Page 46 of Cole

“Cole! I never thought I’d see the day you let us get drunk and messy at home.”

“Drunk is fine,” I called back. “But no mess.”

“Got it,” Marcus grinned down at me. “Come and have a drink with your little brother on his birthday.”

I saluted him and headed inside, working my way toward the deck. Wild horses couldn’t have stopped me.

As I moved through the kitchen, I saw her. Of course, I did. When she was in the same room as me, I could hardly look away.

She was laughing at something her friend was saying, bending over at the waist. There were a couple of boys I didn’t know here. Hockey players too, by the looks of it. I grabbed a beer and went out to the deck, pushing away the sight of my Goldilocks standing next to a jock, while he gazed down at her like she’d hung the moon.

Fucking moron. The guy had a death wish.

I stepped out onto the deck and approached Marcus.

“Happy birthday, man,” I said, clinking my bottle against his.

He was smiling, easy-going and charming. My brother had always had the gift of making everyone else feel at ease. Arianna was standing at his side. She clinked her bottle against mine in greeting. She was good for Marcus. Grounding. After shit had gone down with her brother last year, we’d all grown closer. I’d never have agreed to this party at my cabin if she hadn’t asked me herself.

“Tell the story!” Marcus insisted.

“What story?” I grunted, but I knew.

“The coming home from the hospital story,” Marcus enthused, tightening his grip on Arianna’s shoulder and dropping a kiss on her temple.

“It’s hilarious.”

“I think you’re overselling it,” I warned, but Marcus shook his head.

Out the corner of my eye, I saw Goldilocks join us on the deck with the motherfucker she’d been talking to inside.

I leaned against the railing, and started my story. The same one Marcus demanded each year. The one about the first time I saw him as a baby, when our parents brought him home from the hospital.

All through it, though she tried to act like she wasn’t listening, I felt my little sneak’s attention on me.

She clearly had a problem with staying out of trouble. She was drawn to that which she shouldn’t be… looking for danger, walking on the wild side. There was no other reason that one of these shiny, good little HHU students would be showing up at The Clutch unless they were after trouble.

Tonight, Goldilocks was going to find it.

She was in my house.

And Papa Bear was home.

sixteen

ISABELLE

All afternoon, I’d had a pit of excitement simmering in my belly. A feeling that something was going to happen. I found myself looking around constantly… waiting.

Waiting for Cole to come back.

As the afternoon turned into evening, I’d started to think that maybe he wouldn’t bother. What if he’d found a better party at The Clutch? What if he’d found a better woman to hang out with there?

Sure, after the other night, there hadn’t been any promises that what had happened would ever be repeated, but it hadn’t stopped me from longing for it.

That experience had been the wildest, most free I’d ever felt. But clearly, after the prolonged silence… he didn’t feel it back. Considering the whole exposé and digging for information thing, it was probably for the best. I’d clearly lost my mind even hoping to see him more.

So, I had a few beers, but then stopped when they made me feel tired. I talked to my friends, and Marcus’ teammates, and generally pretended to be having fun.