“What did you do?” he demands, spinning to face me.
I cross my arms over my chest.
“Austin,” he growls, coming up to me. “Tell me.”
I love when he’s like this. When the roles are reversed, and he can’t stand to not know what I did. What I’m capable of. “I wasn’t gonna let you fuck her, Cole. If that’s what you want, then fine, let me walk right now. No more you and me. No more game.” He said he didn’t do it, but was that because I stepped in?
He steps to me, his hand coming up to cup my face. “I couldn’t do it because of you.” I swallow nervously at his words. “I was never going to do it.” He pushes his body into mine. “You’re not going anywhere, Austin. I’ve been so dead set on making everyone see you as mine, but I didn’t realize until tonight that all along I’ve been yours.”
“Mine?” I question, and my heart starts to pound faster.
He nods once. His eyes searching mine. “I’m all yours.”
“You’re giving me a choice?” I can’t help but ask.
He chuckles. “No, sweetheart. I’m not.” Then his lips are on mine.
His hands go to the hem of my dress, and I lift my arms above my head and pull away from his lips as he lifts my dress. “Fuck.” He growls when he sees I’m not wearing a bra.
I smile as “A Little Wicked” by Valerie Broussard plays through the speakers.
He takes a step back from me, and I slowly push my red thong down my legs. He watches in complete fascination as I toss it to the side. “I’ll leave my heels on for you.”
His eyes meet mine as his hands go to the belt on his jeans. “You won’t need them while on your knees.”
_______________
I’m sliding my dress on as he pulls his jeans up. “What did you do?” he asks.
“I’d rather not tell you,” I say truthfully.
He looks up and glares at me. He hates being in the dark. Sighing, I say, “I blackmailed Bryan.”
His eyes widen. “You what? How?”
“I caught his sister fucking someone she shouldn’t have been. I went to him and told him that if he didn’t get back with Kaitlin I’d turn his sister in.”
“And he bought it?”
“I wasn’t joking,” I say simply. “He had a few choice words and said I was bluffing. When I pulled out my phone to show him the pictures, he threw his hands up in defeat.”
“You took pictures of her fucking someone?”
“No.” I smile.
He stares at me. His jeans pulled up but still unbuttoned, showcasing his black boxers. He’s still shirtless, allowing me to enjoy the gorgeous view of his body.
“I refused to let Kellan win.” I shake my head. “If you wanted her, that was a different story—”
“I didn’t want her,” he interrupts me flatly, walking over to me, and I don’t back down. The hard look on his face makes me think he’s mad at me, but I don’t care. I had more than this stupid game at stake. I wasn’t going to let this school see me as anything but strong. I’m not the girl who gets played. And I’m certainly not the girl who lets men like Kellan walk all over me.
He cups my cheek. “You’re such a fucking shark,” he says, and a smile spreads across his face.
“Well, around here, if you’re not one, you’re dead.”
“I’d never let anyone touch you, sweetheart.”
“No one but you?” I ask, my arms coming up and wrapping around his neck.
“No one but me,” he promises, and then my dress is on the floor again.
_______________
Monday morning, I walk into second period and sit down next to Cole. He’s looking down at his phone like always. “Can you take Lilly to dance tonight? I have somewhere I have to be,” he says without looking my way.
“Of course. What do you have to do? Practice?” I ask, but he doesn’t respond. “Cole?” I snap, getting his attention.
“What?” he growls, looking up at me.
I arch a brow at his shitty attitude. I’m not sure what the hell is going on in his head now. It’s been two weeks since the party at Kellan’s house, and things have been extremely tense. No one has called a meeting at the clubhouse, and I’m not sure what we all do now that Cole didn’t complete his dare. I heard Shane say something about doing a redraw, but Bennett quickly shut that down.
Once again, Kellan hasn’t been around. But I know they see him at practice, and they had a meet over the weekend. It was here in Collins, so thankfully they didn’t have to be on a bus with him. But it’s bound to happen.
“I said, what do you have to do?”
He looks away from me. “It’s personal.”
I open my mouth to argue further, but the teacher stands from her desk and starts the class.
I sit back as he puts his phone away. I watch him out of the corner of my eye. His jaw is sharp like usual, and his eyes clouded. He’s in his own little twisted world where blood and anger control him. I hate that I can’t pull him out of it. He’ll come over later and fuck me. Then afterward it’s like all his power and anger just fade to nothing. And then he’s smiling and laughing with me like nothing ever happened.
It’s confusing and gives me whiplash.
_______________
I sent Cole a text that I had dropped Lilly off over an hour ago. He read it immediately but never responded. I didn’t let it bother me. Even though we are officially a couple now, not much has changed.
I make my way into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water before I go up to my room. When a noise has me pausing.
“Cole!”
I frown. Is Cole here? I didn’t see his car outside. I place my bottle of water on the countertop and make my way down the hall to the back terrace. I go outside and look in the pool. But no one’s out here.
“Cole.”
I hear it softly this time. “What the hell?” I whisper, making my way down the hall to my father and Celeste’s bedroom.
I go to open the door, but my hand freezes on the door handle. “Oh, God, Cole!” I hear Celeste cry out.
My heart beats faster in my chest. “Fuck, yeah. Oh, that’s it … Cole!” She cries out his name again and again.
I go to twist the knob, to barge in on them, but it’s locked. I hear a banging sound and realize that it’s the bed hitting the wall.
She screams his name this time. The thought of running to the garage, grabbing a hammer and beating my way through this door crosses my mind. But what will that prove? The thought alone is too much to bear—I sure as hell don’t want to see them in the act.
I take a step back and run up to my room. After shutting my door, I let the first tear fall. I could put up with a lot of shit, but this was the last straw.
_______________
Cole wasn’t in class second period the following morning. I never sent him a text asking where he was, and he never texted me to offer any information. I figured he was still at my father’s house sleeping off his long night. I ignored everyone, even Becky. She noticed but didn’t push me for an explanation.
It’s not until after last period that I see him in the hallway, placing his keys in his locker. He was able to skip school but unable to miss practice. They have a meet this weekend after all. Deke walks right up to him. “How did it go, man?” he asks.