“If she asks, I’m not lying.” Baya glances at the floor a moment because we both know Roxy is probably too pissed to ask.
As soon as they take off, I close my eyes, and Roxy warbles in and out of my mind like a glass of water just out of reach. I’d give anything for her to be real—for her to be here. The tears start coming, and I try to swallow them back.
I wish my dad could have hung out a little longer on this planet. Not that he had a choice, but still. It would have been amazing to have him around for guidance and support. Mom worries too much, and I’m pretty sure she’s the last person I’d go to with “girl” trouble. I sure wouldn’t mind bringing Roxy home to meet her first chance I get. Hell, Mom will be out for graduation come May. I’d love for her to meet Roxy then. Of course, I’ll have to point her out from a distance like a stalker. Maybe Baya can introduce her? At least that way Mom can meet the girl I gave my heart to.
A gentle knock erupts over the door, and I force my swollen eyes open. The shadow of a girl stands against the light of the nurses’ station, and I struggle to make her out.
“Rox?” I sit up and groan as she comes into focus.
“It’s just me.” A blonde with a high-pitched voice waves at me—Angel.
Crap.
“I suppose I owe you a thank you.” I force a smile to come and go. After all, she was the one who scared the idiots away.
“For what?” Her eyes widen to the size of softballs. “I’m the one who put you here.”
“Excuse me?” I blink a few times to make sure I’m not hallucinating, although at this point I wouldn’t mind. I could really use some damn sleep. “I must have had my brains bashed in pretty good. I could have sworn you were the one who yelled for them to stop.”
“I did.” Her fingers touch at the tips as if she were nervous. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.” She pulls her shoulders to her ears and pauses. “And I didn’t want my dad and his friends to get into any trouble.”
“Why would your dad get into trouble?” I shake my head, and the room gives a spin.
She leans into me with the look of frustration building on her face.
“Hell.” I close my eyes and lean hard into my pillow. “Your dad is the one who beat the crap out of me.” It all makes perfect sense now. “Great—I bet he’s going to gather up more of his goons and come back to finish the job.”
“No, he won’t.” She picks up the corner of the blanket and threads it through her fingers. “I made him promise to leave you alone. Once I ask him to do something, he does it.” Her lips tremble. Her hands shake like an addict.
“You tell him to kick my ass?”
“Nope.” She holds her hand up like a Girl Scout. “I swear, I thought he was just going to talk to you. He said, don’t worry baby, I’m just going to knock some sense into him, and the rest….” She lets her words hang in the air.
“Crap,” I moan. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Angel. But I think we’re even now. You should probably go.”
“So you won’t rat out my dad?”
“Won’t have to. The apartment building is loaded with security cameras. They already have a clear picture of every one of those guys, and if their bikes were around, they’ve got that, too. Trust me, I’m not looking for any more trouble. Just tell your old man I got the message. I won’t be messing with his baby girl anymore. That’s probably all he wants to hear.”
“Will do.” She turns to leave and pauses. “Cole? Do you hate me?”
“Nope. I don’t hate you, Angel. I hate me for being such a jerk to begin with. I’m sorry about the way I treated you. Are we good?”
She gives a sheepish smile. “We’re good.”
I listen as her footsteps click all the way down the hall.
It takes another hour before I fall asleep. I dream all night long of Roxy, clad in leather, wielding a mean whip while dressed like the sexiest damn biker chick I’ve ever seen. She kicks my ass all night long, and I love every last beating.
I’d let her whip me to kingdom come if given the chance.
Hell, I’d beg for it just to be near her again.
Red Velvet Valentine
Roxy
Unbelievable.
The bastard didn’t even call.
Late Saturday afternoon, Baya and Bryson help me load up a crap ton of cupcakes into the back of his truck and drive them over to the Valentine’s benefit at the country club. Mom said lunch was included if we wanted to stay, so I put on my best black dress, complete with strategically placed slits running all the way down my thighs, and a pair of patent leather stilettos. I figure for the sake of Baya and Bryson, I can be a wallflower for one evening. Baya seems pretty psyched about the whole thing.
“You never know”—she pats my cheek as we roll in the final cart of cupcakes through the country club’s kitchen—“your prince charming could be here tonight.”
“Doubtful.”
“Darling!” Mom trots over in her designer heels with her arms open wide as if she’s actually happy to see me. “Your father is in Tokyo on business. He so wishes he could be here. Let me hold you, sweetheart. I’ve missed you,” she whispers into my ear. “Goodness, you smell divine.”
“So do you.” Mom smells like an afternoon in Paris—always has, always will. Her hair is framed softer around her face with more blonde highlights mixed in. “Everything looks great.” I glance around at the blanket of twinkle lights hanging from the ceiling, the long stem roses in every hue of red adorning the tables. “It looks perfectly romantic.” I sniff back unexpected tears.
“I have a surprise for you.” She presses her lips together. We have the same bone structure—same ears, too, but neither of us dares expose them for fear of giving up our true heritage as elves. “He’s right around the corner. He brought a little guest with him that I think will be pleasing to you as well.”
He? Could it be?
“Oh my, God.” I suck in a quick breath and follow my mother, past a sea of bodies, over to the entry. “I can’t believe he’s really here,” I whisper. My heart beats erratic. Begging my forgiveness at the country club in front of God and all of my mother’s stuffy friends is one of the most romantic things Cole could do to apologize for his moronic behavior. I bet his truck stalled yesterday, or he got mobbed by an entire group of sexed-up coeds who took him by force to their sorority and tried to cage him in their walk-in closets as a love slave.
“He is here.” Mom gives my fingers a squeeze, and, now, we can all be a family again. We clear a crowd of people and smack right into—Ryder and Laney?
Crap. Of course, she meant Ryder. She doesn’t even like Cole—or Laney for that matter.
“What’s going on?” I pull my brother into a quick hug. “Hey. Why aren’t the two of you in Los Angeles? Don’t you have an audition to get to?” It looks like my bad juju is rubbing off on everyone I love. “Let me guess, you missed the plane because of me.”
“No. The audition was canceled.” Laney swats me with her purse. “And, by the way, the entire world doesn’t revolve around you.” She presses her lips together tight like she might cry. “Except when it does. I heard about what happened yesterday.” She wraps her arms around me and gives a great big rocking hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“I wish I knew you guys were in town. I would have called you both to the studio.” I pull back and take up Ryder’s hand, too. “At least someone from Whitney took home the prize.” I shrug it off. “The new me doesn’t really care. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“The new you?” Ryder dips his chin.
“Yup. I’m a roll-with-the-punches kind of girl now. No more wishing the world would disintegrate in one big nuke explosion. I’m all for live and let live.” And as long as I don’t ever put my heart on the line again, I should be fine. I turn back to my mother. “So this is my surprise? You knew Ryder and Laney would be here?” Ryder and Laney swore off my mother last Christmas, so I’m getting psychological whiplash trying to figure out what th
e hell is happening.
“I invited them, and they graciously accepted my offer.” Mom pauses to blink back tears. “I believe I owe everyone here an apology. Laney, I’m sorry I ever treated you so poorly. If you could find it in your heart to forgive me, I would love to have both you and Ryder back in my life.” She turns to me. “Roseanna, same with you and Colon.”
I’m momentarily thrown by the fact she thinks I’m dating someone named after a body part that specializes in excrement. On second thought…
“I accept.” Laney lunges at her with a brief hug. “I don’t like conflict, but I do love your son.”
“And I love Laney.” Ryder is quick to defend her. “In fact, we’ve made the decision to marry this June.”
The room stills for a moment. Mom’s jaw hits the floor then bounces up again.
“That’s wonderful.” She swallows a little of her pride but wisely so because whatever negative remark that was begging to pop from her mouth she was able to contain for once.
Damn. My mama has finally grown up.
“I’m proud of you, Mom.” I pull her into a real hug, and, for the first time she hugs me back, hard, just the way granny used to.
“I’m proud of you, too, Roseanna.” She pulls back and hitches my hair behind my ear. “Rumor has it, you make the most delicious desserts in town.”
“I learned from the best.” I give an impish grin. “Your mother.”
That permanent frown melts from her face, and she softens. “She would’ve loved to have heard that.”
I rest my head over her shoulder. “I’m sure she did.”
“Can anyone join this party?” A familiar voice comes from behind, and I turn with a smile because I’m one hundred percent certain it’s—
“Cole?” I take one look at him and gasp. I thought for sure I’d see the Cole I knew, not this battered and bruised version.
Holy heck.
He’s welted along one side of his face. His lip is cut on the bottom, and his left eye is nearly swollen shut.
“God, who did this to you?” I rush into his arms, and it’s only then I notice one of them is broken. “Is this why you weren’t there yesterday?” I can’t even breathe while looking at him.
“This is why.”
Ryder steps in, his face rife with worry. “What happened?”
“I swear to God, Ryder, if you’re responsible for this—” the words speed out of me like a bullet.
“He’s not.” Cole tightens his grasp around my waist. “Angel’s father did it.” He relays the story of the biker gang—crazy Angel, the psycho stalker chick that’s been after him for months.
“I should have believed you in the first place. We could have left together for the competition, and this never would have happened.”
“Not true. They were pretty determined.” He pulls me in and lands a gentle kiss to my cheek. “In fact, I’m glad you were nowhere around.”
Mom clutches at her pearls. “Have they apprehended these hooligans?”
“The cops came by the hospital before I left. Angel helped hunt down two of them.” He glances over at me. “She texted and let me know she’s transferring to Ridgewood. She’s pretty sorry about how everything turned out.”
“She’s lucky she won’t be around,” I growl. “I’m not opposed to giving her a smack down of her own.”
“Roseanna!” Mom’s eyes pop, and I back down.
“Or a good talking to.” I wrap my arms around poor, bruised Cole. “Speaking of talking to.” I nod for Mom to say something nice to Cole. If he’s going to be my boyfriend, she’s going to have to get used to seeing him around.
“I’m very sorry you were hurt.” She gives a long blink. “And I’m very sorry for the way I acted when we met a few weeks back. If my daughter likes you enough to keep you around, that’s more than good enough for me.”
“Really?” I bite down hard over my lower lip because, for the first time I can’t seem to hold back the tears.
Mom touches her hand to my shoulder and looks into my eyes with a tenderness I had never seen before. “Really.”
Ryder comes in and lands his arm around her shoulder. “I hate to stick a pin in the balloon, but can I ask what caused the change of heart?”
“You.” She wraps her arms around him. “After Christmas, I spent a week just looking through your baby albums, and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing my little boy. You know I won’t live forever, and, in truth, I don’t want to live a single day without my children. I certainly don’t want my own stubbornness to be at the root of the cause. I want a real relationship with the two of you and with those you love the most.”
It finally happened. There was a crack in the armor of my mother’s soul, and it took almost losing us to really find her way back.
Baya and Bryson close in on our small circle.
Cole clears his throat. “I sort of need to do some apologizing myself.” He nods over to Bryson. “First I owe you and Baya an apology for giving you such a hard time when you started going out.” He turns to Ryder. “And I owe you an apology for not being more understanding. I know what it’s like having someone go after your sister. It can get pretty ugly fast.”
“No hard feelings.” Ryder shakes Cole’s hand. “I’m sorry about the way I treated you. Keep your nose clean, be good to her, man.”
A slow song filters through the air.
Ryder takes up my mother’s hand. “Laney, do you mind?”
“Not at all.” She practically shoos them toward the dance floor.
Cole picks up my hand and lands it over his lips. “How about it? You up for a spin?”
“With you?” I look into his electric green eyes, his dark hair slightly spiked over his head just the way I like it. “Anytime.”
Cole leads us to the dance floor and does his best to hold me with his broken arm.
“Why didn’t you call?” It all makes sense now why Baya left so suddenly. Note to self: Kill Baya for keeping this from me—and maybe Cole.
“Because.” He closes his eyes a moment and looks achingly handsome in the process. It’s pretty clear they couldn’t beat the good looks out of him. “I didn’t want to throw your game. I wanted you to fight—to win.”
“Great news.” It comes out despondent. “I did fight and win—for Melanie.”
“I saw the whole thing. I’m really sorry, cupcake.”
Something warms in my heart when he calls me that.
The crowd ooh’s, and we look over to the center of the dance floor where everyone has shifted their attention and find Bryson on bended knee with a platinum sparkler in hand.
Baya screams and shouts yes! Before we know it, he’s twirling her as they lose themselves in a liplock.
“Congratulations,” I say to Cole. “Looks like you just gained a brother-in-law.”
“Looks like.” His dimples go on and off. “Bryson already feels like family. I’m glad he’ll be the one with Baya in the end.”
We head over and congratulate them as Laney and Ryder do the same.
“I can’t believe this!” Laney squeaks with enthusiasm, which in and of itself is unLaney like. “It looks like we’re all taken now.” She pulls me in by the shoulder.
“We need to find someone for my moron of a brother.” Bryson tweaks his brows.
Laney gives him a swat. “Holt’s a great guy.” Her eyes round out. “And you know who’s a great girl? My sister.”
“Dizzy Izzy?” Ryder teases.
“You’re right.” She smirks. “It’d never work out.”
Another slow song starts in, and Cole nods me over to the dance floor.
“You almost ready to blow this joint?” His dimples twitch, and he gets a wicked look in his eye that I’m sort of digging. “Maybe celebrate our first Valentine’s Day our way?”
“By all means.” I wrap my arms around him as we sway to the music. “Maybe we can cuddle on the couch, and I can introduce you to a movie classic in the making.”
> “When Harry met Sally?” He looks hopeful, and I know for a fact he’s not talking about the movie.
“I was thinking Pitch Perfect, but I’m betting we can reenact the one you wanted to watch.”
“I like where your head is at.”
Cole and I say goodbye to everyone and make our way out the door into the cool, crisp evening.
It’s time to celebrate Valentine’s Day our way.
And I cannot wait.
Cole
Roxy and I hardly make it to the apartment. She has her hands all over me at once, those crazy-soft lips pressed onto mine, and my that all too happy to see her part of me knocks on my jeans just begging to come out and play.
“There’s something I’ve been working on this week while you’ve been away.” I block the door with my body, just losing myself in her hazel eyes. Roxy is a star from heaven that God, himself, molded to life in the shape of this beautiful woman standing before me.
“Oh?” She struggles to look over my shoulder as I let the door fall open behind me.
“Close your eyes. I want you to see it all at once.”
That tiny dimple in the corner of her mouth goes off. Roxy closes her eyes and lets me guide her all the way to the kitchen. She takes every step with the utmost caution as if I’m about to lead her off the ledge of a building.
“I’ve got you, cupcake.” I press a kiss onto her cheek, and she melts into me.
“You know my insides turn into water when you call me that.”
“That’s why I do it.” I land another kiss just shy of her lips. “Plus, I mean it. You couldn’t be sweeter.”
“You keep saying that, and you’re going to ruin my reputation.”
“Give me an hour in the bedroom. I’ll make sure it’s trashed.”
She slits an eye open and looks at me. “Just an hour?”
“Open.”
Roxy takes in the sight and sucks in a lungful of air.
“What is this?” She takes in the newly painted kitchen, the row of new appliances that line the wall where the table once sat. “The walls! They’re green with pink polka dots just like I wanted,” she marvels. She covers her mouth when she sees the sign painted on the wall behind the new row of standing ovens. “Sprinkles Cupcakes.” She bows her head into her hands and sobs.
Valentine's Day Kisses : Boxed Set Page 19