"Do you want to ditch them and go around the city instead?" Colton asked Mallory who was putting on her clothes. "I don't ditch people but if I text my cousin and explain why we won't be showing up I'm sure she'll understand" Mallory said and walked over to grab her phone from her bag.
"I'll get changed" Colton smiled as he got up.
~
"So tell me Mallory, what really brings you to New York?" Colton asked as before he took a drink from his lemonade that he and Mallory stopped to get.
"I'm just here to explore, almost a typical tourist" Mallory smiled. Colton chuckled and shook his head. "You're not a typical tourist"
"What makes you believe that?" Mallory asked. "Calum might have mentioned that your his girlfriend's rich cousin and I believe that like him she is too" Colton raised his brow.
"So?"
"Rich people don't come to this side of new york with a stranger like me" Colton smiled. "You're no stranger I mean I've seen more of you than the people I've known longer" Mallory shrugged. Colton smiled.
"I like your sense of humor, sounds like sarcasm but I like it. Listen the reason I say it is because outsiders come to the city usually for three reasons. One, the most obvious one, to tour and take a picture with the Statue of Liberty behind them. Two, to pursue a career or attend school here. Three, which is the one I believe you're here for, to forget about someone who hurt you by partying and going out every night." Colton looked at Mallory as she turned to look at him with a serious face.
"I'm here for reason number four" Mallory shrugged. "And which is that one?" Colton asked. "Shouldn't you know? Family" Mallory smiled. "Really? How many times before this visit did you come for family?" Colton asked. "One does not count" he added.
"What makes you believe someone hurt me?" Mallory looked down at the ground as she walked. "Without offending, the way you avoided most of the kissing during sex"
Mallory blushed and turned to look at him, "well maybe I'm not a good kisser which is why I avoid it" Mallory shrugged. "So what if I am here because I'm trying to forget about someone? Are you going to lesson me on how I should love myself more?" Mallory asked.
Colton shook his head, "It's not at all in my place to tell you. As long as you're here, enjoy it" he smiled.
~
"Hey, I'm sorry we didn't show up" Mallory said as she stepped into the living room and saw Noelle laying in the couch. "It's fine, how did it go?" Noelle asked.
"Are you okay?" Mallory frowned when she saw Noelle upset. "My father keeps calling" Noelle nodded. "And you want to answer?" Mallory asked but Noelle didn't answer. "It's fine if you do, he's your father and he will always be. What he did is just as horrible as what my father did but they're our parents right. Maybe just answer and hear his voice, it helps sometimes" Mallory said. Noelle nodded.
"We'll be fine I promise. We leave to Oxford in a few weeks, I mean that's exciting right" Mallory smiled. "It is. So tell me what happened with him" Noelle finally smiled.
"He's an artist, his hands definitely do wonders. However he said he can tell I'm here to forget about Zeke" Mallory said. "Is that a problem for him?" Noelle asked.
"No but it made think of Zeke. When I was on my way back here I couldn't help but look at Haileys instagram and-"
"And your hurt your own feelings?"
Mallory nodded.
~
The weeks went by and Mallory enjoyed Colton's company however she knew she would never have anything serious with him. Colton had entered an art contest and won. Besides wining he had fortunately had someone buy it and he sold it for a a big amount of money. His friends had organized a party for him and he invited Calum, Noelle, and Mallory.
Mallory stepped into the club with Noelle and Calum besides her. Colton turned just as they stepped in and greeted them. "Bar is over there if you guys want anything to drink" Colton said. "Thanks" Noelle answered.
"Can you come with me, there's some people I want you to meet" Colton grabbed Mallory's hand. "Sure" Mallory nodded and walked with him but they excused themselves first.
Colton took Mallory over with his friends and introduced her as his friend which Mallory was fine with because they weren't anything else. He then took her over to see a copy of the painting he had sold. It was the sunset at a beach. Mallory thought it was beautiful but all she could think of was Zeke and Noah. She remembered of the first time Zeke took her to a lake, it obviously wasn't a beach but everything reminded her of him. As of Noah she always had dates with him at the beach and she suddenly remembered that it was the first time since she graduated that she thought of Noah.
"It's beautiful" Mallory smiled. "It's crazy to think someone actually purchased my painting, it's surreal" Colton smiled. Mallory looked at the way he smiled, he was so proud of his work and he seemed so content with who he was at that moment.
"I hope it's the first from many, I'm truly proud" Mallory hugged him. "Thank you, so you leave on Monday?" Colton asked as he let go of her. "Yeah I have to go back home to pack my stuff before I leave to England" Mallory nodded.
"Will you ever come back to visit?" Colton smiled. "It would be an honor, thank you for showing me around these days" Mallory smiled back.
"Thank me with a dance" Colton put his hand out for Mallory. She grabbed his hand and walked over to the dance floor with him.
~
Mallory stepped into her home and saw her father walking down the hall towards the foyer. He smiled as soon as he saw her and hugged her. "Why didn't you tell us you were arriving today?" Roman asked Mallory.
"I didn't find it necessary, where's mom?" Mallory looked at her father. "She's in the office helping me with some papers-"
"For another fraud?" Mallory raised her brow. "It's good to have you back" Roman said before walking to the door. "Are you going to your office?" Mallory asked.
"No Bellami and I agreed to meet each other" Roman said before leaving. Mallory walked up to her room and showered. She put on an embroidered mini dress by agua bendita and put on her sandals before leaving her house. She drove to the beach and sat in the sand. She thought about what had happened back in New York and thought about what Colton was doing. She took her phone out of her bag and took a picture of the ocean.
She sent it to Colton saying 'art' and in a minute later he replied 'already missing me?'
Mallory smiled and put her phone away as she stood up to walk near the water.
Bellami stepped into a small courtroom where Ezekiel had to prove that he wasn't trying to claim something that wasn't his. Ezekiel was already seated but turned when he saw someone sit behind him.
"Did your girlfriend not show up?" Bellami whispered to Ezekiel who smirked. "She's not a hypocrite like your or your sister" Ezekiel answered.
"Darling we're all hypocrites, for example you're pretending to be in love with our poor little Hailey when you haven't stopped thinking about Mallory" Bellami said as she looked straight ahead. "By the way Mallory isn't such a hypocrite, she's probably the most honest from our family. Although she's not here because she's not even aware that you had your court hearing today, she's in New York trying to forget about you" Bellami smiled when Ezekiel turned to face her.
"It's what you guys do right, run people down while you guys take off to paradise" Ezekiel said. Bellami smirked then nodded. "All of us except Mallory, you changed her into a good honest person" Bellami laughed.
"She's puts up an act just like your father, she's the reason why my family lost the lands" Ezekiel said. "You're wrong, I'm the one who puts up the same acts, and I'm the one who signed those papers" Bellami smiled.
Ezekiel frowned, "you guys protect each other"
"Not always. However I felt like being honest today. It's easy to fake evidence that can very misleading. I liked you, you chose my sister, I helped my father, you hurt my sister, and now that you know the truth it's to late to ask her for forgiveness because she probably moved on. I guess my family always wins" Bellami shrugged. "I think I still have time to go buy a water before your first hearing starts, do you want one? Even if you don't I'll bring you one because you'll need it to swallow down that knot you probably have in your throat now that you know the truth" Bellami pat Zekes shoulder as she stood up.
