AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ow!” Cole snapped, immediately following that up with a pout that wasn’t going to work.
Not on her and definitely not tonight.
“We,” Chloe said, stressing the word before she proceeded with the hope that he would take the hint and leave, “aren’t doing anything. I’m binge-watching crappy eighties movies and wondering what you’re doing here.”
“Why wouldn’t I be here?” Cole, her neighbor, self-appointed best friend, and the completely oblivious teenage boy who lived next door asked, frowning as he reached over and helped himself to a handful of M&Ms.
Blinking, Chloe said, “Besides the fact that you’re banned from coming over? Maybe because you don’t live here?”
“Then, why do I have my own room?” Cole asked around a mouthful of candy as she pushed her glasses back up her nose.
“It’s not your room, jerk face. It’s mine, but for some reason, you keep leaving all your crap over here,” Chloe snapped with a pointed look at the football gear that he tossed in the corner after school.
“God, you’re spoiled,” Cole said, sighing heavily as he reached over and plucked the bowl out of her hands and commenced devouring the delicious snack that she’d been hoping would help her figure out what she was going to do.
Maybe she should just cut her losses and sell the Jeep? Chloe couldn’t help but wonder as she reached over and-
Found herself sighing when the boy who really needed to stop trying to save them hugged the bowl tightly against his chest as he narrowed emerald eyes on her until she took the hint and dropped her hand away. With a muttered curse, she leaned over and retrieved the bag of Reese’s Pieces that she’d been forced to hide under her bed. Telling herself that Reese’s Pieces were just as good, Chloe sat back against the headboard, ripped open the bag, grabbed a handful of delicious Reese’s Pieces, and wondered how she was going to pull this off. She was going to need a miracle, Chloe mused, biting back another sigh as she shoved a handful of Reese’s Pieces in her mouth.
“Are you going to give me an answer?” Cole asked, reaching over to help himself to her Coke.
“Already did,” Chloe reminded him, knowing that sooner or later he’d grow bored trying to fix everything for them and then…
She really didn’t want to think about what would happen when Cole decided that it was time to move on. He’d only been part of their lives for a few months and-
She was pathetic, Chloe reminded herself, biting back a sigh as she tried losing herself in the movie, hoping that it would help her figure out what she was supposed to do now. She didn’t like owing Cole anything, which meant that she was going to have to figure out how she was going to come up with five thousand dollars when she couldn’t get a job.
There was tutoring, but since that didn’t work out well the last time, mostly because Katie took it upon herself to punish the students that Chloe was supposed to be helping with a wiffle bat whenever they got the answers wrong, she really didn’t think that was going to be an option. Which left…
God, she didn’t know what that left. The only thing that she knew was that she couldn’t ask Cole for one more thing.
“Are you sure?” Cole asked, finishing off her Coke before placing it back on her nightstand.
“Absolutely,” Chloe said, grabbing another handful of Reese’s Pieces and-
Somehow found herself being held upside down above her bedroom floor as the big jerk adjusted his hold around her ankles while he did his best not to fall off the bed and break both their necks.
“Oh, my god! Are you crazy? Let me go!” Chloe snapped, struggling to grab hold of something to help her escape from the demented bastard, only to end up having to shove her glasses back up her nose when they threatened to fall off.
“I will,” Cole said, making her sigh in relief, that is, until he added, “just as soon as you tell me why you won’t let me help you.”
“Because we don’t need your help,” Chloe snapped, grabbing hold of her mattress.
“You’re really going to lie to me?” Cole asked, sighing heavily as he tightened his hold around her ankles and…
Damn it!
Pulled her up higher, forcing her to let go of the mattress and her only chance of survival.
“Put me down, Cole!”
“I would, I really would, but I just can’t do that, not unless you tell me why you’ve been pouting all day,” the big jerk said with a long-suffering sigh while Chloe hung there, deciding that it would probably be for the best if she squeezed her eyes shut so that she wouldn’t have to see the floor rushing up to greet her.
“I haven’t been pouting all day,” Chloe lied because she knew better than to confirm any of his suspicions.
“Really? Then, what would you call those sad little sighs that you kept making during dinner?” Cole asked, giving her a pointed shake that had her cracking one eye open so that she could glare on principle alone.
“Because you stole my food and I was starving!” Chloe snapped, which was immediately followed by squeezing her eyes tightly shut when the move caused her to sway ever so slightly, but it was enough.
