SWNOVELS In Ruins: Chapter 26
“Good morning, Rosebud. Heard you have a good weekend,” Cole greeted me as I stepped onto the sidewalk.
I cast a quick look to Enzo and Fox. I hadn’t heard from any of the guys after my evening with Enzo and Fox. Enzo winked at me. Fox stared at me with the same impassive look he always wore.
“Yeah. It was OK.”
Cole snorted, shaking his head. “Guess I’ll need to have a go so we fix that OK status.”
“If you think you can.” I shrugged at him which earned a howl of laughter from Enzo. Even Fox cracked a small smile.
“Is that a challenge, Rosebud?”
“Take it how you want, Cole. I’m just saying you have a lot to live up to.”
Ethan chuckled. I winked at him, feeling happy for the first time in a long time.
“Listen, I’ll rock your world, baby. Just say when,” Cole growled.
“When.” I peeked at Fox to see his reaction. A tiny smile played on the edge of his lips. He seemed happier than I’d ever seen him before. That relaxed me.
I couldn’t get my night with him and Enzo out of my head all weekend. I kept replaying how it felt to have their mouths on mine. Their hands on my body. Even now, I could still picture us together. My mind traveled to thoughts on what it would be like for all four of them to be with me.
Enzo winked at me like he knew my mind had gone into the gutter.
“Fox!” Juliet called out as she stomped across the lawn. The smile on his face faltered, his eyes locked on mine. “Fox! Why haven’t you taken my calls all weekend?”
“Yeah, Fox. Why haven’t you?” Cole asked innocently.
“I had my head buried in other matters,” Fox shot back at Cole. “You know, the thing you haven’t gotten to do.”
“Not for long,” Cole hissed, narrowing his eyes at Fox. “Come on, Rosebud. We have some work to catch up on.”
Cole took me by the arm and dragged me away from Fox who now had Juliet poking her finger in his chest. He looked bored and slightly irritated as he stared back at her. Enzo stood with them, grinning and probably not making matters better. Juliet rounded on him, pointing her finger at him.
“That won’t end well,” Ethan muttered, falling in step with me and Cole.
“Good. Juliet needs to fucking get lost. She can’t take a hint,” Cole grumbled as he snaked his arm around my waist. “Why he ever got latched to her is beyond me. I told him she was a fucking nut job.”
“He was just trying to take his mind off… things,” Ethan answered.
I took the bait. “What things?”
Ethan and Cole exchanged looks.
“Nothing for you to concern your pretty, little self with, Rosebud,” Cole said, tweaking my nose. “Fox is dealing with them now.”
I ground my teeth. I knew Fox was an enigma. But the dynamic had changed. I needed to know what was going on with him.
I was just about to launch into asking for more information when we rounded a corner in the hall. Ian had Jamie pressed against the wall, whispering in her ear. She smiled as he squeezed her waist.
“Asshole,” I hissed, starting to step forward.
Ethan reached out and stopped me. “Leave it,” he said softly.
“I say let her have him,” Cole countered. “Apparently his accident with a ladder didn’t teach him anything.”
“I can’t just let him do this to her,” I growled, glaring in their direction.
Ian glanced up at us, a smile curling his lips. The prick had the audacity to wink at me.
“Rats like Ian always get what’s coming to them, sweetheart,” Ethan said. “In time—”
“I don’t have a lot of time, Ethan,” I sighed and looked at him. “He’s going to hurt her if I don’t do something.”
“If she’s fucking dumb enough to let him, then I say who cares,” Cole said.
“It’s not about her intelligence, Cole,” I snapped. “He drugs girls. I would know.”
Cole’s eyes darkened as he looked from me to Ian, who’d gone back to Jamie. I knew Ian was only doing it because he wanted the leverage to get me to finish what we’d started. Or rather, what he’d started.
“I guess we’ll have to pay him another visit.”
“No.” I shook my head at Cole. “I don’t want you involved—”
I let out a squeak as Cole tugged me into his arms, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear as he spoke. “No one touches what belongs to us, Rosebud. We went easy on him last time. Maybe he needs a friendly reminder.”
I shivered beneath his words. My eyes shuttered closed as Cole planted kisses along my jawline before he found my lips. He kissed me deeply, stealing my breath as his hands tightened on my waist.
“Jesus,” I stuttered out as he released me.
He answered with a smirk. “Mine,” he said again.
I glanced over at Ethan simply standing there. He was the only one I hadn’t done anything with. Not even kiss. He seemed to read my mind because he offered me one of his sweet smiles.
“Meet me at the bleachers for lunch?”
I nodded as Cole chuckled then resumed walking us in the direction of my class.
“Careful of him, Rosebud. He’ll try to sweep you off your feet with sonnets and flowers.”
“I like sonnets and flowers,” I answered, smiling at Ethan. We’d arrived at my class.
“I’ve gotta jet. Rosebud, me and you later, OK?” Cole said as he planted a kiss on my cheek.
“OK,” I answered breathlessly.
“Bad girl,” he chuckled in my ear before pulling away and sauntering down the hall like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“I’m sorry,” I said, turning to Ethan.
“For what?” He cocked his head at me, a tiny grin on his face.
“You and I never—”
He pressed a finger to my lips. “I’m going to stop you right there. Don’t worry about it. Good things come to those who wait. I’ll see you on the bleachers.” He dropped his finger from my lips. I nodded wordlessly at him.
“Bye, Rosalie.” He pressed a sweet kiss to my temple and left me standing with shaky legs. A few people cast me strange looks but screw them.
Everything was really starting to look up. To hell with what Mona said. This was different. It had to be.
If it wasn’t, it would devastate me.