Chapter 33: Chapter Ten:You Can't live With Them,Can't Order A Mob Hit On Them Either-3

Especially not when I think about Mel and Laney, because really that would be ridiculous. "We were going to drive back together, it made sense." I move away from his orbit a little, already feeling cold again but this time it's got little to do with the weather. "What sucks is that I know that." He growls through gritted teeth and I can my frustration mirrored in him. Cole doesn't want to have this conversation any more than I do but something compels him to continue being plagued by this ridiculous insecurity of his. And I remember how he's always been there for me, my rock and my safe haven through every single insecurity I've ever battled. To other people they may have appeared to be insignificant but Cole's never taken them lightly, so even though right now I feel like banging my head against the wall, I listen. "Can we keep walking?" Cole asks, taking my hand in his, "I think people are starting to watch." We'd stopped just outside of my neighbourhood and sure enough, there were plenty of eyes watching us from their windows and some of them might even step outside to get an earful because hey, it's a small town and we live for the drama. So I squeeze his hand and let him walk us to our old haunt, that park where we've made one too many memories. On the way there, he finally talks. "I just…I'm not used to him being around you anymore I guess. And when he walked in, carrying your usual coffee and breakfast order, it threw me off a little." "Cole,just because he knows how I like my lattes and my love for pain au chocolat, doesn't mean that we've established this deep, unbreakable bond over the course of the short period of time he's been here." "You don't need to remind me, I know okay…I know." "But?" "But he's so smug about it!" Cole kicks at the ground, "He couldn't help but rub it in my face that he knows which bakery makes your favourite croissant and how much sugar you like in your coffee. He knew which cabinet you kept the dishes in, which frikkin plate you liked to use in the morning. The ease with which he moved around that place, where I haven't ever managed to spend a decent amount of time? Yeah, not the greatest feeling." He scowls and despite trying my best and biting my lip so hard that I tasted blood, I start laughing. I laugh so hard and so loud that my broody boyfriend has to press me close to him and kiss me just so that I'd shut up. I go all into the kiss though because his little ramble has done wonderful things for my heart. Bless him, he's so jealous and I kind of love it. I wrap myself around him like a vine and just like that, my anger dissipates because I understand. I know exactly how he feels because the kind of irrational jealousy he's experiencing right now is the kind I've dealt with throughout my relationship with him. There's always been a girl round the corner, watching and waiting for me to mess up so that she could swoop right in and replace me. I've seem them come in every shape, size and colour and through it all, I like to think I've come out stronger. I don't get jealous the way I used to so to see the tables turning and for Cole to be the one having to deal with those feelings? It doesn't feel good but I'm glad that he understands. When he finally lets me come up for air, we're both breathless and greedily inhaling some air. My lips feel swollen and Cole's hair is all messed up. I see my lipstick over the corner of his mouth and I try to rub it off with my thumb but when he licks the thumb in question, I all but disintegrate. "We're in public Stone." I remind him and his response is to slip his hands up my top and caress the sensitive skin of my back. "I don't care. I've wasted enough time as it is acting like a dumbass when I should've never removed my hands from your body." "A dumbass, hmm I think you're going a bit easy on yourself. I'd say you acted more like a…" He slaps a hand over my mouth before I can finish the sentence. "I realise that I was jealous of a breakfast plate, you don't need to make it worse." "Oh I think I do." I mumble beneath his fingers, because really it's as ridiculous as it sounds. He removes his hand, only to kiss me again and it's like whatever barrier there previously was between us, whatever damage the distance and time apart had done has all been fixed because we can't keep our hands off of each other. "Still want to go to the park?" Cole asks in the middle of another dizzying kiss. "My dad did say he had to go out to his office for some last minute work emergency." "Back to your house then?" "Back to my house." And I can't be mad at him anymore because honestly, his behaviour as childish and as ridiculous as it'd been comes from a place of love. For a girl who's seen enough indifference to last a lifetime, the fact that Cole cares and cares so much somehow means the world. That still doesn't mean that he can get away with acting like a petulant child and so I plot my revenge, after we get back to my room as soon as possible though. *** Being in your parents' house, in the town you grew up in with the people who'd been there to witness it all is a little strange. I haven't really lived here for a long stretch of time for what seems like years. Summers in college were spent interning and squeezing in short holidays with Cole and with my friends whenever we could. Sure, I'd come home for the holidays and go see my mom when the occasion called for it but it's been a while since I've been in Farrow Hills for a while or considered it home. Even now, knowing that I'll be gone by Sunday the feeling of being here is still odd and it doesn't help that Dad has invited the Stones over for dinner tonight before we do our separate meals tomorrow. I'm a grown woman, or so I like to think. At twenty-two, I work for a reputable magazine although half the time I question what on earth I'm even doing there, I live on my own even if it's in a place that constantly reports my whereabouts to my father. I even manage to stock my fridge with more than just chocolate and deep-frozen chicken nuggets. That, I can attest to is the true sign of having developed into an adult successfully, as some would argue. So the fact that I'm sulking into my plate, with my bottom lip practically quivering, watching the so called adults on the table attempt to have a civil conversation really sets me back. "Cole's being doing really well in school." Cassandra says proudly as she digs into lasagne. The Sheriff is pre-occupied with his food but he nods. "Yeah, we're hearing great things." "I've only been there for two months guys, nothing pretty pathbreaking has happened yet." I snort. "But honey, we're all so proud of how focused you are right now." Cassandra is sitting directly opposite me and I can feel her gaze rest on my face for a second before she moves on to Cole. He knows this dinner isn't easy for me and even now, he senses that the next couple of words to come out of his stepmother's mouth won't be kind to me so he slips his hand into mine, where it's clenched on my thigh beneath the table and grips it tightly. "We knew you'd do so well when there were no distractions." It's a dig at me, you'd need to have the IQ of a flea to not understand that but it still hurts. I'm not the only person whose take aback by such a direct attack because the sheriff's forks clatters noisily onto his plate. Dad, who sits at the head of the table opens his mouth to speak at the same time. "Now Cass…" "I just meant that, I'm happy that the two of them are focusing on their careers right now, that's all. I read your recent article Tessa, who knew there were so many different kinds of eyeshadows out there right now." It's been one jab after another and I might actually leave this dinner table with physical bruises after all the insults she's been hurling at me. I get it, she thinks my job is stupid and even though I've never quite fit in at my workplace, I'm still proud of myself for working hard and for not giving up even though I found myself in untested waters.But I know what she's insinuating and I won't lie and say that it doesn't affect me. The fact that my job involves writing about makeup and that Cole's putting himself through law school has never bothered me before but now I see it from step monster's perspective. She thinks he could better, find a nice lawyer girl to have nice lawyer babies with. I can see the disdain dripping off of her. Apparently, Cassandra has a lot to say about my career choices and belittling me seems to have become newfound hobby. I don't take the bait though because I'd rather this dinner go over smoothly and that, more importantly Thanksgiving and the engagement party don't take place under hostile conditions. "Mom…" Cole starts and there's a hint of barely restrained anger in his voice. It seems as though he's had enough as well. She raises her hands, palms up as though that'll excuse her behaviour. "I meant no harm. I'm just curious about what Tessa does. A beauty magazine? Is that what you really wanted to do with your degree?" "It's the number one selling magazine in the country Cassandra and I happen to be very proud of my daughter for all that she's doing." Dad uses his mayor voice, the kind that dares people to retaliate and argue with him. It demands a certain respect and carries a sense of authority so Cassandra's forced to shut it for the rest of dinner. My dad's definitely risen up to the role of being my hero these days, even if it's later in life. I wish that his girlfriend Danielle were her just so that he'd have someone to back him up but she's gone to New Haven to visit her family. I decided that the moment she comes back, I'll lock the two in a room and force Dad to finally ask her that one question he's really been wanting to. Do I want a double wedding in the family? No, but what I do want is for my dad to not be alone all any more. The Stones refuse dessert and rush out. I know the sheriff is embarrassed by his wife's behaviour and does try to apologise on her behalf but I wave it off. I'm past the point of letting pettiness get to me, or so I think. After seeing her parents off, Cole comes back to me looking all kinds of guilty. "Stop it, you didn't do anything." The poor guy looks tormented. "She promised me that she wouldn't pull stunts like that again. I never would have brought her to your home if I knew…" I wonder if I should tell him about the little trip she paid me while I was lying on my deathbed but I decide against it. "She's probably just made that you literally banned Jay from coming." "The guy thought it was okay for him to tell me to watch your salt intake because he'd been noticing how bloated you felt after a meal. In what world does he think it's okay to say that to me?" "Well, if I'm comfortable enough with him to tell him that I feel bloated, you know there's nothing remotely romantic or sexy on the table." I rest my head against his chest and let him hold me. "I don't want to cause your family problems." "You're not." "I'll also keeping hanging out with Jay because it's comfortable and sometimes I need a friend." He's quiet for what feels like is a really long time. Then, a weighed sigh escapes him and it's as though he's waving a white flag. "Fine, I won't kill him for knowing where you keep your fine china." "That sounds dirty." "Believe me, I did not want it to." "Would you like to see my fine china though?" And that's when my dad chooses to announce his entrance into the room with a rather loud cough. Little did I know that worrying about Jay's life would be the least of my problems this long weekend.