He wraps his hand around my throat and pushes me back against the wall of the pool house. He’s in my face, growling, “You have no fucking clue what I lost! What I did for you!”
I take in a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry.” Tears run down my cheeks. I’m not sorry for walking away from the accident. I’m sorry for ever being there. “You shouldn’t have taken the fall.” I’ve never known Cole to be a good guy. I don’t know why he took the responsibility for me that night, but I know it will cost me in the long run.
“You shouldn’t have been there at all!”
My eyes narrow on him. Then why did he let me walk away? “I was responsible—”
“You wanna owe me, Becky? Huh? Is that why you came here? To tell me that you’re fucking sorry that my friends are dead?” he interrupts me.
I swallow nervously against his hand that holds me hostage. I knew he’d make me pay in some way. Cole Reynolds does nothing for free. Hell, maybe he saw this coming and knew he could use me.
“I owe you, Cole,” I whisper after a long second, accepting my fate.
“When I need you for something, you will do what I say?” he asks, arching a brow.
I give him a slow nod, and whisper, “Whatever you need.”
“I don’t wanna talk to you or fucking see you until then, do you understand?”
I’ll gladly stay the hell away from him. “Yes.” My shoulders physically shake, and I can’t stop the tears that run down my face.
“Good. Now leave.” He lets go of my neck and takes a step back from me. I rub my sore throat as he turns and dives back into the pool.
“The three of us should get together soon.” She breaks through my thoughts.
“Three of us?” I ask.
“You, me, and Demi.”
“Why?” I can’t help but wonder. “We never hung out with her back in Collins.”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. She just seems … sad. Maybe she didn’t want to move here.”
“She didn’t have a choice.” My mother decided that when I was moving to Texas so was Demi. She hates me for that, but I don’t give a fuck.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll all get together. Maybe have a girls’ night.”
Like Cole would allow her to do that, but I nod. Hell will freeze over before I’ll have a girls’ night with my sister.
Placing my head against the window, I think back to the day Cole decided it was time for me to pay up. My payment could have been much worse than the woman sitting beside me.
I stand in the kitchen of the Reynolds’ house. Cole is throwing a party tonight during Christmas break before we all go back to school in a few days. I was tired of being holed up in my father’s house. I’ve avoided Cole since he wrapped his hand around my throat months ago, telling me I owed him. I knew Deke was going to be here tonight, and I need to talk to him. See him. I take a drink and set my cup down when I hear my phone go off. I open it up to see I have a text from Cole, and my stomach drops.
Cole: Ready?
I begin to type out what do you mean but delete it. Instead, I settle on just a question mark.
Me: ?
Cole: A friend of mine is coming tonight. You would make a great friend for her too.
Her?
Me: You don’t have any girls who are friends.
Who the fuck is he talking about? Cole isn’t like the rest of the GWS. He doesn’t hang all over girls. He doesn’t even speak to them. He only shows interest once he decides he wants to fuck you. And then after you spread your legs for him, he moves on. The girls always try to get more out of him, but it never works.
Cole: Her name is Austin. Brunette. Green eyes. Probably wearing something red. Text me when she gets here.
