The Bet (North Woods University 1)

Shark week. Pick me up a piece of chocolate lava cake from the diner, pretty please?

I stare at the screen smiling for a moment before I type out my reply. I feel eyes on me and look up to see Cole staring right at me. He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes, telling me it’s a forced smile rather than a genuine one.

“Where you headed?” he asks nonchalantly, shoving his hands into the front of his jeans.

“Diner. It’s shark week in our house so…” I trail off and he chuckles.

“I’m headed that way too. I’ll walk you.” He sounds like the perfect gentleman and maybe he is, I don’t know, but I do know that if he’s friends with Remington, there has to be something wrong with him.

You were his friend once too. My subconscious rears its ugly head and all I can think is they’re not the same people anymore. The Remington he is now is no one I would call a friend.

“Sure. That would be nice.” I smile politely. The least I can do is be nice to him and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Unlike Remington, he’s never given me a reason not to like him.

We walk to the diner making friendly small talk. Cole asks me questions as if he is trying to get to know me, things like what I do for fun, my favorite animal.

He seems really sweet, but somehow, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s all an act. Maybe I just have trust issues now, mainly thanks to Remington, or maybe my gut is just telling me what I’m not really wanting to see.

We walk into the diner and Cole spots some people who must be his friends. They’re already waving us over, and I feel a nervous knot form in my throat.

“Come sit with us.” Cole reaches for my hand, attempting to pull me in the direction of his friends.

“I was just going to get something to go. Remember…homework?”

“Come on, just for a minute, you can meet Thomas and his girl. Then you can order from the table.” He gives me a dazzling smile and I feel like I should at least go say hi since he did walk me down here.

“Okay,” I say, already regretting that I let myself be talked into this.

Cole introduces everybody and as we sit down, I try to smile and not show my lack of interest in them. It’s not in me to be this hateful, to not want to get to know someone when I meet them. But I don’t have it in me to pretend.

I order a few pieces of chocolate cake to go as soon as the waitress comes by, hoping to just get out of here as fast as possible.

A bad feeling sinks into my stomach, and to make matters worse, Cole lays his arm on the back of the bench behind me, making my skin crawl.

It feels too much like he has an arm around me, and I don’t like it. I can feel his body heat close to my shoulders and unlike when Remington touches me, I don’t enjoy this. My body is screaming that this is wrong.

I’m completely zoned out of their conversation and when I finally come back to reality, I realize that all three of them are laughing. Even though I have no idea what we are talking about, I chime in laughing too.

I try not to meet their eyes and give away how fake my laughter is, so instead I look out the window. My breath hitches when I see someone walking away from the diner.

I don’t see his face, but I don’t have to, to know that it’s him. Maybe he was meeting them here? I don’t think too much into it. I can’t allow myself to dwell on thoughts of him without becoming consumed.

“Chocolate cake to go?” The waitress comes out of nowhere, setting a bag on the table in front of me.

“Thank you.” I get up from my seat and grab the bag.

“Sorry to rush out but my friend is probably waiting at the door for me…well, for the chocolate cakes,” I joke. All I can think about is escaping this diner, and Cole and his friends.

“No worries, Jules. Maybe we can hang out sometime?” Cole says, there’s far too much hope in his voice.

I bite the inside of my cheek. No. “Sure, maybe…I’ll see you around. Bye guys.” I give them one last smile before walking out of the diner and back to my place. The walk back to the house doesn’t take long, and I actually enjoy the fresh air. It helps clear my head, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can breathe, like really breathe. When I finally reach the house, I almost frown, wishing the walk could last forever. I’m not even in the door and Cally is all but ripping the bag out of my hand.