Chapter 42: Dates and kisses - Monet

"You are one smoking hot girl!" Amy shakes her head at me. "Life is too unfair, why did you get everything?"

I roll my eyes at her. "The heels aren't too much?"

I don't even know why I'm asking her when she's the one who put the outfit together. It's not too much, actually. I'm wearing a plain black bodycon dress that clings to my curves and strappy black heels. Amy paired it with gold jewellery, I didn't think that it would be good to wear Cole's pearls. I don't know why, it just feels wrong.

He's been very quiet this week, not even one text since Tuesday. I wanted to know how his body is recovering from last week, and he left me on read. I don't know if I should be worried that he will go back to being the rude Cole he was at the start of the semester.

"I'm not letting you out of this room wearing sneakers on a dinner date with theee Damon Jones." Amy scoffs. "That boy is heading to the pros after next season. Do you even know who his father is?"

"No." I line my lips for the final touch to my makeup. "He did say his father didn't want him living on campus though, it's apparently a distraction."

"His father is a legend in baseball history, so you can imagine the pressure Damon is under." Amy pulls her face at me. "Did you guys never watch any sports in your house? How the hell did Cole even become a baller?"

"My house is filled with art and sunshine." I smile. "You should come home with me some time, you'll love it."

She surprises me when she jumps up from the bed and hugs me from behind. "Oh my god, I love you, that's my first invitation to a friend's house."

"I find that very hard to believe." I laugh.

"Girl! I was a freak in school, nobody liked me and when they did, it t was always because of my father." She falls back on the bed again. "I'm telling you, braces and glasses, so skinny I almost fell through my pants!"

I laugh, because this girl is too funny. "Well, good for them for being idiots, because now I have you and I'm very happy to be your designated best friend."

My phone chimes with an incoming message, and I smile nervously when it's from Damon telling me he's outside.

"You sure I look good?" I ask Amy one more time.

"Yes! Now go! And I'm expecting all the tea as soon as you get back."

I leave her in my room, still not knowing that if driving with Damon is a good idea, but parking in this town can be a bitch.

He's leaning against a white Jeep, and practically jumps when he sees me. He beams when I stop in front of him. "Wow, you look amazing."

"Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself."

He's wearing jeans and a baby blue button down shirt. That's considered fancy for a guy in college.

Damon opens the passenger door for me in a gentlemanly fashion, making me think I'm doing the right thing here. He has great manners that are extremely attractive in a guy, I think my mother would like him. He keeps the conversation light on the way to the restaurant.

''I hope you like Italian." He says when he opens the door for me, helping me down.

"I eat any and all food." I chuckle. "My mom is a terrible cook, so I started cooking quite young, so I experimented a lot."

"A girl who can cook?"He looks surprised. "You know I have a kitchen, right? You shouldn't tell me these things."

The hostess seats us in a secluded corner, making it feel like we are the only people in the place.

''I do draw the line at sushi, I cant make that." I joke, instantly thinking of having sushi with Cole. That was the first night I met Damon, too.

I have to get him off my mind.

"How did you get into baseball?" I ask after the hostess takes our order and leaves.

He raises his eybrows. "You don't know?"

"I don't."

"Well, that's refreshing." He smiles. "I was practically born with a baseball and glove in my hand. My dad used to play professionall, and my mom used to play softball too."

"You are going to have to forgive me, I practically know nothing about sports, much to my best friend's dismay." I chuckle. "My mom is an artist turned teacher and my dad sells insurance. I don't think my mom had a clue what to do when Cole started playing football."

Damon frowns while looking at me, and I feel like I already know what he's going to ask before it leaves his mouth.

"I don't want to pry, but there's some talk that he's adopted?"

"He is." It's never been a secret that he is not my mother's biological son in our town. "His mom passed away, she was my mom's best friend and they made a pact to take care of each other's kids, so he became my brother."

"Was it not weird for you? Suddenly having a sibling?"

"Not at all."I I smile. "In fact, he immediately became my best friend."

I don't expect people to understand what Cole and I are to each other, and I certainly hope that whoever I end up dating won't be intimidated by him. They have every reason to be, especially since I have started thinking of Cole as more than a brother, but I know that will never be. So I expect my boyfriend to be respectful of our relationship.

I change the conversation to something more lighter, like school work. It irks me a little bit that Damon doesn't really care about his grades, since it's something that's very important to me, but he has other goals, and of course playing professional baseball is just as important.

I still find him cute, though, so when he takes me back to the dorm and walks me to the front, I don't resist when he pulls me closer to him by my hand.

''I had a great time tonight."He smiles, the dimples their own main character. "I'd really like to see you again."

"I'd like that too."I smile back."

He lowers his head and kisses me, his lips soft on mine. It feels good, and I kiss him back.

He lifts his head looking like he won the lottery. "Goodnight Monet."

"Goodnight Damon."

I watch him walk back to his Jeep, waving when he honks at me.

I still have a smile on my face when my intuition makes me look left, and I find Cole sitting in his truck, looking at me with fury in his blue eyes.