Missed Notes: A Brother's Best Friend Romance (Rixon High) Page 7

  I opened the text message from him.

  Cole: How are you feeling? I can’t stop thinking about last night… we need to talk.

  Talk.

  Bitter laughter bubbled out of me. Before Dr. Peters’s unexpected bombshell last week, I might have agreed. I might have texted Cole back and given him another chance.

  But what kind of person did it make me if I dragged him into my life knowing I might not be around in a year or two or five. I’d researched the survival rates. Approximately seventy-five percent of teenagers my age with CML survived. Which sounded like pretty good odds, but it still meant out of every ten kids almost three didn’t make it.

  My stomach dropped, the gnawing pit of fear growing every second.

  Ignoring Cole’s text, I washed up, then went downstairs in search of Mom and some sustenance. Not that I felt much like eating. But she was right, I needed to keep as healthy as possible.

  “I went with an omelet,” she said the second I stepped into the kitchen. “Eggs are an excellent source of protein as well as vitamin D.”

  “Can I expect a nutrient breakdown of all my meals from here on out?”

  “Sorry, I’m just trying to get a handle on things. This helps me feel in control.” Mom motioned to the pile of ingredients beside her. “I’ve got spinach, cheese, onion.”

  “Sounds great, Mom. Is Aaron still over at Poppy’s house?”

  “He was but I think they’ve gone out. Date night.”

  “Lucky them,” I murmured.

  “Hey now, you’ll get your time.” She gave me a reassuring smile.

  I struggled to return it. Maintaining a positive outlook was getting harder by the minute. I could only imagine what it would be like when Dr. Peters confirmed the leukemia.

  Dad came into the kitchen. “There she is. How’s my hungover girl?”

  “Dad,” I groaned, trying to shuck out of his reach as he hooked his arm around my neck and kissed my head.

  “Feeling better?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You need to eat. Your Mom’s been reading up and—”

  “Ash,” Mom warned.

  “What? I thought we were attacking this thing head on.”

  “We are babe. But Sofia is still feeling a tad delicate.”

  “I’m not… that’s not… you know what, forget it. You two clearly aren’t listening to a word I say.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, don’t be like that. We just care and we want to make sure you’re getting all the goodness and nutrition you need so your body is primed and ready to fight this thing.”

  I dropped my forehead onto my arm and tried to block them out.

  “Do you think she’s okay?” Dad asked Mom, the two of them launching into a discussion about me, while I was sitting right there.

  I didn’t come up again, not until Mom pushed a plate toward me and the rich smell made my stomach growl.

  “Eat,” she ordered.

  “Fine. But you two need to stop acting like I’m a child.”

  “Sweetheart, we’re not—” I pinned her with a dark look, and she held up her hands. “Fine. But you need to promise not to make last night a regular thing. We have enough to worry about, Sofia. Without worrying about where you are or what you’re doing.”

  “Mya, we should cut her a little slack. It’s been a hard week.”

  And it was only about to get harder.

  “The important thing is, she’s here and she’s safe and she knows that looking after her mind and body is going to go a long way to—”

  I tuned out again.

  They meant well. They only cared. But I didn’t want to hear it.

  I didn’t want to be here in the first place, gearing up for my cancer fight.

  God, just saying the words broke something inside me. It had only been a few days. Hopefully, my positive mental attitude would kick in soon because all I wanted to do at this precise moment was crawl back into bed and sleep.

  So when my cell phone started ringing, I shot off the stool and excused myself. “I need to take this,” I said.

  “But we’re talking—”

  “Sorry, Mom. Leigh said she would call to discuss the assignment for English. I really need to take it.” The lie came easily.

  Too easily.

  But I guess that’s who I was now—the girl who lied to her brother and friends and parents.

  “Fine, but take some water up with you. You need to stay hydrated.”

  “Sure, Mom.” I grabbed the bottle from her and ducked out of the kitchen, instantly relieved to be alone once more.

  Cole’s name taunted me. It wasn’t Ashleigh calling at all.

  It was him.

  The boy I’d decided to avoid at all costs.

  I guess he’d grown tired of me ignoring his texts and so had resorted to trying to call me.

  I slipped into my room and closed the door, waiting for it to stop ringing. It did, but a text came straight through.

  Cole: You can’t avoid me forever.

  Me: Who says I’m avoiding you? Maybe I just don’t want to speak to you…

  Cole: Ouch.

  Guilt snaked through me.

  Cole: Look, I’m sorry, okay? I know I hurt you, but I only did what I thought was best. I was worried about you, Sofia. I’m still worried…

  I chewed my bottom lip, at war with myself. On the one hand, I wanted to tell him to get lost and never text me again. But on the other…

  Well, the fact he cared. The fact that he refused to give up, it meant something to me. But letting him in was foolish, for both of us.

  Sofia: I can’t do this, Cole.

  Cole: See that’s where I think you’re wrong. We’re friends, aren’t we? Ezra has Ashleigh now. Aaron has Poppy. Seems to me like we’re all the other has left…

  I fought a smile. Cole was persistent, I’d give him that. But it was more than that. There was something else there. There always had been but we’d never acted on it out of respect for my brother. Because everyone knew things had the potential to get messy when you hooked up with your brother’s best friend.

  I needed to stay away, no matter how easy it was to get pulled into his orbit.

  Another text came through and my heart leaped.

  Cole: Be ready tomorrow at six. There’s somewhere I want to take you.

  Sofia: I am not going on a date with you.

  Cole: Who said anything about a date? We’re friends, right? And friends hang out…

  Sofia: Friends?

  We both knew the lines between us had blurred past friends.

  Cole: Friends. See you tomorrow, Sofe.

  It was a bad idea. The worst. But strangely, I found myself texting back one little word that would change everything.

  Me: Okay.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Cole

  It was a bad idea.

  Telling Sofia I’d pick her up and take her on a non-date. Bringing her to the one place that meant more to me than I could ever put into words.

  “Uh, Cole… what is this place?” she asked, staring at the run-down bar on the outskirts of Halston, the town over from Rixon.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks, I promise. Come on.” I climbed out and went around to open her door.

  Sofia had been quiet on the ride over. Part of me had expected her to call me with excuses for not coming out, but when I’d pulled up outside of the Bennets’ house, she’d been waiting for me.

  She let me help her out of the car, a zap of electricity going through me the second her hand slid into mine.

  “You’re good at this,” she murmured.

  “At what?”

  “The non-date stuff.” A hint of a grin tugged at her mouth. Those soft plump lips that I was having a real hard time not staring at every five seconds.

  I wanted to kiss her.

  I’d wanted to kiss her last night at the hotel, and I wanted to kiss her now. But I also wanted to know what had put the shadows under her eyes. And I was hoping bringing her here would help her open up to me.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  “Oh really?” Sofia laughed, and fuck, if it wasn’t like music to my ears.

  She didn’t do enough of that lately. Smile. Laugh. Get that gorgeous twinkle in her eyes.

  “Hang on a second,” I said, closing the door behind her and going around to the trunk to grab my guitar.

  “What are you—”

  “Come on, or we’ll be late.”

  Roadhouse was already crammed but I found us a booth at the back of the room. It had a prime view of the stage, but the curved banquette seating also gave it enough privacy that I hoped we could talk.

  “Who are you and what have you done with Cole Kandon?” Sofia chuckled as I ushered her into the booth.

  “You want something to drink?”

  “Soda is fine.”

  “Soda it is. You hungry? They do—”

  “No, I’m good. Thanks.”

  I nodded. “Sit tight and I’ll be back.”

  Weaving my way through the crowd, I perched at the end of the bar.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  “Tony, it’s been a while,” I said.

  “Too long.” He grinned. “Didn’t think we’d see you around here again.”

  “Neither did I.” The admission hurt, but it was the truth.

  Between the ages of twelve and sixteen, I’d spent a lot of time here. Tony was family. Or at least, he was by blood. But the familial ties ended there. When my old man found out I’d been getting up on the stage and performing at Roadhouse’s open mic nights, he’d soon put a stop to it.

  I’d never hated him more than when he’d turned up and frog-marched me out of the bar and issued me with an ultimatum where Roadhous
e was concerned.

  Asshole.

  “How’re your folks?” he asked.

  “Same old.”

  “Say no more, kid. Say no more. It’s good to see you though. Was a damn shame when you stopped coming around. Are you here alone?”

  “No, actually, I… uh, I brought somebody with me.”

  “You did, huh.” He smirked. “What’s her name?”

  “Sofia.”

  “She cute?”

  My lips twisted into a faint smirk. “She’s waiting on me. I’d better get back to her.”

  “Keeping your cards close to your chest. I can respect that. What’ll it be?”

  “A soda for Sofia and I’ll get a beer.”

  One wouldn’t hurt. Besides, I needed something to settle my nerves.

  Tony nodded and went to get our drinks. When he came back, he slid them across the bar and said, “On the house. Should I add your name to the roster?”

  “Yeah.”

  His face split into a wide grin. “It’s good to see you, kid. Real good.”

  “Thanks, Tony. I’ll come say bye before we leave.”

  “You’d better. I want to meet this girl who’s got you all twisted up inside.”

  I waved him off as I made my way back to Sofia. The second her eyes found me, a streak of lust went through me.

  She looked good. Wearing skintight jeans with a pale-green cashmere sweater that hung off one shoulder, revealing her smooth tan skin. She’d loosely braided her hair, soft curls falling around her face like a waterfall.

  Sofia Bennet was hands down the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on.

  “One soda for the lady.”

  “Thanks. So what’s the deal with this place?”

  “My mom’s cousin is the owner. I used to come by a lot when I was younger. He’d let me hang around and watch the performers. When I got a bit older, he started letting me get up and play.”

  “Seriously?”

  I nodded. “The first time I played, I almost puked all over myself, I was so fucking nervous. But the rush was like nothing else I’ve ever felt.”

  “Not even your first game as quarterback?”

  “Not even that. I love playing with the team, I do. But football isn’t my passion, Sofe.”

  “Music is,” she finished for me.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “So why did you quit the band if you love it so much?”

  “Because football is my shot at getting out from my old man’s claws. He’ll only pay for my tuition if I follow in his footsteps.”

  “He’s an attorney, right?”

  “Yup.” I took a long pull on my beer. The first band were just setting up, the clink and clatter of their instruments a sound that both comforted me and filled me with a deep sense of regret.

  Because I missed that. I missed playing with Jude and the guys, creating something great together. I missed the thrill of performing, the high of the crowd.

  “I can’t imagine you as an attorney,” Sofia said.

  “No? What can you imagine me doing?”

  I was right, the booth offered us a fair amount of privacy. Enough that I felt comfortable shuffling closer to her. Her breath caught as she gazed up at me.

  “Cole,” she warned.

  “I just want to be close to you. Is that such a bad thing?”

  “What are we doing?”

  “Well, I thought we were on a non-date. But we can upgrade it, if you want.”

  “I don’t.”

  Disappointment sank into me. She was a tough nut to crack. But I was a patient guy.

  “What?” I asked her. Because she was looking at me, studying me like a puzzle she’d yet to solve.

  “You’re not making this easy.”

  “Care to elaborate?” My brow lifted.

  “Actually, I don’t.”

  Damn, she was good.

  “You realize this is the first time we’ve ever done this, right? Hung out just the two of us?”

  Sofia shrugged. “Like you said, we have to stick together now we’ve lost our best friends to that pesky thing called love.”

  “Pesky thing? You sound a little bitter there, Sofe.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Sure, you keep telling yourself that.” I chuckled, sipping my beer. The band introduced themselves as Tyranny State and launched into their opening song.

  “Wow, it’s loud,” Sofia shouted over the music.

  “Rock music is supposed to be loud.” My laughter grew.

  “It just occurred to me. I’ve never seen you play.”

  “Then you’re in for a treat.”

  The air crackled between us, thick with tension and tainted with betrayal. But there was something else. She felt it. I knew she did. But something was holding her back.

  Shifting even closer, I slid my arm along the back of the booth, basically putting my arm around her.

  “Cole.” There was less resistance in her voice as if I was wearing her down. But I didn’t want to force Sofia into this. I wanted her to want it. The way I wanted it.

  And fuck, did I want it.

  “Aaron, won’t—”

  “Aaron isn’t here.” I toyed with the ends of her hair. “It’s just you and me and a bar full of people who don’t know us.”

  “Why?” she whispered, her eyes full of hesitation and wonder.

  “Because I like you, Sofe. I’ve always liked you.” I dipped my head, putting us eye to eye. Her lips parted on a soft ‘O’ as I focused on her mouth. That kissable, tempting mouth.

  “You’d risk your friendship with Aaron for this?”

  “Not for this… for you.” I slid my hand along her neck and brushed my lips over hers. Just once.

  A test.

  An invitation.

  Sofia inhaled a shuddering breath. “You kissed me,” she said, touching a finger to her lips.

  “If you think that was a kiss, you haven’t been doing it right.” I smirked.

  “Asshole.”

  “You didn’t throw your drink at me and storm out of here. Should I take that as a good sign?”

  “I don’t know. I might need to get a second opinion.”

  Holy shit.

  Was she into it?

  Please, God, let her be into it.

  I sat as still as a statue. I’d made the first move, pushed her toward the idea of exploring this thing between us. But the next move had to come from her.

  Somewhere between watching her dance with Jordan Handell, to waking up with her in my arms yesterday morning, I’d decided she was worth it.

  Sofia was worth the risk.

  Aaron was my best friend, and yeah, he was her brother. But if he cared about us—both of us—he’d come around eventually. Besides, he knew me better than anyone. He knew I would never willingly hurt her.

  He could trust me with her.

  And if Sofia gave me a chance, I wanted to talk to him as soon as I could, face to face. Friend to friend. Teammate to teammate.

  Sofia moved in, curling her slender fingers into my hoodie and gently yanking me closer.

  I liked it—I liked it a whole lot.

  “Hi,” I said, grinning.

  “Hi,” she breathed. “What are we doing, Cole? This is crazy. You’re… and I’m… I mean, we’re…”

  “Don’t overthink it. We’re just two people who happen to like each other. That’s not so bad, is it?”

  “It’s more complicated than that, and you know it.” Her expression turned sad, the strong emotion rolling off her.

  “You’re hiding something.”

  “Cole, don’t do that. Don’t try to get in my head.”

  I brushed the stray hairs out of her face and touched my head lightly to hers. “Don’t push me away. I’m here, Sofe. I’m not going anywhere.”

  She took another shuddering breath, leaning into my touch. “I wish it was that easy.”

  “What does that mean? What are you—”

  “Okay, everyone,” the emcee’s voice went up around the room. “Next up, we have one of Roadhouse’s very own. Give it up for Cole Kandon.”

  The room broke into a chorus of cheers, a noise that usually fueled me. But I was too focused on Sofia, on the violent thud of my heart beneath my chest.