He figured it out. Good for him.
“Mature,” I snap, leaning down to grab it, but he kicks it out of the way. “Cole ...”
“You don’t really believe that shit, do you?” he snaps.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I demand. “It makes perfect sense all of a sudden. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
He gives a rough laugh. “Maybe because it’s not true.”
I snort. “Like I believe you.”
“Austin,” he growls my name.
The kids are all still turned around facing us as we argue in the corner. Their eyes going back and forth between us. A few even have their phones out, and you can hear their fingers typing away.
“Cole,” I challenge.
He leans over, his face inches from mine. “We haven’t done a dare without you being present since I caught you that night in the cemetery.”
I glare at him. “Bullshit.”
He smiles, and it’s wicked. “Do you not remember what just went down the other night at the clubhouse? They didn’t even know how I knew you. Let alone dare me to fuck you, sweetheart.” And with that, he sits back in his seat and opens his book.
I continue glaring, hating that he is right. I hadn’t thought of that. They had no clue he had blackmailed me. Well, Deke did. But as far as I’m aware, one can’t dare another without the others present. They have to draw for them.
I look at the guy sitting in front of Cole. His wide brown eyes are on me. “Will you hand me my book?” I ask. His eyes dart to Cole who still stares down at his. “Please,” I growl. Cole had kicked it over under that boy’s desk.
His eyes go back to mine, and then he spins around, facing forward, giving me his back. Ignoring me. All because he’s afraid to help me out due to Cole. “Good grief,” I growl as I shove out of my desk and go over to his. Bending down, I pick it up, and Cole slaps me on the ass.
I spin around to glare down at him, and he’s giving me a smirk. “Bastard,” I hiss.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
COLE
COME LUNCHTIME, SHE’S still mad at me. And I love that she doesn’t even try to hide it. It turns me on.
I sit across from her, next to Deke, and she seemed surprised. I had a reason for it.
“So how were your three days off school?” Deke asks her.
“Awesome. I didn’t do shit,” she says, dipping the fry into ketchup and smiling. Becky laughs.
Deke looks at me, and I give him a simple nod.
He smiles and dusts off his hands then grabs his phone. “Hey, girls. Smile.” He holds up his phone, and like the girls they are, they lean into one another and smile as he snaps their picture. “Perfect,” he says and then starts typing away on it.
“What are you doing, babe?” Becky asks him.
He waits until after he’s done before he answers. “Just posted your guys’ picture.”
Her phone buzzes on the table.
“We’re throwing you a party,” I tell Austin.
She was picking up her drink but stops at my words. Her eyes narrow on me with suspicion, then dart to Deke. “Why?”
“Because you earned it,” he says simply.
“What did I do to earn a party?” she asks slowly.
“Who the hell cares?” Becky asks excitedly.
The bell rings, and they get up to throw away their trash, and I turn to Deke. “Who did you invite?”
He smiles. “Everyone.”
I walk out into the hall, and I find her and Becky by their locker. “I’ll pick you up at ten,” I tell her.
“It’s tonight?”
I nod.
She blows a long breath out. “Where is it?”
“The beach,” Becky answers, already checking her Facebook.
“It’ll be cold.” Austin frowns.
Becky just laughs and walks off to class. Austin looks up at me. “You’re up to something.”
I lean down and kiss her neck. “Aren’t I always?”
“Cole,” she whispers and pushes me away. I go willingly and look down at her. “Please don’t embarrass me.”
I frown. “What? Why would you think …?”
“You have a tendency to prove you’re right, and I …” She looks away from me and lets out a long breath. “Never mind.”
She turns to walk away, but I grab her arm and pull her to a stop. “What?”
“After the other day … what I told you …” She sighs heavily. “I get it,” she says softly. “You guys run this school. This town.” Her eyes meet mine. “But you …” She pauses again, and I search her eyes, waiting to see angry tears, but instead, I see nothing but sadness. And I don’t like it. I hate Bruce Lowes even more for allowing her mother and boyfriend to treat her the way they did. “That night in my bedroom, you told me that you could make me nothing. But what you didn’t know is that I’ve always been nothing. But here”—she holds her hands out wide—“you’re something, and no matter how hard I try to hide in the dark, you pull me into the spotlight. And that’s not where I belong.” With that, she walks off down the hall, holding her books to her chest.
I walk into fifth period and sit down next to Deke. “Are you friends with Austin on social media?”
He snorts. “She won’t add me. I know she saw my request.”
“Shit!” I hiss sitting back in my seat.
“Why?” he asks.
“I wanna see her page.”
He laughs. “Well, I can make that happen. Hang on.” He leans forward and grips Becky’s shoulder. “Let me see your phone, babe.”
“Why?” she asks.
He rolls his eyes. “It doesn’t fucking matter why. Just give it to me,” Deke orders.
She huffs but passes it back to him. He presses some buttons and then hands it to me.
“How do I look at pictures?” I ask.
She says she was nothing. Somehow, I don’t believe that. Her mother and boyfriend probably just made her feel that way.
“Here you go. Just scroll to the side,” he instructs me.
I come to a picture of her and a guy. He’s about her height and tattoos come up from underneath his shirt and stop at his jawline. He’s got big black gauges in his ears. His right arm is over her shoulders, and she’s looking at him like she loves him. I’ve never seen that look on her face before.
“Who the hell is that?” Deke asks.
“I don’t know,” I growl.
“Oh, that’s Martin,” Becky says, looking down at it now.
“Who the hell is Martin?” Deke growls.
“Her ex,” she answers.
I never thought that she may not be available. The thought never crossed my mind. Just like Celeste said, I always get what I want. Boyfriend be damned. But it’s nice to know that I don’t have to take her from him. Makes this easier for me.
“Were they serious?” Deke asks Becky.
“She doesn’t talk about California much, so I don’t think so. I just know they were together because of the pics she has of him on there.”
Deke yanks the phone from my hands, and I lean over in my desk as he brings another picture up. It’s of her standing in a living room. She wears a black leather mini-skirt and black fitted top. Another brunette her age stands to her left. A man behind her. He looks a lot older. He has a cigarette between his lips, and his eyes are right on her ass. I know exactly who it is. Her mom’s boyfriend.