Page 20 of Composed
I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to someone. His mouth is a mere breath from mine—it would be so easy to lean in and steal my first kiss from him.
Time slows, the park dimming around me as I trace the lines of his lips.
I gulp.
A crash of metal sounds behind us.
I jolt, shaking my head. I force the errant thoughts away as Cole steers me across the skate park. The wheels of my board roll with each slow step he takes, and before I know it, I’m riding with only Cole as my anchor.
“Saint chases highs,” Cole finally says, brows dipped as his gaze slips past my shoulder onto the darkened field. “Theo is his ultimate one. She doesn’t bend for him. He’s constantly on the up with her. It’s where he thrives.”
“Is that healthy?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But, there are worse vices to have than a pretty girl.” His eyes zero on mine, and I’m too busy staring into the deep depths to realise he’s set me free. My arms flail as he pushes me up the ramp. “Show me what you got.”
Bending, I attempt to jump into an ollie, but I overshoot. The tail of my board kicks up behind me. It hits the back of my knees and sends me flying.
Cole’s arms snake around my back when I fall into him. He careens backwards and lands on the ground with a thud and a curse. His hands move to my hips, holding me in place as I crash on top of him.
“Shit. I’m so sorry.” I cup his cheeks and twist his head left and right, scanning for any signs of injury. “Are you okay?”
“Never better,” he grunts. He curls his palms around my wrists, and shifts until we're sitting up, my knees falling either side of his legs. “What’s the saying? No shame, no gain?”
“It’s no pain, no gain, dude.”
“Ah, fuck. Blame the concussion.”
Heart racing, I jump up and reach for my phone to dial 999.
He nudges my hand away as he gets to his feet. “Hey! I'm just kidding.”
“How many fingers?” I hold my hand up.
“One.” He folds my index finger down. “Two.” Then, my middle. “And three.” Finally my thumb. “See? All good. No concussion.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. It’ll take more than a pretty girl to put me down for long.”
My pulse flutters. “You think I’m pretty?”
“Rixie Moore.” He shakes his head, threading our fingers together, as his face lights up with the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. “You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”
Chapter seven
Cole • Now
Hands Down – Dashboard Confessional
Hendrixhasn’tcalled.
The first couple days weren’t too bad. Fresh off our tour, the silence and solitude of my flat has been a haven. No press chasing a story. No fans chasing a night with a rock star. Nobody asking me what I’m doing next.
I’ve done nothing productive. Haven’t pulled my notebooks out, my guitar is still cased. Instead, I’ve watched TV, eaten all the junk food and slept—still to be written music soundtracking my dreams as I chased Hendrix through our memories.
Now though, the silence is suffocating.
I toss my phone on my bed and drag myself into the shower.
