it becomes to watch him. I have to do something. I have to help him or somehow make at least a fraction of the pain go away, but when it comes to Colton Carrington, figuring out the right thing to do is always a challenge.
Realizing it’s now or never, I swallow my pride and go to take a step into the private bar, but as he stands, I find myself hovering in the open doorway.
His hazel eyes never leave mine and as he walks toward me, my heart starts racing. I've never understood how he can do that. He's just some guy yet whenever he’s around, whether it's something good or something bad, he makes me react in a way which I never would have expected.
The closer he gets, the more I’m reminded of our night together and then early this morning before everything turned to shit. Last night was a fairytale at the party. He looked at me as though I was his everything, his whole world wrapped up in golden silk, but right now, he eyes me as though I’m nothing–trash.
Colton steps in front of me and I raise my chin, not understanding why my nerves are riding so high. “Hey, I … umm–”
I cut myself off as he steps right into me, his body pressed right up against mine. My hands naturally fall to his chest but as he takes another step, I’m pushed out, back into the quiet kitchen. He gives me a gentle push, sending me back against the counter but he stays right where he is, his eyes darkening with distaste.
Unease rockets through me and as he reaches the cabinet door and steps back into the private bar, his intentions become clear. The door is slammed between us with a hard thud and as I listen to the lock sliding into place, my world goes up in flames.
Tears begin to well in my eyes at his rejection. I thought this morning could have been forgiven as he’d just found his father dead, but now after hours of coming to terms with it … it hurts. All his rejections over the past month, his taunts, his stares, his hate, they all come back to me and just like that, I realize that whatever I was foolishly trying to build between us is gone.
The Colton Carrington I thought that I was beginning to know doesn’t exist. He played me, and despite knowing how much pain he’s in right now, something tells me that this is more than just a cry for help. He’s done with me and the finality of that tears me wide open, leaving me feeling like a fool, vulnerable and hurt.
I’m left standing here, staring at the closed door between us, and the longer I wait, hoping for it to open, the quicker everything begins to shut down within me.
The fairytale is dead and the sooner I come to terms with that, the better.
Chapter 4
“Are you ready for this?” Milo questions as he pulls into the student parking lot bright and early on Monday morning.
I stare up ahead at the students climbing out of their cars and take in the way they all look back at Milo’s Aston Martin, knowing I’m sitting right here in the passenger's seat. That’s the problem being the only girl in a school full of guys, if even the smallest thing happens in my life, every one of these bastards will know about it.
I shake my head and press my lips into a hard line. “Nope. Not even close, but it’s not like there’s anything I can do about it.”
“Mmhmm,” Milo hums. “You just gotta roll with the punches, or you can be a weak bitch and I can take your ass home.”
I groan and fall back into my seat as he parks his car. “Have I ever told you how your ability to inspire me is astounding? You’re simply one of a kind.”
Milo grins wide, knowing damn well that I’m being sarcastic. “What can I say?” he laughs. “You’d prefer me to be a mean bitch than a fake one.”
I groan again. “Fuck you. I hate it when you’re right.”
“Really?” he laughs. “I kinda like it.”
The Aston Martin comes to a stop and I watch as all the students turn and start heading toward us. “For fuck’s sake,” I mutter under my breath as I grab my bag and slip my phone into my pocket. “This is going to be a shit show.”