Of course she did. She wants to persuade him to lower his defenses, and then she’ll go full-on attack mode. It’s what she does, how she won over my dad when they were still teens.
She’s not a woman you mess with.
“Nice, I’m famished,” Cole spits out before he realizes it, and he immediately backtracks. “I mean, thank you, ma’am.”
It’s hard to hold the snorts inside.
He’s probably trying to be the best version of himself so he doesn’t disappoint my mom, but this is hilarious because it’s so not like him.
We sit down at the table, and we all stare at each other without saying a word while Cole keeps staring at the chips, cookies, and cake as if he hasn’t eaten in days.
“You sure look … fantastical,” Mom says, clearing her throat while ogling Cole.
He’s still in his leather outfit, complete with sparkly makeup. “Sorry, I just came off stage. Didn’t have time to get dressed.”
“Ahh …” She nods a little. “Yeah, I read about that. You’re a musician, right?”
“I’m the lead singer and guitarist in our band TRIGGER, yeah. Heard about them?” he asks, sweat dripping down his forehead, which he quickly wipes away.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this tense, this nervous. Not even for an upcoming performance. But my mom is just … my mom.
“I’ve read a few things,” she replies, and she picks up her wineglass and chugs it down before planting it down on the table. “Like you were in a fight over my daughter.”
My eyes widen. “Mom!”
Cole grabs my hand and smiles. “It’s okay.” He turns his gaze back to my mom. “One of my band members betrayed us and hurt Monica in the process. He did some pretty horrible stuff, which ultimately resulted in the fight you probably saw online.” He swallows. “I had to do something to stop him.”
“So do you do this often?” she asks.
“Mom, it was not his fault. Michael was an asshole who was only in it to get high and use girls.”
My mom’s jaw drops. “And you let this boy play with you in your band?”
“I didn’t realize how bad he got until it was too late,” Cole replies, trying to keep his cool. “But he got kicked out. I don’t want that toxic stuff anywhere near us.”
“Good.” She pours herself a new glass. “But you’re dating my daughter now.”
He gulps, and my face turns completely red.
“Well?” Mom pushes.
“I … I …” I mutter, not knowing how to answer.
“Yes,” Cole answers without hesitation. “And I’m not going to stop.”
I look at him and breathe a sigh of relief, but my heart swells to immeasurable proportions knowing that he just told my mom out loud something I could not even admit to myself.
“I know you don’t like me, and you may not approve,” he says, and he squeezes my hand. “But I’m in love with your daughter. And I won’t let anything come between us.”
I bite my bottom lip and lean in to give him a short peck, before returning my attention toward my mom.
“Mom … please … I know our start was rocky, and I know what you’ve seen online might muddy the waters. But trust me when I say this, us, Cole, is the best thing that has happened to me since I went to my new school.”
She takes in a deep breath, clutching her glass. “But he hurt you … so many times …”
“To protect me … from him.” I swallow. “But I don’t need any more protecting. I’m done with that. I’m done with crying, done with hurting. I’m done with my past.”
“And you’re sure you can handle whatever comes with him and his band? All the jealous fans, the screaming girls?” she asks, in complete denial at this point. “Because I don’t think you can, Monica.”
“I don’t know. But I will try. And dammit, I won’t give up,” I say and look up at Cole. “Not with this.”
Mom places her glass down and cocks her head. “Well, it seems you managed to do something no one else has done up till this very day, Cole.”
“And what’s that?” he asks.
My mom throws him a look. “Steal her heart.”
We both tighten our lock on each other’s hand.
A slow but tepid smile finally forms on her lips. “If you’re sure about this, Monica—”
“Yes, a hundred percent,” I interject. “And I want you to be okay with it. That’s all I ask. Just let me be me, and let me love the people I want to love.”
Her shoulders relax, and she leans back in her chair. “If you put it like that, how am I ever going to say no?”
The smile grows bigger and bigger, and so does mine, and I jump up from my seat to get to her side of the table for a big hug. We squeeze each other tightly, and she rubs my back.
“Oh honey, I’m just trying to look out for you. I’m scared. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want to lose my baby.”
“I know, Mom. But I’ve dealt with my demons, and I need to move on. On my own terms.” I lean away and look her in the eyes.
She grabs a strand of my hair and tucks it behind my ear. “You’ve grown up so much. I barely recognize you.” She leans her forehead against mine. “But if you’re happy, then so am I.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say as she gives me a quick kiss on the forehead.
“All right … you’ve got my blessing.”
I do an inner happy dance as I quickly sit back down beside Cole.
“But don’t bring that whole charade into my home, got it?” She points at Cole. “I don’t want any of that TRIGGER stuff happening here. No fans. No paparazzi. You do that shit somewhere else.”
Cole smashes his lips together. “Yes, ma’am.”
I snort at his obedience.
My mom knows how to whoop some ass, and she’s not afraid of him.
“Good,” she retorts, and she picks up the bread basket and holds it out to him. “Now have some fucking bread. You look like you haven’t eaten in days.”
I have to hide my laughter behind my hand.
“Thanks,” he mumbles as he grabs a bunch and places them on his plate.
“Well? Dig in!” Mom says, grabbing a cookie for herself too.
I grab some chips while Cole shoves a whole bread into his mouth.
“God, I’m hungry,” he groans. “And this is delicious. Did you make these yourself, ma’am?”
“I wish,” she muses.
“Well, either way, I love it,” he says.
Mom takes a bite of her cookie and says, “But no fucking under my roof, got it?”
Cole starts to choke on his bread and coughs it up while I burst into laughter.
“I’ll try to remember that,” he says, trying not to die inside.
“Good, because I’m not gonna clean up after your mess.”
“Mom!” I scream, mortified, and I grab his hand. “Okay, let’s go upstairs. I don’t need or want to hear any of this.”
“But no fuckery or else!” she yells after us as I rush upstairs with him.
I don’t say another word.
I’m not gonna make promises I can’t keep.
And when the door closes behind us, Cole immediately grabs my face and kisses me hard, smashing me into the door like nobody’s business. His lips are on my neck and chest, while his hands travel down my ass, squeezing hard until I moan with delight.
“God, I fucking love you,” he whispers, our lips barely able to unlatch.
“I love it when you say that,” I say, smiling against his lips. “Say it again.”
“I love you, Monica Romero,” he says with a guttural moan as he whisks me up in his arms.
He was right when he said he’d catch me one day. I didn’t realize it then, but I know now. I’ve fallen hard for Cole fucking Travis. I’ve fallen all the way in love with him.
I pull away and whisper into his ear, “I love you too, Cole Travis.”
The groan that emanates from his body makes my pussy thump with need a
s he carries me toward the bed.
“Do you really think we can stop?” I mumble as he showers me with kisses.
I don’t think I care or want to know the answer to my own damn question because even if I wanted to, I can’t fucking stop, and I won’t fucking stop.
“You know me,” he murmurs, licking his lips in a way that still manages to make my heart skip a beat. “I don’t play by the rules.”
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Read on for an excerpt of Cruel Boy, the story of Nate & Sam!
Excerpt of Cruel Boy
Chapter One
Sam
Underwater, everything is quiet. Tranquil. Like heaven is all around you, caressing your body, pulling you into its embrace. Deeper and deeper, it pulls at your legs until they beg to be released.
I hold my water-resistant camera in front of me and take multiple pictures of the cold depths of the ocean. Its beauty never fails to mesmerize me. But I can’t stay for too long; sooner or later, that urge to breathe always pulls me back to the surface toward the dark sky littered with a million flickering lights … back into the noise of swooshing water and rushing wind.
The shore is mostly deserted, except for a few beer cans, party cups, and some clothes and trash lying scattered all around. The only other person there is Nate Wilson … the most handsome guy at school and so much more than that.
He’s sitting on a few rocks near the edge of the beach with a girl by his side. I can’t stop watching. Their hands touch briefly, but then the wave overtakes me and blocks my view. When the water lowers, I shake my head, but the waves keep picking up. Still, I hold up my camera and take a few pictures.
Right as he turns his head toward me, I dive underwater again.
Here, there are no boys, no girls, and no secret touches. Just me and the water, and all the beautiful creatures below that need to meet my camera.
A single picture says more than words ever will.
No matter how powerful they are.
Nate
People say it only takes a few minutes for your life to be destroyed. I never believed them … until today. With just the snap of a finger, a stupid decision and a simple push, I marked my own fate.
My body grows colder and colder the longer I stay in the water. It consumes me whole as I stray farther and farther away from myself. From reality.
I’m so damn dizzy, but I can’t collapse here. Not now, not in the middle of the ocean. I take a deep breath and peel my eyes open, forcing myself to go.
That’s when I spot her … the girl and her camera.
FLASH.
I cover my eyes with my hand. Salty seawater enters my nostrils and mouth as I struggle to swim.
When I open my eyes again, the girl is gone; swallowed by the same waves that drag me back to the shore.
As my feet sink into the sand and the water creeps up against my toes, I stop and turn around, clutching the long red hairs in my hand as though they’re my last lifeline.
This is now the place where not only my life changed forever.
But hers too.
Chapter Two
Sam
The deep blue sea looks like an impregnable abyss, even from a mere image on my laptop. A beautiful composition of a whole array of colors with the occasional fish swimming through the darkness as if it’s taunting fate.
The pictures don’t compare to real life. They don’t show the feelings you had when you were there, or the taste or smell of the water. In reality, the water is cold, and the salt is harsh on the skin, and if you’re not careful, it could swallow you whole.
For a few seconds, I stare at the images, cycling through them on repeat as if they’ll tell me something that wasn’t there before. A glimpse into an unseen world, a deep, dark secret waiting to be discovered.
But a single glance at a boy walking in the water makes me close the tab and lean away.
I sigh and close my eyes for a second. Breathe.
When I open my eyes, I click and drag the file toward the bin. My finger hovers over the mouse, but I can’t push myself to throw it away.
“Samantha! Are you coming or not?”
Groaning to myself, I close my laptop and brush my white blond hair in front of the mirror. I always loved this metallic color, but I only painted my hair after I discovered my mom hated it.
I grab my bag, fill it with the stuff I need, and rush downstairs. Heading straight into the kitchen, I pull open the fridge to take out the milk and have a taste.
“Sam!” Mom snatches the carton away from me.
“What?” I mumble.
“I told you not to do that,” she says, rolling her eyes as she pours some in her coffee. “Our cleaning lady keeps having to throw it away.”
I shrug as I grab a bowl and fill it up with Cheerios and steal the milk back again. Mom approaches me from the side and plants a kiss on my temple. “And morning, hope you slept well.”
“Morning to you too,” I say, smiling sweetly even though I’m totally not, but I’ll do it for her. After all, only got one mom.
My smile immediately dissipates when I turn around and come face to face with her new boy toy crawling out of their upstairs sex cave. Just the thought of what they’re doing in there makes me gag.
I ignore him as best as I can while I sit down at the table, and he waddles past me, toward the coffeemaker … and my mom. When he touches her expensive purple silk robe, a chill runs across my spine. God, I hate that fucker.
He smooches her in a way I never thought I’d see my mom kiss someone, groping her butt along with it, and I practically spit out my Cheerios onto the kitchen table.
“Can ya not … in here? Please?” I beg. At least I added a please. It’s more than they got last time.
My mom raises a brow at me while her boy toy throws me a look. That look; the one he always saves for whenever I open my mouth, and he remembers I exist … and that I was here before him.
I glare right back at him while gobbling up my Cheerios. Then I grab my phone and check the messages.
Mo: Cash me ousside, whore.
I snort and type back.
Sam: Coming, whore.
Mo: Hard.
I tuck my phone away, grab my bag, and get up.
“Where are you going?” Mom asks. “I thought we were going to have a family breakfast.”
“School. Duh,” I reply, shrugging while I grab some toast from the toaster.
“But it’s so early. Class doesn’t start for another hour,” she says. Spinning on her heels, she’s clenching the pan of eggs she was baking. “I still wanted to talk to you.”
Oh, boy.
Talking.
That’s code for a conversation I really don’t wanna have.
“Whoa, be careful, honey,” her new boy toy says as he holds up his hand close to the pan. “Almost hurt me there.”
I wish she had.
“Sorry,” she mutters, gazing into his eyes as though she’s already forgotten about me.
He puckers his lips and gives her a sloppy kiss. “It’s okay, honey.”
My eyes almost roll to the back of my head.
From the hallway, I yell, “Bye!”
And I stuff the toast into my mouth before grabbing my coat and running off.
“Don’t be late today! I’m making lasagna tonight!” Mom yells. As if my favorite meal will coax me to stay. Nothing in the world could keep me in that house as long as that guy is here lurking in the background.
“Oh, and if you want, you can invite Monica too!”
Ew. As if I want Mo to see the travesty that is my mom and her new boy toy, Randy.
Rushing out the door, I head straight to Monica’s new Range Rover, which she got from her parents as a birthday gift last summer, parked right outside in the driveway.
“Took you long enough,�
� she says as I jump in and close the door.
“Bitch,” I mumble, and she snorts. “We’re fucking early.”
She shrugs and tucks a strand of her coppery brown hair behind her ear. “Figured you didn’t wanna spend any more time with those two lovebirds.”
I suck in a breath. “Oh, man.”
“Do I even wanna know how bad it is?”
I cringe. “Nope.”
She starts the car and revs the engine. “Better get outta here fast then, before they start rolling over the lawn naked.”
I gag out loud, and she laughs in response.
“I don’t know what she sees in him,” I say. Mom’s in front of the kitchen window waving at me, but her new boy toy is right behind her, hugging her tight as if to say, “she’s all mine now,” and it grosses me out.
I wave back with a blank stare, and Monica drives off, whispering, “The power of the D.”
“Who’s the whore now?” I quip.
“Who? Me? Naaaah,” she jokes. “I’m still as pristine as Virgin Mary.”
“I hope you mean the drink,” I retort.
“Pfft, you’re one to talk. Last I remember, you were sucking the soul out of Brody’s mouth.” Monica punches me in the shoulder.
“That was before summer,” I reply.
“So?” She raises a brow.
“I’m so over him.” I look out the window.
“So who’s next on your list? Got any favs?” she asks.
“No one,” I reply.
“What?” She narrows her eyes. “Course you do.”
“Boys are just a distraction.”
It’s quiet for a few seconds, then she sputters, “Pfft, that is such a Sam thing to say.”
I glance at her over my shoulder. “What? It’s true. Boys are dumb.”
“But those eyes …” She blinks. “Those abs …” She bites her lip. “And those mouths …” She curls her fingers into claws, and says, “Rawr.”
“Jesus.” My eyes practically roll to the back of my head. “You’re such a cliché.”
“Who cares? Besides, boys make me happy.”
Rowdy Boy (A High School Bully Romance): Black Mountain Academy Page 28