“What now?” I ask confused.
“You’re going to break up with the poor bastard—or let him know that you’re not going to get back together with him—wearing that?” he asks again.
“Cole, shut up,” I groan and walk past him.
He laughs and walks up behind me. “You look sexy in that,” he purrs in my ear before biting my earlobe and heading back to the living room with me.
I take a deep breath and open the door to find Russell leaning on the frame.
“Hey, Blake,” he says. Damn his accent. Damn. Damn. Damn. I feel so bad.
“Hey,” I reply. “Want to come in?”
“Sure,” he answers as he steps around me. “Are you busy?”
“Not really. Cole and I were just watching TV.” I hope that by mentioning Cole’s name I can break the fall a little for him. Actually, I hope Cole keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t say that we’re together.
“Hey, Cole,” Russell calls out from the kitchen.
“Russell,” Cole greets with a nod and a wave of his hand.
We sit down in the kitchen. I offer him something to drink and he takes a glass of water. I sit with my hands on the table in front of me unsure if I should start the conversation or let him.
“So,” he starts. “Have you had a good week?”
“Sure,” I shrug. “You?”
“I’ve had better,” he says as his hazel eyes search my face.
“Russell,” I say quietly. “I think we’re better off staying friends.”
“I know. I figured you would still feel that way this week.”
I blink at him. He doesn’t look angry. He looks a little tired, but beyond that, he looks fine. We’d only been together for six months—maybe he didn’t get too attached. I can only hope.
I smile. “Good. So we can still be friends and study together and all that fun stuff?”
He chuckles. “Who am I to turn down a darling girl?” Goodness, that accent.
I bite down on my lip. “Thanks, Russ. Would you like to stay for dinner?”
“No, thanks. I better get going. I’ll catch you later, Cole,” he calls out as we get up to walk to the front door. He stops with his hand on the knob and turns to me. He lowers his head and gives me a soft peck on the lips before letting himself out.
“Did he just kiss you?” Cole booms as he walks toward me. My eyes widen and I lock the door quickly and stand in front of it.
“Cole, it was barely a kiss. It was a closure thing,” I reply while I encircle my arms around his waist.
“That little shit better be thinking closure. Make sure he doesn’t kiss you again,” he replies, pulling back to look me in the eye.
I smile. “Yes, sir. These lips are all yours.”
He smirks and scoops me up to take me back to the living room.
“I know, but I can’t believe he fucking kissed you,” he groans into my hair.
Chapter 11
Past
The summer had finally arrived, and Cole and I were going to the lake with Becky and Greg for the day. Aubry was working all day, so he couldn’t join us. We crammed our things into Cole’s small black Accord and blasted the music loudly on the way there. Cole was stroking my thumb softly as he cradled my hand in his. We’d been arguing a lot—about everything—and I knew that even though he wouldn’t admit it, college was the source of the problem. Cole was upset that we were going to be in different states. I was upset because I knew I had to let him go. He hadn’t mentioned breaking up, but it would be impossible not to. Cole was every woman’s dream, and since I had him, I was every woman’s envy. I knew that high school was filled with drama, no matter which one you go to or who you are. Still, my four years of high school had been hell and I was relieved to be out of there. I was ecstatic to be getting out of this small town, so I didn’t have to deal with seeing anybody from school again.
Cole and I were together most of junior year and all of our senior year. The first day when we walked into school holding hands, most people cheered and said, “Finally.” I think it was the beginning of senior year when the girls started getting catty with me. Some guys, Steve in particular, started getting on Cole’s nerves. I guess even though we were together, they figured with Cole’s track record with girls we would break up eventually. When we didn’t let them get to us, they upped their game. Girls started purposely putting underwear in his car, which he never locked. Freaking underwear! Who does that? Steve made an effort to blatantly flirt with me in front of everybody. When Cole found him cornering me one day after math class, he grabbed Steve by the back of the shirt and swung him across the hall. It was like a scene out of an eighties movie where the bully beats up the nerd. Except Steve was no nerd, and he’d overplayed his innocent card.