“I wanna talk to you about your future,” he states.
“Can’t it wait until another time?” I ask, turning my back to him and toward the mirror.
“No,” he growls. “I leave tomorrow for New York and will be gone for a few weeks. I would like to get this out of the way before I leave. It will almost be graduation when I return.”
I refrain from smiling, knowing how close we are to graduation. How close I am to getting the hell out of here.
He doesn’t wait for me to give him the green light. “What are your plans after graduation?”
“I’m not sure,” I lie.
He sighs. “College?”
“Most likely.” Honestly, I have no clue what I want to do with my life besides be with Cole and Lilly. I’ve never been one to plan because plans never seem to work out. Life happens, and things get in the way.
“Well … where would you like to go?” he asks.
I slowly spin back around to face him. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I haven’t decided.” Another lie.
He nods as if he believes me, but his dark eyes say otherwise. “What about the University of Texas?” he asks.
My heart starts to pound in my chest, and I swallow nervously.
“It’s a great school,” he continues at my silence. “They’re ranked very high in swimming.”
How does he know? Cole and I haven’t told anyone except for Deke and Becky, and that’s only because we trust them. They would never tell another soul.
“Anyway.” He reaches into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a folded-up piece of paper. It’s a check. “I decided since I didn’t get you anything for your birthday that I would help you out with college.”
I thought Celeste had said they got me a trip for my birthday? Doesn’t matter, I won’t be using it.
He reaches out his right hand. I just stare at the check in it. He shakes it a little. “Go ahead.”
I don’t move because I don’t know what he’s up to. The guys aren’t the only sharks in this town. They grew up in an ocean full of them.
“I’ll just leave it here.” He lays it on my bed and straightens his tie, then turns around and walks out.
_______________
It’s been two hours since my father gave me the check in my bedroom. I shoved it in a drawer without even looking at it. Afraid to see what he wrote on it. As far as I know, it could say anything from ten dollars to a hundred thousand dollars. Reading it would make him think I am actually considering his offer. I’m not.
“You okay?” Becky asks for the fifth time.
“Yes.” I continue to lie, running my hands down my dress.
“Red is your color,” she says, and I smile, knowing that’s how Cole feels.
“Thank you,” I say.
The doorbell rings, and Becky smiles. “I’ll go and get it.” She runs out of my room.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I need to clear my head. Forget about my father and this game he is suddenly playing with me. He hasn’t said more than ten words to me in three months, and now he is giving me money to go to college? The same college my boyfriend just happens to be going to? He knows. He has to. But how? Does he know that Lilly is going too? Would Liam try to stop her from going with Cole? I don’t see why he would.
I open my eyes to see Cole standing in my room. Those blue eyes running up and down my dress. Like before, they are still clouded, but I know what’s inside him. His heart. His soul. Cole and I may not have a traditional relationship, but I wouldn’t trade him for anything. He’s mine. And I’m his. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure of in my life.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he says, coming up to me. His hand cups my cheek.
“Hey, baby,” I say, and he smiles.
“You look gorgeous.” He lowers his lips to mine. “Just like I knew you would.”
“You too,” I say, running my hands up his black tux with a red tie to match my dress. The man could wear anything and bring me to my knees.
His eyes search mine, and he frowns. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I answer.
He lets out a long breath. “You know I hate it when you lie to me.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s nothing …”
“Austin.”
“I spoke to my father earlier,” I say, giving up.
“And?”
“And it was weird.”
“How?” he urges.
“He asked me about my future. If I was planning to go to college. I lied, but he seemed to know that.”
He chuckles. “Well, you are an awful liar.”
My eyes narrow. “He then went on to tell me that the University of Texas was a good school. Had high rankings for swimming.” His laughter dies. “Then he tried to hand me this check.” I storm over to my dresser and yank the drawer open. I hold it up.
He walks over to me and snatches it out of my hand. Opening it, he glares down at it. “He gave you this?” I nod. “Tonight?”
“About two hours ago.” He pulls his cell out of his tux and places it to his ear. “Who are you calling?” I ask.
“Bennett.”
“Why?”
He hands me the check, and I read over it. It’s made out to me for fifty thousand dollars. But it’s Celeste’s handwriting.
“Hey, man, I need a favor,” he says, turning his back to me. “Those accounts for JJ’s Properties. I need you to check them again,” he orders.
“What is that?”
He doesn’t answer me.
“You sure?” he questions and then nods to himself. “Okay. Thanks.” He hangs up his phone just as my bedroom door swings open.
Deke and Becky walk in. “What’s taking so long?” he asks.
Cole holds up the check. “Bruce gave this check to Austin. Fifty grand to go to college.”
“That was nice of the bastard.” Deke snorts.
“To the University of Texas,” Cole adds, and Deke’s eyes narrow. “And the best part. It is a check from JJ’s Properties.”
Deke’s eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
“Why does that matter?” I ask, my eyes going back and forth between them.
“Because …” Cole turns to face me. “JJ’s Properties is the company that Jerrold and Jeff owned. And Bennett just checked and informed me that only twenty-three cents remain in the accounts. Combined.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
COLE
WHY WOULD HE give her a check that isn’t good? Why give her a check at all? He’s fucking with her, but why? She’s lived here for four months now, and he’s ignored her ninety percent of the time. What’s changed?
I know the answer to that question—me. Just like Bennett said, the whole city knows how I feel about her. And the whole city knows that Bruce hates me.
I take the check back from her and fold it up before placing it in the pocket of my tux. “Let’s go.” I take her hand.
“What does that mean?” she asks, worry in her voice. “Why would he give me a check that wouldn’t clear?”
“I don’t know,” I answer.