Chapter 25
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
Rory
“Bowling?” I arch a brow in surprise when I pull into the lot of the building Cole directed me to. I put my truck in park, looking over at him.
“Is it a bad idea?” He sounds slightly worried. “I know it’s kind of childish, but I thought it might be fun.”
“No, no,” I rush to assure him. “This is a great idea. It should be a lot of fun.”
Getting off campus and having some fun is honestly what I need. With the Thanksgiving holiday and break approaching I’ve been feeling down. I don’t have a family to go home to, not like Cole, or Li and Kenna, or even Mascen. It’s not like I’ve celebrated any holidays with my mom for years. Heck, she didn’t even do anything for my birthday or Hazel’s. It was up to us to do something for each other. One of my favorite birthday’s was when I turned thirteen and she gave me lemon flavored cupcakes from the grocery store and a stuffed turtle. It might seem childish, but it meant the world to me because I knew she cared.
“What are you thinking about?” Cole’s voice interrupts my walk down memory lane. “You have this faraway look in your eyes.”
“I was thinking about my sister.”
“You have a sister?” He sounds so surprised and I instantly feel bad that I’ve never told him about Hazel.
“Um, yeah.” I give him a hesitant smile and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “She’s older. Her name is Hazel.”
“Hmm.” He hums, nodding. He rubs his hands on his jeans, looking out the window. My intuition tells me he’s upset he’s just learning this. It’s something I should have mentioned in the few weeks we’ve been going out, but it’s not like Hazel is a huge part of my life so sadly it didn’t cross my mind.
Climbing out of the truck, the door closes behind me with a clang. Honestly I’m surprised there isn’t rust sprinkling the ground.
Cole meets me at the front of the truck and takes my hand, intertwining our fingers, so he must not be too mad or irritated.
Smiling up at him, I let him guide me toward the entrance.
I spot Mascen’s Land Rover parked in the front causing bile to rise up my throat.
It could be someone else’s . I know in my gut it’s not.
Cole sees where my gaze has strayed. “I invited Mascen, is that cool? I thought it’d be more fun to make it a team thing.”
“Team?” I squeak, feeling sick, because I’m certain I know where this is leading.
“Us against him and his date.”
“Right … sounds fantastic.” If he notices the change in the pitch of my voice he doesn’t comment.
I’m tempted to text Kenna or Li, beg one of them to give me an excuse to get out of this suddenly torturous event, but I know I have to deal with it and go on. I can’t avoid Mascen forever after our kiss.
I keep trying to pretend it sucked, but the fact is no kiss has ever topped it. It was intense, passionate, full of emotions neither one of us will ever admit to. It was the kind of kiss they talk about in fairytales—one to wake a sleeping princess.
Cole guides me inside the sleek looking bowling and bar crossover. A lot of the people hanging out are dressed nicely, there are even men in business attire smoking cigars in a lounge area. This is nothing like the weed infused bowling alley I used to frequent in high school.
Cole notices my awe and chuckles. “Swanky, isn’t it? I guess a rich town calls for a bad ass bowling alley.”
“Can you even call this a bowling alley? It’s more like a club.” I notice a room off to the side, sectioned off with a thick deep blue velvet curtain. I can’t help wondering if there are dancers back there.
Cole pays for our rental shoes, which are shiny black and white leather and look brand new, not all used and busted.
He leads me into the bowling area. At the back by the wall Mascen sits with his date. He’s leaning back in the chair, legs spread wide in ripped jeans, wearing a fitted white v-neck that shows off the elegant slope of his smooth neck and collar, with a leather jacket tossed on like an after-thought on top. His hair is messy, eyes dark, while his lips are wrapped around a cigar instead of a cigarette. Fuck. It shouldn’t be sexy but it is. He sucks on the end of the cigar and blows out the smoke so it clouds his face. On the table beside him sits his baseball cap. I’m used to him wearing it and find it almost lonely seeing it rest on the wooden top by itself.
I force myself to stop staring at him, and instead I take in his date. I startle when I realize it’s the girl he danced with at the Halloween party a couple of weeks ago and the one I’ve seen him on campus with a few times. The flare of jealousy heating my veins sends color to my cheeks from embarrassment. I shouldn’t be jealous of this girl for being with him. I should feel sorry for her instead.
With lighter shade of brown hair, pale skin, and a round face she looks sweet, almost shy. I know under normal circumstances this is probably the kind of girl I’d get along great with, but because she’s here with Mascen I feel instant dislike and I hate myself for it. She’s done nothing to me and I’m not here for him anyway.
I smile up at Cole, forcing all thoughts of Mascen from my mind. For the moment at least. “This is going to be fun. You had a great idea.”
“Thanks, babe.” He lowers his head, giving me a peck on my lips.
My stomach rolls with nausea.
You have to stop this, Rory. Cole is a good, kind, decent guy who doesn’t deserve to be strung along by the likes of you.
I exhale a weighted sigh, suddenly feeling the need to cry.
Cole truly is a sweetheart and I’ve been halfway out the door our entire relationship, if you can even call it a relationship.
Sitting down, I switch out my black converse for the bowling shoes, knowing I have to put a brave face on for tonight, even though I know I’m going to have to be honest with him later.
Cole enters our names into the touch screen computer and I silently note to myself that the girl is named Mallory.
She smiles at me, giving a small wave. My cheeks heat again, realizing I was staring at her.
“Hi, I’m Rory,” I tell her, extending my hand.
“Mallory.” She shakes my hand and then tucks a piece of hair behind her ear before eyeing Mascen shyly. Honestly, she doesn’t look that interested in him, merely hesitant and kind of amused.
“I thought it was Aurora.” Mascen’s deep, throaty voice invades my senses, thickening my blood until it pounds against the walls of my veins.
“Only to you,” I mutter.
Mallory hears and gives a small laugh.
“You’re up.” I turn at Cole’s voice and he waves me over.
“I don’t want to go first.”
“I put your name in first,” Cole replies, pointing at the screen. “Sorry.”
I lower my head. I suck at bowling. I always end up in the gutter no matter how hard I try. Forcing a smile, I hug his side. “It’s okay. I just suck at this.”
“I can help you.”
He walks over to the wall lined with bowling balls and tells me to pick one that feels right. I end up with one that’s lighter and feels easier to handle.
“Can you hurry up?” Mascen snaps, his cigar between his thumb and forefinger as he leans forward, eyes glaring at me from beneath narrowed brows. “We don’t have all fucking night.”
Mallory glances from him to me, her lips tilting in a speculative way.
“Don’t be such a whiner.”
His lips quirk with the threat of laughter. “Show us how it’s done then, Princess.”
“Princess?” Cole looks between the two of us. “Why are you calling her princess?”
“Her name is Aurora fuck face. You know, like Sleeping Beauty.”
“Oh.” Cole nods with a grin. “I get it now.”
He urges me forward with a hand low on my waist. Standing in front of the long narrow lane I take a deep breath hoping I don’t make a fool of myself in front of my three companions.
Cole murmurs instructions in my ear, his voice low and his lips brushing the side of my face. I feel like I should be getting turned on, but I don’t feel anything. Something tells me if it was the man brooding behind us at my side I would be.
Cole takes a step back, giving me space to swing the ball.
My arm flies back and with it the ball. It pops off my fingers, rolling away.
“That’s okay. It’s happened to me before.” Cole heads to get the runaway ball, but Mascen scoops it up before he can.
“Princess, the ball goes the other way.” Instead of handing it over to Cole who stands waiting he walks over to me. “Don’t over think it,” he whispers under his breath. “Just play.”
He hands over the ball and walks away. Cole hesitates beside me, probably wondering if I want more coaching or if he should let me go for it.
“I can do it.” I figure it’s better to let him think I’m confident about this.
Lining my eyes up with the lane I take a breath and swing the ball.
It goes straight for the gutter but at least it made it onto the lane this time. It’s not much of a positive, but it’s something.
When the ball comes out of the machine, I pick it up for my second attempt. I only knock down two pins. It’s better than zero. Cole goes next, getting a spare. Mascen, hilariously, hits the gutter on his first shot—glaring at me like it’s my fault—but then knocks down the rest on his next try earning a spare like Cole. Mallory blows us all away by getting a strike. She turns around, pointing at Mascen.
“I told you I’d take you down.” She gives a little giggle before sitting down beside him.
I’m not jealous. I’m really not, I chant to myself. I’m afraid it’s becoming a screwed up mantra.
It’s my dreaded turn again. I’m not surprised when I only knock down five. It’s half of the ones I needed to knock down, so I guess that means I’m making progress.
Cole goes up for his turn which leaves me with Mascen and Mallory.
“What’s your major?” Mallory asks, angling her chair toward me.
“I’m currently doing my general studies, but I plan to apply to law school when I can.”
“Law school? Wow, that’s awesome. Good for you.”
“Thanks.” She seems genuinely nice, but I have no control over my distant tone. It’s not her fault I can’t get her date off my mind.
Mascen watches the two of us with a relaxed posture, his lips quirked slightly like he’s amused by this whole thing. As much as I’ve obsessed over our kiss, replayed it in my mind, punished myself for loving it, I bet he’s completely forgotten about it. He’s with girls all the time. I’m nothing special. Never have been, and it won’t start now. I wish I could get the cocky bastard off my mind, because he doesn’t deserve a second of my time, but I can’t stop. I see now why so many girls lust after him on campus, he’s sexy and mysterious. The aura that surrounds him is a calling card to women. We can’t help it. It’s ingrained in us to like the guy we know is bad news. The one with the dangerous smile and smoldering gaze. We know he’ll destroy our hearts but we think the pleasure will be worth it.
Was kissing him worth it to me?
I guess so, because I wouldn’t take it back.
I’m such a sheep.
Cole finishes and Mascen goes up for his turn. I watch him way too closely. The veins roping his tanned arm shouldn’t be sexy, but they are, and it makes me glad he ditched his jacket. He picks up the blue colored ball, his eyes intent as he turns for the lane, his back now to us. He sizes things up, adjusting his stance. His jeans aren’t fitted, but they still can’t hide his muscular backside and thick thighs. I’ve never cared much for sports, but now I find myself desperate to know what he looks like in his baseball pants.
When he lets go of the ball I force myself to stop staring at his ass like a pathetic loser—especially since I’m here with his best friend. God, I’m worse than Mascen. At least it seems like he’s honest with his dates, hookups, conquests, whatever you want to call them, but I haven’t been with Cole.
The ball knocks down one pin and Mascen curses.
Mallory hops up, her gait almost ballerina-like—smooth, graceful. She says something to him and he shakes his head with a true heart-stopping smile. It might be the first genuine smile I’ve seen from him. When his ball appears she grabs it before he can and he playfully fights for her to give it back to him. It’s cute. A scene right out of a movie.
“I have to go to the bathroom.” I hop up before Cole can reply, taking off back in the direction we came. I find the restrooms easily enough and dash inside to one of the sinks, splashing cold water on my face.
“Get a grip, Rory.” I hold onto the marble counter for support. “You’re being ridiculous.”
My eyes are bloodshot in my reflection. Inhaling a lungful of air my shoulders dip further like they bear the weight of the world.
For the rest of the evening, I pretend I’m having fun. I act like everything is normal. But I know by the end of tonight Cole is probably going to hate me.