“Cole …”
“I didn’t deny it.”
“Jesus, Cole!” She hisses.
I shrug. “I don’t care what he thinks I do.”
“He’s my husband,” she snaps.
Now, she cares about her marriage. “See, I haven’t told anyone that I know. Not even Kellan.” I step to her and smile, loving that my father gave me this information. “Now, as long as I keep your secret, you owe me.”
Her eyes narrow on me. “I’m not like her, Cole. You can’t blackmail me.”
“Is that so? You’re fucking an underage boy.” Kellan is the baby out of all of us. He doesn’t turn eighteen until after graduation. “Do you wanna go to prison, Celeste? You see it all the time on the news. This town will rip you to pieces. Bruce will leave you, of course. He has money; he can find another woman. They’re a dime a dozen to men like him.” Her lips thin. “He’s not gonna pay for the legal bills of a cheating wife.” I take a quick look around his multi-million-dollar mansion. “That’s why you stay with him, right? For what he can give you?” She opens her mouth to speak, but I continue. “You’d lose everything.”
Her breath picks up as she stares at me with hatred.
“I’ll let you think about it.” I give her my back and walk toward the door. My hand touches the knob when she speaks again.
“What is it you want?” Her voice shakes with anger.
I spin around to face her. “I want you to get Kellan off Austin’s back.”
She sighs. “He’s mad that I never told him about her.”
“None of us knew about her,” I snap.
“He wants her gone. Afraid her loyalty lies with him. That she’ll tell Bruce about us. I tried to explain to him that she hates her dad. She wouldn’t …”
“She’ll never find out,” I assure her. “I’ll keep your secret if you do what I want.”
She bites her bottom lip nervously. I’m not sure how she’ll talk him into backing off, but she better fucking do it. “And I’ll tell Bruce I haven’t slept with you.” Might as well clear my name. But he’s not going to like that I’m fucking his daughter any more than if it was his wife.
She finally nods. “Okay.”
AUSTIN
I spent all day Saturday in bed nursing my hangover. Everything hurt. So bad. Plus, my body was sore on top of that due to Cole and me in the bathroom at the party.
I slept off and on, and by Sunday, I was back to myself, but I didn’t venture from my room.
I didn’t hear from Cole until Sunday night around nine. A text that said I’ll be there at 7:30 tomorrow.
I ignored it, knowing he didn’t care about a reply.
Monday morning came, and I was ready on time. Now that I know he takes Lilly to school, I don’t want to be late just to spite him.
And just like the other two times he took me to school, we didn’t speak. Lilly sat in the back singing along with her headphones on, and I messed around on my phone. Running through social media pages of my friends back in California. Nothing seems to have changed, yet I still haven’t heard from anyone. Big surprise.
I put it away as he pulls into the parking lot of the high school. I exit his car as Deke pulls in next to us. And my eyes widen when I see Becky get out of the passenger seat. “What?” I ask, eyeing her up and down.
She smiles and throws her arm over my shoulders. “Girl, I’ve got so much to tell you.”
I laugh. “You can keep all your sex stories to yourself.”
“Well, just FYI, yours seems to be public knowledge.”
I stop walking. “What does that mean?”
She stops and turns toward me. “Everyone heard you and Cole in the bathroom. It’s all everyone is talking about.”
My mouth falls open. “How are they talking about it? It happened over the weekend.”
She lifts her phone and shakes it. “I can show you …”
“No!” I cut her off. Not wanting to know what they are saying. It was my fault. I did it. I dared him just like he wanted me to. Then I allowed him to carry me off to the bathroom and fuck me. I never even thought about stopping him.
I let out a long breath and then stomp my way into the school. I can hear Cole and Deke speaking behind me. I stop at my locker, grab what I need, and then continue to my class, ignoring him as he calls out my name in the busy hallway.
It’s hard to avoid the looks guys give you when you know they are picturing you having sex. But I did it. I kept my nose down and eyes on my paper. Cole didn’t come into the classroom and kiss me as he had last week, but I knew next period would be difficult. Because we have it together.
An hour later, I walk in to our class and sit down. He walks in and takes the seat next to me. To my surprise, he doesn’t say a word to me, and it makes me nervous.
I spend the entire hour biting an eraser off my pencil and bouncing my knees. He never once looks over at me. But kids keep looking back at us. The hickey I gave him on his neck is very visible. I, however, covered mine up with makeup the best I could.
After the bell rang, I ran out of class but was brought to a quick stop. “Don’t,” I say when he shoves my back against a locker.
He likes to corner me.
He glares down at me. “How long you gonna stay mad at me, sweetheart?”
“Stop calling me that,” I snap.
“Would you prefer bitch?” I narrow my eyes on him. “Because that is how you’re acting.”
I reach up and slap him. The sound bounces off the busy hallway walls. Students come to a stop, and the loud chatter dies down to whispers. Everyone is looking over at us wide-eyed. I get the feeling people don’t lay their hands on Cole unless they are prepared to get hit back.
A slow and devious smile spreads across his face before his head drops to my neck. His hands go to my hips, and he digs his fingers into my skin.
“Cole,” I growl, trying to push him off me, but he doesn’t budge.
His lips softly kiss up to my ear. “Pain turns me on, Austin.” He presses his hips into mine and he’s hard. And just like that, I melt like fucking butter.
Stay strong! You’re mad at him.
“Want me to take you out to my car and fuck you?”
“Cole …” I say, but the bell cuts me off.
He pulls away, laughing, knowing exactly what he did to me. “Come on. I’m walking you to class.”
I grind my teeth but am thankful for the interruption. Because I think I was going to tell him yes.
_______________
I look up to see Becky walking into the cafeteria. I call out her name and wave my hand. She comes bouncing over and plops down across from me. “You just love being the topic of the day,” she says, shaking her head.
“What now?”
“Everyone is talking about how you slapped Cole.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “They are saying he’s whipped.”
I throw my head back and laugh. If they only knew the truth. Cole comes to sit beside me, and Deke sits down next to Becky. “Traitor,” I mumble, and she gives me a big smile before kissing him.
The one friend I have made is now sleeping with one of the enemies. This will not end well for me.