I twirl my cup around to mix up the drink and take a sip. I hiss in a breath at the taste. Fruit punch and cinnamon isn’t the best combination, but it’s all we’ve got at the moment. “Want a drink?” I offer Cole. Not like he is driving tonight. The guys got us a limo.
He doesn’t even look at me, just shakes his head.
I turn to fully face him. “Are you mad at me?”
He looks down at me. “No.” His reply comes out flat.
“I haven’t said anything,” I say, just in case he thinks I have.
He sighs heavily. “I didn’t say that you did.”
“Then why are you giving me the cold shoulder?” I take another drink.
His eyes narrow on me. “I’m not.”
“You are,” I argue, taking another drink.
He reaches out and takes the cup from my hand. I protest as he hands it off to Bennett. He looks at it for a long second before he takes a drink of it. The look he makes afterward lets me know he won’t be drinking any more of it.
“Here with You” by Sick Puppies starts to play, and Cole grabs my now free hand and starts dragging me toward the dance floor.
“Cole?” I whisper harshly, trying to dig my heels into the gym floor. They just slide. “Cole.” He comes to a stop and spins me around to face him. “No one else is dancing, babe.” I look around nervously as everyone starts to stare at us. The gym is packed full of students, but most of them huddle against the walls or are in line for their picture to be taken.
“I don’t give a fuck what they are doing,” he says flatly. Then he cups my cheek. “I wanna dance with you.”
A soft smile spreads across my face. “I’m surprised you know how to dance,” I say truthfully.
His wraps his right arm around my side, pulling me closer to him with his hand on my back. His left hand takes my right. “My mother taught me,” he says, making the smile fall off my face.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“Don’t be.” He lowers his head to nuzzle my neck. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever danced with besides her.”
I smile as I pull my hand away from his and wrap them both around his neck. Other couples join us on the dance floor, and I catch sight of Deke and Becky coming to dance next to us. She laughs at something he says before he pulls her into him.
Cole pulls his face away from my neck and looks down at me. I give him a soft smile. He brings us to a stop and cups my cheek. My smile slowly drops off my face and turns into a frown. “Tell me what’s wrong.” I look over at Deke quickly, but he has his tongue down Becky’s throat. “What did the guys want to talk about?”
“Nothing important.”
“Cole …”
“Don’t, Austin.” He slides his hand into my hair. I wore it down for this reason—so he can run his fingers through it. He tips my head back. “Let’s just enjoy this night. Okay?”
My eyes search his, and I don’t like what I see, but I say, “Okay.”
He lowers his face to mine and kisses me.
_______________
I wake up with a pounding headache and sore body. I moan, rolling over and digging my head into the pillow.
“You okay?” I hear Cole ask, and then I feel his hand on my bare back.
“I drank too much last night,” I mumble.
He laughs, then I feel him get out of bed.
After prom, we ended up hitting two different parties before we came to the clubhouse. Cole didn’t have a sip, but Deke got as drunk as Becky and I did.
“Here.”
I roll over and look up to see him standing by the bed, dressed in a pair of his black boxers. And that’s it. A cup of water in one hand and two Advil in the other. Sitting up, I take them both from his hands.
I watch him turn his back to me, running his hand through his hair. He’s been on edge ever since his talk with the guys last night when we arrived at the prom. Even the parties didn’t cheer him up like I thought they would. He stayed by my side the entire time and quiet. He even ignored Deke’s drunk ass when he got loud.
Swallowing the pills, I lower the glass to my lap. “What’s wrong, Cole?”
“Nothing,” he answers. His back still toward me, he walks to the bathroom.
“You’re just as bad of a liar as I am.” I know him now. “Please?” I beg. “Just tell me. Whatever it is. I want to know.”
He comes to a stop and sighs heavily. “The guys want me to pull back.”
“Pull back from what?” I ask confused.
He turns back to face me. “You.”
I narrow my eyes. “They want you to dump me?” I clarify.
He runs a hand through his hair. “They think that’s the only way that you will be safe.”
“From who?” I demand.
“Kellan. Your dad.”
“I’m not afraid of them.” I snort.
He comes over to the bed and sits down beside me. He runs his hand through my hair. Well, the best he can. It’s tangled from his hands being in it last night. “I’m not afraid of them either, but I want to keep you safe.”
“And you think breaking up with me is the only way?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I think they have a point.”
“What about my point?” I snap.
“Austin … don’t.”
“No. You don’t, Cole.” He opens his mouth, but I continue. “When am I gonna get a say? When am I gonna get to decide what happens in my life?”
“When it makes sense,” he growls, his eyes narrowing on me.
I snort. “You cutting my arm didn’t make sense. You stealing a car didn’t make sense.”
He stands. “I stole that car for insurance. It made perfect fucking sense.”
“Insurance on what?” I demand, picking up the water and standing. The room sways, but I manage not to fall over like a hungover idiot.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” He brushes it off.
“It does!” I shout, getting pissy. “Everything fucking matters now. There are so many lies and secrets that I can’t seem to keep up with them. Deke was the only one on our side, and all of a sudden, he wants you to walk away from me?” I shake my head. “He has to have a reason. And you’re gonna tell me why. I’ve put up with enough shit to know what I’m up against.”
His eyes narrow on mine, and I arch a brow, not backing down. He looks away from me, and I know I’ve won when his jaw sharpens. “That car belongs to Bruce.”
“What?” I gasp. “Why would you steal my father’s car?” I demand.
His eyes come back to mine. “He keeps it at a warehouse that my father owns. I stole it to guarantee he wouldn’t send you back.”
“You’re not making any sense, Cole,” I growl.
He takes a step toward me. “That night at dinner while you and Celeste were washing dishes, he had told me that he was shipping you back to your mother’s with twenty thousand dollars. I asked him to give you to me. That if he gave you to me, I would keep you out of trouble.”
“I’m not some fucking toy,” I snap.
“You were at the time,” he growls back.