“What? Was it because of...there are others?”
Colton nodded.
“Was it my fault?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“Not all the time,” Cole shrugged, “my little brother has a temper and he’s possessive, mainly of you.Howcan you not know this?” He was regarding me with scepticism. I felt my own temper rising.
“How the hell would I know? He’s always been Connor! Sweet, loving, somewhat juvenile, highly inappropriate at times, yes. But that’s Connor. He’s never said or done anything to me to make me think he was a freaking sociopath!” I could feel tears threatening. I sat down on my bed dejectedly. Cole must have felt sorry for me. He reached over and tugged me into his arms. God, he smelled good - so unlike Connor. I was leaning in too much and I suddenly felt so very,veryguilty.
When I finished feeling sorry for myself, I looked up at him and he looked down at me. I saw his eyes shift to my lips and I saw a flash of...something, before he gently pushed me back and stood up. I flushed again and smoothed my hands over my jeans, inhaling deeply to steady my breath.
“He’s not a sociopath,” Cole said.
I snorted.
“Ok, he’s maybe a little too fixated on you and what you do but you can’t say he isn’t devoted.”
“Are you joking?” I demanded as I leapt to my feet once again. “He put Jason in the hospital. I don’t even know why! I don’t remember the last time I talked to Jason.” I was close to tearing my hair out.
“You shared your sandwich with him apparently,” Cole commented drily.
I froze. “What?”
“Apparently you gave him half your lunch one day and some idiot at practice commented that you looked like the kind of girl that gave things away easily.” Cole looked far too amused for my liking.
“What?” I was repeating myself, but I was furious. “Who? And why the hell didn’t Connor punchthatguy out instead?” I yelled somewhat indignantly.
Cole snorted out a laugh. “He did. Unfortunately, seeing his friend punched out must have ticked Jason off, which was whenhemade some comment that seemed to imply you had offered more than your sandwich.” Cole shrugged. To be honest, he looked slightly bored by the details. I would have felt like slapping him if he wasn’t so stunning to look at – dark brown hair cut close to the sides and back, left slightly longer on top. Cheekbones that made me want to sigh with envy. Full lips. But it was his eyes I could never move past, they were a stunning shade of emerald green. No one – and definitely not someone who already looked like Colton Dawson – deserved to have eyes that colour. He was well over six feet tall, probably about 6’4” and with his broad and muscular physique, he didn’t look like a 19-year-old boy. He looked like a man.
Cole had been so popular when he was at school, but he’d never even tried; he didn’t go out of his way to be known in high school. I had never seen him try to be popular, he just was. I always thought he was just going through the motions – getting through the years before he could head off to college. He was earmarked to run his dad’s business either beside him or after him. He had no other future and I genuinely think that’s what he wanted. I had never seen any indication otherwise.
I looked away from him now, frowning. I was remembering now. I had been on the back bleachers in the cool autumn air, engrossed in a new book – my lunch half eaten beside me – when Jason had come up to tell me that the lunch bell had rung and I was going to be officially late for our next class, which we had together.
I’d noticed that he was eyeballing my lunch hungrily and I had told him to finish it as a thank you for making sure I didn’t get detention. Then we had walked to class together, chatting about the fact we were sure we were getting a pop quiz this week.
My boyfriend had put him in hospital for that. A grated cheese and lettuce sandwich and a five-minute conversation about English novelists who might get mentioned in the pop quiz? I was going to be sick.
“Cole...I don’t know, I can’t handle this.” I slipped back onto my bed. I looked at him and he smiled softly at me.
“So, I need to break it to him that you are over?” he asked. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“No, I thought I made it pretty clear myself,” I muttered.
“Avoiding calls, school and visits isn’t going to cut it, Ari. He needs to hear it. He needs to hear it from you.” Cole looked at me and sat beside me again. He took my hand. “He would never hurt you.”
I nodded. “I know. I’ve never been scared of him before...” I admitted. “Did you know this was happening?”
“Yeah, though I didn’t realise it had gotten so extreme. Matt always worried for you. He told me on the way down here that you would have no idea what had been going on. I admit I didn’t believe him. I do now.” He was frowning.
“Gee thanks for the vote of confidence.” I glared at him. He mock glared back then grinned.Asshat.
“Ok, so I better go see him then and finish this.” I stood purposefully and took a deep breath.
“Now?” Cole looked slightly alarmed at my sudden determination.
“Better now than never. Would it be ok if Matt was with me?” I felt stupid asking, but Matt was the closest thing I had to a best friend.
Cole’s eyes had narrowed. “What’s wrong withmebeing there?”