Disjointed and unnatural. Which is how I’m pretty sure mine would look if I went in there.
“I can’t believe you brought me here,” I accuse, mildly terrified.
“You wouldn’t have gotten in the car if you didn’t want to come.”
Lies. I hadn’t known where I was going. Being naive bit me in the ass yet again.
“I didn’t have another choice,” I grumble, Cole hijacking my usual ride with Hailey. Turning, I give him a honeyed smile. “I bet Xander would pick me up, he did say all I had to do was ask—”
Cole growls boldly. The sound like he was almost daring me to try.
His hands tighten on the wheel, loosening as he lets out a sigh, calming down a smidge, seconds later. “This isn’t for me, princess.” His blue eyes watch me. “I’m not the one you’d be disappointing if you left.”
He bobs his head and I follow his line of sight. Finn waving us over from the entrance.
“This was his idea,” he adds, staring straight ahead. What he says next not at all what I expect to hear. “Don’t ruin this for him.”
Climbing out, he leaves the decision up to me. Sprinting over in Finn’s direction. Plastering a smile on his face to cover the oppressed gleam in his eye.
The saddened look only for my eyes. Was this Cole’s way of lifting the reins? Granting me the choice? Letting me in?
Licking my lips, I groan, shoving open the door. “Jackass.”
“You came.” Finn’s face lights up seeing me.
I shoot him a glare.
“Ah come on, it won’t be so bad,” he wisecracks. Throwing an arm over my shoulder and squeezing. “I brought you a change of clothes.”
I look at them both realizing I was the only one dressed in uniform. These bastards planned out everything.
Huffing, I grab at the duffel and go to the bathroom to change. We weren’t going to talk about Finn’s invasion of privacy, sneaking into my room to get these clothes.
Once done, I step out, hearing them talking on the other side of the overgrown hedges. Quieting my steps, I perk up my ears, listening.
“So, how’d you do it?”
“Do what?”
There’s a pause and I imagine Cole shooting Finn a look that says,you know what.
“It was easy.”
“How easy?” Cole says, sounding skeptical.
“Does it matter?” Finn maintains, sounding annoyed now. “We got the whole place to ourselves. Fully staffed in the off-season.”
“Exactly. Inoff-season.”
Finn sighs dramatically, not answering right away. “I know a guy. Let’s leave it at that.”
He knows a guy,I mimic, rolling my eyes. What does that mean? I know guys too, three big pains in the ass ones. Doesn’t mean they lend me an entire park.
Recognizing the distant female patronizing voice, I round the hedges. Hailey looking about two seconds away from blowing her top like a volcano. Destroying anyone within her path.
Her feet drag. Eli nudging her along as she trudges farther this way.
The sour expression turning into adoration when she spots me. Deliberately smacking Eli in the eyes with the edge of her ponytail as she whips her head. Slamming into me as she gives me a hug.