Heat (9 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Two Months Later....

   I can't believe how happy I have felt these past couple of months and Cole is the sole purpose of course. I have a mixture of feelings swirling around inside me, as I work on my latest piece of editing work, it’s a romance novel and I can't help referring myself to the main character as she is swept off her feet by a rich hunk. I can partly relate as Cole has definitely swept me off my feet but not the rich hunk. Cole definitely has the hunk part but not the rich side; but I don't care how much money he makes. Cole is more than enough for me, weither he is rich or not doesn't mean a thing to me.

   Over the past two months we have tried to spend as much time as possible together in between Cole's crazy job schedule and my own work. When we do get those precious nights together we usually spend them getting reacquainted with each other. Take the past three nights for example, Cole had Wednesday to Friday off and he came here straight away, we didn't appear from my bedroom until Friday morning because we were too lost in each other. Even when we were out of the bedroom we couldn’t keep our hands off each other as we ate breakfast and watched TV. Roxie and Mason found us entwined on the sofa, they have been just like Cole and I and I know Roxie really likes Mason, even if she does play it down to me, she's not fooling anyone; especially me!

   Mason and Roxie were going out to dinner and asked if Cole and I wanted to join them, which we did. We went to a local Italian restaurant and sat on the balcony under the twinkling lights, it was quiet, peaceful and very romantic. We didn't dress up or anything but the guys looked a little smarter than what they usually do. I can't help but notice they both look a little nervous and by the look Roxie just shot me, she has picked up on it too. When we return home Cole takes my hand, leads me into my room and sat me down on my bed with my head in his hands. He looked me straight in the eyes and sighed loudly. "Lace, I don't know how to tell you this but, the thing is, I don't know when I can see you again." My heart fell deep into my stomach as his news sunk in; this is why he looked nervous while we were eating. I couldn't help but get upset, I have really fallen hard for Cole and I always looked forward to seeing him, knowing that some time during the week we would have a couple of nights together but the thought of not seeing him for longer than a week tears my heart apart. I sit there, silent and in shock, trying to absorb his words, while he continues to tell me the band he helps is now touring out of L.A so he has to follow, he might be able to come and see me in around two weeks time or maybe longer. What was I supposed to say to that?

   Back in the present moment, I slam my laptop shut; I suddenly don't feel like reading about love and happiness anymore. If I didn't know that I had fallen for Cole before, I certainly know now. I haven't even told him how I feel, and he certainly hasn't said the three words to me, he probably doesn't even feel that deeply for me. He has said that I do crazy shit to him, his words not mine, and that he hates being away from me, but that can be put down to just plain old lust. If I told him how I felt
,
then I would probably scare him off for good, because men like Cole don't do love and long commitment. I'm sure he has had many women falling at his feet, I can't blame them. I bet anybody would fall for his bad boy tattooed image and devastatingly good looks. I can't blame any woman who throws herself at him because I practically went weak at the knees when I first saw him; my first thought when I saw him was, how much I want to take him to my bed!
 

   I want Cole so bad and I thought we were starting to get somewhere, in a relationship; after all of the nights we spent together and our phone conversations... suddenly I freeze on the sofa, it dawns on me that we haven't ever discussed anything about being exclusive; we haven't spoken about what we are. What if I've been one of many girls? What if there are other girls just like me pining after him in different cities, all waiting for him to return? Shit I have to stop these thoughts right now, before they eat away at me.

   If I wanted to be in a relationship with Cole then I really need to consider his work schedule, he works everywhere and I wouldn't know when we would next see each other, surely, that's not good for a relationship? I can't expect him to leave his job because I can see how much he loves it, but I would never ask that of him anyway. Every time he leaves it gets harder and harder and after what he told me yesterday it was really hard to watch him walk away this morning. Seeing as I don't think I can concentrate on my editing anymore I decide to get ready and go down to the shops for tonight’s supplies for our movie night with Ria and Paige.

* * *

   An hour later I struggle to open my front door as I hold onto my three full bags of alcohol and junk food; these bitches better appreciate my struggling! I kick the door shut behind me and pack away the goodies for later. I‘m actually glad to be home, I don't know if I was being paranoid or whatever but I felt like I was being watched. I caught some people looking at me and it was like I could feel people’s gazes staring right at me as I held my head down and carried on to my junk food shop. I have no idea why but I try to shake the odd feeling off as Roxie walks in through the door. She flashes me a wide smile as he holds up the bottle of wine in her hand. She shoves it in front of me and I gladly pour us both a glass in our large wine glasses.

   We both walk into the living room and she heavily slumps down next to me. "I've had such a weird day."

   I look over at her as she takes a big gulp from her glass. "What was so weird?" Honestly knowing Roxie it could be anything, she probably thinks it's weird if she flirts with someone and they don't take an interest.

   Roxie frowns and sighs loudly. "I don't know. This is gonna sound like I'm making shit up but, I swear people were looking at me today. I mean, yeah, I get 'the look' all the time but this was different. Some guys who work in the same building, who I've never even spoken to before came up to me and said that he didn't realize I was into the rockers and that I should go out with him some time. I mean what the hell? I haven't been with any rockers; I don't like a man to have long hair."

   I burst out laughing, nearly spitting wine all over myself. "Rox, not every rocker has long hair."

   She laughs along with me but I can see the weird look in her eyes, then I rethink what she just told me and my laughter dies. Roxie stops as soon as I do. "What's up?"

   "Nothing, just what you said about people looking at you. When I went to the shops, I thought the same. It was weird but I thought I was having some weird paranoia."

   Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Well shit, people just can't take their eyes off us." She giggles but it doesn't sound genuine.

   "Have you heard from Mason?"

   She gives me a weird look and nods. "Just the usual, what about Cole?"

   "Yeah he called." We stay quiet and I know we both don't know what else to say to each other. We both miss them but we don't want to upset the other. The intercom phone to our apartment rings and we know its Ria and Paige, it doesn't look like Roxie is about to get up so I run over and answer it. When I pick it up I can hear a lot of voices, they sound excited and some are screaming. I can hear Paige's voice but I can't tell what she is saying so I just buzz them in. What the hell is all that about?

   I open the door and lean on the door frame as I wait for them to step out the elevator facing our front door. When they see me they smile and hold up their bottles of alcohol and grin, it's an unspoken rule of ours. If we're having a night in, you have to bring a bottle.

  They throw their bags on Roxie's bed
,
because whenever they stop over Roxie sleeps in my bed
.
They join us in the living room on the sofa opposite after pouring themselves a glass of their drinks. Ria whistles loudly and shakes her head. "What's going on down there then?"

   "Down where?" Roxie asks as I say. "Is that the noise I heard from the phone?"

   Ria nods her head. "For some reason there's a crowd at the main doors, haven't you heard anything?"

   A crowd in front of our apartment building? Roxie sets down her wine glass and sits up. "When I came back from work there were three girls at the doors giggling about something. I heard them mention some photos? They sounded excited about something."

   Paige takes a drink from her glass and nods. "The security guards are guarding the doors
;
if they weren't there I don't think we would have gotten through them. Luckily they recognized us and helped us through the mob."

   I look around at my three friends serious faces and laugh; it all sounds a little crazy to me. They look at me like I’m a crazy person as I grab my phone still laughing. I search our address to see if anything has happened, because whatever the hell is happening must be on the news if people are here. When I see the pictures I'm shocked. There are images of Cole and Mason in front of the building from the past three nights they were here. In some Roxie and I are in them and there's even some pictures of the four of us sitting outside the Italian restaurant enjoying our meal. Why would there be pictures of us be on the internet? Roxie leans into me to see what I'm looking at when she sees the expression on my face. "What the fuck?"

   Before Ria and Paige come to take a look I jump up from the sofa, I'm thoroughly confused and I want to know what's happening. The girls all follow me out and we ride the elevator down together. We walk down the corridor and I stop when we come to the glass doors that separate the corridor from the main area. I see a large crowd of mostly girls; they're all either, shouting, laughing or screaming! I look at my friends. "What the hell is going on?"

   "Fucking hell." At the sound of Roxie's voice I turn to look at her with wide eyes and then look back towards the crowd again, I see the security guards have their arms stretched open to make sure they don't let anyone in. I want to know what's going on so I open the glass doors which cause some people in the crowd to look over, weirdly that is also when hell breaks loose.

   "Oh my God!"

   "That's them!"

   "Where are they?"

   Who are they talking about? One of the security guards turns to us. "Don't worry; the police are on their way."

   Police? This is all so weird and unreal. Roxie steps beside me. "What's going on?"

   I don't answer because I have no clue; the security guards don't hear her and now that Roxie is next to me, more shouting comes from the crowd.

   "Where's Cole?"

   "Are you Mason's girlfriend?"

   "Has Cole asked you to marry him?"

   How do they know Cole and Mason's names? I hear a gasp behind us and I turn to see Ria looking wide eyed and Paige with her hand over her mouth. "Cole and Mason?"

   The crowd cheer and I hear something about a black inferno, I have no clue. My head starts to hurt, I am so confused. Ria finally speaks. "Black Inferno? Why didn't you tell us?"

   I look at Roxie who is at my side and we both frown at each other. "What are you talking about?"

   I want to hear the answer to Roxie's question but I can't take anymore. The loud crowd and my confused thoughts are giving me a headache. I walk back through the glass doors and back towards the elevator. I still have no clue what's going on and I'm more confused now than I was five minutes ago. The girls follow me and as I watch them open the glass doors again I hear more shouting.

   "Where are they?"

   "I want to see Black Inferno!"

   "Cole!"

   As soon as they step in I hit our floor number; when the doors close I'm so grateful for the silence.

   "Did you both really not know?"

   I shake my head at Ria. "About what?"

   Roxie groans in frustration. "What the fuck is going on?"