by Blair Holden
“Err yeah, the essay, umm, I’m working on it too and it’s hard, I can’t help you, sorry?” She poses this as a question and I realize that she’s as bad of a liar as I am. Cole is a professional and he will not buy what we’re trying to sell.
“Shortcake, come on, why are you mad?” He leans forward on the table and rests his arms on it. I avoid looking at him and turn to Megan, who’s sitting on my other side. It’s no use talking to her since she’s got her physics textbook out and is prepping for a quiz we have after lunch. She already knows everything and she’s been studying for it every day since our teacher announced the quiz. Plus it looks like I’m not the only person who’s a little agitated due to her studiousness. I find the next person I can’t chat to and blatantly ignore Cole in front of me.
“So, Alex, how was your summer?”
He looks a bit uncomfortable and gazes at me like I’ve lost my mind. I don’t blame the guy, I have never spoken to him in my entire life even though I’ve known him for as long as I’ve known Cole. When Megan and Beth told me about an Alex, I couldn’t have imagined it to be him. He’s Alex Hastings, the only close friend and non-lackey that Cole has. They’re partners in crime and I cannot count the number of times the two of them have teamed up to pull some prank on me. He’s started to sit with us fairly recently, seeing how he just got back from Europe.
Now he seems besotted with my redheaded best friend.
“It was pretty good, Tessa, umm, how was yours?”
“It was fun, Beth here had to go to live at her aunt’s, but Megan and I did a lot of crazy stuff, didn’t we?” I nudge her slightly to make her look up from her book but all she graces us with is a slight nod of the head.
“What do you like to do for fun?” Alex asks but I know he wants my clueless friend to answer his question. I nudge her harder this time and kick her from under the table until she drops her book with a yelp. Glaring at me she picks up the enormous textbook, but I grab it from her before she can bury herself in it again. I give her a pointed look that screams, “Stop ignoring the cute guy who’s into you!” and she turns red.
Alex is still looking our way and to my dismay so is Cole, but the slightly amused expression on his face is scaring me.
“I’m sorry, what was your question?” Megan asks politely but she sounds both breathless and flustered.
She likes him! Hallelujah. Beth and I share a victorious look and return to watching how this plays out.
Alex seems taken aback by the fact that the girl who’s been ignoring him all week is suddenly paying attention. At first he seems equally nervous but then he flashes her his trademark smile and Megan just seems to come under his spell. We watch in silence as he flirts shamelessly with her and she utters one-worded starstruck responses. It’s all so cute to watch, I just want to pinch their cheeks and then get them married.
Cole’s hypnotizing blue eyes zoom in on me as the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Alex walks Megan to class and Beth heads out to the other side of campus for her own. I try to make my escape before he catches me since I plan on fully ignoring him for a bit longer but he’s like a predator circling me and just waiting to pounce.
“So you’re not going to talk to me?” He stands in front of me. The lunch room is slowly starting to empty as people rush to their classes.
I try to move past Cole but he stands his ground. A finger placed beneath my chin tilts my head up so that I’m looking him right in the eye and boy, is my view fantastic. He’s got the most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen, the blue in them almost radiates this mind-numbing power that turns you to jelly the moment you look into them.
“You’re going to just stand there and let me do this?” He doesn’t take his eyes away from mine as he places his hand on my waist, his thumb brushing against the small strip of skin on my stomach that is visible due to my tank top. The cafeteria is nearly empty but I can see people glancing at us curiously as they leave.
Well, glancing is a bit of an understatement. I see jaws dropping and eyes coming out of their sockets as people openly stare at the two of us. Most of them just stand rooted to their spots for a few minutes but then have the decency to move once they realize that no one’s getting naked anytime soon. Then I realize what’s actually happening and freeze. Shiver after shiver passes through my body as his hands never leave their teasing movements. I should stop this. I don’t care about the darn silent treatment, I should really stop this.
But I just don’t want to.
I watch him lean into me, placing his lips next to my ear.
“If I do will you tell me to stop?” He lightly nibbles at my ear and an involuntary gasp escapes my mouth. His thumb’s rubbing dizzying circles at the side of my waist and his lips are too close. I can feel his warm breath all over my face but the thing is, he never stops looking at me.
“Speak up, Tessie, tell me what you want.”
I don’t want you to stop, but I can’t say that to you.
“You should really ask me to end this,” he murmurs huskily and I just about lose it. His lips hover over mine, his hand’s pushed up my top just the slightest bit, and his fingers are gently skimming over the sensitive skin, making me feel like firecrackers are exploding inside of me. His touch is light as he pushes his hands beneath my top, his cold fingers tickling my skin. They brush up my stomach gently toward my ribcage, if he goes any further . . .
“Cole!” He drops his hands and backs away just a little. He’s staring at me as I lean against the table, pressing my hands on top of it so that I don’t collapse. The words haven’t come out of my mouth since the sensible part of me has packed up and decided to vacate the premises.
Cole’s looking at me intently and I think he thinks that I am the one who spoke up. Then he realizes that I’m too dazed to actually form a coherent sentence so turns his back toward me and I wish he hadn’t.
I see her before he does and I notice the expression on her face before she masks it for Cole’s sake. Nicole’s mad and she really wants me to know it. Her eye is twitching, her mouth is pulled up into a vicious sneer, and she’s tapping her fake Louboutin-clad foot furiously on the ground. If she had laser vision I’d be obliterated by now.
“Nicole?” Cole asks as he turns to her, hiding me behind his back in what I can only assume is a protective gesture, one I’m extremely grateful for.
“W-what are you two doing here?” she asks in a sickly sweet voice that makes me want to vomit. Clearly Ms. Bishop has an agenda, an agenda that involves being so fake that she could possibly have been manufactured in China.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” Cole replies surlily and I subtly squeeze his arm in warning. He cannot let Nicole know that he’s aware of what she tried to do to me. If she figures out that I squealed I’m surely as good as dead.
“The principal just called for a special assembly for us seniors and since I’m class president I’m supposed to get everyone together.” Her voice is still dripping with pretense and the way she’s batting her eyelashes at Cole is sickening.
Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?
“Thanks for the concern, we’ll be right there.” His voice is tight as he answers her and I know Nicole isn’t too pleased with how things are working out at the moment. She’s never been denied a guy’s attention. Even Jay, the one guy I thought wouldn’t go for looks, fell for her and shoved me into a corner.
He’s basically asked her to get the hell out but it looks like she’s a bit slow on the uptake. When Cole turns back to me, she takes the opportunity to glare at me some more before twirling around, flipping her hair over her shoulder and stomping away. I bite back a laugh realizing that not only is she majorly ticked off but she still has a crush on Cole. After all this time she still likes him and he still couldn’t care less.
“That was awesome!” I grin at him and he gives a genuine dimpled smile in return before it turns into his signature smirk.
“Oh, now you want to talk to me? You
didn’t look too eager before.”
I blush, realizing what he’s referring to, and don’t know why I never stopped his hands from roaming my body. Right now I cannot think of one witty thing to say to him because the truth is that that I liked it.
Silly, right?
***
After school, Cole drives me back to his house for some “tutoring.” I’m trying to figure out what game he’s playing since he doesn’t need my help.
I shudder at the over-the-top theories as Cole parks in his driveway and opens my door for me. He looks far too enthusiastic for my liking and by the time we enter his house and head for his room, I’m growing a little wary. Since it’s about four in the afternoon, Sheriff Stone is at the station and Cassandra is at the hospital. The only other person that could be here with us is Jay but thank God I don’t see him as we pass by his room.
Cole’s unpacked his boxes and his room looks somewhat normal now; the space is much cleaner and homier. I take a seat on the leather couch he’s placed opposite his bed and beneath the windowsill. He’s gone downstairs to make us something to eat and since I don’t want to cause an explosion I’ve decided to stay away from the kitchen. Taking out my books from my bag, I decide to start working on my homework but something’s off, I feel too distracted. My mind keeps reeling back to and playing those few moments when Cole and I were nearer than we should have been. It’s not right, not right that I like having him so close to me. I can’t like him like that, especially when I’m so hung up over his brother. It’s just physical attraction, that’s it. However grudgingly I do admit that he’s hot and those eyes of his . . .
I shake my head to get rid of my wayward thoughts. If I allow myself to come to terms with my attraction toward him, then I’ll also end up admitting that he’s not the Cole that left our town three years ago. Ever since he’s come back he’s made my life so much easier. He might annoy me, get on my nerves and frustrate me, but in the end I don’t really hate the fact that he’s back.
“Why are you so quiet?” Cole notices my silence over two bowls of scrumptious tomato soup and plates of grilled cheese.
I don’t want to tell him that it’s getting really awkward sitting here with him when all my mind is in the mood for is replaying that moment in the cafeteria. Like the girl I am, I’m overthinking and it’s probably showing on my face.
Would he have kissed me?
I remember what happened at the pool and once again I question what could’ve happened if Jay hadn’t showed up. Would we have kissed? Would I have let him?
“Tessie?” Cole’s hand on my shoulder allows me to realize that I’ve zoned out. He’s looking at me worriedly and I see concern in his eyes, something I’m still not used to.
“What?” I try to be inconspicuous about the fact that I clearly haven’t been listening to a word he’s said so far.
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, you look a little dazed. That must have been some daydream.” He winks.
“Trust me when I say you didn’t star in it.” I say dryly and go back to my food. We’re sitting cross-legged on his bedroom floor with textbooks and notes scattered all around us. I’ve tried asking him why he’s purposely failing calculus but he seems intent on lying. Though even when I did give up and offer to teach him something, he wouldn’t look at his book. Instead I’d catch him staring at me and my stomach would erupt with butterflies.
“So now that you’re done daydreaming about me, have you thought more about what you want to do to Nicole?”
“I was daydreaming!”
“You were looking at me with hearts in your eyes; I’d say you came pretty close to it.”
I nearly snarl in protest even though he’s nearly hit the nail on the head.
“Please, like I’d ever be interested in you.”
He moves his dishes to the side and scoots closer to me. As he nears me there’s a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“You want to try saying that again?”
He’s so near once again and my heart’s just going crazy. I need to get away from him before I have a heart attack.
“I . . . I—I—”
“Think Cole is a sex god.” He smirks and moves away, just giving me enough space to let out the breath I’ve been holding for so long.
“You don’t need to say something for me to hear it, Tessie. I got you, we’ve got that mind reading thing down pat.”
I nod stupidly before realizing that he’s a pompous imbecile!
I lunge for him as he sprawls on the floor cackling. I move over him and try kicking him, hitting him, doing anything that would retract my stupid nod but the damage is already done. He keeps laughing as I sweep all my things into my bag and give him one parting glance. He straightens up once he sees I’m leaving and tries returning to sobriety but he can only hold in his laughter for so long.
“Come on, shortcake; don’t get mad, I was kidding.” He then places his fist against his mouth, I presume to hold in the laughter. I narrow my eyes at him one last time, swing my bag over my shoulder and walk right out his door. His footsteps alert me that he’s following, much like the stalker he is. However, it’s not him that causes me to halt in my tracks, it’s something else entirely.
I pause at the top of the stairs, causing Cole to run into my back. He opens his mouth to curse but I place my hand over his lips and give a pointed look at Jay, who’s on the phone with someone. I don’t want to run by him since I haven’t actually prepared myself to face him. After our argument, he’s made many subtle attempts to try to speak to me but I keep ignoring him. His words still sting and whenever I remember that day, I still feel a twinge of anger and hurt.
“Yeah, man, I’m really going to have to work to get that scholarship. The last thing I need is to end up a fucking loser like Travis O’Connell.”
His words resonate around me like he’s screaming them. I don’t know what exactly it is that I’m feeling right now. I feel hurt; that’s the easiest emotion to pinpoint. The best thing to do would be to stop listening and run away while I can, but a bigger part of me wants to stay here and listen to what else he has to say.
“Tessie,” Cole starts, his eyes once again full of concern but I shoot him a warning look, telling him to butt out of this, man.
“That guy’s a total screwup. He had everything and he lost it because he was too stupid to write a paper.”
He listens to what the other person has to say before a smirk crosses his face. “I wonder if Jenny’s still single. She’s just a couple of years older and man, she used to be so hot.”
I feel sick, I feel so sick listening to him talk about all the things he’d like to do to my brother’s ex, the bitch that broke his heart and then stomped all over it.
“Tessie, come on; let’s get you out of here,” Cole whispers but it’s like I can’t move. I look at Jay and I see someone I’ve never met before. He’s a completely new person, an ugly person, a person who is rude and mean and insensitive.
Cole tugs at my arm again and this time succeeds in pulling me away from Jay before I attack him with a cleaver; no one insults my brother but me, no one.
Not even Jason Stone.
I hide out in Cole’s room waiting till the coast is clear and I can leave. Like I said before, I’m not a violent person but right now I want to punch Jay in the face so bad.
“He crossed a line; he shouldn’t have said all that. I’m sorry, shortcake.”
Cole’s kneeling down in front of me, holding my hands in his and rubbing his calloused thumbs over my knuckles. It’s surprising how he’s the one comforting me and that it’s working. I can feel myself calm down and my murderous thoughts are dwindling to plain old anger. I let out a bitter laugh. “I know a lot of people think that Travis is a loser, but I never thought Jay would be one of them.”
He sighs and now places both of my hands in both of his, interlacing our fingers. “You think you know him but he’s not Mr. Pe
rfect, Tessie. He’s a good guy but he’s got flaws too, flaws you don’t want to see.”
I agree with him but don’t voice it out loud. He’s right; all my life I’ve placed Jay on such a high pedestal that finding out he’s not all that great is hard to stomach. It’s the shattering of a decade-old image and it hurts like hell.
“Come, I’ll take you home.” He gives me a tentative smile, one which I return even though my heart’s not quite up to it.
Maybe I’ve been obsessed with the wrong Stone brother all this time.
Chapter Twelve: I’m Not The Love Child Of Edward Cullen And Tinker Bell
“Travis!” I bang rather loudly on my brother’s door.
Nothing—there’s no response. It’s around seven in the evening and he’s passed out, drunk as ever. It’s been the same for so long that I cannot remember a day when I have had the opportunity to have a decent conversation with him. We used to have a very good relationship, right from the beginning. He wasn’t the kind of brother who liked to pick on me or annoy me; I had Cole for that. Travis was someone I looked up to; he was someone who took care of me whenever my parents forgot to. He was the single reason why I’d never been bullied throughout much of my school life. No one messed with Travis O’Connell’s little sister, but I guess that novelty only lasts till you lose your brother to the bottle.
“Travis,” I yell again and pound at his door even more furiously. Jay’s words ring in my head as I try to keep my rage at bay. Whatever I may feel for Jay does not in any way allow me to ignore the fact that he basically trashed my brother and blew whatever dignity he had left into smithereens. It’s the most difficult thing ever to come to the realization that the boy who I thought could do no wrong would actually have such an ugly side to him.
Cole is right; while I never expected myself to ever admit this, I do realize that he has a very valid and fair point. I put Jay on a pedestal, I considered him flawless and I let myself think that he was perfect. Guess I should’ve realized that anyone who dates Nicole couldn’t possibly be completely right in the head. Her ugliness is the kind that seeps into whomever is close enough.
