Beautiful Mess (33 page)

By
five o’clock, the performances were all done, and all the teams sat on the gym
floor awaiting the results.  Despite what Bri had told Cole, this competition
was a big deal.  The teams that took first, second, and third got to
advance to Divisionals down in San Diego the next Friday.  The top two
teams at Division got to go to State.  So the whole team was nervous, as
the awards presentation began.  They needn’t have worried though, because
they swept first place in every categories and took first place overall. 
The home crowd erupted, and Bri’s family and friends rushed out to congratulate
her.

Liam
and Logan reached her first, and she opened an arm for each of them.  They
rushed her so excitedly, they almost knocked her over.

“You
were so pretty, Bri,” Logan said.  Then he whispered to her, “That’s what
Cole said!”

“You
were really shiny,” Liam agreed, remembering her sequins costumes.

“Thanks,
Monkeys!  I’m so glad you came!”  She gave them each a big kiss,
before standing to receive a hug from her dad, and then Jimmy.  Summer
gave her a small smile.

Cole
had been waiting patiently for his turn, but as Bri finally turned to him, he
pulled her in for a not so parent friendly kiss.  There was a very
deliberate throat clearing from Connor, and Bri pulled back, breathless and
flushed.

“So,”
Connor gave his daughter a look.  “What sound good for dinner,
Pumpkin?  Anywhere you want to go.  Oh, Jimmy, Cole, you’re more than
welcome to join us.”

“That
would be great,” Cole answered, smiling at Bri.

Bri
chose a local steakhouse, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with her family. 
Connor and Jimmy got along great, and where trading jokes back and forth that
had everyone laughing.

Afterward,
Cole and Bri went out to a movie.  Cole had said he wanted to do something
“normal couples” did.  They settled on a comedy and laughed the whole way
through.  After the movie, they went back to Cole’s place and took
advantage of the quiet house, and their rare alone time.  A little before
midnight, Cole dropped Bri off on her doorstep.

“I
had a really great time tonight,” she smiled.  “We should do this “normal”
thing more often.  It was nice.”

“Anytime
you want.”  Cole gave her a delicious, lingering goodnight kiss that was
sure to make an appearance in her dreams that night.  “Goodnight, Ambria,”
he reluctantly stepped away.

“Goodnight,
Cole.”  Bri went inside in a blissful daze.

Division
was the next Friday, and the team got to skip school that day to head down to
San Diego.  The only downside was that Cole, Devon, and the rest of their
cheering section weren’t able to come down for the competition.  Layla and
Bri were bummed, obviously, but it surprised Bri to see that the rest of the
team missed their fan club, also.  Luckily, it didn’t affect their
performance, and the team dominated Division, coming in first place and earning
themselves a trip to State in Sacramento in two weeks.

The
next day, Bri headed over to Layla’s house to get ready for MORP.  The
girl’s choice formal had snuck up on them, and the girls were lucky to have
found dresses.  Layla chose a short, silver, strapless dress that showed
off her long legs.  She managed to convince Bri to get a knee length,
ruched, royal blue strapless that showed off her curves.  Bri opted to
have Layla twist her hair up, while Layla left hers long.  As the girls
stood in front of Layla’s mirror, admiring the finished product, Layla glanced
at Bri.

“You’ve
been awfully quiet today.  Is something bothering you?  You and Cole
didn’t fight, did you?”

“What?
No!  It’s just... the whole college thing is kind of weighing on me.”

“Why?”
Layla pulled her over to sit on the bed.  “Aren’t you excited about going
to Stanford?”

“Of
course I am.  It’s just that it finally hit me that Cole will be going
away to college somewhere else, which means that our relationship has an
expiration date.  It makes me a little sad is all.”

“You
could always ask him to go to Stanford with you.  I’m pretty sure any
school would love to have him.  And Cole’s a smart guy.”

“I
couldn’t do that,” Bri sighed.  “This is his life, his dream.  He
should get to go wherever he wants.  I can’t ask him to give that
up.  Plus, our relationship isn’t to that point where we would go off to
college together and contemplate a future.  I doubt that’s what Cole wants
anyway.”

“I
wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Layla raised an eyebrow.  “Listen, I’ve
known Cole for a long time, and he has a certain history with girls.  He’d
date someone for a couple of weeks, get bored, and move on.  In fact, I
was a little worried about you when you two came out.  But I knew you were
smart enough not to settle for that, so I didn’t say anything and decided to
see how things went.”

“Except
when you called and threatened Cole’s manhood if he hurt me,” Bri smiled.

“Well,
yeah!  I gotta have my girl’s back!”  Layla winked.  “But over
the past little while I’ve noticed a huge change in Cole.  He was always
so cocky, and indifferent, and condescending before.  Like he was too good
for everyone, and nothing ever touched him.  But since you two became
official, he’s changed.  It’s like there was a totally different person
hiding beneath the surface, and being with you has finally allowed him to
escape.  Does that make sense?”

“Yeah,
it makes sense.”  Bri was surprised Layla had noticed the change in Cole,
too.

“What
I’m trying to say is that he must really like you, and I mean
really
like you, if he’s willing to drop his whole conceited ass routine and finally
be himself.”

“You
think this is the real Cole?”  Bri was startled at her friend’s
perceptiveness.

“Yes,
I do.  He’s happy now.  Honestly, legitimately happy.  He’s
never been like this before, with anyone.  I don’t think that kind of happiness
happens when you’re pretending to be something you’re not.”

Bri
nodded, never having thought of it that way before.

“And
you are the reason for his happiness.  That being said, I think if you
asked, there isn’t much that boy wouldn’t do for you.”  Layla gave her a
pointed look.  “So, before you doom your relationship to fail on a
technicality, you should at least talk to him about Stanford.  Let him
make that choice, don’t take it from him.  Because deep down, you know
that he makes you happy, too, and you don’t want to lose him.”

“Thanks
Layla,” Bri hugged her tight, tears welling up in her eyes.  “You are too
wise for your own good sometimes!” she laughed.  “What about you? 
Have you decided what you’re doing about college?”

“Devon’s
got a football scholarship at the University of Utah.  He’s asked me to go
with him.”

“And...
are you?”  Layla’s answer was suddenly absurdly important to Bri.

“I
have a couple of applications at some other schools, but yes, I think I’m going
to go with him.”

“Really?” 
Sadness hit her again as Bri realized she’d be losing her best friend, too.

“Well,
Salt Lake has a strong dance community.  And the U has a good dance
program.  But mostly... I just want to be with Devon.  I know that
most high school relationships don’t last, but I want to give it a chance.”

“Wow,”
Bri marveled.  “I knew you really liked him, but I didn’t know you were
getting that serious.”

“I’m
in love with him,” Layla smiled.  “And I’m just not willing to give up on
that.”  She wiped a finger under her eyes.  “Okay, enough of this
sad, serious talk.  We have a dance to get to.”  She pulled Bri back
in front of the mirror, where they both made their final adjustments. 
“Look at us, we are seriously hot!  And we have some damn sexy boys who
are waiting to be dazzled by our fabulousness.”

Bri
laughed and hugged Layla.  “Love you, Lay.”

“Love
you, too.  Now, let’s go have one hell of a great night!”

Layla’s
dad had agreed to let her take his new Maserati Quattroporte for the
dance.  Bri instantly fell in love with the sleek, black, dangerous
looking sedan the minute the engine roared to life.  Layla went in to get
Devon, and returned a few minutes later with a very handsome boy on her
arm.  Bri noticed the way Devon’s light gray suit set off Layla’s silver
dress, and wondered if they’d planned that.

They
pulled up to Cole’s house, and Bri rang the doorbell, feeling unusually
nervous.  Cole answered the door and she heard his sharp intake of
breath.  His eyes started at her face and worked their way down and back
up again, slowly taking her in with a hungry smile.

“Cole,
are you going to make Bri stand out there all night, or are you going to invite
her in?” Jimmy laughed from inside.

“Sorry,”
Cole ushered her in.

“Hi,
Barracuda,” Jimmy winked.  “You look particularly stunning this
evening.”  He snapped a few pictures.  “Have fun, you two!”

Cole
offered her his arm and led her out to the waiting car.

“You
look beautiful,” Cole said, awed.  “More than beautiful.”

“Thanks,”
Bri blushed.  “You look amazing, too.”

And
he did.  Cole wore a pair of dark charcoal slacks with a slightly lighter,
fitted, dark gray dress shirt.  No jacket, but he wore a royal blue tie,
that matched Bri’s dress.  His black hair was styled into a super-sexy
mess, and his gray eyes were sparkling.  He threw her is signature cocky
smirk, and helped her into the car.  The Maserati growled as Layla pulled
onto the street. 

Cole
sighed at the sound.  “Okay, I am definitely getting one of these
someday.”

“Isn’t
that the best sound ever,” Bri agreed, as they prowled their way onto the
freeway.

They
met the rest of their group at the fancy steak house they had agreed on. 
Jess and Ethan, Maddie and Corbin were there, along with a few other girls from
the Dance Team and their dates.  One of them had brought Nick Jacobs, much
to Bri’s surprise.  Since they’d gone to Winter Formal together, Bri and
Nick had remained friendly.

“Hi,
Bri,” Nick smiled at her.  “Nice to see you again.”  Nick’s eyes
roamed down her dress, and Cole practically growled beside her.

“Nice
to see you, too,
Nick
,” Cole gave him a pointed look, before leading Bri
to the opposite end of the table.  Nick apparently got the hint, and his
eyes returned to his own date.

Dinner
was delicious and relaxing, as they all talked and laughed.  Cole found
any excuse he could to touch her, and Bri found it difficult to keep her hands
from wandering to him as well.  After finishing dessert, the group headed
off to the dance.

Valentine’s
Day had been that Thursday, and the theme of the dance was predictably
Valentine’s.  Pink, red, and white lights twinkled around the gym, and the
tables had bowls with floating heart candles in them.  Flowers were
scattered all throughout the room, making the normally musty gym smell like a
garden.

Since
they were coming to the dance, Bri and Cole had decided there wasn’t any need
for Valentine’s Day presents.  But the dozen red roses that were waiting
for her after school that day, prompted her to rush out and put together a
basket of Cole’s favorite snacks and things for after his basketball practice.

As
they walked into the gym, a slow song was playing.  Bri was surprised when
Cole immediately led her out to the dance floor and pulled her in close.

“I’ve
been waiting all night to get you in my arms,” he murmured in her ear. 
“And now that you’re here, I have no intention of letting you go.”

A
delicious shiver raced through her.  “I don’t want to be anywhere
else.”  She rested her head on his shoulder.

“Ambria,
I...”

“What?” 
She lifted her head to look at him.

Cole
gazed at her for a moment, something important on the tip of his tongue. 
But then he smiled.

“Nothing. 
Happy Valentine’s Day.”  He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. 
Bri’s heart, and knees, melted.

“Do
you need to go sit down?” he teased, noticing her sudden imbalance.

“No,
I don’t want to move from this spot all night,” she smiled back at him.

“Good,
because tonight is about you and me, and I plan to fully enjoy you all night.”

“I
plan to enjoy you, too.”  She gazed up into his deep gray eyes.  She
saw those eyes darken before he dropped his head and nuzzled just below her ear
lobe.

“Mmm,”
he moaned, “and there is much more of you to enjoy tonight.”  Heat flooded
Bri’s body as Cole’s lips trailed down her neck and along her shoulder. 
“Have I told you how much I love it when you wear your hair up?”  He
sucked on her tattoo, sending tingles rushing through her, not caring in the
least that they were in the middle of a crowded gym.  And for that moment,
Bri didn’t care either.  Nothing mattered but Cole, and how he made her
feel.

“Oh,
no, I’m sorry,” a voice sneered as Bri felt, rather than saw, someone bump into
Cole.

Cole
pulled back to find Serena and Trey dancing beside them. 

“Oh,
Cole, it’s you!”  Serena smiled brilliantly at him, like she hadn’t just
purposely crashed into him.  She eyed Bri with total disdain before
leaning a little closer to Cole, offering both him and Bri an eyeful of
cleavage.  “Sorry about the bump.  You know what a clumsy dancer Trey
is.”  She didn’t look sorry at all.

Trey
rolled his eyes, but said nothing.  Instead he looked Bri up and down
appreciatively.  Suppressing a shudder, she turned to Serena, refusing to
cower to her.

“Looks
like you two should go find something else to do then, and leave the dancing to
those of us who actually know how,” Bri smirked.

Serena
didn’t even acknowledge her, but kept her eyes firmly on Cole.

“You
look good tonight, CJ.”  Her eyes devoured him like he was an all you can
eat dessert buffet.  “Save a dance for me?”  She put her hand on
Cole’s arm, and Bri about smacked her.  Cole stiffened.

“No,
Serena,” he replied firmly, shrugging off her hand.  “I’m all Bri’s
tonight.”  He smiled warmly at Bri.

Feeling
reckless and bold, and wanting so badly to put Serena in her place, Bri wrapped
her arms around Cole’s neck.

“Yes,
you are,” she agreed, and kissed him.  She didn’t stop kissing him when
she heard a hiss, and Serena’s heels clicking away.  She kissed him deeper
then, because she wanted him to know that this wasn’t about Serena.

Cole
pulled back, breathless.

“Damn
Bri, the way you kiss...,” he shook his head smiling.  “If this is what
you want to do all night, I am more than happy to oblige.”

Laughing,
Bri dropped her head back to his shoulder.

As
the night progressed, Cole’s closeness, his perfect face, his hard, hot body,
his tantalizing scent, all started wreaking havoc with Bri’s hormones. 
The way he held her, pressed tightly against him, like he was trying to fuse
them into one being, caused her heart to pound and her body to flush with
heat.  Her skin tingled wherever it touched his, and the need to be closer
to him was like a physical ache inside her.  She could feel an underlying
tension in Cole, too, and realized he was struggling just as much as she was.

Bri’s
body and mind battled over what they wanted to do, and what was the responsible
thing to do.  And for once, her body made the more convincing
argument.  Gathering her courage, Bri lifted her head and looked into
Cole’s eyes.

“Want
to get out of here for a while?” she asked.

Cole’s
eyes darkened hungrily, and he nodded.

She
grabbed his hand and led him out of the gym, stopping only to borrow the keys
to Layla’s dad’s car.  Layla gave Bri a knowing smile, but didn’t question
as she handed Bri the keys.  Cole was also silent as he followed her
through the parking lot and into the roomy back seat.  They sat in awkward
silence for a moment.

“Sorry,”
Bri blushed nervously.  “I just thought a little privacy would be nice,
and this was the first place I thought of.”

“No,
this is nice.”  Cole cleared his throat.  “It was definitely feeling
a little crowded in there.”

They
sat for a minute more, Bri getting more and more nervous, as she wasn’t sure
what to do next.

Cole
reached over, cupping her cheek with his hand, and Bri’s eyes immediately found
his.  He remained motionless, gazing intently into her eyes, and Bri felt
her nerves, and self-restraint, slip away.  Without a word, she flung
herself across the remaining space between them and crushed her mouth to his.

Shivers
of pleasure raced through her, as she parted his lips with her own and her
tongue found his.  Cole was urgent and demanding, claiming her with his
kisses.  Yet, at the same time, he remained hesitant, as if waiting for
her permission.  Not wanting him to hold back, Bri gripped him tightly,
pressing him closer, and kissed him with a passion fueled by everything she
felt for him.  She had every intention of claiming him, too.

Cole
groaned against her, and it nearly undid her.  There had always been a
powerful attraction between them, but Bri had fought against it, trying to keep
it in check, not wanting things to get out of control.  But she was tired
of fighting.  So, she let go.  She let go of everything she had been
keeping pent up inside her, letting out everything she felt.  It was
exciting, and liberating, and frightening, and she wanted, needed, more.

She
climbed onto Cole’s lap, straddling his hips, needing to be closer to
him.  He paused, looking at her with eyes full of heat and desire, and
something else, something deeper.  He gave her a sexy, hungry grin before
devouring her lips again.

Bri’s
skin tingled as Cole’s hands found her knees and slowly made their way up her
bare thighs to her hips.  He pulled her closer against him, and it was
Bri’s turn to moan.  She felt him smile against her lips, obviously
enjoying the reaction he was getting out of her, and she couldn’t help smiling
back.  Cole’s hands continued up her sides and around the back of her
shoulders, not allowing a millimeter of space between them.  Her hands
clenched in his silky hair as his lips moved to her ear and down her neck,
kissing, sucking, and nipping all the way down to her shoulder.  He then
moved along her collarbone, stopping for a minute at the hollow of her
throat.  Her neck arched back as she clutched him to her.  He
continued across to her other shoulder and up the other side of her neck. 
He stopped again at her tattoo, before kissing along her jaw line.  Heat
and desire raced through her, and suddenly it wasn’t enough.  She wanted
more of him.  She wanted all of him.

She
kissed him harder, more hungrily, desperately, wildly than she ever had. 
She had never felt anything like this before.  She was becoming drunk on
his kisses, addicted to the heady rush coursing through her.  Cole kissed
her back just as fiercely, and she was drowning.

Frustrated
by the barriers separating them, Bri grabbed Cole’s shirt and yanked it out of
his waistband.  He quickly disposed of his tie, as she made quick work of
the buttons.  Bri felt the zipper on her dress unzip, and the top of her
dress fell away.  They both sat there a moment, their eyes roving over one
another, drinking each other in.  Their eyes met again, and Cole seemed to
hesitate, as if not sure he should continue.  Bri placed her hands on his
stomach and let them roam all over his abs and chest, delighting in the feel of
him.  Her lips and tongue traced the lines of his jaw, his neck, his
shoulders.  Cole shivered and pulled her to him.  Their hands
explored one another, as Cole had his way with her mouth.  The feel of his
skin against hers was intoxicating, and she clutched him tighter, never wanting
to be separated from him again.

Turning
slightly, Cole laid Bri down on the seat.  His lips left her mouth,
exploring her newly exposed skin.  When he started kissing along the top
of her bra, Bri thought she was going to melt right there.  Her hands
roamed over his back, neck, and hair as she enjoyed Cole enjoying her. 
This was how it was meant to be, how it would always be between them.  Why
had she ever tried to fight this?

Suddenly,
an image of Cole boarding a plane and leaving her behind flashed through her
mind.  Reality came crashing down on her. 
That
was why she
had fought this, because she and Cole wouldn’t always be together.  He was
moving across the country in a couple months, and who knew if she would even
see him again after that.  As much as she wanted Cole right now, she
didn’t want to share something so special and intimate with him, and then have
to say goodbye, for good.  She didn’t think she could bear that. 

“Cole,”
she whispered sadly.  “Cole, wait.”

Cole
paused, lifting his eyes to her, frozen.

“Okay,”
he replied warily, his breathing heavy.  “I’m waiting...”

“Cole,
I’m sorry... but I can’t...”  She wanted to explain, but couldn’t seem to
find the words.