“Over here.” She stuck her head out of one of the windows.
“How did you…never mind. I don’t want to know how you knew that window was unlocked.”
“Climb in.”
Why was he obeying her? If his father found out what he was doing, he’d get into so much trouble. Although, it was practically his property, since his father owned it. At least, that’s what he used to convince himself it wasn’t that much of a crime as he lifted himself into the building.
Amanda turned on the flashlight to her phone and took his hand again. Suddenly nothing else mattered. Not that they’d climbed into the window of the opera house. Not that he and she were at odds. And definitely not that they were now alone in an abandoned building. “Follow me,” she said almost reverently.
As they walked, he couldn’t help but notice the intricate woodwork and beautiful arches. The wood looked to be in good condition. The building wasn’t in as bad a shape as he’d originally thought. Maybe his father had exaggerated. Amanda led him up a short staircase to a room behind the stage.
They entered and Cole peered around the room. It looked like a storage room of some kind, filled with costumes hanging on racks and boxes filled with props from performances gone by. Large posters hung on the walls displaying events that had taken place at the opera house. Some looked to be very old. Amanda led him to one of the posters. It had the name Lily Foster in large letters across the top. A drawing of a woman with blonde hair done up in a classic 1920s hairstyle smiled out at him.
“You mentioned her before, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” Amanda touched the corner of the poster. “Lily Foster was a very famous opera singer. Back then, this was a real opera house.”
“What do you know about her?”
Amanda shrugged. “Not a ton of things. My grandma saw her perform here. And these posters are pretty cool.” She pulled him over to a corner of the room and sat down, cross-legged. A stack of papers lay in a pile under a window.
Cole sat next to her. “What’s that?”
“Other documents and pictures I found in here.”
He grew suspicious. “How often have you broken into here?”
Amanda’s face turned pink. “I’ve never taken anything out. I swear.”
She didn’t answer his question, but he let it go. “Why do you come here?”
Amanda shuffled the papers around, then pulled out an old photograph. It showed a cast of actors on stage. Probably the opera house stage, Cole figured. Amanda pointed. “Those are my parents.”
Chapter 14
Amanda knew she needed to get Cole to understand. She didn’t want to share this part of her, but it was the only way. She gave Cole the photo of her parents. He held it close to his face to examine it in the moonlight. “I can see the resemblance. What play were they in?”
“The Music Man.”
“Was this before they were married?”
Amanda nodded. She took the photograph back from him. She stared at it, her desire to tell him suddenly strong. “They met here, when this was being used as the community theater. They got the starring roles, and as their characters fell in love, they fell in love, too.”
“That’s sweet.” His voice had a husky tone to it.
She swallowed, the next part more difficult to say. “I was so young when my father died. I remember crying at bedtime, wanting my dad to read to me. I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t come.”
Cole let out a breath. “Yeah. I remember feeling the same way when my mom died. I didn’t understand, either.”
“One night, when I was particularly inconsolable, my mother snuggled with me in bed and told me she had a story only she could tell. A special story, and I was supposed to calm down so I could hear it. I grew quiet. I wanted the special story.”
Cole leaned closer to her. “What was it?”
“She told me the story of when they met, here, at the opera house. She made the opera house sound magical, like a castle out of a fairy tale. She talked about the play, how my father would take her out for ice cream after practice, and how they bonded and fell in love.
“She would bring me and my sister here, when it was still open and functioning as a theater. I would imagine my parents up on stage. My dream was to see The Music Man on this very stage, but I never got to see it.” Her voice broke, and she realized she was crying. She wiped at her face, embarrassed.
Cole put his arm around her. Warmth and calm enveloped her, and she leaned into him, putting her head on his chest. “They closed this building when the new community playhouse was built, and that was it. Now they’re going to knock it down.”
His arms tightened around her. “So, when they locked the doors, you found a way to come inside.”
“I didn’t mean to break in. The window was open a crack, and I was just going to close it, but then I realized I could climb in. And then I found this room, with all of these photographs, and playbills. I was so excited to look through them, to find the one of my parents. All this time, I’d been hearing the story. And then I got to see it, right here, in these documents.”
He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “What a find.”
“I know. I couldn’t believe it. But I didn’t feel like it was right for me to take them. I figured someone would restore the building eventually. They would want them so they could see how the opera house looked back in the day.”
Her throat closed up, and she forced in a shuddering breath. “When I’m missing my father, I come here. It’s where I feel closest to him.”
“I can see that.”
“But now it’s all going to be lost.” The tears wouldn’t stop coming now. They ran down her cheeks and clung to her glasses. She closed her eyes and choked out a sob.
Cole pulled her onto his lap and cradled her in his arms. “Geez, Mandy, why didn’t you say something?”
“I’ve been trying to tell you.” Her words sounded strangled.
He rocked her gently as he held her close to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat as her cheek pressed to him. He smelled of musk and pine.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t understand. It was just an old building to me.”
“I know.” She clung to Cole, the feeling of being in his arms somehow consoling. It felt comforting. Amazing. But after a while she started to feel self-conscious. She shouldn’t be this close to him.
She pulled back and took in his face. The shock of hair that flopped down onto his forehead. The concerned look in his eyes. He reached to her face and slowly removed her glasses. He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. The feeling of his skin on her cheek sent shivers through her. She closed her eyes, her heartrate going a million times a second. She felt vulnerable. Exposed.
Cole. She had been fighting her feelings for him, but right now, they were stronger than ever. He was the strength she needed. He was stability. The rock. He didn’t waver. He was someone she could hold onto.
Cole kissed her forehead and her world tilted. His lips were warm, and soft, and the simple act of pressing them to her skin ignited all her feelings into a raging fire. She’d never been kissed before. Not like that. Not by a boy—a man. She opened her eyes and stared at him. At the lips she craved to have on more than her forehead.
His gaze caressed her. In his eyes, she saw a softness. A longing. And the same feeling was growing inside of her. She needed him. Wanted to feel his lips on her own. He leaned closer, and anticipation filled her.
“Mandy,” he whispered, a silent plea in his voice. She hadn’t expected him to speak.
She pulled back. “What?”
“I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want me to, tell me now.”
He was asking her permission. He was sweet, but she didn’t need sweet right now. She wanted to finally experience her first real kiss. “Shut up and kiss me,” she whispered.
He obliged. The second their lips touched, a wave of heat exploded over her skin. His lips were hot
and his kiss hungry. She clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulder muscles. A myriad of feelings coursed through her as they kissed. Attraction. Desire. Fascination. She’d known Cole for how long? And she’d never imagined what it would be like to be in his arms. To kiss him like this. To taste his lips.
His hand pressed on her back, pulling her closer. Her hand slid up his chest. It was a solid wall. Her skin erupted in goosebumps as he kissed her jaw. Her neck.
“Maybe we should stop,” she said, breathless.
“Maybe,” he said, but his lips kept going.
“Cole.”
He pulled back. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?”
“No.” His words implied a long time, which was odd to her. He’d never made a move. Never asked her out, at least, not until the dance. He’d even dated other girls.
He touched his forehead to hers. “Since you told me you were Destiny’s best friend and I should just live with it because she would never like me as much.”
Amanda laughed. “I remember that. Sixth grade?”
“Yeah.”
“Man, I was such a dork. Why did you even like me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You were fiercely loyal. And cute.”
She sobered and put her arms around his neck. “Was it worth the wait?”
He nuzzled her neck. “If you don’t know the answer to that, then I’m not telling you.”
“What kind of a non-answer is that?” She giggled as he nipped at her earlobe.
“All right. I’ll tell you.” He stopped to give her a lingering look. Then he pressed his lips to hers in a slow, tantalizing kiss. She melted into him. “Worth. Every. Second,” he said between kisses.
She ran her fingers through his soft hair. “You smell good.”
He chuckled. “Really?” he said, his tone teasing.
“Yes. And you taste even better.” She kissed him again.
A crashing noise sounded from below them and Amanda froze, fear jolting through her. “What was that?” she hissed, even though asking Cole was stupid because he was in the same room she was and he had no way of knowing what it was, either. She grabbed her glasses and shoved them onto her face.
“Has anyone ever come in here while you were here?”
“No.”
He was silent for a moment, and they both listened for any other sounds. When nothing came, Cole slid Amanda off his lap and stood up. “We’d better go investigate.”
Amanda didn’t want to investigate. She’d rather pretend she didn’t hear anything and sneak back out the window. “Isn’t this the part of the movie where one of us gets chopped up into tiny pieces?”
Cole smiled, but she could tell it was strained. “Come on.” He held out his hand to her.
“Okay,” she whispered. “But if you die, it’s not my fault.”
“I die? What about you?” he said, the teasing tone back in his voice.
“I’m using you as a shield.” She grabbed onto his shoulders and pressed into his back. Man, he was a solid wall of muscles. “Dang, you work out a lot, don’t you?”
“Sure,” he said. “Doesn’t every guy?”
“No.” Definitely not every guy. Did Cole not realize how sexy his muscles were?
They descended the stairs, and Amanda strained to hear any sound at all. No sounds came except the occasional creaking of the stairs.
They stepped onto the stage and walked past the curtains. A stage light had fallen and now lay in pieces on the hardwood floor. Amanda looked up. “It must have had a few screws loose.”
“Or termites chewed through the wood.”
She frowned. “Is the building in that bad of shape?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t look that bad, but it’s dark, and I’m not a building inspector. My father said it’s not worth restoring.”
The words cut through Amanda’s heart, and she let out a gasp.
Cole turned to her. “I’m sorry. That was not what I meant to say.”
She took a second to gain her composure. “You can’t help what your father said. But I’m hoping there can be something we can do.”
Cole looked confused. “What can we do?”
She let out a frustrated grunt. “I don’t know. Call someone? Find a buyer who would want to restore this into something grand again.”
Cole frowned. “Mandy,” he said, like he was lecturing a child. “That’s not going to happen.”
So, she’d brought him here and cut open her veins to bleed all over the floor, only to have it not matter at all. She blinked back tears. “You’re not going to try to save the opera house with me?”
He opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped and closed his mouth. He ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t. Don’t you see? I can’t defy my father.”
“You wouldn’t have to defy him. All you would have to do is try to help him see this as more than just a dilapidated building.”
His gaze flashed to the fallen stage light, and Amanda knew the answer. He was not going to help her. She swallowed and turned from him. She had no more words left. Nothing she could do would change his mind. He was his father’s son.
And apparently, she wasn’t worth fighting for.
Chapter 15
Amanda pulled a washcloth from the cupboard and turned on the hot water. She washed her face and tried to scrub away the tears. To scrub away the pain. She’d opened up to Cole and had thought he’d understood. But no. He had turned his back on her. And that hurt worse than anything.
For the first time, she’d shared with him something she’d never shared before. She’d put her heart out on a line. And Cole had stabbed a knife through it.
Why didn’t he see how important this was to her? Why didn’t he care enough to make an effort? She needed him to see her side of things. Needed him to be there for her. But no, he acted like the building was going to be destroyed no matter what. And she couldn’t face that.
Couldn’t let it go. Not when it meant that much to her.
As she grabbed a towel, her phone chimed. She dried her face and put her glasses back on before she picked up her phone.
Are you awake?
It was her secret texter. She was glad to have someone to talk to. She needed to let some things out.
Yes.
Good. I was hoping to chat.
Me, too. I had a terrible night. I need someone to talk to about it.
Why? What happened?
She climbed into bed and leaned against her pillows. Emotions and thoughts raced through her. How much should she say?
I opened up to someone tonight and got stabbed in the back.
Oh, no. I’m so sorry. Tell me about it.
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She should feel weird talking to a total stranger about this stuff, but she felt at peace about it. She wanted to tell him.
I took someone to my secret place. The place I go when I feel my world is falling apart.
You have a secret place?
Yes. And I’ve never told a soul about it. I go there when my life gets out of control. When I think nothing will get better, when it all crumbles, this place helps heal me.
Was that sappy? She held her breath, hoping it didn’t sound dumb to him.
That sounds like heaven.
Relief poured over her.
Yes, exactly. That is my heaven. And I went out on a limb and shared it with someone. And he didn’t appreciate it at all.
Wow. Sounds like a jerk.
Amanda thought about Cole. About how he’d pulled her close as she got emotional. How he’d comforted her and rocked her until she calmed down. That was kind of him. And the way he’d tenderly kissed her. She closed her eyes and touched the tips of her fingers to her lips. He had meant that kiss.
No, he’s not a jerk. I guess he just didn’t understand how important that place was to me.
What did he do?
He… Amanda stopped. What had Cole don
e? He had implied the building was falling apart. Which, if she were being honest, it was. Heck, part of it fell apart while they were there.
He’d told her he couldn’t defy his father. And maybe he was right. Maybe he couldn’t defy his father.
She chewed her lip. She couldn’t admit Cole was right. She didn’t want him to be right. She needed her father. She needed to feel close to him. She debated what to tell her secret texter.
He refused to help me.
Guilt closed her throat. That wasn’t exactly true. Maybe she wasn’t treating Cole very fairly.
Three dots appeared, then disappeared, then reappeared. He was typing and then deleting what he said.
What do you want him to do?
Amanda rolled onto her shoulder. What did she want Cole to do? He was just a teenager. He couldn’t buy the building. He couldn’t stop his father from doing what he really wanted to do. But he could talk to his father, at the very least. He could show he cared by supporting her.
Before she had a chance to tell those things to her texter, she got another message.
You know what? It doesn’t matter what you wanted. It matters that he made you feel unsupported. And he shouldn’t have done that.
Tears pricked Amanda’s eyes. He understood. And he didn’t even fully know the situation. But somehow, he knew what she needed to hear.
OMG, I could kiss you right now.
He sent her three dots, as if he didn’t know what to say. Amanda laughed. What? Too forward of me?
Sorry. You just surprised me.
How?
You just don’t seem like the kind of girl who would kiss just any guy.
Once again, the memory of Cole’s lips on hers invaded her mind.
You’re right. I’m not.
Good. Because when I kiss a girl, it means something.
How many girls have you kissed?
Amanda wasn’t sure why she asked him that. It was slightly flirty, and maybe she just wanted to lighten the mood. Plus, now she was curious.
That is a pretty private question. If I answer truthfully, will you answer it back?
Don't Kiss Your Enemy (Rockford High #4) Page 7