I guess it’s a good thing I’ve never shied away from danger. I don’t mind taking risks, as long as there’s a chance I get to keep her for as long as she lets me.
Speaking of keeping her… this entire thing could be over within a second when I ask her what I need to.
I’ve been thinking about it all day, about me leaving for Thanksgiving next week to see my family along with the other guys doing the same, and the fact that we’d be leaving Lana here all by herself.
I fucking hated that idea, which is why I need her to come home with me.
It’ll be a fucking nightmare, of course. Not only of having to persuade Lana to come in the first place, but having her around my family.
I love my parents, but my mom tends to worry too much, and my dad tends to push and push and push until I have nothing left to give. I don’t want Lana to see that side of my life, but if I’m going to take this thing between us seriously, then I need to start letting her in.
“I… um—” I start but cut myself off and rub my palms together.
Why are they sweaty? Am I… oh God, am I nervous?
Jesus Christ.
“I need to ask you something,” I blurt, and her gaze searches mine before she nods for me to continue.
“Thanksgiving is next week. I need you to come home with me.”
Her brows rise to her forehead before scrunching together. “Youneedme to come? Why?”
Yeah, Cole.Whydo you need her to come?
“To act as a buffer between me and my parents. They won’t hound me about shit if you’re there.”I hope.“And besides, it’ll get you away from campus for a couple of days, and you’ll be safe there,” I add, since that’s the truth. There’s not much that could rival my family’s security.
And while I don’t actually need her there as a buffer, it was the best that I could come up with as an excuse to get her to come with me.
Her tongue darts out and swipes across her bottom lip before she nods slowly.
“And what will you tell them?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, am I a friend? Or am I…” She trails off, but she doesn’t need to finish the sentence for me to understand her meaning.
Do I tell them that she’s my girlfriend? Fuck buddy? Friend? Temporary roommate?
“I won’t tell them anything. I’m sure they’ll make their own assumptions, but I’ll just introduce you as Lana James, a pain in my ass and little menace,” I say with a grin, and her hand flies out, ready to punch me, but I catch it before she can make contact and roll on top of her, pinning her to the bed beneath me.
“You’re gonna regret that, baby.”
FORTY-TWO
LANA
My heart hammers as the car pulls to a stop outside a set of brass gates with anAweaved into the middle.
How did I let Cole talk me into this?
Somehow, I ended up agreeing to come to his family home for Thanksgiving. Sharing a three-hour car ride with him and his sister was bad enough, but meeting his parents? God help me.
From what I can remember, I’ve never even celebrated Thanksgiving. I didn’t exactly have a normal upbringing, and instead of spending the holidays sitting around a table and eating a lavish meal with family, I spent my time throwing knives at targets and learning how to stitch bullet wounds.
On actual people with very real bullet wounds.
This is so far from my comfort zone that just the thought of going inside the Aston household is making me itchy, but it’s too late to turn back now.
