On the Edge (4 page)

The guys are already there, but that doesn’t surprise me since I don’t think they go to too many classes. As I walk up, each of the guys gives my body their normal appreciative once-over. They always act as if they’re seeing me for the first time. Other than their harmless flirting, these guys are just good friends, because they learned long ago that I wasn’t going to have anything to do with them.

“Hey, hot stuff,” Justin calls out as I approach them.

“Hey, boys,” I say in a sultry voice.

Juliana isn’t out back yet, so I still have time to think before I have to face her. I’ve decided that I’m going to pull her off somewhere since I don’t want the guys to hear what I have to say, but fate has other plans for me.

The expression on Justin’s face changes from goofy to questioning and the other two guys stand taller and puff out their chests. I wonder what has them changing from happy-go-lucky to serious. I turn to see what has caught their attention, and coming up behind me are my brother, Pete, and Cole. This is not cool at all. Why are they here? Cole gives me a knowing grin, which tells me this was his idea from the beginning. Maybe even from the minute I told him I was friends with his twin siblings.

I play it cool and act as if seeing him doesn’t faze me, even though I’m a hot mess on the inside. I turn back to face Justin. “So why are y’all freaking out. It’s just our brothers and Hulk.”

My nickname for Pete seems to amuse everyone. Steve outright laughs and I grin at him. Up ahead, Julie comes around the corner, but before she can reach us, Cole lifts me up and turns my body into his, and the next thing I know, his lips devour mine. Shocked by his public overture, I can’t move at first. Then, like a drug addict getting a fix, I pour myself into the kiss. Gasps come from behind me, but my ability to think is gone. Cole smiles as he slides me down to stand in front of him.

“Hi,” he says in a quiet, soft voice.

“Hi,” I reply, a little breathless.

“Did you have to do that in front of me?” My brother groans, which breaks the spell Cole has on me. Julie stands there, staring at us with her mouth hanging open and the three stooges are all wearing shit-eating grins.

“Guess now I know why my big brother came to school,” Justin quips.

“How did this happen?” Julie calls out. Amusement and confusion dance in her eyes.

“Well, I was going to tell you what was going on, but Cole decided he needed to be all possessive and show off before I got a chance.”

“Damn straight. I have to make sure everyone knows your ass belongs to me,” Cole interrupts.

“I see that.” Juliana cuts her eyes back and forth between Cole and me as if she is searching for something. Part of it is the fact that I’m with her brother, and the other is her trying to adjust to seeing Cole kiss me like that. Then she smiles, grabs my arm, and pulls me away from the guys.

When we’re far enough away from the guys, she tugs my arm to stop and turns to me.

“What. The. Fuck?”

“I know! That’s what I keep asking myself, too!”

I give her a quick rundown of what happened last night. She listens to my story, and when I finish, she comments.

“So, he said that he was making you his girl, and you’re under the protection of the family?” Juliana asks.

“Yes?” I don’t understand why she chooses to question that part.

“You know, in my family,
that
is as good as a marriage proposal. When the guy says that, it’s basically him saying that she is
the one
.”

Panic moves in and tightens my chest.
Cole doesn’t really mean that, does he
? I think back to the words we exchanged last night, and the sudden urge to sink to the ground overwhelms me because I know he means
exactly
that. I’m freaking out. This is not part of my plan. I have to make Cole understand that I’m leaving for college. I’m
not
going to be stuck in Belmont. I’m not sure I ever want to move back, but I have to go away for college.

“Kat, are you okay?” Juliana asks, concern lacing her voice.

“Yes, I’m fine. It just surprises me a bit to find out how serious Cole’s intentions are,” I reply honestly. Well, as honest as I’m going to be today.

Cole’s eyes bore holes in me and he can tell something is wrong. His struggle not to rush over to find out what’s going on is obvious to everyone.

“We better go back to the guys. Cole is getting antsy,” I tell Julie.

She sees her brother staring at us in unease and nods her head in agreement. As we walk back towards the guys, I work hard to compose myself. I can’t let this shake me any more than it already has. After college, if he still wants me, then I will come back to Belmont. It may make me seem heartless, but I don’t want to be anything like my mother. I know that if I don’t get out of Belmont, I will become Cole’s arm candy, and one day, I’ll be in the same place my mother is in now. I’m never going to let that happen to me.

Cole reaches out and pulls me so that my back is against his chest. His arms circle my waist in a close, protective hold. His warm breath caresses me as he bends towards my ear and whispers, “Is everything okay?”

I give a small nod to assure him that everything is fine. I don’t want to admit how good it feels to have Cole holding me. It’s going to be harder to leave him in six months than I originally thought. This is evident to me only twelve hours into a relationship with him. In six months, I will be so lost in him. This connection, this bond between us, is like a spark every time we touch.

As I look around, I can’t help but notice that the other students around us are watching. You don’t live in Belmont without knowing who the Knights are. I’m sure they are trying to figure out how I hooked up with Cole.

I can’t think about it anymore. I decide, here and now, that I will just go with the flow, enjoy Cole while I can, and when it’s time to leave, I will deal with it then. For now, I’m going to appreciate the way Cole’s arms feel around me and pretend I live in a world of fairy tales where everyone gets a happily ever after. I know that isn’t a smart way to deal with it, but it’ll work for now.

As I nestle closer to Cole, I look at my friends and brother. They are all I have as long as I’m in Belmont. I need to make the most of my time with all of them. Until this moment, I’ve never realized just how much I’m missing. Drew and I are used to being on our own and only depending on each other. Now, I have Cole, Juliana, and Justin, as well. I can be a better friend to Juliana over the next six months and, just because I’m leaving, that doesn’t mean we can’t remain friends. The same can be said for Justin. I will have them as friends even after I go to UCLA. I’m not as confident that Cole will be as easy to convince.

The next week, Julie and I spend more time together at school, and she comes over to the house to keep me company while the guys are out doing their shit. I never ask questions, because the less I know, the better.

Surviving when I leave for college is out of the question because, barely a week has passed, and my heart is completely wrapped up in Cole. I try to tell myself that it’s just a crush and that there is no way I’m in love with him. I’m not sure why I thought I could have a relationship with Cole and not fall for him hard. I’m so naïve when it comes to this shit.

Now, I’m waiting in the living room for Cole and Drew to come back, and then the three of us are going to my house to see what the situation is. I almost dread the confrontation with my mother that I know is going to happen. She is going to be pissed that Drew and Pete beat the shit out of Jim. She will never believe that Jim came on to me, just as she never believes that any of her other men looked at me or acted in ways they shouldn’t. In fact, usually she blames me.
Fucking bitch.
They won’t let me go home alone because they don’t trust that Jim is not still around. This is not going to be pretty, and with Drew along, he’ll lose his shit with our mom like he always does.

When the car pulls into the driveway, the nervous fidgets hit me. I really don’t want to go back to my mom’s house. This past week with the guys is the most normal I’ve ever had in my life. Even when they’re always gone doing who knows what. Even sleeping, wrapped in Cole’s arms every night, fighting temptation to beg him to fuck me senseless. God, I want that guy in the worst way.

The guys are talking to each other as they come into the living room, but stop short when they see me.

“Kat, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Drew asks with alarm.

I shake my head no. I can’t seem to find my voice. Cole moves towards me until he is scooping me into his lap on the couch. I’m frozen in his arms.

“Kitten, what is wrong?” His voice gives way to his worry over the way I’m acting.

I sit there for a few minutes just letting Cole hold me, my face buried against his neck. His scent soothes me and makes me feel safe. I know they are waiting for me to say something, but I need to calm down before I can finally speak.

“I don’t want to go home. I know Mom is going to blame me for everything. It’s going to get ugly, whether Jim is gone or not,” I finally say, speaking so softly I’m not sure if they hear me. Cole is the first one to respond.

“Kitten, we won’t let her do anything to hurt you. That’s why we insisted on going with you.”

“That bitch we call mom has a lot to answer for,” Drew says with pure malice lacing his voice.

Pete grabs my bags and takes them out to the car. My anxiety increases and I’m alarmed by how affected I’m about having to return home. It’s partly due to the uncertainty of what I’m going to find when I get there, but mainly, I don’t want to be away from Cole. Despite my not wanting to become attached to him, when I’m wrapped in his arms, I sleep better than I have in years. I don’t have to look over my shoulder or watch what I say to try to keep the peace.

“I guess it’s time for me to suck it up and go home. I really appreciate y’all letting me stay here. It’s made my week so much better than it would have been.” I hope they understand the meaning behind my words and realize that they’ve saved me from so much this past week.

My brother has been on his best behavior. I can’t believe they live quiet, calm lives on a regular basis. I’m sure girls usually come and go like revolving doors, but not once did I wake up with a strange female in the house.

Cole and I stand, and he grabs the keys off the coffee table.

“I’ll drive Kat in your mom’s car. You guys follow behind us.”

I love how he takes charge of situations. I never thought I would like that kind of guy, but here I’m dating a man who asserts control like an alpha caveman, and it makes my body tingle. Not that I let him get away with it without giving him shit, but in the bedroom, I would let him dominate me all he wanted. Another reason why I need to go back to my mom’s is to lessen the temptation of having sex with him. I mean, realistically, how long can we sleep with one another and make out before it leads to more between us? I know my self-control will only go so far.

Cole leads me out to the car. I remain quiet as he drives us towards the cunt face’s house. Fifteen minutes later, we pull into the driveway. Cole shuts the car off and looks at me. I try to smile, but I really don’t want to go in the house. He leans over and gives me a soft, reassuring kiss. My lips tingle at his touch. This guy drives my body bat-shit crazy. It would be so easy to lose control with him.

In the middle of our kiss, there’s a bang on my side of the car. I pull back from Cole to see Drew standing there giving me a stern look. He jerks open the door.

“Come on, let’s get this over with.”

I get out of the car and follow behind my brother and Pete. Cole walks by my side, letting me know he is there for me without saying a word.

When Drew opens the front door, the guys head into the living room. I stop short when I see Jim sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee with my mother at the small, chipped table in the corner. A bottle of whiskey sits between them, and cigarette smoke fills the room. The dull, scarred cabinets and cheap, stained countertops of this shabby kitchen pale in comparison to the ones in the guys’ house. That mother has not bothered with the upkeep of this house is easy to see.

She looks up, and the sneer on her face lets me know that this is going to get ugly, so I brace myself for whatever she has to say.

“Oh, so the little whore comes home now.”

Numbness comes over me. It has always been my coping mechanism whenever she starts in on me. My emotions shut off and I hear nothing she says or sense none of what she does to me.

“What? Little bitch have nothing to say? You try to seduce my boyfriend and then lie and have your brother beat him up?”

I still say nothing, nor do I move, but when an arm wraps around my waist, instinct tells me Cole is beside me.

My mom pauses for a second before continuing. “I guess this is the guy you’re fucking.”

Cole tenses and struggles to keep himself in check. I get it, I really do, since I have wanted to unleash on my mom more times that I can count, but I need life to be as peaceful as possible until I leave for California.