Page 9 of Don't Leave
His lips lift into a smile before he presses a kiss against my forehead. “Then he’s a lucky guy.”
“Thank you.” My muscles loosen at his easy acceptance of the situation. As we stand almost embracing, my heart twists under my breast. “I should go.”
My emotions feel strangely tangled. Not only do I need to physically distance myself from him but emotionally as well.
His hands fall from my face before he takes a step in retreat. As he does, I suck in a deep breath and try to clear my thoughts.
With shaking fingers, I gather up my bag and turn to say goodbye when a blur of movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention. As I turn, my gaze collides with Cole’s. His golden gaze holds mine for a painful heartbeat before slicing to Luke who still stands next to me.
His expression darkens before he swings away, stalking through the crowd.
Everything inside me seizes, spurring me into motion. “Cole, wait!”
My heart clenches as his name rises above the din of the Union. If he hears me, he doesn’t stop.
All I can do is hope I haven’t ruined the best thing in my life.
CHAPTER 3
CASSIDY
With my heart lodged somewhere in my throat, I finally catch up with Cole outside the building. He’s already made it down the cement stairs to the pathway that snakes through campus. Even though I yell his name, begging him to stop, he ignores me. It’s like I’m not even there. When I’m close enough, my fingers wrap around his arm, biting into his flesh.
I’ve never seen him this angry. The Cole I know is always calm and in control of his feelings. But that’s not the case right now.
What I hate most is the hurt that flashed in his whiskey-colored eyes. I don’t want to lose him over a fledgling friendship with Luke.
“Cole,” I plead, “please stop and talk to me.”
In that moment, as I chase after him, it feels like he’s slipping through my fingers like sand. Allowing Luke to touch me was wrong.
“It’s not what it looked like.”
Those five words have him grinding to a halt before wheeling around to face me. The movement happens so quickly that Islam into his chest. His fingers bite into my shoulders to steady me. As his eyes collide with mine, I catch sight of the anger and uncertainty simmering within their golden depths.
“What do you think it looked like?” Even though his eyes flash, his voice remains devoid of emotion.
I gulp before forcing out the words. “I’m sure it looked like something was going on between us.” And in all honesty, maybe it had been. Maybe we crossed a line.
I’m not sure.
What I do know is that I can’t lose Cole.
“It had looked like he wanted to kiss you.” His eyes scrutinize mine before he says with even greater calm, “And it had looked like you wanted him to.”
Had I wanted that?
Had I?
I bite my lower lip, remembering the feelings of confusion that had spiraled through me before shaking my head.
No, I didn’t.
Not really.
The last thing I want is there to be any misunderstandings. It’s the reason I was honest with Luke about my relationship with Cole.
“We were talking about,” my gaze slides away, “what happened last year.”
