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Chapter 18

“So what do you want?” Cole asked and we both took a step forward in line. “The chocolate one is really good.”

“I haven’t been here before.” I looked around the busy shop, briefly glancing at the board with the names of different smoothies.

“You have never been to Smoothie Heaven?” Cole arched an eyebrow at me. “Where have you been living, under a rock?”

“My life is a little bit busier than some.” I rolled my eyes. “Not all of us have time to drink smoothies and play Laser Force.”

“Whatever. You’re still in high school. The hard years haven’t even begun for you yet.”

Shoot me now if that’s the case, I wanted to say, but stopped myself.

“How is college?” I asked. We both took a step forward. Now we were next in line. “Is it hard, or do you love it?”

“Love studying? You would have to be crazy.” He grunted. “But yeah, I do at times.” He shot me a quick wink.

“You must be crazy then.” I nudged his shoulder and saw his eyes roll.

“Go on. Get us a booth.” He said and pointed to an empty booth a few feet away.

“What? Don’t I get to order?” I teased.

“Nope.” He winked “Booth now.”

Grunting out a laugh, I smiled as I walked away from him. He was so charming, even for a human. Sliding into an empty booth, I saw it was dark outside now. We had managed to ditch his friends, even though I said we could stay with them. But he wanted to spend time with me.

Which I thought was so sweet. I tapped my foot on the floor to a song playing on the radio.

The place was filled with groups of teenagers laughing and a few families with young children. Again, I didn’t know how I didn’t know this place existed.

“Chocolate. Thought it was safe bet. It’s awesome.” Cole placed the chocolate smoothie in front of me and sat down across from me.

“I hate chocolate.”

“Really?” His face went blank. “I can…”

“Your face is classic.” I chuckled and then took the straw in my mouth and started to suck up the chocolate mixed goodness. I couldn’t stop myself from teasing him, remembering his joke about the homeless at the beginning of the night.

“I think I’m a bad influence on you.” Cole smirked watching me. I arched an eyebrow at him.

“Sorry about stealing you away from your friend.” Cole played with his straw. “Hope they aren’t too pissed you cancelled.”

“Considering he didn’t know I was coming, he won’t mind.” I said, after gulping down the goodness.

Cole nodded his head and twirled the straw around in his smoothie. I kept stealing glances at him when I didn’t think he was watching. There was something about him, something that made me feel like a normal human teenage girl.

Not a girl who turned into a werewolf or who was dealing with possible loss of a mate or a reclaiming of one.

“I’m beginning to think you like the look of me or something, Chloe.” Cole smirked at me, catching me looking at him.

“As if.”

I accidently brushed my leg against his under the table and that little action kept his smirk in place. Biting my bottom lip, I turned my attention back to the half drunken smoothie in front of me.

The door to the little business swung open and a gust of wind through the door brought a scent to my nose that had my head snap up.

What was Xavier doing here?