Page 16 of Don’t Leave (Stay #2)

Thomas chuckles as Cole returns to the living room with a wide grin curving his lips and his dimples popping. It’s probably the only thing that saves him from being a crime scene victim later this evening.

I give him the evil eye and mutter, “I hope you enjoy the dinner your mom made because it’s going to be your last.”

His chest rumbles with barely suppressed laughter as he offers me a bottle of water. When I yank it from him, he leans over and brushes a soft kiss against my lips.

I feel the curve of his mouth pressed against mine as he whispers, “Don’t be mad, I’ll make it up to you later.”

The guy has the audacity to wink at me.

In front of his stepdad.

Could I be more embarrassed?

Nope. Don’t think so.

“You won’t be able to make anything up to me later because you’ll be dead,” I grumble, attempting to shove him away from me.

My death glare has zero effect on Cole, because he practically plunks himself down on top of me before grabbing my hand and dragging it onto his lap as if for safekeeping.

His stepdad beams as he watches our interaction.

It takes about twenty minutes or so for me to loosen up and enjoy myself.

No one is more surprised than me when the next hour flies by with lots of amusing stories about Cole growing up.

It’s nice to see Cole with his stepdad. You can tell by their effortless banter how much they enjoy each other’s company.

Then again, Cole is so easy to get along with. He has such a chill, laidback personality. On top of that, he’s a nice guy. In my limited experience, there aren’t too many of those floating around.

As Cole and Thomas discuss the upcoming hockey season, I can’t help but take in everything about him. From his disheveled hair and gorgeous, golden-brown eyes to his lopsided smile and broad shoulders that are chiseled perfection. His chest is droolworthy and those rock-hard abs are totally dreamy.

I should probably stop with the mental inventory because I’m kind of getting turned on and that’s not good for business.

His ex may want him back, but she isn’t going to get him. She might have been foolish enough to break his heart, but I won’t be making the same mistake. I understand what I have in Cole, and I plan on holding onto him with both hands.

When dinner is ready, Thomas hands us the dishes along with four sets of silverware so we can set the dining room table. We’re all just settling in, passing the food around, when the front door opens before getting slammed shut. The easy camaraderie of moments ago disappears.

“Hello,” a woman calls out cheerfully from the foyer.

Everything has been going so well with Thomas, I’m almost afraid to meet his mother. She’s the one I need to impress, right?

Aren’t mothers supposed to be overprotective and overbearing when it comes to their sons?

Especially since this is her only son.

And let’s not forget that she was just out to lunch with Cole’s ex who she probably adored.

Fresh nerves ignite within me as all the food I heaped onto my plate loses its appeal.

“We’re in the dining room, just sitting down to dinner. You’ll be delighted to know that I haven’t run Cassidy off just yet.” Thomas smiles before winking at me from the far end of the table.

I give him a weak smile in return.

“Wonderful!”

As she steps into the formally appointed room, she pauses, almost as if she’s in the midst of catching her breath. The friendly smile gracing her lips freezes in place as her gaze collides with mine.

Oh shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

That’s the only thought racing through my head as my attention stays locked on hers. Everything in the room grinds to a screeching halt. In that moment, it feels as if a trapdoor springs open beneath my feet and I’m in free fall. I clench the edges of the table with my fingers as I gape at her.

This can’t be happening.

There’s a flurry of activity as Thomas rises to his feet and places a kiss against his wife’s cheek.

Cole also gets up, greeting his mother with a warm hug.

Instead of doing the same, I remain seated.

It feels as if my feet are cemented to the floor.

Unsure what to do, I blink as Cole drags his mother over to where I’m still sitting.

My legs shake as I force myself to rise.

Any moment, my knees will give out and I’ll fall to the wood floor.

This has turned into a nightmare.

Except, in the far recesses of my brain, I know it’s real.

Unaware of the suffocating undercurrents that have sucked all of the oxygen from the room, Cole introduces us. “Mom, this is Cassidy.” Even when he flashes the lopsided smile I love so much, my heart remains frozen. “Cassidy, this is my mother, Allison.”

Dr. Thompson’s lips curve before she thrusts out her hand. “Hello, Cassidy. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. I’m glad you were able to join us for dinner.”

Holding my gaze expectantly, she waits for me to respond.

But I can’t. I’m too stunned.

After a few silent seconds tick by, I release the breath clogged in my throat and force myself to reach for her hand. My voice sounds like is traveling through a tunnel as if there is nothing odd about the farce playing out. “Thank you for having me, it’s great to meet you, too.”

My mind continues to whirl, and I can’t make it stop.

After introductions are made, we all sit down. Thomas peppers his wife with a few questions about the emergency that called her away on a Sunday afternoon. Cole keeps glancing at me with concern, but I pretend not to notice as I pick at the baked chicken and roasted vegetables on my plate.

Unconsciously, my gaze flickers to Dr. Thompson. Every so often, they’ll catch before I quickly lower my eyes to the plate. My belly pitches and roils with nausea, making me feel sick.

Now that Cole and his mother are sitting next to one another, I’m able to see the resemblance between them.

Although, it’s certainly not enough for me to suspect they are mother and son.

Where Cole has artfully messy, dark brown hair and golden-brown eyes, his mother has chin length, perfectly styled blonde hair and deep brown eyes.

She’s smaller, more petite where Cole is at least six foot two and broad in the shoulders.

I’m going with the assumption that Cole resembles his father.

Laughter gurgles up in my throat. I suppose we have that in common. In the looks department, I resemble my father but have my mother’s smaller build. Where my dad is strapping—built for defense—I’m smaller and sleeker, better suited to play a forward position.

Cole snags my distracted attention before giving me yet another reassuring smile. I return it but even I realize that it’s a feeble attempt. He knows me well enough by now to understand that something isn’t right.

And really, what am I supposed to tell him?

That his mother is my shrink and knows all my dirty little secrets?

I almost blanche, remembering that I told his mother the last time I saw her that I was sexually attracted to someone other than her son.

Kill me now.

Just pull the freaking trigger and get it over with.

Throughout the rest of the meal, I fidget nervously, waiting for her to out me.

Oh god, she knows I’ve been having sex with her son because I told her.

I want to bash my forehead against the dining room table until I knock myself out.

She also knows we’ve been using condoms and that I’m looking to go on the pill.

A fresh wave of humiliation crashes over me.

Unable to sit still for another second, I shoot out of my seat. The conversation screeches to an abrupt halt as three startled gazes settle on me.

It takes effort to pull my lips into an anemic looking smile. “I, ah, need to use the bathroom.”

“It’s through the kitchen and to the right,” Thomas directs.

I force myself to take deep, calming breaths before releasing them back into the atmosphere.

A mirthless laugh gurgles up inside because here I am, using Dr. Thompson’s breathing techniques in her own house.

It’s just too much.

Finding the room, I lock the door and rush to the sink before running the tap and splashing a handful of cold water onto my face. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut all the while continuing to inhale and exhale.

This is crazy.

And when I say crazy what I really mean is totally fucked up .

How can I possibly continue seeing Cole when his mother knows every ugly detail about my life? She knows how I fell apart under the pressure and strain during my freshman year. I swallow thickly as the next thought pops into my head.

How I used sex as an escape…

Guilt and shame crash over me , threatening to drag me to the bottom of the ocean. There’s no way in hell I’ll ever be good enough for Cole. And she knows it.

I’m the girl who failed out of school. Got kicked off the hockey team. Threw away all her hopes and dreams—everything she spent her entire life working toward.

My own family didn’t want to deal with me, so they shipped me off.

Who would want their son dating someone like that?

Umm…no one.

That’s who.

Cole is probably the most put-together person I’ve ever met. He knows exactly who he is and what direction he’s moving in. He deserves a girl who already has her shit together and maybe I’m getting there, but I’m not there yet.

I honestly don’t know how I’m going to gather enough courage to go back out there and face Dr. Thompson again. A light knock on the bathroom door has me freezing like a deer in headlights.

Please don’t let it be her.

Please don’t let it be her.

“Cassidy? Are you all right?”

Air rushes from my lungs. My shoulders collapse as I hang onto the sides of the sink for dear life.

Cole.

I clear my throat. “Yeah. Sorry for taking so long. I’m not feeling so well.”

“Guggenheim?” he says softly from the other side of the door.

A slight smile tugs at the edges of my lips as I squeeze my eyes tightly shut again. “No, no. Not at all.” Lie. Big, huge lie. “My, um, stomach is upset. I hate to ask you this, but would you mind taking me back to the dorms?”

I need to get out of here before I totally freak out. The anxiety is building, swirling its way through me. The perfect topper to this afternoon would be a full-on anxiety attack.

Thanks, but I think I’ll pass on that spectacle.

“Sure, no problem.” Even though he doesn’t say anything more, I hear the disappointment threading its way through his voice.

It only makes me feel worse than I already do.

I know how close Cole and his mom are. After his dad died, all they had was each other.

He was really looking forward to introducing us.

With one last deep breath, I open the door and find Cole standing on the other side. His hands are jammed into the pockets of his khakis as his gaze fastens onto mine.

“I’m so sorry about this,” I whisper.

I’d been so wound up about meeting his family. I’d just wanted them to like me. And now…

Well, that certainly isn’t going to happen.

I realize it, even if he doesn’t.

His lips lift but the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just sorry you don’t feel well.”

“Me, too,” I say honestly.

He searches through all the lies that are swimming around in my eyes before gently wrapping one arm around my shoulders and tugging me close.

He whispers against my hair, “They like you, Cassidy. Just like I knew they would. No worries, okay?”

Not believing him for a second, I rein in the snort that threatens to escape. There is absolutely no way that Dr. Thompson wants me anywhere near her son. Of that, I am positive.

I paste a smile on my face as Cole steers me into the dining room.

“Cassidy isn’t feeling well, so we’re going to take off.”

Concern flickers across Dr. Thompson’s face as her gaze fastens onto mine and she swiftly rises from her chair. “I’m sorry to hear that. Let me pack something up for your roommates and then you two can be on your way.”

His mom and stepdad begin clearing away the dishes from the table.

“Thanks, they’ll appreciate it.” Even though he’s speaking to his mother, his gaze keeps flitting to mine as if he’s trying to figure out what’s really going on. I’m pretty sure he knows I’m lying through my teeth.

Within five minutes, Cole is handed a grocery bag overflowing with food. Every time his mom’s gaze drifts to me, she smiles warmly just like she always does when I’m in her office. “It was a real pleasure to meet you, Cassidy. I hope we see you soon.”

Again, I want to snort.

Instead, I give her a polite smile, knowing that within a few moments, this nightmare will be over, and I’ll be able to breathe again. “Thank you so much for having me. It was wonderful to meet both of you.”

As soon as we hit the sidewalk outside the house, I gulp in a big breath of air before hightailing it to his car and sliding into the front seat as Cole loads the food into the back of his Mustang. With shaking fingers, I fasten my seatbelt.

We drive back to campus is made in silence as I stare out the passenger side window.

I had thought everything was a mess when Cole hadn’t known the truth about my past. It had taken awhile, but I finally worked up the courage to come clean.

Now it seems like more issues have secrets have sprouted up between us.

As my mind cartwheels, I realize that Cole isn’t aware I’ve been meeting regularly with a counselor at school.

He knows I was in therapy before I came to Western, but I never mentioned that I was still seeing someone.

Although, that’s over with. There is no way I can go back and see Dr. Thompson now that she knows I’ve been seeing her son.

I blink back to awareness when Cole reaches out and grabs hold of my fingers before pressing a kiss against my knuckles. “Are you okay? Do you still want me to drop you off at the dorms?”

I get the feeling that he hopes I’ve changed my mind.

I haven’t.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I need some time to myself, to think about what I’m going to do, but I stop myself before the words can spill from my mouth.

Instead, I whisper, “I just need to lie down for a while.” There’s a pause before I add, “I’m really sorry about dinner. I didn’t mean to ruin it.”

He glances over and gives me a small smile. I can’t help but notice that it’s strained around the edges as if he suspects I’m not being truthful with him.

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll be plenty more.”

Yeah…I don’t see that happening any time soon.

How would I even begin to explain that his mother and I are already well acquainted? That I’ve known her since mid-August.

No, I’m definitely not ready to spill that secret.

Instead of responding, I turn away and stare out the window.