Page 69 of Stolen Summer
“Did he say anything else?” he murmured into my hair.
His scent surrounded me. I shook my head and immediately winced. “No, I told him he wasn’t here.”
His fingers cradled my face, pulling away to look at me. “Good, you did good, Killer.”
“What did he want from your brother that required a knife?” I asked, my voice still hoarse and my throat scratching on fire.
Cole slid the doors shut and locked them. “It doesn’t matter. The important thing is you’re safe.”
“Am I? Safe here? Because I’m not sure. If he can get in the house, can’t others who are looking for your brother?” What kind of shit was Crew messed up with? If I ever met that particular Riley sibling, I had some choice words for him.
“Arie—”
Shaking my head with more force and meaning, I backed out of his arms. “Don’t defend him. I don’t want to hear it, Cole. I can’t do this. I have too much at stake, too much to lose, and people who depend on me. I can’t get tangled in whatever mess your brother has created.”
“It won’t happen again. I promise.” His eyes flashed with more than determination.
My arms wrapped around me, the throbbing at the back of my head no longer dull but roaring. “I don’t know how you can promise something like that, but if it happens again, I’m gone.”
For a week, I carried the bruises of my attack. The ones on my neck were the worst, and when they turned a nasty shade of yellow, I at least knew the healing stage was near the end. Then Cole could stop looking so guilty and angry all the time. He wavered between the two emotions whenever his eyes landed on the marks, a reminder of the night coming back each time.
In the mornings, I checked on Dad, who didn’t seem to notice my absence, not like I imagined, and it had me thinking. Was it possible my staying so close to home held him back? If he was forced to do things on his own, would he thrive instead of sink like I’d assumed? I didn’t know if it was guilt that held me home or my father’s needs anymore.
I’d never felt so baffled about my life. What the fuck am I doing anymore? Everything seemed simple when all I did was work and study. I had no time to mull over anything else. My dreams had been uncomplicated. Freedom only gave me too much time to reflect on the past, the future, feelings, and internal reflections.
Only I would be given an unforeseen paid vacation and spend it stuck in my head, worrying about insecurities, hardships, and unfairness.
What is wrong with me?
I read the same line again for the fifth time and still had no idea what it said. Frustrated, I closed the book with a snap and lifted my sunglasses on top of my head. The sun toasted my skin, glistening with sunscreen, as I lay out on one of the lounge chairs with my second book. Unlike the first, I had difficulty losing myself in the pages. It had nothing to do with the story.
Setting the novel aside on the little poolside table, I reached for my watered-down bubble tea. All the ice melted an hour ago, and the brown sugar boba pearls were getting gloppy. I sipped on the sweetened tea. Overripe coconuts, hints of jasmine, and the sweetness of hydrangeas perfumed the air from the lotion slathered on my skin. It made me feel like I was on a tropical island, the ocean serenading me in the distance.
I traded the glass of boba for my phone, wiping the condensation off my hand before unlocking the screen. Frankie had sent me a lewd text regarding Cole’s meat and whether I’d had a taste. Rolling my eyes, I sent the middle finger emoji in response.
She was the only person who knew the truth regarding my agreement with Cole.
While I grinned at my phone, a shadow fell over me, blocking my sun. I didn’t have to look up to see who interrupted my peace. After the break-in, I figured things might be awkward between us, but to my surprise, the following morning, Cole hadn’t been moody or distant.
“You’ve been out here for a while,” he said, peering down at me.
I ignored the way my heart kicked up and glanced at Cole. “How else am I going to avoid you?”
He hit me with that make-me-weak-in-the-knees grin I loved and loathed, the gold flecks in his eyes dancing. “I’ve been told I’m impossible to ignore.”
“By who? Your mom?” The jab hardly left my lips when his fingers circled my ankle, tugging me to the end of the lounge chair. I kicked him with my free foot, not hard but with the intent of causing him to release me.
He did no such thing.
I squealed as he grabbed my waist, hauling me out of the chair and over his shoulder. It didn’t take a genius to predict his next move. I went flying through the air, landing in the center of the pool with a splash. Water rushed over me as I sunk to the bottom, and I pushed off with my toes, surging to the surface. Coolness sliced over my heated skin.
Pushing my hair back, I trod water, my eyes landing on Cole. “You’re going to pay for that later, Riley.”
“Promise?” He offered me a hand from the side of the pool.
I swam over, thinking a few laps would be nice before I got out. I mean, I was already wet, and it was better to make good use of the situation but not before I enacted my revenge.
His fingers closed around mine as I put my hand in his, and the second he leaned back to pull me out of the pool, I yanked, throwing Cole off-balance. He tumbled over my head, diving into the water.