Chapter 34 Two People

Chapter 34 Two People
Cole leads me through the crowded ballroom with his hand resting possessively at the small of my back. The gala is everything I expected from a room full of rich people pretending they care about youth sports: crystal chandeliers, waiters circulating with tiny appetizers, and conversations that feel like thinly veiled networking. We stop at the bar for cocktails, and he orders a whiskey neat for himself and a gin martini for me without asking what I want.
“You remembered this too,” I say, taking the glass from him.
“I pay attention.” He clinks his glass lightly against mine. “To dodging pretentious conversations.”
“I give you ten minutes before someone tries to recruit you for a foundation you’ve never heard of,” I say, eyeing the crowd.
“Five,” he corrects calmly.
“Oh, confident, are we?”
“I’ve been to enough of these to know how it goes.”
I glance around. “So what’s the escape plan, Coach?”
His hand presses slightly into my back. “Stick close to me. Look intimidating.”
I snort. “Me? Intimidating?”
He leans in just enough for his voice to drop. “You have no idea what you look like right now.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling. “If this is your version of reassurance, you need work.”
We move through the room together, and every time someone approaches, Cole introduces me the same way – as his girl. The words hit me differently each time. My girl. Not his player. Not his daughter’s best friend. His. The phrase sends a confusing rush of warmth and panic through me. I fight to keep my expression neutral while inside my thoughts spiral. He says it so easily, like it’s a fact, and part of me wants to believe it while the rest screams that this is the same man who took my sister out on a date last week.
An older man in an expensive suit steps up to us, and I feel Cole’s fingers tense slightly against my back. The newcomer offers an easy smile that does not quite reach his eyes.
“Fletcher,” he says, extending a hand. “Good to see you here supporting the cause.”
Cole shakes it briefly. “Thorpe. This is Riley Bennett. Riley, this is Richard Thorpe.”
Thorpe turns his attention to me, his smile widening as he looks me over. “Bennett. A pleasure. You look stunning tonight. Cole always did have excellent taste.”
I return the smile politely. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”
Cole’s hand presses a little firmer into my back. The tension between the two men is subtle but unmistakable. No raised voices, no obvious hostility, just a current running underneath the pleasantries.
Thorpe leans in slightly. “You must tell me how you managed to catch this one’s attention. Fletcher is not exactly known for bringing dates to these events.”
Before I can answer, Cole cuts in smoothly. “We should speak privately for a moment, Thorpe. Excuse us, Riley.”
Thorpe reaches for my hand, and raises it his lips, clearly intending to kiss it in farewell. Before I can blink, Cole’s hand lands against mine, but his eyes are on Thorpe.
“Do that,” he begins in a voice that’s low, calm and dangerous, “and you’ll be eating your next meal through a tube after I knock out every single tooth in your mouth.”
The threat lands with quiet precision. Thorpe’s smirk only grows wider as he releases my hand without making contact. “Still the same Fletcher, I see. Always so protective. Let’s go have that talk.” He nods to me once more and follows Cole toward the glass doors leading to the balcony.
I stand alone for a moment, sipping my drink and trying to process the exchange. The room feels warmer now, the conversations around me blending into a low hum.
A woman approaches, elegant in a silver gown, her dark hair pulled back neatly. She offers a friendly smile. “Mind if I join you? These events can feel endless without good company.”
“Not at all,” I reply, returning the smile. “I’m Riley.”
“Emily,” she says, extending her hand. We shake briefly. “So, how do you know Cole? You two seem close.”
I take another sip. “We are… friends. Though he brought me as his date tonight.”
“How nice.” Emily smiles, then her expression shifts to something more knowing. “Be careful with him, Riley. Cole has a way of making you feel like the centre of his world, right until he decides you’re not. He’ll break your heart if you let him get too close.”
I laugh and take a sip of my drink. “Too late for that, I'm afraid. He already has.”
With the overwhelming amount of drama I’m already surrounded with and not in the mood for petty jealousy, I take another sip of my drink as I begin walking away.
“But thank you for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
She opens her mouth to say more, but I’m already too far away to hear. I make my way to the bar to refill my glass.
“May I have this dance, signorina?” A smooth voice says from behind me. I’m already smiling before I turn, already knowing who it is.
“Done with your... business meeting?” I ask Cole as he takes my hand and leads me towards the dance floor.
“You know how it is...” he says as we find a spot, the previous song slowing to an end. “Boring men with too much money and not enough boundaries.”
“Sounds like your natural habitat.”
He hums. “Careful. You’re in it now too.”
I glance down at myself. “Wow. One dress and suddenly I’m part of the elite. That was fast.”
“You were always dangerous,” he murmurs. “Now you just look the part.”
Cole clasps one hand in mine, placing the other on my lower back, and gently pulling me close. Benson Boone’s “Before You” fills the room, the lyrics wrapping around us as we move together.
He’s looking at me now with a tenderness that makes me feel things I should not feel. Things I’m not allowed to feel.
I clear my throat slightly. “I’m not sure this is an appropriate way for a coach to look at his player, sir.”
“Oh trust me, darling,” his deep voice vibrates against my cheek. “Not a single one of the thoughts going through my head right now are appropriate.”
I close my eyes and swallow, trying to act like his words didn’t send a jolt through my body, ending all the way between my thighs. When I open them again, I make sure to look anywhere else except at him.
Halfway through the song, he leans down slightly. “What did Emily want?”
I tilt my head, keeping my voice light. “Just some friendly advice about keeping your exes on a short leash. Apparently you’re quite the heartbreaker.”
He chuckles softly. “I have no choice in the matter. I’m too irresistible.”
I know he’s joking, but I can’t help it as my smile falters. The words sit between us, and I can’t hold back any longer. “Is that the same thing that’s going to happen with Emma? Are you going to break her heart too?”
Cole starts to speak, but I cut him off.
“I know I might not be the biggest fan of the two of you together, but I love Emma. I don’t want to see my sister hurt.”
He opens his mouth again, and I interrupt once more.
“I know it’s kinda awkward for me to ask you to be gentle with her, but–”
This time, he’s the one that interrupts.
Before I can finish forming the words, Cole pulls me closer by the waist and kisses me. The kiss is soft but firm, stealing the rest of my sentence and leaving me dizzy.
He pulls back just enough to speak, his lips brushing my ear. “As much as I love hearing that beautiful voice of yours, I need you to let me get a word in, princess.”
I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks, my head still reeling from the kiss. He leads me away from the dance floor and out onto the quieter balcony, the city lights sparkling below us. The cool night air against my skin is a welcome contrast to the warmth of the ballroom.
Once we’re alone, he turns to face me.
“The date with Emma was never about wanting her,” he begins. “That night after she walked in on us in the bathroom, she met me just outside your house as you were in the kitchen with your mother. She didn’t buy a single word you told her after I left. We couldn’t risk her being suspicious and outing us so I figured there was only one way to divert her attention.”
He pauses for a bit and continues.
“I gave her a reason to believe I was interested in her instead, acting like she was the only reason I kept coming around.” He shrugs. “And it worked.”
I stare at him for a moment, trying to process all this information. It was all a ruse. All those nights I spent crying into my pillow. I just can’t believe it.
My voice is hoarse when I speak. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”
“You never gave me the chance,” he replies simply. “Every time I tried, either you slapped me, or Lena was coming, or you walked away angry, or you were kissing some jock.”
A wave of embarrassment passes over me at his words. I look out over the city lights for a moment, gathering my thoughts. We sit in the tense silence for a while as each puzzle piece clicks into place.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why I started going out with Jake again?” I finally say.
Cole grits his teeth slightly, then when he speaks, his voice is dark and dangerous. “I prefer not to think about another man’s hands on you.”
The silence returns, heavier this time. I turn to him fully, my heart pounding.
“Are they dead?”
I appreciate that he doesn’t pretend not to understand. “What makes you think I’m privy to that information?”
I hold his gaze. “I don’t know exactly who you are or exactly what it is you do when you’re not coaching, but I do know you have a hand in what has been happening to Josh, Marcus, and the rest of those boys from the party that night.”
He stays quiet, watching me with a slightly amused expression.
I take a deep breath and push forward. “You know they were not the masterminds behind the whole thing, right?”
“I’m aware.”
I look away for a moment, gathering every bit of courage I have left. When I speak again, my voice comes out soft but steady. “What if I tell you I need you to handle someone else the same way you handled the boys?”
That catches his attention.
He turns to me fully then, angling his body until he is completely facing me, a small smile forming on his face. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, Ms. Bennett, but it sounds like you’re ordering a hit on someone.”
I take a deep breath and turn to face him, my pulse racing.
“Not someone.” I say in a steady voice. “Two people.”