Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
VIOLET
OCTOBER | COLUMBUS, OHIO
COLTON
hey pretty girl
VIOLET
hi there :)
COLTON
got time for me to take you out to lunch today?
VIOLET
kinda slammed today (frown emoji) a bunch of department meetings
COLTON
drive-by food delivery?
VIOLET
that’s really nice
COLTON
i’m really nice (smile emoji)
what should I bring?
VIOLET
you know what I like
Jeans, a tan sweater, and a black beanie on top. Colton stood waiting for me outside work, leaning against a pillar frequented by smokers. When I popped the building’s door open, Colt turned with smiling eyes.
My smile stretched so wide, I thought my face would burst. “Hey.”
This memory would be burned into my brain forever: Colt’s cheeks tinging slightly pink upon seeing me. “Hi.”
I opened my arms when I got within range of him and he matched my posture. We met in a tight hug, and he kissed the top of my head. I drank in his scent and relished in his firm muscles against me. “This feels good,” I hummed.
“Two weeks is too long,” he said, voice muffled from his mouth being buried in my hair.
“Way too long,” I agreed. I gave him a final squeeze and stepped back. “Thanks for bringing me food. You didn’t have to.”
He extended the bag in his hands my way. “Needed an excuse to see my—” he paused. “You. Wanted to see you.”
Why did he cut himself off? What was he about to call me? I supposed it didn’t matter, since we were only fake dating. Otherwise, we were still our no-label selves.
“You could have just come to say hi. I do usually have something packed. I fed myself the whole ten days you were gone. I’m very grown up like that.”
“But what’s more exciting: whatever you packed, or a burger and fries?”
I wrinkled my nose and tipped my head to the side. “You know the answer to that.” I studied him from his crispy sneakers up to his shy smile. “How are you?”
His eyes cast down. “Been better. Could really go for a win.”
I reached between us and took his hand. “You’ll get one.”
His face darkened so fast that it threw me off.
“Easy for you to say,” he snapped.
His hand was a stiff plank in mine, so I let it drop. I raised my eyebrows at him.
“Sorry. You didn’t deserve that. I’m just . . . really frustrated. Overwhelmed. I feel like everyone’s mad at me. This shit sucks.”
“Probably not who you mean, but I’m not mad at you,” I offered.
“I mean, I just snapped at you.”
I shrugged. “Wasn’t that long ago that I snapped at you. Getting overwhelmed and snapping isn’t the worst thing you can do.”
“You’re too nice to me,” he said.
I twisted my lips. “And just recently, I said that to someone, and they said I’m too mean to myself.”
He chuckled. “Please see my prior argument about you being smart and it being annoying.”
I grinned. “You’re probably tired of hearing me say it, but no one’s ever lost all fifty games.”
Colt placed his hand on top of his head. “Eighty-two. You know it’s not—oh. You’re fucking with me.”
I gave him a smug smile. “You know I’m a fantasy league champ. I have to know how many games there are. Trying to make you laugh. But, probably not what you need right now.”
He studied the ground between us.
“What do you need?” I asked.
“To win,” he sulked.
“Well, I can’t do that part. But I can do hugs, and food, and cuddles. Trash-talking the other team. Coming to your games when I can. The occasional jersey picture.”
Colton’s voice was feeble. “What about kisses?”
I grinned at him as my heart fluttered. This wasn’t in a book. This was our first time kissing outside of the confines of our pre-arranged hookups. This was starting to feel dangerous, but exhilarating. “I can do kisses.”
He opened his arms and I stepped into them, looping my hands behind his neck. Colt lifted a hand to brush my hair behind my ear, then settled it on my waist. His blue eyes were stunning in the bright fall sun. “Missed you, pretty girl.”
My cheeks warmed and I rubbed my nose with his. “I missed you too.”
I didn’t have time to back away because Colton sealed his lips to mine for a tender, delicate, stomach-in-knots kind of kiss.
His hand coasted up my back to cup my neck, his thumb guiding my jaw to better align with his.
Colt kissed me like he needed me. Not my friendship.
Not my body. He kissed me like I was a drug that could soothe his every ache.
And he was mine too.
Breathless, pulling me tighter and tighter to his body, a sweet, brief moment of losing myself in this man who was such a grounding force in my life.
We may not have kissed before he left, but something had shifted. This was different.
“Feel a little better?”
Colt blinked a few times and cracked a smile.
“Yeah,” he rasped. “Streak has to end sometime.”
I rose on my toes to deliver another peck to that adorable, smiling mouth. “That’s the spirit.”
My phone buzzed multiple times in succession in my pocket. “Probably a call back upstairs.”
“Yeah, don’t let me keep you. Just, uh, wanted to say hey.” Colt’s hands drifted from my waist to my hips before he stepped back from me. He went to sift through his hair, but only found his beanie, which he pulled off. Then he looked at it in his hand like it was some alien creation.
I reached for his hand. “I’m glad you stopped by.”
His eyes finally met mine again. “Anytime.”
“Thanks again for lunch.”
“You’re welcome.”
As I walked away from him, I leaned out, letting our hands stay joined until the moment when they had to break apart, lest I drag him with me. Just like old times. “Good luck tonight. I’ll be cheering for you from here.”
“Thanks.” Colt’s voice cracked when I couldn’t keep looking at him and walking forward. “Bye, Violet.”
“Bye.”
When I turned back at the elevators this time, he stood with a goofy grin on his face.
VIOLET
(pic of lunch)
Colt brought this for me
KITTY GATTO
y’all are so annoying
“fake” my ass