Chapter 4
"Here you go." Shiloh said, putting his car on neutral.
I flickered my eyes at him and up to my house and back to him.
"Thanks--for the ride." I managed to stammer out.
I didn't make a move to get out of his car though.
"I'm going to home alone," I blurted out at Shiloh who was waiting patiently for me to step out his car.
Shiloh raised his eyebrows at me slowly, turning his upper torso and leaning against the steering wheel with one arm.
"If I didn't know you Aria, I would think you want me to come to your room and-"
I stared at him in horror.
"No type A!" I screeched at him.
Shiloh looked back at me dubiously.
"Type A?"
"Yes!" I breathed out.
"Nothing like slam, bam, thank you ma'am."
Shiloh erupted into fits of laughter and I threw a hand over my mouth, biting the insides of my cheeks.
How stupidly stupid did I just sound?
Shiloh was in my room.
And no Type A was planned.
I decided I was close to freaking out about being home alone and having a friend around for a bit didn't sound so bad.
But of course, my luck ran out for the day and the most unexpected happened.
Shiloh had taken a great interest in my room, especially the walls that were filled with papers with rough notes on.
Some contained random dialogue, some contained novel outlines and some just contained descriptive extracts.
He picked up my grey book from the desk, flickering through the pages.
"That's my book..." I said in a small voice.
I was still heck nervous about having a guy in my room, never mind a really good-looking Serenian.
"I write random stuff in there." I managed to finish without fainting.
Shiloh glanced over at me, throwing his trademark smirk across the room.
"They don't look so random." He mused out loud, continuing with flicking through the pages.
I should feel invaded, annoyed even by the fact that Shiloh was snooping around my personal stuff.
But surprisingly, I found it nice.
Someone, for once, gave a damn what I was up to during my spare time and during the start of my nights.
"I can assure you that they are very random."
Shiloh dropped the grey book back on the desk and slowly stalked towards the window.
He opened the curtains, glancing at the front of the house.
Probably to check if his car wasn't violated or something.
"They sound very planned.
What's going to happen to the girl?
Is she ever going to forgive the guy for not telling her the truth?
Is she ever going to get back to her house?
Is she ever going to fix everything she believes needs fixing by her?"
I stopped breathing.
"You managed to read all of those pages so quickly?
Shiloh smiled at me.
"I'm a fast reader."
I was close to gushing out but I managed to contain myself.
He genuinely looked interested by it, which really warmed my heart.
"I-I-I'm so happy right now." I whispered, clasping my hands behind me.
Shiloh took a few steps so he was directly in front of me.
"That's what I'm here for now love.
To make you happy." Shiloh lowered his head and planted a platonic kiss on my cheek, his chin grazing the edge of my lips.
"Get your hands off my girl."
I closed my eyes sluggishly, hoping that the voice I just heard did not belong to the guy I was never ready to see.
But, like I said, I'm not a lucky bee because when I turned around to my bedroom door, Cole stood right outside of it, his hands clenched by his sides and shooting a murderous look right at Shiloh.
Someone help me.
Shiloh took a step back, his long arms snaking around my waist slowly.
The touch was so basic but it still warmed the whole area he managed to touch.
"Your girl?" Shiloh questioned, watching Cole with hard eyes.
Shiloh knew everything about Cole and how he basically stumped all over me.
Cole took a step inside, my room instantly turning crowed by the presence of Cole's long body and his angry vibe.
I couldn't recall the last time Cole stepped inside my room and I felt alienated by his presence right now.
So bizarre when I practically used to live in his bed.
"Yes," Cole clipped out, his darkened eyes dropping down to the hand around my waist.
A feeling of discomfort coursed through me and I awkwardly stepped out of Shiloh's hold.
Cole eyed me up and down, analysing my body for his own matter before his eyes landed on my face.
"Can we talk?" He asked, leaving me no room to decline.
Looked like my plan to avoid was washed right down the drain.I took a small step forward, turning my back to Cole and facing Shiloh.
He was glaring over my head at Cole, his jaw clenched tightly.
"Shiloh?" I whispered, putting a hand over his hard biceps.
He glanced down at me, his face softened from the hard edge.
"You're not his girl," he told me.
I closed my eyes slowly.
I wanted to say, "oh how I wished I was his girl." Instead, I fell back on a simple, "I know."
When I opened my eyes, Shiloh leaned down so his face was directly in front of mine.
"He gives you trouble, call me."
I nodded slowly at him, biting the insides of my cheeks.
His finger grazed the end of my cheek slowly and a second later, his warmth disappeared.
I rotated my head to the side to see Shiloh and Cole in a heated stare down.
"Watch yourself Cole." Shiloh snarled at Cole, the threat evident in his voice.
"Watching." Cole shot back, crossing his hands across his chest.
I felt the static tension in the air and it frightened me to a certain level.
Because if these two boys went head to head, I had no chance to break the fight out.
With a last deadly glare, Shiloh walked away.
Cole turned so he was fully facing me and dropped his hands by his sides.
He wasn't speaking.
He was probably waiting for Shiloh to be gone and I guessed correctly when I heard the mustang purr away and then Cole stalked towards me.
He snatched my hand, pulling me out the room.
I managed to yell out a small, "hey!" just as Cole ran down the stairs, dragging me along.
I put a hand against the wall, hoping that it would prevent me from tumbling forwards.
"Cole!" I yelled when he threw open the front door.
He ignored me, taking long strides towards his house.
"I need to close my door-" I told him, looking over my shoulder just as my front door slammed itself shut.
Great.
And I left the key in my jacket upstairs.
Just so great.
Cole didn't stop to have a chit chat until we were in his room, his doors locking behind us.
The smell was what hit me first, so familiar and so Cole like.
He dropped my hand like it burned him and turned to face me.
It took everything within me to not cower backwards from the scary look on his face.
"Speak." He ordered.
I grabbed my hands, clasping them together and leaning forwards.
I titled my head to the side, a sudden feeling of anger boiling up inside of me.
But I contained it.
"About what?" I asked.
Cole moved so suddenly that I nearly dropped backwards.
"You know what," he snarled.
I shook my head at him.
"Actually I don't.
Enlighten me."I really did know what he was talking about.
Cole raised his eyebrows down at me.
"Oh you want to play it like this Aria?" Cole moved again, this time invading this thing called personal space.
I inhaled shakily, the anger subsiding rapidly and in replacement, a nervous feeling escalated.
"Why have you been avoiding me for the past three days going?" He asked, hitting the bulls-eye question without looking left or right
I swallowed down empty air.
"I haven't." I lied.
"Let's not bullshit this."
"Cole-" I stared to say.
"No Aria, I'm not going to let you come up with a bullshit excuse.
I want a straight answer."
I don't know what sparked that flare of anger again, maybe it was the way he was talking to me or maybe it was the fact that I was really done with this.
But nonetheless, I glared back at him, dropping my hands on my hips.
"First of all, I'm not your girl.
Never was Cole.
And the way you talked to Shiloh was not cool."
Cole arched one perfect eyebrow.
"Oh so you're friends with Shiloh Reeves now?"
"Yes!"
Cole let out a scoff.
"You are so blind sometimes Aria.
Just tell me why you've been so distant.
And nofuckingbullshitting."
I took a deep breathe.
"You really thought I was going to come in your bed when Mira and you just did god knows what on it?" I shot up at him.
I saw the surprise slam on his face and I took that as my cue to carry on.
"You really thought I was going to be that girl, that desperate girl and climb into your bed,like the next client?" My voice was rising by every word, giving less care about his parents hearing me for once.
"You really thought I was going to bethatgirl?" I screamed into his face.
Cole was taken aback by my sudden outburst and again, I took that moment to push past him.