Beautiful Mess (35 page)

Unfortunately
for the home team, the lack of fans had no effect on Cole’s greatness, and the
Tigers ended up winning by twenty-five points.  After receiving her
victory kiss, and making plans to meet up with Layla and Devon at the party,
Bri rushed home to change.

Opting
for something “super-hot”, Bri picked out a deep red, lace trimmed tank under a
black leather jacket, with a pair of dark jeggings and red and black strappy
heels.  Why bother trying to blend in, right?  She curled her hair
and put on some smoky eye shadow and liner.  She had just finished putting
on her jewelry when Cole rang the doorbell.  He looked like he had opted
for “super-hot” as well, in a fitted dark blue button down with the sleeves
rolled up, and a pair of dark jeans that highlighted his butt.  His eyes
looked a deep blue, thanks to his shirt, and Bri felt her pulse pick up.

They
had dinner at their favorite Mexican place, trying to act as normally as
possible.  They talked about Bri’s upcoming four day trip to Sacramento
for State, and the basketball playoffs that started the next Friday.  Bri
was having a fabulous time, until they pulled up in front of Alex’s
house.  The place was packed, with people spilling outside, enjoying the
mild February night.  Dread filled Bri, carving a pit in her stomach.

Cole
killed the motorcycle and looked back at her.

“Hey,
you okay back there?” he asked lightly.  He offered her a hand and helped
her off the bike.

Bri
stared at the house a moment and turned towards him.

“I
don’t think I can do this.  I don’t want to go in there, Cole.  I
can’t deal with all of these people, the angry glares, the names...”

“Bri,
it’ll be alright,” he pulled her into his arms.  “You can do this, I know
you can.  You’re stronger than they give you credit for.  Go in and
prove it to them.”

While
his words made her feel a bit better, she was still a nervous wreck.

“I
need a distraction,” she said.  “Something to calm me down.”

“What
kind of distraction?”  Cole’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, and
looking at him, Bri knew exactly what kind of distraction she needed.

“This
kind,” she whispered, and drew his lips down to hers.

Cole
was momentarily taken by surprise, but he recovered quickly and was more than
happy to oblige her.  As they kissed, Bri’s nerves vanished and were
replaced by a warm pool of desire.  Cole’s expert mouth wiped every doubt
and worry from her mind as he pretty much kissed her senseless.  When they
were able to finally disentangle themselves, Bri was proud to see that she had
pretty much kissed him senseless, too.  They walked up to the door, hand
in hand, with grins on their faces.

Alex
answered the door, and when he saw them his smile turned a little
sheepish. 

“Oh,
Cole.  I, uh, wasn’t sure if you were still coming tonight.”  Alex
looked uncomfortable, and it made Bri sad.  He and Cole had been friends
before, and now they hadn’t talked for a week.  Damn Serena.

“Yeah
man, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”  Cole slapped Alex on the back and
walked in like nothing at all was wrong.

Alex
looked slightly guilty before hurrying away from them.

“Ready
to make the rounds?” Cole yelled over the music.

“Definitely,”
Bri yelled back, and followed Cole through the house.

Everywhere
they went conversations stopped and people turned to stare.  Cole smiled
and greeted everyone he passed.  They spotted Serena snuggling up to Trey
on the couch.  They purposely walked right past her.

“Serena,”
Cole greeted her coldly as he passed.

“Serena.” 
Bri smiled sweetly at her as she followed Cole out of the room.  She was
gratified to see a flash of fury mar Serena’s perfect face.

They
found Layla and Devon sitting with Jess and Ethan.  The two couples made
room for them and they sat and talked for a while.  They all ignored the
rest of the room, that was glaring at them and talking about them, and laughed
and joked like they were the only ones there.  After deciding they’d been
there long enough to prove their point, Bri and Cole decided to go.

Finding
Alex before they left, Cole pulled him aside to say goodbye.

“Hey,
great party!  Thanks for letting us crash it,” he smiled.

Alex
ducked his head, looking a little ashamed.

“Hey
Cole, I’m sorry, man.  I’ve been a total asshat this week.  You don’t
deserve to be treated like this.”  Alex looked up, the sincerity plain on
his face.  Cole stood there, shocked for a moment.

“No,
dude, don’t worry about it.  I know how Serena gets.  It’s okay.”

“No,
it’s not.  But I’ll try to make it okay.”  Alex nodded to himself and
then slapped Cole on the arm.  “Thanks for coming.  See you
Monday.  Bye, Bri.”

Bri
smiled at Alex as they walked outside.  Alex’s regret and sincerity gave
her hope that she and Cole weren’t fighting a losing battle after all.

The
next week, Alex and a couple of other guys from the basketball and football teams
started talking to Cole again.  Alex had been doing some recruiting for
the We Don’t Give A Damn What Serena Thinks club, and the support helped lift
the cloud of gloom that had settled over Bri and Cole.  Serena, sensing a
change in the tide, decided to double her efforts, and got even nastier.

By
Thursday Bri was exhausted.  Dance had been kicking her butt, and the
insults and name calling had worn away any patience she had left.  The
Dance Team was leaving the next day for Sacramento, and Bri was so ready to get
out of Santa Monica, and away from all the drama.

As
Bri walked down the hall after school, Serena made a particularly vile remark
about her, loud enough for half the hall to hear.  Weeks’ worth of
frustration and anger surged forward, and Bri lost it.  She was done
letting Serena get away with her puerile schemes.  Bri was going to take
her on, once and for all, and she was going to do it right here, in the crowded
hallway.  She had caught Bri on a bad day, and the girl was going down.

“That’s
it, Serena,” Bri yelled angrily as she stormed over.  “I’m not going to
take any more shit from you.  You can’t seem to get it through your pea
sized brain that Cole and I are not breaking up, and nothing you do is going to
force him to come running back to you.”  Bri had the attention of the
entire hall, and more people were coming in to see what was going on. 
“I’m done being your punching bag.  You and I are going to end this. 
Now.”

Fear
flashed in Serena’s eyes, but her face showed nothing but confidence.  She
quickly surveyed their crowd and turned back to Bri with a contemptuous sneer.

“I
don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you are making a total idiot of
yourself.” 

“Well,
let me tell you exactly what
you’re
going to do,” Bri stepped closer. 
“You are going to call off your hounds, and stop forcing everyone to treat Cole
and me like pariahs.  You are going to stop spreading rumors about us, and
stop flinging insults.  And, you are going to leave us alone and stay out
of our lives.”

“Or
what?” Serena scoffed.  “What are you going to do?  You’re like the
size of a preschooler.”

“Push
me, and find out.”  Bri stepped right into her face.  Two of Serena’s
friends flanked her, providing back up.  “What’s the matter, Serena? 
Afraid to face me on your own?  You need your little body guards here to
keep you safe from me?  Pathetic,” Bri gave a derisive laugh. 
“You’re nothing but a coward, hiding behind a lot of talk.”

Serena’s
anger erupted, and pure hate filled her eyes.  “You want me?  Well,
you got me!”  She pushed back her friends, and it was just she and Bri,
toe to toe.

“It’s
time someone put you in your place, Serena.  You don’t own this school,
and you don’t own us.  We don’t have to bow to your every whim, or let you
order us around.”  Bri made sure she spoke loud enough that her voice
carried through the hall, but she didn’t take her eyes off Serena.  “We
aren’t your playthings, to manipulate however you want.”

Serena’s
eyes widened furiously before she let out a screech, and dove for Bri with her
claws.  Bri leaned out of the way, and then dodged again as Serna tried to
grab her hair.  Seeing her opening, Bri pulled back her fist and popped
Serena in the eye, knocking the girl on her butt.  Serena cried out,
covering her eye with her hand as she glared up at Bri.

“Are
you done?  Because I can do this all day long,” Bri eyed Serena down on
the floor.  When Serena made no move to get up, she scoffed. 
“Thought so.”  She turned to address the students around her.  “You
don’t have to follow her blindly.  She can’t really hurt you.  As you
can see, she’s nothing but a lot of talk.  Do yourselves a favor, and
start thinking for yourselves for a change.”  She looked down at
Serena.  “You have no more power here.  And if you
ever
try to
come between Cole and me again, you’ll end up with a lot more than a black eye,
I promise you.”  She turned her back on Serena and walked away.

The
crowd in the hall parted for her, a mixture of shock and amazement on their
faces.  Bri saw Cole standing at her locker, her bag packed on his
shoulder.  She could tell from his grim expression that he had seen her
and Serena go at it, but he said nothing as he slipped his arm around her
shoulder and led her out of the school.

Once
in his truck, he turned to her.  Worry, anger, and amazement warred on his
face.

“I
can’t believe you did that,” he finally said.  He sounded more that
marginally upset.  Bri thought it best to stay quiet and let him say what
he needed to say.  “Do you
realize
what could’ve happened? 
What if Serena had come back at you?  You could’ve been hurt, seriously
hurt!  Or worse, you could’ve been caught and
expelled
!”  His
voice rose as his anger did.  “You could’ve lost your chance at Stanford,
at your dream!  What were you
thinking
!?!”

“That
it was time I stood up for myself,” she replied quietly.  “It was time for
Serena to learn that we aren’t pawns in whatever game she wants to play. 
I want her to leave us alone, and this was the best way to make that happen.”

Cole’s
eyes softened a moment, but then hardened as his anger returned.

“And
did you give any thought to what might happen to you?  Shit, Bri! 
You’re so close to getting everything you’ve wanted, and you almost threw it
all away! 
Why
?  Why would you risk something like that?”

Bri
paused as his words sunk in.  She had almost thrown her whole future
away.  Admittedly, she hadn’t even thought about the repercussions of
getting caught fighting at school.  If she’d been caught and expelled, or
even suspended, there was no way she would’ve gotten into Stanford.  All
of her dreams and plans would have been ruined.  Why
had
she risked
that?

“I
did it for you,” her mind answered both her and Cole’s question.  She
didn’t realize she’d spoken out loud until she heard Cole’s sharp intake of
breath.  “I did it for us,” she continued.  “I did it so that Serena
couldn’t ruin anyone else’s life, like she tried to ruin ours.  I did it
to show her that she doesn’t own you, or me, or anyone else.  I did it so
that we could be free to be us, to be together.”  While we still can, her
mind finished.  She wanted, needed, to enjoy the time she had left with
Cole.  She looked up to find him gazing intently at her.

“Ambria,
I... I...,” he shook his head, unable to figure out what he wanted to
say.  “I can’t believe you’d risk so much for me.  I know you did it
for you, too, but still.  No one has ever done anything like that for
me.  Thank you.”  He reached over and pulled her into his arms. 
“But don’t you
ever
do anything like that again,” he said forcefully into
her hair.  “I’m not worth it.”

But
as she held onto him, Bri couldn’t agree.  

That
weekend the Dance Team headed up to Sacramento for their four day trip to
State.  They rocked almost all of the teams, but came in a disappointing
second place overall.  It was still a great accomplishment, but not what
the team had hoped for.

Bri
returned to school to find a dramatically different atmosphere than when she
left.  Apparently, her face-off with Serena had worked.  Serena and
her core group of loyal followers were still angry, but the rest of the school
seemed relieved to be out from under Serena’s thumb.  People not only
stopped spreading rumors and glaring, but most were even apologetic and
friendly.  Cole’s social exile was revoked, too, and he seemed much
happier.  While Serena continued to eye Bri evilly and whisper, at least
the insults had stopped.  Bri decided she’d take whatever reprieve she
could get.  The other great thing was that the majority of the student body
no longer paid Serena much attention, and Bri was glad she had had an impact.

Cole
and the basketball team breezed their way through their playoffs.  The
State tournament was held down in San Diego, so Bri, Layla, and their friends,
along with Claire, went down to cheer Cole and the team on.  They made it
to the championship game, and it was a closely fought and exciting battle, with
the Tigers pulling out a victory.  Bri was so incredibly proud of Cole,
and they spent that weekend celebrating with their families and friends. 
A couple of the schools trying to recruit Cole upped their offers after his
State win, adding extra incentives.  But, Cole had known all along where
he wanted to go.  After convincing his dad that this was what he wanted,
Cole signed his offer letter from Duke.

That
was a hard day for Bri.  Not because she wasn’t thrilled for Cole, because
she was
so
excited for him.  But because it was official. 
Cole was going to Duke, and she had just received her acceptance letter from
Stanford.  While she had also been accepted to Duke, her fall back school,
for her it had always been Stanford.  Her and Cole’s time was drawing
quickly to a close.  It was a fact that was weighing heavily on Bri,
despite all her mental preparation.

Before
Bri knew it, it was April, and time for spring break.  She had purposely
not made many plans for the week, wanting to relax and veg as much as
possible.  One thing she was looking forward to was her beach party with
Cole, Claire, and Sebastian.  Seb was home from UNLV for the week, and
they had decided to meet at the Hamilton’s house on Monday to hang out.

Cole
picked her up on his motorcycle, and as they pulled up to the Hamilton’s house,
Bri’s jaw dropped.  It was a huge, sprawling two story home, with its own
private gate.  It was a beautiful mix of light brick and stone, and backed
right to the beach.

“Wow,”
was all Bri could manage.  Cole chuckled when he saw the look on her face.

“Yeah. 
Apparently it pays to have multiple luxury car dealerships in LA.”

“Scott
is a car dealer?”  Bri was shocked.  He so didn’t fit the typical
dealer stereotype.

“Yep. 
That’s how he and my dad met.  My dad was Scott’s head mechanic in his
first dealership.  They worked together for a few years before my dad
decided to open up his own shop.  Scott actually backed his business
loan.”

“It’s
always nice to have family you can depend on,” Bri smiled.

“Yes,
it is.”  Cole smiled and rang the doorbell. 

Claire
answered the door with a shriek, and threw herself at Bri, wrapping her in a
huge hug.  Bri returned Claire’s hug warmly, and let Claire drag her
inside.

“I’m
so glad you’re here!  I’ve been waiting
all
day!” Claire squealed,
forgetting all about Cole still standing in the doorway.

“Yeah,
good to see you too, Claire,” Cole called out wryly before letting himself
in.  Claire, of course, ignored him.

“Here,
I’ll give you the tour before we join the boys.”  Claire grabbed Bri’s
hand and led her through the large house.  She filled Bri in on what was
new in her life, mainly her new boyfriend, who was super cute and a really good
kisser.  Bri caught her up on her life, and answered all of Claire’s
questions.  Finally satisfied, Claire ended her interrogation and led Bri
out back to a beautiful, open patio where the boys were lounging by the pool.

Cole
and Seb both looked up as the girls made their way out, and a huge grin spread
across Seb’s face as he rose to greet Bri.  He pulled her in for a hug,
slightly surprising her.

“Bri! 
Finally!  I thought Claire was going to hold you captive all day.” 
He pulled back, smiling, and Bri couldn’t help smiling back at him.

“Hey
Seb!  How are you?”

“Good,
thanks.  And you?  Still dating this loser, I see,” he nodded over at
Cole.

“Well,
you know Cole.  He kind of grows on you,” she teased, throwing Cole a
wink.

“Like
a fungus!” Seb laughed.

Cole
rolled his eyes as he came over and wrapped his arm around Bri’s waist.

“Okay
guys, I have lunch all set up for us,” Claire called from behind them. 
She had set out a whole array of  sandwiches, fruits, veggies, desserts,
and drinks on an outdoor table.  “Come sit, and let’s eat!”

“Um,
you didn’t make all this yourself, did you?”  Cole eyed the buffet,
apparently skeptical of Claire’s culinary skills.  She hit him on the arm.

“Yes,
I did,” she said, defiantly.  “And you are going to eat every last bite,
Cole, and you are going to like it!”

They
all sat and filled their plates.  Despite Cole’s reservations, Claire had
done a great job, and everything was delicious.  After they had all eaten
their fill, and satisfied Claire, Cole stood up from the table.

“You
guys ready to hit the beach?”  Everyone nodded.  “Okay, you girls go
change and meet us back out here.”

Claire
grabbed Bri’s hand and pulled her up to her bedroom.

“Please
tell me you brought that white bikini you got in Catalina,” Claire demanded.

“Yes,
I brought it.  How could I not, when you texted me like twenty times not
to forget it?”

“Good! 
Here, you can change in my bathroom.”

After
changing into the more than slightly skimpy suit, Bri began to doubt that this
had been a good idea.  She tied her wrap skirt around her waist and walked
back into Claire’s room.

“I
don’t know, Claire.  Maybe this was a bad idea.”

Claire’s
mouth dropped.

“Oh,
no, this is perfect!  Cole is going to flip when he sees you in
this!  He won’t be able to keep his hands off you!”

That
was exactly what Bri was afraid of.

The
girls walked out across the patio, to the beach beyond.  Bri looked up to
find both Cole and Seb gaping openly at her.  Yep, this bikini was
definitely
a bad idea. Claire pulled her over and they set out their towels on the
sand.  Bri slipped out of her skirt, revealing her cheeky, Brazilian cut
bottom, and heard a gasp behind her.  She turned, and was surprised to
find it had come from Seb, who was staring at her, openly admiring.  Cole,
who had also been devouring her with his eyes, heard Seb’s gasp and shot his
friend a look.  Seb’s face flushed a bright red, and he quickly averted
his gaze.

“See
something you like there, Seb?” Cole teased.

“Yes. 
I mean, no!  I mean...,” Seb cleared his throat.  “Sorry,” he smiled
sheepishly at Bri.  He then turned to Cole with a smile.  “You are
one lucky SOB, man!”

“Are
you ogling my girl, Seb?” Cole taunted, relishing Seb’s obvious discomfort.

“Maybe,”
Seb shot back with a cocky grin.  Cole immediately rushed him, tackling
him to the ground.  The two boys laughed as they wrestled in the sand.

Bri
stopped to admire the two shirtless hunks of man candy rolling around at her
feet.  She had to admit, it was pretty hot!

“Alright,
that’s enough!”  Claire stomped over to the boys.  “Stop acting like
a couple of Neanderthals, and get up!”

After
another minute of trying to get in the last shot, the boys finally released
each other and stood up, covered in sweat and sand.  Bri’s pulse picked
up.

“Testosterone,”
Claire muttered, shaking her head.  She led a slightly reluctant Bri back
to their towels.

Cole
came over and laid out next to Bri, and it was her turn to ogle him.  His
black board shorts hung low on his hips, exposing an awful lot of his
well-defined chest and abs.  That was one view she would never get tired
of.  Unable to stop herself, she brushed the sand off his abdomen, just
wanting to touch him.  She smiled when she felt his stomach contract under
her hand.  It seemed Cole was a little bit ticklish.  He opened one
eye and caught her gawking at him.

“See
something you like, Bri?”  He flashed his signature cocky smile.

“Oh,
yeah,” she breathed.  She tore her eyes away from his body and looked
up.  Desire darkened Cole’s gray eyes, and his intense gaze held her
hostage.  It was like she could see everything he wanted to do to her,
reflected in his deep eyes.  She could feel heat creeping up her cheeks,
but she couldn’t look away.  She was just about to grab him and pull him
to her, when Claire’s voice broke in.

“See
Bri, I told you Cole would love it!”

“Love
what?”  Cole turned to Claire, releasing Bri from his spell.

“That
bikini.  I was the one who convinced her to get it,” Claire beamed
proudly.

Cole
turned his eyes back to Bri.

“Claire,
I owe you. 
Big
time.”  His eyes traveled over Bri
again.  “In fact, I think I’ll owe you for the rest of my life for this.”

“Told
you,” Claire smiled triumphantly at Bri and laid back on her towel.

“So,”
Cole cleared his throat.  “What do you want to do?”  He still had
that gleam in his eye, but at least he was trying not to look at her like he
was picturing her naked.  Bri shook her head.  Boys.

“Um,
honestly, all I want to do right now is lay out, and read a book.  I know
that probably sounds boring, but it sounds like heaven to me right now.”

“Okay. 
Seb and I wanted to go do a little body boarding, if that’s okay?”

“Definitely! 
Go have fun!”

“I
can come get you a little later, if you want to try it?”

“Sure,
that sounds great,” she smiled at him.

“Well
then, I’ll leave you to relax.”  He leaned over and placed a sultry kiss
on her lips.  “Try not to miss me too much,” he teased.

“Yeah,
I’ll work on that,” she quipped back.  She slipped on her sunglasses and
pulled out her book as Cole and Seb headed out into the waves.  Claire
followed suit next to her, and the girls laid in companionable silence.

But
the sun shining on Cole’s black hair, and glinting off his wet chest, made it
much more difficult to concentrate on her book than Bri had planned.  In
fact, she spent much more time watching Cole in the water, than she did
reading.  Her attempt at relaxing was anything but.

Giving
up on her book, Bri stood and walked out to the water.  She let the waves
lap up against her ankles as she stood watching Cole.  He rode a wave in,
picked up his board, and strode towards her.  The smug smile on his face
as he approached told her that he knew she’d been watching him.

“Couldn’t
keep yourself away?”  He cocked his eyebrow.

“Technically,
you were the one who came to me.  I think it’s you who can’t stay
away.”  She trailed her finger up his chest. 

“You’re
right about that,” he replied softly, stepping into her.  “Take a walk with
me?”  Cole’s eyes held hers hungrily, and Bri nodded.  Dropping his
body board in the sand, he took her hand and led her down the beach. 
Neither of them said anything as they walked.  When they were finally out
of eyeshot, Cole pulled her to him and kissed her hard.

“Sorry,”
he pulled back breathlessly.  “But, if I didn’t do that soon I was going
to explode.”

“Well,
we can’t have that.”  Bri pulled him in and kissed him back, knowing
exactly how he felt.  Though he was still damp from the ocean, Bri felt
nothing but heat between them.

Cole’s
hands skimmed her waist, back, and arms before tangling into her hair, his
desire for her consuming him.  Bri let her own hands explore his exposed
skin, desperate for more of him.  The feel of his skin against hers made
her knees weak.  Cole kissed her like he would never see or touch her
again, like he was trying to commit her body to memory.

Heat
and desire raced between them, building until they didn’t know anything else
but each other.  Somehow, Bri wasn’t sure how, they were lying on the
sand, Cole beneath her as her mouth explored his neck and chest.  There
was a fire burning inside her that only he could quench.  She felt his
hands move to the tie at her back, and her heart pounded faster.  They
were all alone on the beach, and Bri wanted this,
so
badly.  There
was no reason to stop, no reason to hold back.