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“Yeah,” CJ answers honestly, wincing when he looks down at me.
“Who was she?” I ask, still wrapped in Cole’s arms. “You can put me down. I probably weigh a ton.”
CJ snorts disbelieving and Cole grunts. “A loaf of bread weighs more than you.”
I sigh, leaning further into him. “So?”
“Let’s get back. I’m starving,” CJ says, avoiding my question.
“You ate, like, what, five minutes ago?”
“Twenty, but who’s counting?” He grins.
“Alright,” I sigh, giving in.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cole sits me down on his sofa. I’ve exhausted myself to the point where I’m physically and emotionally drained, so I make myself comfortable. I lay my head down on the arm of the sofa, curling my knees up to my chest.
“Allie’s going to be worried,” I announce.
“I’ll go to English. She’ll never get through that class without me anyway,” CJ declares as he drops down on the two-seater sofa across from me.
“I’m sure she’d survive,” I state teasingly. He really does love getting under that girl’s skin. I’ve also noticed he’s a little different around her than he is around other girls. I just can’t put my finger on what, exactly, is different, but I know it’s something. Maybe it’s the way he looks at her. I’m not sure.
“Nah. No one can survive a lesson as boring as that one without me.” He throws his legs over the arm of the sofa, looking cocky.
Cole walks back in the room with a stack of DVD’s and a blanket. He throws the blanket over me and I breathe in his scent. I hide my face in the blanket, hoping CJ doesn’t see the blush on my cheeks. All I need is for him to point it out with Cole so close by. Cole takes a seat next to me, pulling my feet into his lap. My eyes flick to the quick movement. A part of me wants to pull away yet I can’t seem to move my limbs. I’m not sure I even want to.
“Talk,” Cole demands, causing me to jump. I glance over at him. His chiselled jaw is clenched and his eyes are hard as he glances at CJ, waiting for answers about the girl who ran from class.
“I didn’t get much before she ran into the private halls. She kept repeating that she was sorry over and over,” CJ starts, and my eyes close as I picture the look on that girl’s face. I think it will haunt me for the rest of my life.
“She say anything else to you?” Cole questions.
“Just rambled on and said if only she had gone to the police, Willow wouldn’t have been attacked. Then she mentioned some other chick’s name, saying she hadn’t seen her since Friday. I don’t know, man. I really think we need to talk to her more. She was pretty fucking scared.”
“What’s her name?” I whisper.
“Fuck if I know. I’ve never seen her before. Didn’t even see her in class last week,” CJ admits.
I think back to last week when I stood in front of the whole class and gave my speech. Her face doesn’t stick out for me either. Then again, today, I wanted to be invisible too. Maybe that’s what this mystery girl has been trying to do. She’s just been more successful than I have.
“So, he’s done it to other girls,” Cole bites out, his fists clenched on his knees.
“Yeah, man. I’m going to go to English after. I’ll find out if she’s in that class.”
“How?” I ask him, wondering if he recognised her from English last week.
“If she does take that class then there will be an absent student in class today. Can’t see her going to class after what just happened. Plus, I’ll work my magic and find a way to find out who she is,” he tells me smugly, wiggling his fingers.
Yawning, I take the first DVD box from the blanket, surprised to see theChicago PDboxset. I’ve seen this advertised on the TV and have been meaning to watch it.
“Can we watch this?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Cole agrees softly.
“I’m going to go and see if I can find out anything from his school record. If someone has made a complaint against him, we’ll know. Not everyone will have been brave enough to go to the police and file a complaint.”