Someone is stabbing me with a knife.
Metaphorically speaking... of course.
I roll over to grab an Advil from my night table and swallow it down with cold tea that's been on my nightstand for the past couple of hours. My head is pounding and my cramps won't seem to stop.
I have been rolling around in my bed trying to find a position where my stomach isn't giving me excruciating pain. Nothing is working.
And I mean nothing.
Walking around, doing yoga, stretching, using a heat pack, taking a shower, taking a bath, drinking Advil and Tylenol nothing seems to be shaking my cramps.
I couldn't even stay and assist the jr. lyrical class. I got sent home early Jenna- the jr. class teacher- saw just how sick I felt and sent me home.
I started to get hungry as I skipped dinner and went straight to bed. Maddie told me Cole didn't come to dinner either, knowing him he's probably with his 'friends' getting fucked up.
I hate thinking so negatively about him, because honestly I don't know what to think anymore. I care for him so much. We go to his hangout and look at the stars and we go on our daily car rides. He makes sure I'm drinking enough water throughout the day because I always forget. That's the Cole I know. The one who always offers to help Mom make breakfast and who helps Maddie with her chemistry homework.
But it's special to see him like that, it's like he's living in his own bubble at our house. When he's not here he puts up this front that he doesn't care about anything and that he's so chilled and laid back.
I tiptoe down the stairs, gripping the handle to the stairs as the room starts spinning momentarily.
Making my way into the kitchen without fainting I opened the fridge wincing at the bright light from the fridge. Geez they should make a night mode on these.
I found the chicken parmesan and macaroni salad from today's dinner. I rounded the kitchen island and started eating, not bothering to warm it up in the microwave.
I didn't realize how hungry I was, but food helped my headache. Putting the dishes into the sink, I didn't have the energy to wash them or even to climb up the stairs. I flop down onto the couch, telling myself I'm going to take a break before I go back up to my room.
A loud deafening sound rings throughout the house. I lift my head to see the light on the main floor bathroom is on, and the sound came from there.
Ah, Colton must be home.
I slowly pushed myself up from the couch, having fallen asleep and slowly walked to the bathroom. I quickly glanced at the time on the stove on my way to the bathroom; 2:34 am.
Does this kid ever sleep if he's always coming home late.
I walked into the bathroom to see what he dropped to see him going through the medicine cabinet.
"Cole what are you doing, you're going to wake my parents and Maddie up." I scold him to the best of my abilities as my pounding headache is back. I look up at him before turning away, but then having to do a double take.
He has a nasty cut on his eyebrow, I see a purple-ish bruise forming on his cheek bone.
I gasp. "Colton what the fuck!" I exclaim. "What happened to you?" I have a million thoughts running through my head at the moment. This probably happened because of that Jaylen kid.
"Zoe, I'm fine. Just go back to bed." He dismisses me still rummaging in the medicine cabinet.
"Don't do that shit with me Cole. You're obviously not fine. Now tell me what you're looking for."
"Painkillers, Advil, Tylenol, first aid kit, just something to help with the pain and to clean my cut."
"Well you aren't going to find anything here, come up to our bathroom." I grab him by the arm and pull him out of the bathroom, turning off the lights and climbing the stairs.
I tiptoed to the bathroom, "sit." I tell him, pointing to the toilet. Pulling out the first aid kit I get some rubbing alcohol and some anti-bruising cream. I give him two pills and fill up a glass of water and give it to him.
This is all done in silence, while Cole tracks my every move. Putting some alcohol on a towel I come over to him, spreading his legs with my foot so I can stand between them.
I come up to put the towel on his cut but before I ask, "are you going to tell me who did this to you?"
"It's a secret." He tells me. I regard him with cold eyes. "I'm sorry Zo, but I can't tell you."
"You know a secret is only as powerful as we perceive it to be." I start cleaning his cut pressing hard on purpose. He winces and puts his hand on my forearm, then I feel bad.
"Sorry, that was an accident." I whisper barely audible.
"It's okay." He replies back just as quietly.
Quickly cleaning up his cut, I started to clean the blood and cut on his hand. Quickly finishing up I put some anti-bruising cream on his cheek bone, I question. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"Nope, I'm fine thank you." He starts getting up, but quickly holds onto his stomach.
He's lying, again. I wish he would just trust me and tell me what's wrong. Does our friendship really mean nothing to him that he always has to lie and hide something from me?
I'm over all of this lying, my nerves are shot and it's nearing 3 in the morning. "Will you stop fucking lying to me." I snapped at him.
He looks taken back by my tone. "I'm not lying to you Zoelle. I said I'm fine and I mean it."
"Really, you're completely fine, you're not hurt anywhere else?" Keeping my eyes cold and my tone flat so he doesn't think I actually care about his stupid ass that much.
"Yes, are you deaf." He snaps back with attitude. When he moves his arm from his stomach and tries to move around me, he can reach the door that leads into his room from our Jack and Jill bathroom. I quickly punched him. If he wasn't hurt he shouldn't have even felt it.
"Fuck." He curses loudly. I quickly put my hand over his mouth to shut him up.
"Yeah, not hurt anywhere else my ass. Cole, take your shirt off now." I demand.
"Zoe, are you just trying to get me naked?" He bounces his eyebrows up and down suggestively. But my eyes hold no humour in them, but also trying not to let my smile slip out.
"Now."
"Fine, when did you get so bossy." He rolls his eyes, carefully taking off his shirt.
I gasp when I see the bruises forming on his ribs. "Fuck, Cole what happened." I whisper.
"You think this is bad? You should see the other guy." Was his snarky response.
Stomping out the bathroom, I go down the stairs and go to the freezer. I can't find the ice packs probably because they're in my dance bag. Grabbing a bag of peas I head back up stairs walking into the bathroom seeing Cole putting anti-bruising ointment on his ribs I throw the pea's at him.
"Ice your ribs and your cheek if it starts to hurt. Good night." I turn around to leave, going into my room.
"Zoe."
I don't say anything but I freeze. feel him right behind me. "Thank you." He simply says while moving my hair to the side and pressing a kiss under my ear.
We both walk into our rooms and close the door.
* * *
Cole's Pov
It's finally Sunday.
My bruises from my fight with Jaylen on Wednesday night are finally healed with a couple of light purple bruises visible on my stomach.
I haven't seen Zoe much this week as she had practice, and I would say that she was keeping her distance from me for some reason that I don't know. Okay maybe because I was an ass to her on Wednesday night when she was just trying to help me. Even though I said I was fine.
I flip another pancake, making breakfast for Zoe as a thank you for helping and I'm sorry for being an ass. I made loads of bacon as I know that she loves bacon.
I heard footsteps up-stairs and then I heard Zoe running down the stairs.
"Good morning." She tells me, once she enters the kitchen. My breath catches in my throat when I see she's only wearing an oversized t-shirt and Nike pro shorts that aren't very visible with the shirt covering them. And her hair thrown up in a messy bun.
"Good morning Peanut." I turn away from the stove to fully look at her and I can see that she's ogling me. I'm only in a pair of grey sweatpants and no shirt, but wearing an apron that says 'Mama Angelos.' I'm pretty sure Mads and Zo bought this for their mom on Mothers days last year.
To be fair I was looking extra long at her legs. This girl is all legs and holy I could stare at her all day.
I return back to flipping the pancakes while Zoe pulls out a barstool from under the island and perches herself up on it.
"Where is everyone?" Zoe questions.
Zoe's probably wondering where everyone is because we usually spend it as a family. They. I mean they usually spend it as a family doing random things, going grocery shopping, going to the mall and running any other errands that they need to complete.
"Well Maddie went to her friends house around 8 apparently her best friend's boyfriend broke up with her and Maddie needed to comfort her." I told her, it's around 10 o'clock. She'll be home soon.
"Okayyyy..." She replied skeptically. "Did she say which friend?"
"Nope." I answer while going to the fridge and grabbing a couple of eggs to make scrambled eggs and some strawberries for the pancakes. "Your mom got called in for an emergency surgery on one of her patients." I also add.
"What about dad, he was supposed to get in from a red-eye from New York today."
"Ah yes, he said that the weather was horrible and the flight got cancelled so he stayed in New York for the night, he's flying to Boston, and then to Chicago."
"How do you know all of this?" She pries.
"Well I saw your mom leaving this morning around 7:30 and Maddie woke up around the same time. So they told me where they were going, and your mom told me that your dad's flight was cancelled but he also texted me letting me know."
"Hold up, my dad texted you?" She says almost in disbelief.
I look up from where I'm cutting the strawberries and say "yeah, why is he not allowed to text me?"
"No it's just strange because he never texts me."
"Yeah that's because you never check your texts and always lose your phone."
"Okay true." She takes a piece of bacon and takes a bite out of it. While eating her bacon she stares off into the living room and then suddenly hops off the barstool she was sitting on.
"Peanut?"
She runs up to the stairs and yells "wait there."
She comes back down quickly but holding a speaker in her hand. "Since no one is home, let's make some noise." There's a grin stretched across her face. I like how this girl thinks.
She connects her phone to the speaker and clicks shuffle on her party music playlist.
'Only girl.' by Rihana blasts through the speakers and immediately Zoe starts dancing. But only she's not dancing very well which is surprising for someone who's been dancing her whole life.
She makes eye contact with me when she starts singing but still dancing.
I want you to love me
Like I'm a hot ride
Be thinkin' of me
Doin' what you like
So, boy, forget about the world
'Cause it's gon' be me and you tonight
I wanna make you beg for it
Then I'ma make you swallow your pride, oh
The atmosphere changes and there's tension in the air. The only thing that is between us is the island in the kitchen. I want nothing more than to just take her in my arms and dance with her.
I turn away from her for a second to turn off the stove to make sure the whole house doesn't burn down and I lean on the island with my chin resting on the palm of my hand just watching her dance.
Like I'm the only one that's in command
'Cause I'm the only one who understands
How to make you feel like a man, yeah
Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Only one
I'm watching Zoe while she dances around the whole kitchen and damn am I falling for this girl. She's never going to know though because she is too good for me and I'll end up hurting her.
I can't hold myself back anymore. I took off the apron I was wearing. I walk up to her and pull her into me by her waist. She gaps surprised by my action and braces her hands on my chest before wrapping her arms around my neck.
She continues to dance but in my arms and she looks up into my eyes through her eyelashes because of the height distance and fuck I'm hard.
Take me for a ride, ride
Oh, baby, take me high, high
Let me make you rise, rise
Make it last all night
Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Only girl in the world
We dance throughout the kitchen. Once I hear that the song is coming to an end, I grab one of her hands off the back of my neck and twirl her around, once she makes a complete twirl. I drop her hand and grab her upper thigh pulling it up to my hip and dip her.
The song ends but she's still in the same position, looking into each other's eyes breathing hard. She glances at my lips like she wants to kiss me. Subconsciously I look down at her lips wanting to kiss her as well.
Her eyes slowly start to shut as I'm moving closer to her.
That's when the front door opens and slams shut.
"Holly is such a bitch." Maddie screams, passing us not even taking a glance then stomping up the stairs until she reaches her room and slams the door shut.
Me and Zoe freeze and stare at each other eyes wide, and before I know it I hear the most beautiful laugh ever. Peanut is completely hysterical.
I pull her up into a standing position. "What the fuck just happened."
"Don't ask me." I reply never knowing what goes through Maddie's head.
"Yeah, I'm going to go check on her."
"Yeah, good idea. Once you're done talking to her, come down and eat."
She turns around to head up the stairs but not before I pull her from the waist and kiss her behind the ear.
I should let her in and see all of me, tell her my truths and tell her that I feel for her. But I've already used up all my strength just building up my walls. I don't know how I'm supposed to tear them down.
But all I know is that she's mine.
I like this chapter ;)
I'm so bad at updating... I have so much written for this story and so many idea's I just forget to upload whoops
Love you beautiful and dont forget to vote <3