“Can you bring some towels out when you’re done?” I nodded and Cole and I walked into the house, upstairs, and into the bathroom in Landon’s room.
“There’s a first aid kit under the sink.”
“Here, sit on the counter.” Cole pulled out the kit and started cleaning up my cut.
“You seem to know what you’re doing.” I observed.
“I took a first aid class once.”
“Why?”
“I knew someday I’d meet a girl like you in need of my assistance.” I couldn’t help, but smile and roll my eyes.
He finished cleaning up my cut and went to grab a band aid, but stopped. He held up the box of band aids. “Sponge Bob?”
I laughed. “I bought them for Landon to keep here for me. I get hurt a lot. What, you don’t like Sponge Bob?”
“No, Sponge Bob’s cool. I just figured you more for the Rainbow Bright type.”
“I tried, but Landon wouldn’t go for it.”
He smiled, unwrapped the band aid, and gently pressed it on my cheek. He was standing between my legs and watching me with those hypnotic blue eyes. He placed his hand on the side of my face, cupping it lightly.
I started getting nervous. A nauseous feeling flip-flopped in my stomach. Cole moved slightly and with the sweetest touch he kissed the bandage on my cheek. Then he moved back just enough to look into my eyes before he kissed me on the lips.
The nauseous feeling hit me like a tidal wave and I realized it wasn’t my nerves that was making me feel this way. It was the tequila finally catching up to me. I shoved Cole out of the way and hopped off the sink in time to make it to the toilet.
Cole automatically came to my side to help, but I pushed him away. “Get out!” I yelled. Cole stood there not sure what to do. “Please, go, now!” I pleaded.
He left the bathroom, but stayed right outside the door. “Do you want me to get someone?” he asked.
“No! Just shut the door!” I could tell he hated not being able to help me, but I didn’t like getting sick, let alone someone watching me. “And don’t hover by the door either.” I could tell he was there, I could see his shoes under the door.
I heard another voice in the room outside the door. It was Landon. “I came to see what was taking you guys so long.”
“Um, Tatum got sick.”
“She threw you out.” I knew it wasn’t a question, Landon knew better, but Cole answered anyways.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t take any offense to it. Tatum doesn’t like people around when she gets sick. She prefers to puke in private.”
“Good to Know.”
I heard a knock on the door. “Tay, it’s me.” Landon slowly opened the door and peeked in. By now I was just holding the toilet for support. “You done puking?”
“I think so,” I whispered. The room was spinning and I was feeling drunk all over again.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Landon picked me up and cradled me in his arms as he carried me over to the bed.
“Hey Cole, can you do me a favor? Can you go downstairs and get a ginger ale?”
“And a cup of ice, don’t forget the ice,” I added mumbling into Landon’s shoulder.
“And a cup of ice,” Landon said.
“Yeah, no problem.” And with that Cole was gone.
Landon looked back at me shaking his head. “What!” I said.
“Nothing, let’s get you out of these wet clothes.” Landon walked over to his dresser to get me some dry clothes while I struggled to get undressed and tried not fall over in the process. I managed, barely, to get all my clothes off including my bra and underwear. Landon handed me a t-shirt and shorts and told me to put them on. I waved them away saying I was fine and I’d sleep naked.
“Tay you know I don’t care, but I don’t think you want Cole to see you naked and he’ll be back up here any second.”
“Fine,” I groaned. “Help me,” I said holding my arms up like a little kid.
Landon has seen me at my worst and naked several times due to his crazy parties and our one attempt at hooking up that just ended up being really awkward, so neither of us was embarrassed at me lying there naked. We had been friends for over ten years. There wasn’t anything we haven’t done in front of each other or nothing we haven’t told each other.
Landon helped me get dressed with patience and understanding. He knew what it was like. I had to do the same thing to him once or twice. I watched Landon as he dressed me, smiling, and thinking I wished Landon and I could be more than friends. He was the perfect guy. He was always patient, kind, understanding, and always willing to help others without judgment. He was good looking, loving, smart, but we both knew it would never work between us. We tried it once before.
On the first date we knew we could never be more than friends. We still tried, but we didn’t feel that way about each other. It was a sister/brother like love, just wanting to look out for one another. You can’t force something that’s not there.
I just stared at Landon, with what I’m pretty sure was a dorkish grin on my face.
“What…why are you looking at me like that?”
I sighed and said, “Nothing, I love you.”
He just smiled, cupped the sides of my face, and gave me a kiss on my forehead. “I love you too.”
I lay back down on the bed just as Cole walked back in. He handed Landon the cup of ice and a can of ginger ale.
“Here Tay, drink some of this.” Landon handed me the cup of ice with some ginger ale he just poured in and set the can aside. Then he got up to go into the bathroom.
Cole just stood by the end of the bed hovering, not sure what to do.
“I’m not contagious, you can come closer.”
“Wasn’t sure if you were going to yell at me again,” he said.
“Sorry I just...”
“It’s ok, Landon explained it to me.” He sat down on the bed next to me just as Landon walked out of the bathroom with a damp wash cloth and some aspirin.
“Here, take these and put this on your head.” I took the pills from Landon, swallowed them and then took the washcloth and placed it on my forehead as I laid my head back on the pillow. Landon left to go back downstairs with everyone else.
“Do you want me to stay with you?” Cole asked.
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I wasn’t implying you did, just thought you want someone to stay with you till you fell asleep. I guess I was wrong.” Cole got up and went to leave the room.
“No wait! You can stay.” He came back over and sat on the bed. I took another sip of ginger ale and looked at Cole. “I don’t get you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean why are you still here? I only met you yesterday, made it clear or so I thought, that I wasn’t interested. You witnessed me get arrested, ball my eyes out, and puke my guts up. Most guys would have run by now.”
“I’m not like most guys. It would take a lot for me to run and I don’t give up easily.”
“So I noticed.”
“Besides you still owe me dinner, so you won’t be able to get rid of me yet.” I laughed lightly and closed my eyes knowing the sleepiness would soon take over me. I felt Cole brush the hair off my face and graze his lips tenderly across my temple. It wasn’t long after that I fell asleep.
When I woke up, I rolled over to see Landon sleeping next to me. I was a little confused on why I was in Landon’s bed and why I was wearing his clothes. I shrugged it off figuring it was just another crazy night. I pulled the covers off and stood up stretching my arms above my head. “Ow”, why was I so sore?
I looked down seeing the cuts and bruises on my arms and legs, and then I touched my cheek and squinted at the pain. The whole night came flooding back to me. I had hoped it was just a bad dream, but the pain let me know it wasn’t.
Reeling from the previous night, I decided I wasn’t ready to face today yet. I crawled back into bed carefully and snuggled up to Lando
n. He rolled over to face me and wrapped his arm around me.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
“Tay, your breath smells like vomit.”
I laughed and covered my mouth. “Sorry, I guess I should go brush my teeth.”
“Please do.”
I shoved him getting back out of bed and headed to the bathroom. “Hey where are the toothbrushes?”
“I must be out, check Jaxson’s room.”
I walked out and headed quietly down the hall to the second bedroom. Jaxson was a dental assistant, so they always had a huge supply of spare toothbrushes. I opened the door and tiptoed my way to the bathroom trying not to wake Jaxson. I got into the bathroom and found the toothbrushes, thankfully, and brushed my teeth. As I was brushing my teeth, I remembered Landon telling me Jaxson was out of town this weekend. So who was in his bed? I shrugged figuring he came back early and finished brushing my teeth.
When I was done, I quietly opened the door and tip toed my way back out only to stop half way when I saw the bed was now empty. Confused, I turned toward the French doors that led out to the balcony and stared at the man who stood outside with his back to me. His golden brown hair, tousled slightly, was glowing in the sun. My eyes moved slowly down to his bare back, he had skin that looked like silk. His arms were toned and tight, and he had a cute little butt that his jeans hugged just right. I spent a little too much time staring at his butt before I realized it wasn’t Jaxson. It was Cole. I quickly turned and tried to make my way out the door before he noticed, but he caught me.
“Tatum?”
Crap.
I turned around a little flushed. His chiseled chest was glistening in the sunlight. He looked like an angel. I stood there speechless, caught off guard. I never realized how truly gorgeous he was, I mean I thought he was good looking, but nothing like I was seeing him now. I didn’t know what to say. I felt like a kid who just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
Cole just smiled at me crossing his arms. “Good morning Tatum, how are you feeling?”
“I w-was just brushing my teeth,” I stammered, feeling like a moron because I knew that wasn’t what he asked, but it was the first thing that popped out of my mouth. He seemed amused.
“I’m glad to know you practice good oral hygiene,” he said sarcastically, “but correct me if I’m wrong, doesn’t Landon have a bathroom in his room?”
“Oh…Um…Yeah…He was out of toothbrushes.” I tried to sound as serious as I could standing there flushed with toothpaste in my mouth.
“Huh…I just figured you were trying to catch a glimpse of me naked,” he said smiling at me.
I scoffed. “Hardly, I didn’t even know you were in here,” I said holding the toothbrush in my mouth and putting my hands on my hips.
“Well since you know now, next time you’ll have to come up with a better excuse than brushing your teeth.”
“I...whatever!” I stuttered and turned around leaving the room.
I got back to Landon’s room, angrily pulled the covers over me, and mumbled to myself.
“Did I miss something?” Landon asked sleepily.
“Why didn’t you tell me Cole was sleeping in Jaxson’s room?”
“You didn’t ask.” I kicked him in the leg for that. “Ow Tay! What’s the big deal, I thought you liked him.”
“I do not like him,” I said making sure I emphasized each word.
“Yeah okay, who you trying to kid?”
“No one, I don’t.”
“It’s so obvious you like him. I can see it in your face when he’s around or just the mention of him.”
“Well then you need to get your eyes checked because you’re wrong,” I said crossing my arms on my chest and letting out a huff. I was annoyed by this conversation and wanted to end it now.
Landon could see he was getting to me. He started taunting and teasing me saying, “Tatum likes Cole, Tatum likes Cole.” He kept repeating it over and over like little kids do. “Tatum likes Cole.”
“Shut up! I do not!”
He wouldn’t stop. I starting hitting him and yelling “stop it” and “shut up”, even though I knew it would do no good. He just kept teasing me over and over, “Tatum likes Cole.”
Fed up, I stood up, put my hands over my ears and started yelling. I knew the only way to stop him was to act as immature as he was. “I can’t hear you! La-la-la.”
He got up, grabbed my arms, and tried to pull them away still taunting me. “Tatum likes Cole.”
“La-la-la-la!” I struggled to get out of his grips, “La-la-LA-LA-LA!” I got louder and louder until he stopped.
I turned and saw Cole in the doorway. I ripped my arms from Landon’s grip and fell right on my butt. Landon extended his hand to help me up, but I ignored him, still irritated.
Once I stood up, I straightened myself out, put my chin up, and smacked Landon on the back of the head for being an ass. Then I walked out, only to take two steps before I tripped over my own feet.
I ignored the chuckles from Cole and Landon and kept walking. “Watch out for that invisible stick,” Landon laughed.
So, as any person with class would do, I flipped him off without turning around as I went out of the doorway. I didn’t even know where I was going. I just knew I had to get away from them. I thought I’d head outside and get some air. Thankfully my cigarettes were where I left them the night before. I grabbed them and plopped down on one of the lounge chairs on the deck, closed my eyes, and took in the sun’s warm rays.
I lay there for a while soaking up the warmth from the sun until I felt a shadow cast over me. I opened my eyes to see Cole standing above me. I didn’t speak. I just closed my eyes again.
He sat on the end of the lounge I was laying on. I could feel his eyes on me. He started gently tracing the outline of the flower tattoo on my foot and it sent shivers up my leg.
“What made you get this?” he asked.
“I was bored,” I said, my eyes still closed.
“You got a tattoo because you were bored?”
“Yep.” I opened my eyes just a bit to peek at him. He seemed to have many thoughts turning in his head so I continued. “When I get bored and want to do something different, I get something pierced or tattooed.”
“How often does this happen?”
“A lot.” I smiled to myself and closed my eyes again. I was hoping by me not saying anything else he would leave, but no, he just sat there quietly.
Shortly after, Landon came outside and asked if we wanted breakfast. I said yes and offered to help cook. I wasn’t really hungry. I just wanted to get away from Cole. To my luck he didn’t follow or offer to help.
Kelly and Alex were already sitting at the kitchen table. “Morning guys.”
“How you feeling?” Alex asked.
“Tired and sore, besides that good.”
“Are you finally going to tell us what the hell happened last night?” Kelly asked with her eyebrows raised as she sipped her coffee.
“Uh, no, it’s over and done with. Not worth mentioning.”
Kelly and Alex looked at each other, but let it go.
“Where’s Nate?” I asked.
“Still sleeping.”
“Ahh, well what do you guys want to eat?” I addressed the room in general.
“Eggs, pancakes, bacon, waffles, French toast,” they shouted at me.
“What the hell, I’m not making all that. I’ll make eggs and bacon. Anything else you can make yourself.”
“Fine, eggs are good,” Kelly and Alex whined.
I gathered what I needed and started to make breakfast.
“Good Morning Cole,” Kelly said as he made his way into the kitchen a short time later.
I didn’t acknowledge his presence I just went on cooking.
“You Hungry?, Tatum’s making eggs.”
“No thank you, I think I should head out.”
“Good,” I thought to myself. The less time I have to spend with Cole the better.<
br />
“Stay, eat. Don’t mind Tatum, she’s just in one of her moods. Besides she’s actually a pretty good cook,” Landon said to Cole as he patted him on the shoulder.
“I wouldn’t doubt she is, but I’d be more worried about her poisoning it than it tasting bad,” Cole said.
I laughed to myself on that one.
“Nah, Tatum’s mean, but not that mean,” Landon said as he shuffled his way to the fridge to get out the juice.
I shot him a look from the side and he just looked at me like he said nothing wrong.
“Thank you anyways, but I should get going.”
Behind me across the kitchen Cole began to move as though announcing to me that he really was getting ready to walk out.
“No prob man, anytime.”
“Bye Cole,” Alex and Kelly said.
I just kept making breakfast, not paying any attention to him, until he left. Landon leaned up against the counter next to me, drinking the juice straight from the carton. “You know, you could have at least said bye,” he said.
“Why do you care?”
“He’s a nice guy, I like him.”
“Then you date him.”
“Nah, he’s not my type.”
Even though I was still irritated with Landon from earlier I knew it wouldn’t last long, it never did. I bumped him with my hip causing him to spill juice all down his shirt.
“Need a bib?” I asked laughing. He didn’t think it was as funny as I did. He just took off his shirt and threw it over the chair.
When I was done making breakfast, we all sat down to eat including Nate who was awake now. After breakfast I was ready to go home and sleep in my own bed with no distractions. Alex took me home and as soon as she dropped me off, I went straight upstairs to my room, still in Landon’s clothes, and fell on my bed burying my face in my pillows.
When I woke up, I looked at my clock to see it was around two in the afternoon. I didn’t want to get up, but I knew if I didn’t I’d be up all night. I dragged myself out of bed and headed downstairs. I found my phone on the table where I left it on purpose so I wouldn’t be disturbed. I picked up my phone, smokes, and headed outside to the back deck.
I opened my phone to see I had over ten missed calls and about twenty text messages. All from Logan minus a few from Peyton wondering if anything happened between Cole and me last night. I ignored all the ones from Logan. I deleted them without even reading them. I ignored the ones from Peyton too, for now at least. I wanted the rest of the day to myself with no distractions.
The Hairdresser Diaries Page 8