The Situation

NINE

Bella POV

After my embarrassing meltdown, I was terrified to go back to the table. I would describe it as the walk of shame in front of the pope. I can't believe I acted like that and took what Cole said to heart. I can still feel the sting in my chest from his knife. That's what it feels like, I've taken blows to the gut that knocks the air from your lungs and that feels like a piece of cake compared to this.

I never would have thought that Cole would bring up him at all. Cole is very important to me and has a special place in my destroyed and fragmented heart, but he's the one person who I thought wouldn't judge my decisions because of my past. I trusted him with too much personal experiences. He was the first person to ever know and he thinks he can make me doubt my choices now that I'm free.

The icing on the cake is that we were in public! I want to blend in with a crowd, I don't need people to notice me, it gives me anxiety.

After the most awkward silence, Niall saved us. After that I had a good time, when I tried to ignore what happened earlier. Harry busted me on vaping, usually I'm pretty good at hiding it, it's not ladylike to vape and only the junkies do it according to the snobs back at mom house. I was taught that it is disrespectful and not tolerated when women have a man's habit.

It surprised me that he even talked to me. I saw how I was getting stares from the guys, but I could feel his intense stare. He didn't seem too pleased with me going to eat with them in the first place, his jaw was locked and brows down over his cold glare. Scary, cold, dangerous but oh so beautiful. I was imitated right from the start with just his looks. All of the guy's minus Cole and Niall are heavily covered in tattoos. A body is a canvas, you have the power to decorate any way you fit or keep it blank. Both are beautiful. I like to look at people's tattoos to get a feel of who they are at their core.

After our server, Debbie, gives us the check. Zayn passes it to Cole and Cole leaves to go pay up at the front making my muscles relax from being a little tense with him sitting beside me. Zayn informs the guys that he needs to go home soon, apparently, he and his girlfriend have plans. Everyone's talking about what they are going to be doing after we all leave. Louis asks me.

"Oh, uh, I'll probably be at the gym for the rest of the day." I shrug at his question.

"It's only 1:00 now, do you plan on staying all day?" Liam asks me. I nod in response. "I was going to head up there later, around 6 and see if you want to meet the rest of the team. Can you be there at 6?" He asks me with a weird look.

"Yea, I'll probably still be there at 6. Sounds good to me." I reply

"I thought you were going with me and Cole to campus?" Niall asks

"Oh, is it okay if I bail? I'll go look at it tomorrow. If that's okay with you?" I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I need to be at the gym.

"Yeah that's fine, no problem." He nods his head while talking. "Me and Cole can drop you off at your- or wait. Hey Harry," he yells to get his attention, making Harry look at him, "Can Bella ride with you guys, the gym is in the back and she lives close to you?"

"No, that's fine, I can walk-"Harry cuts me off. It's not like I trust him after one lunch, I have a hard time trusting anyone. It's a car full of men and me, sounds like a great kidnap slash homicide kind of deal. But Niall knows these people, their friends. Niall is a total sweetheart, i hope he wouldn't have sent me into the lion den without a warning.

Cole's letting me, he doesn't trust people, trust has to be earned, and if you earned that Cole trusts you. He seems to trust them with me, because I know he would have said something to me about it, even with how mad I am at him. Blow caution to the wind, let's do it.