Tempted

Chapter 21

Taylor

I expect my ringing phone to be Colt again, and I consider ignoring it, but it’s not Colt. It’s Reis. “Hello?”

“Hi, Shrimp.”

I roll my eyes at the ridiculous nickname he’s given me, until I remember he can’t see me. “Just left and you’re already missing me?” I tease. It’s Sunday night, which means Reis is making the hour drive back home for school tomorrow. Sometimes I worry that if he spends every weekend here with me, he won’t make friends at his new school. But he doesn’t seem all that concerned with that. And the one time I asked him, he brushed it off, saying he’d only be there one year anyway.

“So I wanted to ask you something. It’s probably stupid, but…” He hesitates.

I sit up in bed, wondering where this is going and if it’s related to our conversation in the bedroom. “What?”

“There’s a homecoming dance at my school this Friday night. And I’ve never actually been to a dance before…so, I was thinking maybe you’d be my date.”

I frown down at my hands. I had no doubts going to the dance with Reis would be fun, but I wondered what Colt would say about it… did I even care? He’d been gone for weeks with Bria, sharing a hotel room and clearly indulging her in flirty behavior. “I’d have to get a dress.”

He chuckles. “Sweet. You’ll go?”

“Yeah. If it’s okay with Colt,” I add.

“It is. I called him before I called you. He wasn’t in the best mood. But he said he didn’t care. So we’re good there.”

The fact that Colt doesn’t care if I go on a date with his brother stings more than it should. But I correct myself, this isn’t a date. We’re going as friends, that’s all.

The next week passes by quickly, but without an explanation or an apology from Colt about Bria interrupting us. He just pretends it didn’t happen, and he’s even more withdrawn. Each day that passes without him opening up, I lose a little more faith in us. And it doesn’t help that each day Reis sends me sweet and funny texts that let me know he’s thinking of me.

Desperate to know what’s going on between me and Colt, I seek out Britt in the cafeteria on Friday afternoon. But looks like I’ll have to wait, she’s on the phone. When she spots me, her eyes widen and she muffles her hand over the phone. I get the sense she’s talking about something she doesn’t want me to hear. My heart clenches. She’s probably on the phone with Bria. Does she know something I don’t? Why is she looking at me with sympathy in her eyes? Oh God, I need to get out of here.

I do the only thing I can do. I log into my computer, punching in the string of commands that will allow me access to Colt’s email account.

I pull a deep breath into my lungs. There aren’t any messages from Bria, just a few work-related things and a status report form Vera of happenings at the school.

I go to the folder for sent items. There’s an email exchange between him and Bria from yesterday.

I read over the note she wrote to him first.

TO: Colt Palmer

FROM: Bria Simonson

SUBJECT: The dynamic duo of London

When are you going to tell her? You’re the world’s suckiest boyfriend. Not that I’m complaining about that.

TO: Bria Simonson

FROM: Colt Palmer

SUBJECT: RE: The dynamic duo of London

I just need a little more time. I know you want this all solved and figured out to so we can move on. Just hang in there with me.

Oh God. Is he going to breakup with me? What other explanation can there be? Her note implies that he’s being a bad boyfriend and has something to tell me, and his note assures her that he’ll solve it soon so they can move on.

Later MJ finds me in bed. “You skipped last period?” she says, shaking my shoulder to wake me.

“I think Colt’s breaking up with me,” I groan and roll over.

She doesn’t speak, but her eyes convey everything. She’s nursed girls back from Colt’s heartbreak before. She warned me about this from the beginning. At least she doesn’t say I told you so. She sits down beside me on the bed.

I open the email and show her.

She reads over it slowly, then lets out a string of curse words in every language she knows, possibly even throwing in a few made up ones. “I’ll admit it doesn’t sound good, but you don’t know what that could be referring to.” she says finally.

“I think it’s pretty damn clear MJ. No matter what might have gone on between him and Bria, I can’t trust him. It’s just a matter of time before he screws up. I can’t go to that dance tonight, MJ. I feel like lying in bed and eating a pint of ice cream.”

She pats my back. “I know. But you can’t stand up Reis. You wouldn’t do that to him.”

I nod. She’s right.

I force myself out of bed and into the shower. The warm water soothes my heartache just a bit, and I go through the motions of getting ready.