Chapter Thirteen
Cole
It was even harder notto kill Ryan in his sleep after spending my time with Mazey. Not just because we’d been spending our evenings together in the back of my car, or her dorm room when her roommate was out, or after her class that caused me to be late to mine, but because I was slowly getting to know this new, even brighter version of her.
The last time I saw her, two years ago, she was broken. It was as if a rainy cloud had followed her every step until she and that brewing storm left my estate for good, and yet, I still never saw the sun again. Mazey lit me up inside. My insides sparked, my heart jolted, and the strangest bout of happiness settled deep within with her near.
She had always been my little ray of sunshine, and she was shining even brighter now, even when we were spending our “free” time talking about the fuck-boy that had the audacity to walk this earth.
We’d made next to zero progress with Ryan. Mazey had been reaching out to some of the girls on the list that I gathered for her, but most of them didn’t want to talk the second she brought up his name. “It’s understandable,” Mazey had said, but I could see the disappointment and defeat lingering.
It was obvious that Ryan was still up to his high school ways, though, which only made me watch him closer. There was a party tomorrow evening, the last one before the season started, and I was bound and determined to catch him in the act. I wasn’t sure what I’d do when I did, but I was certain I could get at least one hit in before Mazey told me to stop.
My phone dinged as I sat back on the couch at our house, watching Reese and a few other guys play Mario Kart on the big-screen TV. I leaned forward just a smidge, with my phone in hand, and saw Ryan in the kitchen, talking with a few guys. He caught me for a brief second, but I was quick to turn away. I was damn good at controlling my face despite the burning zip that punched me in the stomach.
Mazey:Caroline agreed to talk with me! This is the first girl that hasn’t fled at the mention of Ryan’s name.
I grinned,picturing Mazey’s excitement, and texted back quickly.
Me:That’s great. What are you doing right now?
One of theunderclassmen came in with a shit-ton of drinks and snacks in his hands. Reese paused the game and snapped his head over to the coffee table that was in a constant state of sticky due to spilled beer at parties.
“Fuck yeah, snack me up, bro.” The underclassman chuckled and threw a bag of chips at Reese who then ripped it open and ate the contents within one minute, followed by chugging an entire cup of soda. I leaned forward and grabbed one of the drinks and took a few hefty gulps before looking back at my phone for Mazey’s response.
Mazey:You know I’m studying. Don’t even think about interrupting me.
Me:I want to take you on a date.
I smiled againas I shut my phone. I’d been asking Mazey on a date every day since I’d stripped her bare in one of the abandoned classrooms after her class. I may or may not have coaxed her into agreeing by refusing to make her come until she said yes, which she did after three seconds. But after her body had calmed, she said she wanted to get things straightened out with the Ryan ordeal so she could hopefully move past it, and then we’d talk about dating and being seen around campus together.
I understood where she was coming from, but so far, Ryan hadn’t even acknowledged her. The fucker didn’t even recognize her the other day, which, to be honest, felt a little iffy to me. How could you not remember her?
My fingers clenched on my drink, and the cup started to crinkle. The underclassman peeked over at me with caution, and I loosened my grip, telling myself to calm the fuck down for Mazey’s sake.
I could knock him out right fucking now, and he’d have no idea. No, I’d want him to know why I was coming at him. I wanted to watch the anger turn to fear. I wanted him to admit his wrongdoing and then suffocate him with his desperate apologies. And then maybe break his fingers or something. Yeah, break what he used to touch her with.
Mazey texted back again after around fifteen minutes, and my breathing began to level. I felt calm almost instantly.
Mazey:Cole…
I hummed out loud,smiling deviously to myself.
Me:You know I love it when you say my name. Say it again.
I adjustedmyself in my pants, knowing that my plan of toying with her backfired, and I ended up giving myself a boner. For some reason, I felt more relaxed than usual. Part of me forgot that Ryan was in the next room, until his voice hit my ears.
“You alright, Reese? You just crashed off the screen…” I turned my head at the sound of his voice and mumbled, “Stop breathing my air.”
Reese’s controller fell as I peeled my attention away from Ryan and his triumphant face. Why did he look so fucking smug? I swallowed my thick spit, suddenly feeling off as Reese’s head fell back like he’d fallen asleep.
“What the fuck…?” I said, but my voice wasn’t quite level. Shit, what was wrong with me? “Reese,” I said, standing up on wobbling feet. Was I fucking drunk?
“What’s the matter, Cole? Feeling a little off there, bud?”
Did he just call me bud? I turned my head, and something snapped on the inside. I tried lunging for Ryan, but I got tripped up and fell to my knees. What the fuck?
A pair of shoes fell into my line of vision, and if I weren’t so fucked up, I would have swept the person off their goddamn feet. “Hmm…” Ryan’s tone had my jaw clenching. “Now I guess you know what Mazey felt that one night, eh?”
Fuck.