‘Fuck you?’
‘Can’t you talk like a normal person?’
‘Iamtalking like a normal person,’ he arched an eyebrow taking out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. ‘I don’t need to get a woman drunk or drugged to fuck her. You included. If I wanted to do that, I could have done it when you first slept at my place.’
‘Thank you. I kind of remember giving you a hard time about it...’
Ok, maybehardwasn’t the best choice of words.
‘Don’t worry, I won’t let you owe me for long,’ he winked, reminding me that no good deed went unrepaid when it came to Brax.
Still, there was something else bothering me. I felt like this before. The same headache... the same getting drunk from two glasses. The same place where it happened— Ferris’s place. But why would he have drugged me back then since as Brax did, he refused me?
The question tormented me for a while, and there was a single reasonable explanation to it. He wanted to gain my trust or maybe even get me to fall for him. And the success was on his side!
‘Are you ready, Mouse, or do you need help getting dressed?’ Cole just stepped into the room, making me an offer I didn’t even need to think over.
‘No. I’m fine,’ I spoke, looking in the mirror while arranging one of my dress straps back on.
‘Keep an eye on her!’ Brax barked, leaving the room.
‘Oh, that I’ll do,’ Cole smiled sinfully. ‘Come, Mouse. Thefunis about to start.’
Why was I under the impression thatfunwouldn’t have muchfunin it after all?
Chapter 16
Abitter taste invaded my soul as the thought of Ferris’s deceit settled into my mind. Nothing would ever be the same again. Not that anything was different with him, just with my perception of the man I thought he was.
I could have loved him. Maybe even loved the splinters of the monster he let out. But I was starting to believe that in reality, that’s all he ever was. A monster!
I sank into my silence, muting the outside world into just background noise. The trees were blurring into a thick line as Cole’s car was racing along dusty roads to get us to the next city.
I think it was the first time I wanted to give up. Not just the plan. All of it. The strength I used to have was abandoning me, fleeing to mingle with the memories of Ferris.
‘Is there something wrong?’ Even Cole sensed my restlessness and decided to ask.
‘No. Everything is ok.’ What could I say? That Ferris had got inside my head and totally fucked up my life?’
‘I don’t really believe you. But I’ll make it ok,’ he bit the thickness of his bottom lip, filling his mind with vicious thoughts. ‘Just try to sleep for an hour or so. It’s a long drive. You seemed tired and I have some plans with you for tonight.’
More plans.A thought that made me dream of jumping out of the moving car.
My instincts normally rejected any advice from Cole, but the one about getting a little rest was perfectly welcome, especially since I knew there was a hidden truth in his playful warning.
I wasn’t sure where the hour went. In fact, I think that more than a couple of hours had passed because by the time I got up, it was dark outside.
I must’ve moved a little in the seat, because when I managed to regain the full function of my eyes, Cole was already aware of me waking up. ‘That’s your coffee,’ he pointed towards a large cup of to-go coffee sitting in the car’s cup holder.
‘Did we stop?’ I asked, taking a moment to figure things out while stretching out my feet from beneath the blanket I had snuggled into.
Wait... dd he cover me?
‘Thank you for-.’ I didn’t get to finish my sentence
‘You were shivering, and I hate the heat blowing in my face as I drive. It’s not a big deal,’ he was trying to minimize any effort of him ever being nice since beingnicewas such an awful thing for him to do.
‘I was talking about the coffee,’ I would have loved to see him come up with an explanation for that. But he didn’t bother to say a word, just pretended he didn’t hear anything and ignored me.
