Ground Rules

Chapter Eight

Mazey

Shit. Shit. Shit. This was bad. This was so bad. I’d seen that look before. The look of thunderous, burning-red rage on Cole’s face. He had been labeled the bad boy of Wellington Prep well before the rumors of us started. Before he took the blame for something he didn’t do. He had been known to have a temper, and most of the time, it had to do with me and the fact that his parents were like looming nightmares constantly towering over him.

He always used to tell me that I was the only one who was able to get inside his head to make him calm down. But standing here right now, with his rage bubbling over because of Ryan, I wasn’t sure that I still had that skill.

“I’m going to strangle him.”

The steady tone of his voice was laced with venom, and I saw my plans crash and burn right there in between us.

“You can’t!” I shouted, jumping toward him. His breathing was fast, and the way his chest climbed looked as if he spent hours in the gym perfecting those pec muscles. “You cannot do anything, Cole!”

“I can, and I fucking will, Mazey!” he shouted before turning around and putting his back to me again. His shoulders were bunched up, and part of me wanted to wrap my arms around his middle to help him breathe. “You have to be fucking kidding me.” Cole whirled around again, and I almost yelped. “Tell me everything right now.”

“Cole,” I said with urgency. “Calm down.”

“Calm the fuck down?” He looked at me as if I had three heads. “He fucking touched you and…and…” He gasped for air. “And ruined us!”

I shook my head quickly. “He did not ruin us.” That was only partly true. “We ruined us.” I sighed and glanced away for a second. “There wasn’t even an us, Cole.”

His scoff rippled off his lips. “If you believe that, then you’re lying to yourself.” He stepped in close, but this time, I didn’t step away. “There will always be an us.”

The tiniest little butterfly escaped from my belly and flew up to my heart.

His hand was around my cheek, and although it was a tight hold, it didn’t hurt. Cole’s deep eyes burned with intensity, and his jaw clenched as his chest danced against mine. “I’m going to rip his fucking hands from his arms for touching you.”

One second, he was there, and the next, he was gone.

I was shocked at first. Shocked that his touch was so prominent that it took my breath away. Shocked that his threat of hurting Ryan did nothing but make me want to kiss him. But the shock wore off quickly as his door clamored open so quickly it hit the backside of his wall, making a book tumble off the nearby shelf to the floor.

He was halfway down the hall when I regained my ability to move again.

“Cole!” I shouted, running after him. “Please stop.”

The glare over his shoulder almost made me pause, but if I didn’t fix this now, everything would be ruined. “Go back to my room and stay there.”

“Stop it, Cole!” I gritted through clenched teeth. My hand clamped onto his forearm right before he descended down the stairs. “Do you want to go to jail?”

He scoffed again, his handsome face scrunching with irritation. “I don’t give a fuck. I’d go to hell for you, Maze.”

My heart slipped.

“Cole, please don’t do this. I’m begging you.”

His fingers landed on mine as he peeled them from his hard bicep. “No one fucking hurts you and gets away with it. Not even me.”

Ugh, Jesus! I thought fast on my feet, and before I could register what I was doing, I was placing my lips to his and sliding my tongue into his warm mouth. He stilled and gazed into my eyes as we were tongue-locked and frozen right there at the top of the stairs. Instead of saying anything or getting him to take a breath so I could explain things like I’d meant to do with this kiss, I deepened it and allowed myself to put a pause on the situation for a single second.

Kissing him felt like home. It was all things strong, and comforting, and enticing in one single swoosh.

My eyes shut when his hands landed on my hips, and I fell into him—and I didn’t just mean physically. My heart climbed right out of my chest.

My back was pressed against the wall as his mouth moved in hungry strokes. My hands traveled to his chiseled cheeks as he moved his face against mine, and I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop myself. It was like I came to Noany Bay for him, and I couldn’t remember anything beyond that.

“Fuck, Mazey. I know what you’re doing,” he said in between the fluttering kisses against my neck.

I said nothing and pushed myself off the wall and pulled us toward his bedroom.