The Bad Boy's Girl (Now Available as a Paperback and ebook)

Chapter Thirty-Five: Screw Sherbet Lemon, Ice-Cream Is The Magic Word

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Chapter Thirty-Five: Screw Sherbet Lemon, Ice-Cream Is The Magic Word

"Hey,"                 

Everybody talks about that feeling when you tilt a chair too far back. You know that split second fall in the pit of your stomach which is a culmination of all your nerves? Yes well, the feeling of someone addressing my butt as I lean into the trunk of my car is somewhat similar.

Dear Butt talker, you are responsible for what I do next.

With a yelp, I whip around and nearly jam my elbow into Cole's eye. He has the good sense to back away before I injure him seriously. Glaring at him, I try to not show how badly my pulse is racing just knowing that he's here. Nope, I'd sooner sentence myself to the grave than give him that kind of satisfaction.

"Is it that difficult to wait until I turn around to scare the ever living daylights out of me?"

He grins sheepishly, "Well I didn't mind the view but I thought you wouldn't want me appreciating your ..."

I turn red almost immediately, "Whoa there Stone, boundaries."

He immediately becomes somber and I kick myself for feeling bad about it. It's not like I promised him that we could go back to what we were. There's still an ocean worth of issues between us and for him to fall so easily back into our old pattern is unnerving. We're not on equal footing here, not by a long shot. But, as I open my mouth to lecture him on our situation, I'm reminded of why he's going with us on the trip. I'm doing this for his family, for him. There's no one who understands what alcohol can do to both a person and a family. Travis sought it after everything that went on at college and with his ex. For nearly two years he was almost non-existent. I couldn't see Cole going down the same path. So if I have to suck it up and risk my heart getting broken all over again then so be it.

He shoves his hands into his pockets and kicks a pebble, almost like a child. "Sorry. Sometimes when you look at me like that it's easy to forget what things are like now."

I blink a couple of times and then tear my eyes away from him. Breathing raggedly, I stumble away from him and let his words wash all over me. How do I look at him? Do I still look at him like he's the center of my universe, or well if we're being honest-like he is my entire universe? The feelings are so instilled in me and feel so second nature that they might possibly be pouring out of me without me even realizing.

Wonderful, just so damn wonderful.

I clear my throat and point to the duffel bag slung on his shoulder, "You want to put that in the trunk?"

He nods and proceeds to do so, along with dragging all my luggage to the car with ease and let me tell you my suitcase may or may not weigh as much as a baby elephant. I try resisting the temptation to watch his muscles flex as he does the heavy lifting but my eyes are glued to him and he knows it. There's a smirk forming on his face, the sneaky little douche nozzle.

"Well if he keeps that up, I'm not sure you'll be able to keep your hands off of him for long."

I jump at the sound of Beth's voice. She's standing over my shoulder, studying Cole's movements as closely as I was. Does she not have a boyfriend, a boyfriend who's my brother?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about how you were looking at Cole like you wanted to rip the clothes right off him."

"You're wrong." I say flippantly and push past her to go inside the house. Travis is staying here since he needs to catch up on his online college courses in order to go back to proper school in the fall. I did the groceries and there are enough frozen meals in the fridge to save him from starving to death but I need to check. Dad doesn't come home a lot, just checks in once or twice during the week and my mother is too busy going through a mid life crisis to care. Beth's going with us which means that my brother will be on his own for a while.