Chapter 21
COSETTE
“What the hell? What the actual hell?!”
“Volume, little vixen.”
I turned on my heel, my fingers still gripping my hair as I looked at him and Dex, the latter just looking at me smugly, leaning back on my mattress with his hands behind him.
Siege, at least, had the decency to look guilty that they didn’t warn me of Nero’s—fucking Nero—plan to ask me out on a date tonight.
“How are you two so chill about this? Actually, no. My question is, why are you goading him on to ask me out?”
I was panicking. For so many reasons.
I’m pretty sure I knew from the day I met Nero that I would be frantic if he ever showed any interest in me. But to do it when I’m already in a relationship? Not that it matters, because my two boyfriends are in on the plan, it seems.
Still. This is nuts.
“We didn’t beg for him to ask you out, sweetie.
Trust me, I’m not so keen on sharing you when you and I are still so new, but it’s not like we can stop the guy.
Dude’s got balls. If he wants you that bad, I respect it,” Dex said, shrugging like all of this is totally normal.
“I’m not really in the place to stop him when Siege has been generous enough to let me… have you.”
I know he meant ‘have me’ in a way that allowed us a relationship, but maybe it was because I was in front of them in nothing but my bra and panties that he’s a little distracted with the other meaning of the word.
“Anyway,” Siege interrupted, side-eyeing Dex at getting distracted as he stood up. “Let’s go back to the task at hand and find you something to wear for your date. Deep breaths.”
I rolled my eyes, letting him cup my face in his huge palms, closing my eyes when he rested his forehead against mine.
Feeling his skin grounded me, my breathing returning to its normal state from before I opened the closet to look for a date outfit.
I was already panicking enough after Nero asked me in the cafeteria. Enough that I didn’t answer him for a good whole minute before I found my voice when Siege’s foot gently nudged mine under the table.
“Sure. Like a friendly date?” was what came out of my mouth that made Nero smile one of his boyish smiles before shaking his head.
“No, a real one,” he’d replied.
“How about this one?” Dex said, apparently standing up from his spot on my bed, pulling me out of the moment from earlier that my mind was replaying.
I opened my eyes, pulling away from Siege before looking at the dress Dex was holding up.
“What’s that?”
“The dress you’re going to wear tonight,” Dex replied, making me scrunch my brows.
“That’s not mine.”
I narrowed my eyes at him as he smirked.
“It is. I bought a few extra dresses that you tried on at the store while you were still in a post-orgasm haze,” Dex said.
“But… I didn’t try that one on.”
Dex just pursed his lips, shrugging. “Guess I was in a haze too, then. It was very hard to concentrate when I could still taste you on my tongue.”
Have I told him already that I loved him? But also, I hate him. And I hate that I don’t want to say it right now because Siege is here and I want my first ‘I love you’ to Dex to be just for him and me.
“That looks too fancy.”
“It’s not. Trust us,” Siege said.
“Right. Trust my two boyfriends… who are pimping me out!” I exclaimed, making Dex choke on the can of soda he’s drinking.
They really know about this date, then, if they’re sure that the dress would fit for where we’re going.
Did they plan it together?
“Seriously. What’s going on? Why do you know where we’re going?”
Dex’s eyes followed me as I walked closer to him, pinning him with my glare, my hands on my waist because I think it’s easier to make him talk than Siege.
“During homecoming, the song Nero sang,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “It was for you. I may have told him about how I did the same during karaoke night at Blue Bulls, and that sparked this whole thing between us.”
He then looked at Siege over my head, before returning his eyes to me.
“It was all Siege’s idea,” Dex said, ratting out his best friend, and I whipped my head towards Siege, who was so shocked that Dex caved.
“You son of a bitch!” Siege said, pointing at Dex while Dex used me as a shield, wrapping his arms around me from the back. “What? Like it’s a sin to be selfless and make our girl happy?”
Siege went full on defensive, his hands up in the air, showing me his palms in complete surrender.
I was about to punish Siege, telling him I’m withholding sex for a week, but because I had my back to my closet, I had a full view of my windows, and I could tell through my curtains that the light to Nero’s bedroom went out.
I looked at the clock on my bedside table then, seeing we’re fifteen minutes away from our agreed time.
Crap. He’s on the way.
“Quick! Help me with it!” I stepped into the dress that Dex held out for me to wear, and he was zipping my back up while Siege was helping me adjust my neckline in front.
The dress Dex chose had a clear purpose of showing off the woman’s cleavage. I didn’t want to showcase too much, though, so I asked for Siege help to pull up the neckline a little more than intended.
If this was any other time, Siege’s palms manhandling my boobs would’ve made us late for whatever function we’re going to.
But the doorbell rang, and I let out a tiny squeal, making Dex and Siege pull their hands away from me.
“We’ll go on ahead downstairs. Just… come down when you’re ready,” Siege said before rushing down the stairs, Dex following him not far behind, muttering, “I chose the fucking dress and Nero will get to take it off of her later. How is this fair?”
Ignoring him, I sat at the vanity table, quickly putting some concealer on the right spots, blending them in before putting some color on my lips and cheeks with my blush stick.
Taking a deep breath, like Siege made me do earlier, I took one last look in the mirror before I stood up and headed downstairs.
It gave me a sense of familiarity from homecoming as I saw Nero dressed so nicely at the bottom of the stairs.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize the time,” I mumbled as I stood a hand away from Nero, and he was shaking his head, stumbling to speak himself.
“No, it’s— I think I got here a bit early. Sorry ‘bout that.”
I nodded, smiling as a pause fell between us.
“Uh, are you ready to go?” Nero asked, clearing his throat, and I nodded, heading to the door myself as he moved to open it.
“Lock up the door, you guys,” I called out to Dex and Siege, knowing they’re going back to their rental and I wouldn’t see them after until tomorrow morning in school.
Nero then rushed to the truck before he opened the door for me again, and I hoisted myself up to sit on the passenger’s side.
I watched him through the windshield as he walked to the driver’s seat and got in himself.
“Ready?” He asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
And that made me think.
That even after the years of pining, I’ve realized that nothing could’ve prepared me for finally going on kid Cosette’s dream date.
A date with Nero Combs.