“Goddammit!” he shouts.
“Cole?”
We both look up to see Austin enter the kitchen. She flips the switch on the wall, making us both squint at the harsh light. She runs a hand through her tangled dark hair. Wearing a pair of Cole’s basketball shorts and a T-shirt, she yawns. “Why are you guys down here yelling? In the dark?”
“Go to bed,” he orders, ignoring her.
That seems to perk her up. Her green eyes widen, and her brows lift. “Cole, what are you …?”
“Go back to fucking bed, Austin!” he shouts.
Even I am surprised at his tone. I haven’t seen him talk to her like that since he first met her. Back when she was just a game to him. Something to destroy.
She storms into the kitchen and reaches for the phone in his hand, but he snatches it back before she can get her hands on it. “No!” She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re gonna tell me exactly what the fuck is going on. Right now!”
He shoves his hand through his disheveled hair and then storms out of the kitchen and down the hallway.
I know exactly where he’s going.You hear the sliding back door open and slam shut a second later. She goes to follow him, but I reach out and grab her upper arm, pulling her to a stop. “Don’t.”
Her worried green eyes meet mine. Cole has always been a hothead, but things haven’t been the same since our friend Kellan tried to kill her.
“Something is wrong.”
“I’ll take care of it.” I always do. Always have. Cole is my brother. He’s been through some shit, and I’m always there for him. “Just go back up to bed.”
She looks like she wants to argue, but I turn and open the fridge. I grab a bottle of vodka that I was saving for this weekend and then a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of our junk drawer and leave her standing in the kitchen.
I exit the house and step out onto the back patio. Cole’s shirt sits on the ground next to the pool with his sweatpants. He has “Things That Make You Scream” by Memory of a Melody playing softly from his phone through the outside speakers. And I wonder if it’s a sign from God regarding the dream I just had. Which is crazy because I’m not religious.
I plop down in a chaise lounge chair and unscrew the cap on the bottle. Breathing in the cool night air, I take the new pack of cigarettes and slam the end into my palm. After the whole Demi and Becky thing, I could use a fucking joint, but they drug test us at the university. The only downfall of being an athlete.
He pops his head out of the water and takes a deep breath.
“It’s not her fault,” I tell him.
“No. It’s mine.”
I can’t argue that. “I can’t let you take all the blame,” I counter with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. He doesn’t return it.
“I’m not doing this, Deke,” he growls, running his hands through his wet hair to shove it out of his eyes. “I said I was done, and I meant it.”
I nod, lighting the cigarette. Taking a long drag, I blow out the smoke. I don’t normally smoke, but I need one right now. “I don’t think it was talking about Austin.”
“Then who was it talking about?” he barks.
“Maybe Becky,” I offer.
He snorts. “Why her?”
“It could have been the fact that she walked away from the accident.” At the mention of her, I take a swig of the bottle.I need to tell him …Maybe I’m having fucked-up dreams because I’m not being truthful to my best friend.
“How would they know?” he demands. “I only told you and Austin.”
Hmm. True.
I offer. “Maybe someone else was there …?”
“No!” He shakes his head. “There was no one for miles. And if there were, they wouldn’t wait until now.”
