“Huh?” What was he still doing here? Hadn’t he left with his siblings?
“We don’t have all night.” He yanked me out of my bed and dragged me over to the closet. Throwing it open, he started riffling through my clothes. “No. No. No,” he said, pushing aside each hanger as he went. “Don’t you have anything hot?”
“What about this?” I asked, pointing to one of my favorite dresses.
“Do you want to look like a couch?” he said, and flipped past it. The dress slipped off its hanger and crumpled to the floor.
“That’s a Chanel piece!” I gasped, scooping it up.
“We have a winner,” he said, ignoring me. “Here, put this on.”
The air froze in my lungs when I saw what he was holding—a black minidress with a silver buckle at the waist. It wasn’t mine. Somehow, one of my sister’s clubbing outfits must have ended up in my clothing.
“Hello? Earth to Jackie?” Cole said, waving the outfit in my face.
“I can’t wear that,” I told him, my voice tight. “It’s not mine.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure it’s not Isaac’s or Danny’s, so it must be yours.”
“It was my sister’s,” I told him. “I don’t know how it ended up inside one of my moving boxes.”
“Oh,” Cole said, dropping his arm. “I supposed you can just go in what you’re wearing.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, even though I already knew what his answer would be.
“The party,” he responded, his voice edged with amusement. “You’re coming with me.”
And that’s all it took. There was that feeling again—the one that made me bold just because Cole was standing next to me. It was so overwhelming, irresistible even, that in a daze, I let him guide me out of my room and down to the car.
***
When Nick’s car pulled onto Mary Black’s cul-de-sac, I realized I had gotten myself into another situation. I couldn’t go in—the last time I’d let go and taken a risk, it had ended badly. The music from the party was so loud that I could feel it even though the doors were closed. I crossed my arms, refusing to take off my seat belt as Cole popped a piece of gum into his mouth.
“Do I need to carry you inside?” he asked. “Because I swear I will.”
Instead of answering, I stared out the windshield with no intention of moving. I was prepared to sit in the car all night if I had to. Not only was it Mary’s house, but I didn’t want Alex to think I’d turned him down just to show up with his brother.
Cole sighed and yanked the handle and stepped outside. I risked a quick glance at him and saw the breeze ruffle his light hair. When he moved to the front of the car, I smiled, thinking that he had given up. But he was just stopping to say something to Nick. They shook hands, which transitioned into a man hug, a semi-embrace that lasted for a split second and ended with a firm pat on the back. The smile slipped off my face when Cole jogged around the side of the car and opened my door.
“Out now,” he said with a serious face.
“Cole!” I said, hearing the whine in my voice. “I told Alex I wasn’t coming. He’s going to be upset if I show up now.”
“And that’s my problem?” he asked, reaching over to undo my seat belt. “Just tell him you changed your mind.”
How was I supposed to tell him about what Mary said to me? I felt the words perched on my tongue, but I paused too long and lost my nerve. “Seriously,” I said instead, “it’s not funny.”
Cole didn’t respond. Instead he grabbed me by the waist, pulled me from the car, and threw me over his shoulder.
“Put me down!” I screamed as he kicked the door shut with his foot.
A few people who were standing on the porch looked up at us. He was laughing now, and I pounded on his back with my fist as he made his way toward the house.
“Cole Walter, I will make sure you die a painful death if you don’t let me go this instant,” I demanded.
We received more strange looks as he trudged up the steps. “Sorry,” Cole apologized to the people standing by the door, beers in hand. “I have a runaway date on my hands.”
“I am not your date!” I hissed at him.
But Cole was already stepping inside, tuning out my every protest. Once he closed the door behind him, he finally put me down.
“See?” he said, shouting over the music and patting me on the head. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“Are you kidding me—” I began, but someone cut me off.
“Jackie?” I turned in time to see Alex emerging from the throng of people. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I wasn’t, but your annoying brother—”
“Invited her to the party,” Cole said, cutting me off. He wrapped his arm around my waist and smirked at his little brother.
“What are you doing?” I hissed, and tried to push him off me. “Get off.” But Cole’s grip was strong, his fingers digging into my side.
“You came with him?” Alex said, his jaw clenched.