He looked like crap. His left eye was completely black and swollen, and there was a nasty cut on his bottom lip. I actually felt bad for the guy. He sat down beside me and I turned with a weak smile that he completely ignored, his face firmly directed straight ahead.
Okay…looked like there would be no salvaging a friendship. Why did I want to anyway? He was the one who had lied about me! Really, he deserved it. Well, maybe not to get beat up, but he definitely deserved some sort of repercussion for spreading false rumours about me.
Mr. Norton entered the class and was interrupted by the school telephone about five minutes later. His eyes went in Colt’s direction as he murmured something into the receiver and hung up.
“Mr. Morgan, you are wanted in the office,” he said in a bored voice.
I tensed even though I had been expecting it. I just hoped Colt wasn’t going to get into too much trouble. As if he had all the time in the world, Colt stood up slowly, his demeanor calm and relaxed. If I was being called down to the office I would be freaking out, but not Colt. No, he acted like he could care less that he was getting into trouble.
His eyes moved to me and then slid over to my table partner, a sly grin stretching across his face. He walked up to the front, pausing in front of our table. I thought he was going to say something to Jake, but instead he leaned down and kissed me. Kissed me! In front of the entire class!
It wasn’t some little, innocent kiss either. No, it was the kind that had my head spinning and my breathing coming out choppy. I was barely aware of the rest of the class, who had now started to hoot and whistle loudly, as his tongue met mine in an intricate, sensual dance.
“Okay, Mr. Morgan, that’s enough,” Mr. Norton called out, effectively breaking into my daze.
Colt pulled back, and I stared up at him with wide, shocked eyes, my mouth still tingling. He gave me a wink and then walked out. My heart was racing like I had just run a mile. The man was going to kill me one day.
I hadn’t seen Colt for the rest of the morning and I was starting to get worried. Had he been expelled? I hoped not. I knew he wanted to graduate this year so he couldn’t afford to have any more strikes on his record.
When I entered the cafeteria, my eyes instantly went to the table where he usually sat with his group of friends, but I didn’t see him. Rannon caught my eye and nodded in my direction. He got up to start my way just as I headed in his. Someone stepped into my path on the way however, forcing me to stop.
“I hear I missed quite the show in first period this morning,” Reagan said.
I looked at her, bracing myself for her attack. I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood there awkwardly.
“I’m sorry I missed it,” she continued, her face breaking into a smile. “I bet it was hot.” And then she winked at me.
I looked around for a camera to let me know I was being pranked, or possibly a meteor that was about to come crashing through the ceiling and land right on top of me. Neither happened. Shit, had hell really frozen over this time?
“I’m glad you two finally hooked up, it was so obvious he’s crazy about you.”
“Uh, thank you?” I had no idea what to say to her.
She smiled again. “At least you left a broken heart that needs mending,” she said with another wink.
I tried to smile in return, but I could tell it probably looked strained. “Yeah, good luck with that one.”
She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “As if I need it.” Then she turned just as Rannon walked up.
“Reagan,” he greeted in passing.
“Loser,” she replied, walking away.
He rolled his eyes as he stopped in front of me. “What did the Queen B have to say? You need me to go rip out her fake extensions?”
I laughed. “No, it’s okay. She was actually…cool?” It came out sounding like a question because I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around it. Pushing her to the back of my mind, I focused on what was important. “Have you heard anything about Colt?”
He nodded. “Yeah, he got suspended, but just for a day. It’s no big deal. I think his mom told the principal why he did what he did so they weren’t as harsh with him.”
My cheeks heated at the thought that the whole faculty now knew about that stupid rumour too. Just great. “Well I’m glad it’s just for a day,” I said even though I wasn’t really glad. I wished he hadn’t gotten in trouble at all.
“Don’t worry about him, Olivia. He can handle himself. He told me to tell you he’ll see you after school.”
I nodded and thanked him, readying myself to be bombarded with questions from Ella now, who was practically jumping in her seat as I approached. It was going to be a long rest of the day.
As soon as the door opened I found myself pressed against the wall with a firm body pressed against mine. Lips crashed into mine, moving over them as though it had been days since we’d seen each other rather than just hours. Not that I was complaining. My arms hooked around his neck, pulling him closer.
Colt growled, his hands flexing on my hips as he pressed me further into the wall. When he pulled back I actually moaned in disapointment. I should have been embarassed but I couldn’t find it in me. Colt’s kisses did something to me, something I knew didn’t happen with everyone. Whatever we had was special. I wasn’t the most experienced girl, but I knew enough to know it didn’t feel like this for most people. There was pull between us that made me think he had been made especially for me, even though that sounded completely corney.
“How was your day?” he asked as if he hadn’t just robbed me of all thought.
“Uh, it was ok,” I replied lamely.
He chuckled, swooping in for another kiss, this one quicker than the other. When he took a step back I was momentarily scared that my knees were going to give out on me, but thankfully I managed to walk further into the house without assistance. Colt strolled away like he was completely unaffected whiched peeved me off. How come I was the only one suffering from an overwhelming tidal wave of hormones?
“You want something to drink?” he asked.
“Please,” I replied, leaning against the island. “So what happened today?”
Colt went around the kitchen, grabbing me a glass and pulling a jug of cold water from the fridge. He shurgged casually. “Nothing big,” he replied. “Principal Phillip basically told me violence isn’t the answer, blah, blah, blah, and said I had to leave for the day and could return tomorrow. All in all, not a bad consequence for getting to beat the crap out of Jake Taylor.” He turned, a big, satisfied smile on his face.
I frowned. “I don’t want you doing something like that again,” I said.
He cocked an eyebrow, stepping closer to me. He placed the glass of water on the counter beside me then caged me in with an arm on either side. His face was so close, I was starting to lose my train of thought again. “Do something like what again?” he asked, his voice dropping as did his eyes. Having him watch my mouth the way he was made it difficult to reply with a coherent answer, which I was positive was his objective.
Forcing myself to remain focused, I replied, “getting in trouble over something that has to do with me. I can take care of myself, Colt. I’ve been doing it for years. I don’t need you to suddenly be fighting my battles.”
He smiled and I knew he hadn’t really heard a word I’d just said. “Olivia,” he said, brushing his thumb across my cheek, “you’re my girl now. I’ll do anything and everything to protect you, even from little low lifes like Jake Taylor. That’s what I’m here for.”
My heart melted a little but I shook my head. “I don’t want you getting suspended because someone said something stupid about me. I could have handled it myself, in a non-violent way.”
He snorted. “Someone like Jake needs the sense literally beaten into him. He thinks he’s untouchable because of his family, and I just proved he isn’t. Trust me, he had it coming and it needed to happen. I also had a really good excuse this time around.�
�
“I feel like you’re not listening to a word I’m saying,” I said.
He tilted his head to the side, smiling. “I hear you.”
“Do you?”
“Sure, I just don’t agree with what you’re saying.” He leaned in and kissed me again. Damn men. Stupid stubborn, really good kissing, men. He pulled back, keeping his lips close to mine. “I’m having a hard time not touching you.”
My hands gripped the soft fabric of his t-shirt. “I’m not complaining,” I said, my voice breathless.
He groaned, stroking his lips over mine lightly but not pressing any closer. “I’m trying to be good, Olivia. I want to take my time with you. But you’re making it really hard.”
“That’s the point, isn’t it?” I said, smiling cheekily. He laughed, finally taking a step back.
“You’re going to be the death of me, girl,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the couch.
Twenty-Three
The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life. – William Faulkner
Colt
I deserved some sort of medal. For three weeks now I’d spent my days stealing kisses and touches from my girlfriend, working at the shop in the evenings, and then thoroughly kissing my girl at night before sending her home all glassy-eyed and mussed up. I’d been doing my best to take things slow with her, but my restraint was wearing thin.
It didn’t help that her soft, little hands were like torture devices, roaming over my skin and finding their way to places that screamed for her touch, even as my mind told me to put a stop to it. I could tell she was more than willing to take things to the next step, but for once I wanted it to be special.
Did that make me a loser? I looked over at Rannon as we drove to school and debated asking him, but I knew what his answer would be. His would be a resounding yes, I am a loser. What guy puts off someone like Olivia when she is practically begging for you to take her? Oh man, I was a loser. I wanted things to be special, and yet I had no idea what that even meant. What was wrong with me?
Sighing, I slumped down further in my seat, my thoughts going down the same path it did every day that had me waking up stiff and uncomfortable, my body begging for release. How much longer could I handle this? Probably not long, I thought, shifting in my seat.
“You okay over there?” Rannon asked.
“Yeah,” I said, unenthusiastically.
“You don’t seem okay,” he replied. “You seem – tense.”
He had no idea. “I’m fine,” I insisted.
“Trouble in paradise?”
“Not at all,” I said. If there was one thing that was prefect in my life right now, it was Olivia. Except for the part where I couldn’t seem to find my balls and make her mine in all the ways that I’ve dreamt of doing for years now. Considering my mom was working even more than before, and my dad had called again a couple of times, which I’d ignored, I was thankful I at least had Olivia around to keep me sane. “We need to finalize all the details of our plan,” I said, changing the subject.
“Your mom working more?” Rannon asked, knowing exactly why I was pressing the subject.
I nodded. “I need the money, Ran. This is the only way we can get it quickly.”
“What happens if your mom finds out?”
I shrugged, looking out the window as we pulled into the school parking lot. “I’ll deal with that then. It doesn’t change anything.”
“Is everything set to go?”
“It’s as good as it’s going to get at this point,” I said, ignoring the pang of anxiety in my chest that always came when I thought about what we were planning to do. I knew it was the best way to get some extra cash to help out my mom, but that didn’t mean I was entirely comfortable with it.
“Ok, I’ll make the arrangements,” Rannon said, pulling into a spot. “Are you going to Jenn’s party this Saturday?”
I spotted Ella and Olivia waiting by the front doors. “I’ll talk about it with Olivia and see if she wants to go.”
Rannon chuckled. “Getting permission from the old lady, huh?”
I looked over at him with an eye roll. “It’s not like that. I just don’t want to go without her, so if she’s not down I’ll probably pass.”
His look turned serious as he angled his body to face me better. “How does it feel?”
“What?”
“To not have balls anymore?”
I punched him in the arm. He was laughing as we both got out of the truck. “You’re just jealous,” I said.
He swung an arm around my shoulders, hiking up his bag on his other one. “Maybe I am, Colt. Maybe I am.”
She was just staring at me. I hated when she just sat there and stared at me. What was she waiting for? What did she expect me to say? As if I was going to be the first to offer up something. It wasn’t going to happen. And yet, she did this all the time.
“Well?” she finally said.
I had to fight back my grin. She was always the first to break. Ms. Kelly couldn’t stand silence. It went against her nature which was to fill the space between us with constant useless chatter.
“Well what?” I asked.
“Are you going to explain to me what happened three weeks ago?”
I wasn’t planning on it, no. Looked like she wasn’t leaving me much choice however. “I beat up Jake Taylor after school and then I got suspended for a day,” I said simply.
She humphed in that way that told me instantly she wasn’t pleased with my response. “Didn’t we talk about how this year was going to be different, Colt? I thought we agreed no more fighting,” she said, shuffling folders on her desk. She fidgeted more when she was annoyed or angry.
“In my defense,” I replied, “this is only my second fight of the year. I’d say that is pretty good for me.”
She levelled me with a death stare. I just looked back. “Not funny, Colt. I want to see you graduate this year and go on to college or university. You can’t do that if you’re being suspended and missing school.”
I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. What was it about guidance councillors and their incessant need to want us to go to college? Did they not realize it cost money? That not everyone had?
“You can go to college, Colt. I know exactly what you’re thinking. If we can get your grades up, it might even be possible to get you a scholarship that will help pay toward your tuition.”
I let my head fall back on the chair. “Ms. Kelly, we both know that’s not going to happen. And whatever money you think you can get me won’t be enough to cover it all, so I don’t know why you bother to talk about this all the time. I’m not interested, ok?” I looked back at her.
Thankfully she swallowed whatever argument I knew was hovering on the tip of her tongue. “Fine,” she said tightly. “We’ll go back to the fight. Am I going to have to keep an eye on the two of you now, or is the issue, whatever it was, settled now?”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to make any promises I couldn’t keep, and honestly, who knew what Jake might do before the end of the year. It was quite possible he’d piss me off again before then.
“No more fights, Colt,” she said, pointing her finger at me. “Keep your nose out of trouble and focus on school.”
I saluted her. “I hear you loud and clear.”
“Don’t patronize me,” she said. “I also wanted to talk to you about Ms. Morgan.”
I sat forward. “My mom? What about her?”
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “No, not your mom, Chloe.”
Now I looked confused. “Chloe who?”
“Morgan,” she said slowly. “Chloe Morgan, your sister. Your dad was just in here the other day registering her for school next year.” She must have picked up on the way my entire body froze because her words had slowly faded out. The silence in the room was suffocating. “Did you know?�
� she whispered.
I ground my teeth together, ordering myself to pull it together. “I knew,” I said tightly. “I just didn’t know her name.”
“Oh,” was all she said.
I breathed in deeply through my nose, holding it in until my chest burned and then I let it out slowly. “What about her?” I asked, finally looking up to face her.
She shook her head as if she didn’t even know why my “sister” had been brought up in the first place. We just looked at one another again in silence, except this time it was me who broke it.
“Can I go back to class then?”
Ms. Kelly just nodded, her eyes still wide and apologetic. Pushing myself up off the chair, I marched out, my entire body numb as I headed outside instead of to class. I needed fresh air. I need somewhere to clear my head. I needed to punch something.
Instead I ran.
I sensed someone enter my room. My body wouldn’t move though. Running had never really been my thing, and I had literally run until I was practically crawling by the time I reached my house. I’d fallen face first onto my bed and hadn’t moved since. I wasn’t even sure what time it was.
“Colt?”
The sound of her voice had me forcing my head up to look over my shoulder. Olivia stood inside the doorway, biting her bottom lip nervously. Just seeing her in my room had my heart pounding.
“What time is it?” I asked, my voice hoarse from disuse.
“One,” she replied.
My eyebrows shot up. “You’re skipping school?”
She shrugged. “Rannon mentioned he saw you leave the school and thought maybe something was wrong, so I figured I’d come check on you.”
Now I rolled over and sat up, staring at her in shock. Olivia Banks was not the type of girl to skip school and yet here she was, because of me. Because she actually cared. My chest tightened painfully. “How did you get here?” I asked, pushing past the pain.
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