longer have to witness his rage.

  “Why are you denying me, Serena? Why do you push me away when you need this, you need me just like I need you. We belong together and I have to make you see that… if this is the only way I can do that then so be it.”

  “Now you’re going to force me?! You’re going to pin me against the wall of this elevator and give me what you think I deserve and what you say I need? Do you know how messed up that is, Cole? It’s sick and more than anything else it’s wrong.”

  I implore him to listen, practically begging him with everything that I have to understand what I’m saying and see reason. I know this isn’t Cole right now, this is someone else… someone I don’t recognise. I caught a glimpse of this stranger in the past and I have no wish to experience that again.

  Cole freezes before deciding to relinquish his hold on me, putting some much needed space between us by taking a step back.

  “Serena, I’m so sorry.” He whispers, covering his face with hands. “I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know why I did that or why I said what I did. I-I lost control for a moment but it won’t happen again, I swear to God it won’t.” He stammers uncontrollably, breathless and dismayed.

  He’s pacing back and forth inside the huge elevator, raking his fingers through his hair in a frantic state of panic and fear.

  “I-it’s ok.” I respond quickly, needing to assure him.

  I realise that I need to find a way of calming him down before anyone else sees him like this. Our hotel suite must be on the top floor because it feels like we’ve been soaring for hours, trapped and contained inside this claustrophobic space. The doors will open any second and the last thing we need is a group of onlookers observing Cole’s mental breakdown.

  “How can you say it’s ok?! Do you know how close I came to actually… to actually… fuck, I can’t even say it!” He groans, cradling his head in his hands.

  “You would never hurt me.” I say, speaking softly as I approach him with caution.

  “Serena…” He sighs wearily, gazing at me sadly. “I just did.”

  The doors open and I turn quickly, glancing to see if there’s anyone else waiting to come inside.

  There’s no one.

  I exhale slowly and smile weakly, offering my hand out for Cole to take.

  “Come on, let’s find out how grand these rooms really are.”

  He pauses for a moment before accepting, interlacing our fingers as we make our exit.

  Our suite is perfect. The décor is breath-taking and the view is even more spectacular. The hotel is based in the centre of the city and overlooks the entire skyline. The afternoon sun has sprinkled a golden glittering of light across the tall landscapes, creating an ethereal glow before us.

  “Wow, this is pretty nice.” Cole comments, joining me at the window.

  “Pretty nice?!” I exclaim incredulously. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “You really like it?” He asks, sounding somewhat nervous.

  “Cole, it’s beautiful.”

  I make my way towards the bed which is in the centre of the room and take a seat, still struggling to comprehend the fact that we’re really here. Together.

  “How about we check out your room?”

  “Wait, this isn’t even mine?”

  “Yours is next door.” He states, reaching for the other room key. “Here’s the first one the receptionist gave me.”

  He hands it to me with a great deal of reluctance, clearly upset by the idea that we must sleep apart.

  “The same receptionist which couldn’t take her eyes off you.” I remark bitterly, narrowing my eyes at him as I remember how attractive she was and her flirtatious manner.

  “I didn’t notice.” He lies, placing his hand on my lower back as he guides me out of the hotel room.

  “Of course you noticed.” I snap, folding my arms across my chest. “That’s why you decided to use her and make me jealous.”

  “I do have a habit of doing that, don’t I?” He teases me, placing a soft kiss against the side of my forehead.

  “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about everything, Cole. I remember what you told me before we left and don’t think I’ve erased the memory of you kissing someone else right in front of me for one moment since I saw it.”

  “Please don’t remind me of that.” He begs me. “I felt sick doing it.”

  “I’m sure you did.”

  “Serena, I mean it. I don’t want anyone else. Ever.”

  “You could have fooled me.”

  “I swear to you, I will not lay a finger on another woman for as long as I live. Only you.”

  “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

  “I can’t stop it and I don’t want to. I’ll keep on saying it until you start to believe in me again.”

  “I… I think I do believe you, Cole” I admit, lowering my voice to a whisper. “And that’s what scares me.”

  My room is just as picturesque as Cole’s but slightly bigger. It takes me a few moments to come to terms with the reality that we’ll actually be staying here. I’ve never been anywhere like this before and haven’t ever experienced what a true vacation is really like. My mum had so little time for me when I was younger, I counted myself lucky to receive a “hello” from her, let alone a holiday.

  The bed is in the
centre of the room like it was in Cole’s and there’s a large TV directly opposite. I can see there is an en-suite bathroom in the corner as well as a table and two chairs by the floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s also a balcony which looks out across the impressive scenery.

  “I know we’re not abroad or anything but it feels like we are. I could be anywhere in the world right now.” I murmur, captivated by such splendour before me.

  “And if you could choose to go anywhere, where would you go?” He enquires gently, stroking my hair back from my face.

  “Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.”

  “Do you really mean that?” He asks me, sounding doubtful.

  “Of course I do.”

  “After what I did? Y-you still want me?”

  He sounds incredulous, as though he can’t quite believe that it’s possible.

  “Cole, you didn’t actually do anything.”

  I know he’s referring to the incident which just happened in the elevator, remembering his frustration and how close to the edge he seemed, I try my best to make out that it doesn’t matter.

  “I came close, Green. I came really close.”

  “Close to what?”

  “To being forceful with you, rough and demanding. I don’t want to be that guy and I despise the fact that I actually considered…” He trails off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

  I’m left to fill in the blanks and come to my own hideous conclusions.

  “I trust you with my life and know that you wouldn’t force me to do anything. I have no doubt about that.”

  “You trust me? You really trust me?”

  He caresses my cheek with his hand, gazing down at me with so much intensity.

  “I do.”

  Later on that night, we’re curled up on the bed together. There’s a movie playing in the background but neither one of us is really watching it. I’m lost in my own thoughts and so is Cole. Neither one of us has spoken since the movie started but I’ve now reached a point where I am ready to break the silence. After much contemplation, I’ve somehow managed to work up enough courage and make a suggestion. It’s crazy and it’s dangerous but I don’t know what else we can do.