We had sex, and like he said, it was just a fuck. I see that now. The excitement, the need fulfilling our desires, in that moment of passion outweighing all the bad.
But only for a moment. Reality crashing back in after the euphoria lifted from my eyes and reality set in.
“You shouldn’t make decisions for me,” I say, only to break the silence.
He already knows, admitted he does it on purpose, but he needed to understand. He shouldn’t have volunteered me. Even if Cole is unyielding to the fact, it had to be said.
“I don’t like when you ignore me,” he admits, and it sends my heart plummeting all over again. “Wrath is something I would take any day over silence from you.”
I gulp, my emotions everywhere right now. “Is that all?”
“No. I also don’t want you to give up on me, on us.”
“Iceman…”
His throat clogs, bobbing. “Lie to me if you have to, I’ll pretend I believe it.” Cole’s tone laced in strain.
He stays just as he is, even as the door rattles and a voice speaks behind us. “Coach wants you on the floor.”
That’s Finn.
I rotate my head, craning it to the side when Cole’s gaze becomes too intense. He answers my brother but doesn’t move his focus from mine, waiting.
“You should go,” I say only loud enough for him to hear when he doesn’t automatically move.
“Now,” Finn says, sounding more urgent.
“I’m coming!” He thunders, daring me to do as he’s asked. To lie to him. I can’t do either, lie to him or give the truth. So, I say neither.
It isn’t until I hear the groaning sound of metal scraping painted concrete that I give in. Allowing Cole this one thing, one truth right before he exits.
“Don’t disappoint me. I’ll be watching.”
He doesn’t respond but I hear the split-second pause of the door where it hesitates before closing. I’m thankful for the silence that follows, for the footsteps that head in the reverse direction.
They allow me a chance to collect myself before I find my seat next to Hailey. Plastering on a smile while keeping good on my promise. Cole doesn’t do the same.
Before the first quarter’s fully over, he’s already fouled the other team three times. Coach pulls him to cool off. You only get five before you fouled out completely and three-quarters of a game still needed to be played.
Boone’s speaking to him, but Cole seems more interested in finding the drink with his number on it. Crudely he spits the contents out, face twisting in disgust as his eyes find mine up in the stands.
My grin as coy as the little wave I give. The bottle of salt I borrowed from the cafeteria in hand.Sucks when people make decisions for us.
thirty
Rory
“Whydidyouthinkthis was a good spot to park again?” Eli asks, scratching at his temple.
I roll my eyes, not having time for this when my jeep is literally about to start wearing the mud like a skirt. I already lost one vehicle, two would be making it a habit.
And a running joke with the hellhounds. That added expense something I don’t need.
“Can you help or not?” I whine. Watching as my poor tires lodge themselves deeper beneath the pile of brown sludge like sand to a pit.
I assumed wrong earlier. Apparently, the sprinkler system I thought they had in play doesn’t go far enough down to reach this field. No,thismess is from straight-up ring stain around your toilet nastiness.
Raw.Sewage.