Chapter 29
T he numbers on the page swam before my eyes, a jumble of meaningless symbols that refused to coalesce into anything resembling coherent mathematics. I blinked hard, trying to force my brain to focus on the problem at hand, but it was no use. My mind kept drifting back to the folded piece of paper that now lay hidden beneath my pillow, its ominous message burning in my thoughts.
"You don't belong here. Leave now, or someone will make you."
I shuddered, the chill of fear creeping up my spine despite the warmth of my room. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand, its glowing numbers mocking me. I'd been staring at this same maths problem for two hours, and I was no closer to solving it than when I'd started.
With a frustrated groan, I slammed my textbook shut, the sound echoing in the cavernous space of my room. I leaned back in my chair, running my hands through my hair, tugging at the purple strands as if I could physically pull the answers from my brain. It wasn't just the maths that was giving me trouble. It was everything, trying to keep up with all this work, the constant fear of what these guys might do next, and now this new threat looming over me. I hadn't even had a chance to look further into my mother’s time here, and now I had this bloody note to deal with.
Who could have put that note in my bag? The question had been plaguing me since I'd found it earlier this afternoon.
My first thought had been Julia, of course. Her fake blonde hair and haughty sneer flashed in my mind, accompanied by a surge of anger. She'd made it clear from day one that she thought I didn't belong at Regents University, that I was nothing more than a charity case polluting her precious elite circles. She was the prime suspect for a dickish move like this.
But as much as I wanted to blame Julia, it couldn't have been her. There simply hadn't been an opportunity for her to slip the note into my bag. We hadn't crossed paths all day, and my bag had been with me constantly. Unless she had done it last night while I was in the meeting at Courts House.
My thoughts turned darker, spiralling down a path I'd been trying to avoid. Could it have been Logan? Or Ryder? The idea sent a fresh wave of nausea through me. I'd seen firsthand the depths of their cruelty, the twisted games they played. Was this just another one of their sick manipulations? A way to keep me off balance, to remind me of how powerless I was?
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I tried to centre myself. No. I couldn't let myself go down that road. If I started seeing threats in every shadow, imagining the Regents' influence behind every corner, I'd drive myself mad. And that's exactly what they wanted, wasn't it? To break me down, to make me doubt everything and everyone until I had no choice but to rely on them completely.
Opening my eyes, I opened the maths book and forced myself to look at it again. The equations stared back at me, a taunting reminder of how far behind I was falling. I fucking hated maths, but now it felt like an insurmountable obstacle. How was I supposed to focus on derivatives and integrals when my entire world had been turned upside down?
I was so focused on the problem that I almost missed the soft knock at my door. My heart leapt into my throat, adrenaline surging through my veins. Who could it be at this hour? I was so used to Ryder just walking in, that the knock was so out of place.
"Come in," I called out, hating the tremor in my voice. The door opened slowly, revealing a familiar face that both relieved and unsettled me. Cole stood in the doorway, his mismatched eyes scanning the room before settling on me. His hair was damp, clinging to his forehead in a way that suggested he'd just come from the shower. There was an energy about him, a restlessness that set me on edge.
"Hey," he said, his voice softer than I'd expected. "Logan and Ryder won't be back for dinner. I ordered pizza." I blinked, thrown off by the casual nature of his statement. It was such a normal, mundane thing, ordering pizza, that it felt wildly out of place in the surreal world I now inhabited.
"Oh," I managed, not sure how else to respond. "Okay. Thanks for letting me know." Cole nodded, his gaze drifting to the mess of books and papers spread out on my bed.
"Homework?" he asked, though it wasn't really a question.
"Yeah," I sighed, gesturing helplessly at the chaos around me. "I'm trying to catch up on some maths, but it's... not going well." He glanced down at my notes for barely a second.
"I can tell," he said, and I groaned. Seriously, why was everyone better at this than me? Something flickered in Cole's eyes. Amusement? Sympathy? It was gone before I could be sure.
"You're in my room tonight," he said abruptly, and my heart skipped a beat.
"What?" I stammered, confusion and fear warring inside me. "But I... I need to finish this homework. I'm already falling behind, and if I don't keep my grades up, I could-" Cole cut me off with a wave of his hand.
"I'll help you with it tomorrow," he said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "But tonight, you're mine." The possessiveness in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn't as harsh as Logan's commands or as manic as Ryder's obsessions, but it was no less absolute.
I swallowed hard, knowing there was no point arguing with any of these guys.
"What... what do you want me to wear?" I asked, hating how small and uncertain I sounded. A smirk played at the corners of Cole's mouth.
"Nothing works for me," he said with a wink, and I felt my face flush hot. But then he shrugged, his expression softening slightly. "Wear whatever you want. Just be comfortable." With that, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.
I sat there for a long moment, my mind reeling. What had just happened? Was this another test? Another twisted game designed to keep me off balance? I looked down at my half-finished maths problem, then at the clock. I had maybe five minutes before I needed to be in Cole's room. Five minutes to figure out what the hell I was going to do.
Melody's words echoed in my mind from lunch time. Learn their weaknesses. Use that knowledge. Maybe this was an opportunity. A chance to get closer to Cole, to find out what made him tick. It was risky, of course. Dangerous, even. But what choice did I have?
With a deep breath, I stood up and walked to my closet. As I rifled through my clothes, trying to decide what to wear, I felt a strange sense of calm settle over me. I pulled out a pair of comfortable shorts and a soft camisole. It wasn't provocative, but it wasn't entirely modest either. A balance, I hoped, between comfort and the unspoken expectations that seemed to hover in the air.
I made my way down to Cole's room and stood outside the door, my heart pounding in my chest. Taking a deep breath, I knocked softly, half hoping he wouldn't hear me. But the door swung open almost immediately, revealing Cole standing there in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. My breath caught in my throat as I took in his lean, muscular frame. His mismatched eyes, one blue and one brown, seemed to bore into me, and I felt a flush creep up my neck.
"Come in," he said, his voice low and husky. As I stepped into his room, I was hit by a wave of sensory input. The rich aroma of pizza filled the air, making my stomach growl despite my nerves. But it was the room itself that truly caught me off guard.
I had expected something impersonal, like Logan's room. Instead, Cole's room was... cosy. Lived-in. The walls were adorned with movie posters, everything from classic noir films to modern action blockbusters. A massive flat-screen TV dominated one wall, surrounded by an impressive array of gaming consoles and audio equipment.
"Wow," I breathed, unable to hide my surprise. "This is... not what I expected." Cole chuckled, the sound sending an unexpected shiver down my spine.
"What did you expect? A dungeon?" I felt my face heat up.
"No, I just... I don't know. This seems so normal."
"Normal is relative," Cole said, his tone suddenly serious. "But yeah, I like my movies. It's why I'm studying media." Then he shrugged, gesturing towards the bed where the pizza box lay open. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Pet. Sit. Eat." I hesitated for a moment before perching on the edge of the bed. Cole sat beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his bare skin. He flipped open the pizza box, the smell of melted cheese and pepperoni making my mouth water.
"No need to be so nervous," Cole said with a grin that could melt panties. "I'm not gonna jump you or anything." I narrowed my eyes at him, not fully trusting his words.
"You're not?"
He laughed and shook his head.
"No Pet, you are safe tonight," he said." And even if I did want to, it has been forbidden by Logan." My eyes widened. What the fuck.
"What do you mean forbidden?" Was Logan really calling all the shots?
"New rule, unless you ask for it, we don't get it," Cole said with a shrug. Last night in bed with Logan flashed into my mind. He said I would be begging for his dick before I got it.
Great, another one of his fucking mind games. Well, more fool him, because I was the one who didn't want to be here, not him. I wouldn't be asking any of them any time soon.
Then something else occurred to me.
"You don't want me?" I ask. Cole raised an eye at me.
"What?"
"You just said, even if you did want it. So, you don't want to?" Something seemed to cross over Cole's eyes. Like the calm exterior bled away into something more primal. He reached out and grabbed my chin, so I couldn't look anywhere else but his strange and beautiful eyes.
"Make no mistake, Pet." Even his voice seemed to have dropped to a deep growl that went straight to my pussy. "I want nothing more than you, right now. I want to lose myself in you, to draw out your pleasure, to fuck you so hard that you lose your voice screaming my name." His stare was so intense, and I could feel every word in my bones. Something about this man was so vulnerable yet so controlling that I couldn't stop my body responding, even if I tried.
"So just say the word, Pet. Just ask me to fuck you, and I will willingly worship you." I couldn't speak. Despite his only contact being his fingers on my chin, my whole body felt like it was on fire. Then, once again his eyes shifted and were back to the calm I was used to seeing. He let go of my chin and sat back on the bed.
"Or we can watch a movie and eat some pizza. Your call, Pet." I was frozen, even though he appeared relaxed, there was still a tension you could cut in the air, and it was making it hard to think.
"So," I said, trying to break the tension as I reached for a slice, "what are we watching?" Cole smirked and nodded as he grabbed the remote, scrolling through a seemingly endless list of titles, as if nothing had happened. "Your choice. Action? Drama? Horror?" I considered it for a moment.
"Something light?" I suggested, not sure I could handle anything too intense right now. He nodded, selecting a romantic comedy I vaguely recognized.
As the opening credits rolled, we settled into an awkward silence, the only sounds being the movie's dialogue and our chewing. I couldn't help but steal glances at Cole out of the corner of my eye. He seemed relaxed, his body language open and at ease. As if sensing my thoughts, Cole turned to me.
"You have questions," he said. It wasn't a question. I swallowed hard, weighing my options. This could be my chance to get some answers, to maybe understand a little more about the world I'd been thrust into. But it was also dangerous. Push too hard, and I might provoke a reaction I wasn't prepared to handle.
"Where..." I began, then paused, gathering my courage. "Where did Logan and Ryder go?" Cole's expression darkened slightly.
"They're handling some business for Logan's father. That's all you need to know."
"Is it..." I hesitated, the words sticking in my throat. "Is it legal?" Cole's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Do you really want to know, pet?" I dropped my gaze, suddenly very interested in the pattern on his bedspread.
"I guess not," I mumbled.
We lapsed into silence again, the movie playing on unnoticed in the background. I wracked my brain for something, anything to say that might break through Cole's walls.
"How did you know all that stuff in English class yesterday?" I blurted out, wincing at how awkward it sounded. Cole raised an eyebrow.
"I read," he said simply. "I pay attention. Is it so hard to believe I might actually be intelligent?" I felt my face flush with embarrassment.
"No, that's not what I meant. I just... you surprised me. You don't seem like the type to be into literature."
"And what type do I seem like?" There was an edge to his voice now, a challenge. I took a deep breath, deciding to be honest.
"Intimidating," I said softly. "Dangerous. Not someone who quotes Shakespeare." To my surprise, Cole laughed. It was a rich, genuine sound that transformed his face, making him look younger, more approachable.
"Fair enough," he conceded. "I cultivate that image for a reason. But there's more to me than meets the eye. Just like there's more to you." I blinked, caught off guard by his words.
"What do you mean?" Cole's eyes seemed to peer into my soul.
"You're here on a scholarship, right? Or you were, before us? The standard one, I mean?" I nodded, not sure where he was going with this. "But that's not the only reason you came to Regents, is it?" My heart began to race.
"I..." I stammered, trying to find the right words. "My grandparents encouraged me to apply. They thought it would be a good opportunity." Cole nodded, but there was a knowing glint in his eye.
"And it gave you a chance to find out more about your mother." The words hit me like a physical blow. I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in shock.
"How... how did you know that?" He shrugged, reaching for another slice of pizza.
"I'm observant. And I understand the desire to uncover the truth about your past. To find answers to questions that have haunted you for years." There was something in his tone, a hint of personal pain that made me lean in closer.
"You sound like you're speaking from experience." Cole's jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought I'd pushed too far. But then he sighed, running a hand through his damp hair.
"My parents abandoned me when I was three," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. "The people who took me in... let's just say they weren't as kind as your grandparents." I felt a rush of empathy, mixed with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Cole, I'm so sorry," I whispered, reaching out to touch his arm without thinking. He flinched at the contact, pulling away slightly.
"Don't," he said, his voice rough. "I don't need your pity. Just... watch the movie."
I withdrew my hand, stung by his rejection but also intrigued by this glimpse beneath his armour.
We settled back against the pillows, the movie playing on, forgotten. My mind raced with everything I'd learned, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Cole Bowers.
As the night wore on, I found myself relaxing despite my better judgement. The comfort of the bed, the warmth of Cole's body next to mine, and the emotional exhaustion of the past few days all conspired to lull me into a false sense of security.
Without really thinking about it, I reached out and took Cole's hand in mine. He stiffened for a moment, and I feared I'd made a terrible mistake. But then, slowly, his fingers intertwined with mine. I glanced up at him, surprised to see a mix of confusion and vulnerability in his eyes. That's when I noticed his knuckles. They were bruised and slightly swollen, as if he'd been punching something, or someone. A chill ran through me as I remembered the way he'd looked when he first came to my room, freshly showered but still radiating pent-up energy. I ran my thumb over his battered knuckles.
"What happened?" He looked down at our joined hands, his expression unreadable.
"Someone needed a reminder of boundaries they shouldn't cross, that's all. You don't need to worry about it." His tone was so nonchalant, like he was talking about buying milk.
"You hit someone?" I asked and the corner of his mouth turned upwards slightly.
"Like I said, Pet, I have an image to maintain. It's what I do." I wasn't sure who, but his words sent a shiver down my spine. I knew he was dangerous. The stuff Luce had told me about Logan's father and how both Cole and Ryder were involved was enough to tell me that. But the way Cole spoke so casually about hurting another person only further proved the point. But it also made me feel safer. Like whoever had sent the note couldn't get me while Cole was here.
I found myself leaning into him, resting my head on his shoulder. He tensed for a moment before relaxing, his arm coming up to wrap around me. We stayed like that, not speaking, as the movie played on. As my eyelids grew heavy, I knew I should be afraid. I should be on guard, wary of letting my defences down around one of the very people who had turned my life upside down. But in that moment, all I felt was a strange sense of peace.