Chapter 3

With one deep breath and last push of confidence, I turned my body and faced the window.

And there he was.

Silently leaning against his window sill, watching my window with solid eyes.

"Hey there." My heart started beating loudly for some reason.

I really missed his warmth and his caressing touches.

I wanted to be in his bed so badly right now it even scared me how much.

"Cole!" We both turned our heads to his door where a cheerful Mira came in from.

She was wearing a towel only, her perfectly tanned skin shining under Cole's bedroom night.

Oh my god.

Don't do this to me.

I closed my eyes slowly, begging the stars I wasn't seeing Mira in just a towel in Cole's room.

Not right now, when I was still in denial about his playboy ways.

When I opened my eyes again, my prayer weren't answered.

Only she did come closer to Cole's side.

Cole snapped his head back at me, something flickering past his eyes.

I had trouble pinpointing what it was but then decided to not give it much thought.

I'm over thinking far too many things and it needed to stop.

I feigned a shaky smile and then closed my curtains.

Head down Aria, head down and run for it.

I dodged every single person I could, for the first time ever not letting them push me from side to side.

I had to run for it.

"Hey Aria wait!" I heard Cole yell from behind me.

But head down and run for it.

Run.

For.

It.

Why was he yelling my name?

Was he stupid?

Did Mira claw at his head a bit too hard last night?

After last night... that was really a slap back to reality.

Cole and I, us being together?

I was being far past delusional.

Cole didn't think of me in that way.

I ducked it inside the ladies room, head in first and body straight after.

I heard it all last night.

All of the things Cole was doing and Mira liked it.A lot.I couldn't help but imagine myself with Cole like that, where I wasn't an awkward ditz and when I knew what I was doing.

My Type A with him was the most horrible experience ever and not once did we fully talk about it.

I like to think it never happened.

Because Type A shouldn't of happened like it had between us.

"You running from someone?"

I let out a sharp shriek, throwing myself backwards and clutching the front of my chest in a tight grip.

I turned around and looked into the eyes of Elara Vance, the school's richest girl.

And prettiest if I had a say.

"I'm so sorry!" She gasped, reaching for my hands that were on my chest.

I loosened the grip I had on it, exhaling deeply.

"It's fine.

You gave me a quick scare." I laughed awkwardly, clearing my throat and slapping my cheeks softly.

Standing with Elara looking at me thoughtfully made me feel all shades of uncomfortable.

I was practically a plain sheet in front of her.

She was absolutely gorgeous, with her long blonde hair , grey eyes and a hot curvy body.Gosh, how did she manage to perfect that perfection?

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized again.

"Do you want to tell me who you were running away from?"

I opened my mouth to speak but she interjected with a raise of her index finger.

She stalked towards the stalls, looking under to see if anyone was present with us.

When she was sure no one was with us, she came back to me.

"Tell me."

I opened my mouth to speak again but this time no words were coming out.

I couldn't find it in myself to tell Elara about Cole.

I knew they knew each other.

They were in the same friendship group and I also knew Mira was friends with Elara.

Elara held up her index finger again.

She walked around me and slowly opened the door, sticking her head back out.

She kept looking, straining her neck to see everything.

When she saw what she wanted to see, she closed the door and re-faced me.

"Cole Brighton?"

My eyes widening at the thought that Cole was outside.

"Don't worry, I don't think Cole will barge into the ladies." Elara laughed softly at me.

"I'm running from someone too.

Only the guy I'm running from won't think twice about coming into the ladies."

I erupted into fits of laughter.

"Who is he?"

I saw the sad expression fall on Elara face and I rethought my question.

Maybe it wasn't good to pry...

"Nicholas Hayes."

My eyes widened again.

"No way?

Nico?" I gawked at Elara, who was now biting her lower lip and running her fingers through her hair.

"It's complicated.

I say we duck it away from here and tell each other why we are running away from two hot guys."

I smiled softly at her, liking the idea of 'ducking' it away from here and telling her all about Cole.

Because somehow, we were on the same boat.

"I'd like that."

"Cool, I'll call my friend Shiloh and he'll get us out of here."

Shiloh was waiting for us outside and Elara and I had to make a run for it.

Cole and Nico might still be around and we couldn't afford any of them stopping us.

We introduced each other on the way over and I told her I already knew her name.

Surprisingly she knew mine too.

Shiloh was leaning against this beautiful, black mustang GT.

I was practically drooling whilst approaching it.

Shiloh was Serenian, his elegant skin tone beautiful under the ray of sunlight.

His dark hair was wavy and he was wearing shades.

"Two ladies for the price of one?" Shiloh commented when we got close.

Elara jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and opened the passenger door.

She pulled back the front chair, got in and pulled the chair back.

"Get in Aria." Elara ushered, patting the head rest.

I only managed to put in my leg when I heard someone yelling my name in the distance.

I decided to ignore it and plummeted down into the front seat.

I barely had my seatbelt on when Shiloh raced it out of the parking lot.

For a moment, I felt like the visible intruder into their rock hard relationship, their hilarious banter and attempts to agitate their selves winning the best comedy awards.

After our little confession party, I felt a tonne and a bit more better.

Not because Elara was going through something alike but the fact I had someone to talk to.

I always kept to myself, so no wonder why I was named the Socially Inept Girl.

I did things my own way, and most likely in a different way than anyone else would do.

I dressed differently, I acted on impulse differently and I most certainly was treated differently.

And maybe that was why I fell in love with Cole.

He saw me as an equal, treated me as an equal and made me feel beautiful inside and out.

But he just saw me as someone that warmed his bed for him at night without any physical aerobics.

I didn't think it bothered him but it clearly did since Mira was a regular at his place right now.

Shiloh was driving me home, the streetlight flashing through into the car.

A male singer played in the background, the volume piped down really low it was hard to distinguish who the singer was.

I probably didn't know, so my guessed failed then and there.

Shiloh was drumming his finger tips on the steering wheel, dancing his shoulders with the music.

I laughed when he started rolling his head around and I reach over to the stereo and turned up the music.

Shiloh stopped at the red lights and turned his body to me.

He dropped his shades down his nose, his vivid hazel eyes staring back at me.

"They day I dance for you-" he started to say.

"Is the day you wed me?" I finished off for him, arching one eyebrow.

"Which is going to happen," he winked at me before speeding away.

I attempted to fight the harsh blush that overpowered my cheeks but it was to no avail.

I turned to my last option left and faced the window, hiding my face.

"I already seen it." Shiloh commented from his side.

I rolled my eyes at him but didn't turn back.

His flirting was new to me.

It was out there and he didn't hold back one ounce during it.

I didn't know what to conclude from it, because it didn't go unnoticed by me when Shiloh used to attend our high school.

Different girl on his arm every other week.

He made it look effortless.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out to see a text from my mom.

We won't be making it home tonight.

Eat something and make sure to lock the doors and windows.

Shiloh pulled up at my house just as I re-read the text.

I was basically going to be home alone.

For the first time in a while, I was going to be home alone.

Now...

I didn't know whether to be freaked out or to throw a party and only invite myself.