Beautiful Mess (7 page)

“Hmm...
you and me, alone, at your house?  I’m in!,” Cole teased.

Bri
just shook her head.  “Where did you park?  Do you want to follow
me?”

“Actually,
I ran here.  It’s only a couple of miles from my house.”

Bri
looked at him like he was nuts.

“It’s
a good warm up,” Cole shrugged.

“And
here I thought I was keeping up with you!  I guess I have a ways to
go.  Well, then I’ll just drive us.  My car’s this way.”

Bri
pulled into her driveway, and led Cole to the door.

“This
is it,” she opened the door and let him in.  “Living room, dining room”
she motioned to the room on the right, and then the adjoining dining
room.  “The den is down there,” she pointed to the room off to the right
of the living/dining room.  “And the kitchen is this way, if you’re
thirsty,” she led the way through the dining room to the kitchen to the left.

“Wow,”
Cole took in the house.  “This is nice.  I see you have a
pool.”  He headed back to the sunroom off the back of the dining room and
looked out at the yard.  “Okay, I’m officially jealous!”

“Next
time you come over, bring your suit and we’ll swim!”  Bri tossed him a
bottle of Gatorade.  “So...” she suddenly didn’t quite know what to
do.  Having Cole in her house was throwing her off, making her
nervous.  “Do you want to go sit out back, or we could watch TV in the den?”

“Why
don’t you show me your room?” Cole grinned suggestively.  It seemed his
new favorite pastime was trying to get a rise out of her.  It was working
on many levels.  “I haven’t gotten the rest of the tour.”

“Okay,
but don’t get any ideas,” she warned as she led him through the back of the
kitchen and out into the hall.  “My parents room is that way,” she pointed
to the room down the hall to the right, before heading left down the
hall.  “This is the bathroom,” she pointed to the door on the right, “and
that is my brothers’ room.” The hall turned left and then led back to the
entryway and living room.  “And, this is my room,” she stopped at the door
on the other side of the twins’ room.  Desperately hoping she hadn’t
missed a bra or pair of underwear when she picked up this morning, Bri opened
the door and let Cole in ahead of her.

“Ah,”
Cole appraised her personal space.  “Definitely girly, but with a bit of
an edge to it.”  He took in the white furniture, the queen sized bed
covered in a black and white french design.  The black rug on the floor,
and the hot pink lamp shade and accents throughout the room gave it a splash of
color.  He walked over to the corner bookshelf and looked over the mass of
books.  “Quite the eclectic collection.  You weren’t kidding when you
said you like to read.”  He then turned and flopped himself down on Bri’s
bed.  “Mmm, big and comfy!  Care to join me?” he patted the bed next
to him.

“Alright,
that’s all the personal space invasion I can handle for today! 
Out!”  Bri booted Cole off the bed and out the door.  His eyes,
indeed looking green against his vintage green Mountain Dew t-shirt, sparkled
at her.  He was definitely enjoying himself.

She
led him out the back door of the sunroom.  Straight ahead was a small
changing house, and to the right was the pool.  Bri pulled off her shoes
and socks and sat, dipping her feet in the pool.  Cole followed suit and
sat down next to her. 

“So,
this is your last week down at the beach?” she asked.

“Yep. 
Next week we start two-a-day practices for football, and I won’t have time for
much else.”

“Oh,
football,” Bri grimaced, unimpressed.

“What,
you don’t like football?”

“More
like, I don’t like the guys who play football.”

“Oh? 
Why is that?”  Cole seemed a little hurt by her words.

“It
just seems like making the football team turns even the nicest guys into
arrogant jerks.  Football players think that they are all that, and they’d
better get whatever they want.  Especially with girls.”

“Wow,
that seems kind of harsh.”

Bri
shrugged.  “I dated a football player once.  It was such a wonderful
experience that I swore off dating football players ever again.”

“Oh,”
he dropped his head.  “Well, just so you know, we aren’t all like
that.  I’ll admit, we have our fair share of d-bags, but you can’t lump us
all into that category by association alone.”  Cole was really hurt and
upset.  Bri instantly felt bad.

“You’re
right, Cole.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to lump you in with all the
other jerks.  I may not be ready to renege my dating ban, but I promise I
won’t hold being a football player against you!” she smiled teasingly. 

“Thank
you,” he smiled.  “Because I’d hate to use your own biased reasoning
against you and assume that, since all the girls on the Dance Team are stuck-up
bitches, you are one too!” he teased back.

“Hey!”
Bri pushed him, mock offended.  “Alright, you got me.  Happy now?”

“Yes,
yes I am!”

Cole
and Bri spent the next little while watching TV and talking, before Cole
decided he’d better get home.

Bri
followed his directions as she drove him home, and pulled up in front of a
small, quaint bungalow.

“This
is me,” he hesitated a moment.  “Do you want to come in for a bit?”

“Sure! 
I have to be back in a little while, but I have some time.”

“Okay,”
Cole got out of the car and led Bri up the walk to the door.  “I have to
warn you, though.  It’s just me and my dad, so it’s probably pretty guyish
in here.”

“Don’t
worry, I think I can handle guyish!” she nudged him encouragingly.

“Well,
then, after you,” he opened the door and ushered her in.

The
living room was indeed guyish with car posters on the walls and a neon beer
sign above the TV.  Sitting in front of a leather couch and loveseat was a
glass table top sitting on top of a car engine.

“Okay,”
Bri pointed to the unusual coffee table.  “That is the coolest thing
ever!”

Cole
grinned.  “Glad you like it!  My dad owns  a repair shop, and he
likes to get creative with the leftover parts.  The kitchen is back
through there,” he pointed to the doorway at the back of the living room. 
“And the bedrooms are back this way.  This is my dad’s office.” Cole
turned to the hall on the left and opened the first door to let Bri in.

A
desk and a few filing cabinets were set up along the left wall, and on the
right was a large easel with a drop cloth covering it.  A few paintings
and drawings, presumably Cole’s, hung on the walls.  Bri walked in to get
a closer look.

“Um,
I’m going to leave you here to browse while I go make sure my room is somewhat
presentable.  I’ll be right back,” he smiled before quickly ducking out of
the room.

Bri
went straight for the covered easel and lifted the cloth.  Underneath was
a painting in its beginning stages.  She could tell it was the profile of
a girl looking out towards the ocean.  None of the details had been added
yet, so she couldn’t tell what the girl looked like.  It looked like Cole
was taking her advice after all.  She gently replaced the cloth and turned
her attention to the walls.  She was immediately drawn to a black and
white sketch of a boy and his dad, hanging above the desk.

The
little boy was no older than five or six, and was obviously Cole.  He sat
on the ground next to a large tool box, holding up a socket wrench for his
dad.  Cole’s dad smiled down at him as he reached out one hand for the
wrench, the other hand holding something under the hood of a car.  The
look of hero worship on little Cole’s face was so adorable, Bri couldn’t help
but smile.  The pride and love on Cole’s dad face was unmistakable. 

Feeling
eyes on her, Bri turned her head to find Cole leaning against the doorframe
watching her.

“Is
this you?” she asked, hoping he’d tell her more about the picture. 

He
walked in and stood beside her.

“Yep. 
Someone had taken this picture of me and my dad working on his old
Corvette.  I found it, and decided to copy it.  My dad liked it so
much he framed it and hung it up.”

“Look
at you, you were so cute!  How old were you when the picture was taken?”

“I
was five.  I think that was one of the first times my dad let me help him
with a car,” Cole smiled wistfully.  “It was the best day of my
life.  Well, up until that point anyway.”

Bri
smiled at him.  “Are you and your dad still close?”

“Yeah. 
I mean, we still butt heads every once in a while, but he is always supportive
of whatever I want to do.  Even when I want to try making a go of it as an
artist, selling paintings to tourists on the beach.  How about you and
your dad?  Are you guys close?”

“We
used to be,” she sighed sadly.  “Then my stepmom came along, and
everything changed.”

Cole
nodded.  “Well, my room is this way, if you want to come check it out?”

“Oh,
definitely!”  She grinned and followed Cole next door.  “Hmm,
definitely guyish,” she teased as she walked in.

The
small room was dominated by a full sized bed with a black and gray plaid
comforter.  Above the bed hung a huge cityscape, obviously New York, also
done in blacks and grays.  “Yours?” she asked Cole, who nodded.  The
guy really was talented.  A tall dark dresser stood against one wall,
covered with a few pictures.  A desk occupied the other wall, with an iPod
docked in a speaker.  Bri boldly walked over and turned on the iPod, fully
enjoying her turn to invade Cole’s space.  Metallica started blaring
loudly.

He
quickly turned down the volume and sat on his bed.  “So, what do you
think?” 

She
sat on the bed next to him.  “It’s great,” she said honestly.  “It’s
warm and comfortable.  The kind of place you’d enjoy spending time in.”

 Cole
smiled at her, and Bri suddenly wondered how many other girls had gotten warm
and comfortable in Cole’s bedroom.  She was surprised at the spike of
jealousy she felt.  She quickly banished those thoughts from her
mind.  She and Cole were friends.  She didn’t have the right to feel
territorial over him.  He was free to do whatever he wanted with whomever
he wanted.  Bri wasn’t interested in dating right now anyway.  But
telling herself this did little to diminish the sudden regret she felt.  Deciding
it was time to leave, she stood.

“Well,
I’ve got to get back home.  Summer and the boys will be home soon.” 
She headed towards the door, Cole following.

“Oh,
okay,” he looked slightly disappointed.  “But, before you go, I have
something for you.”  He went into the office and pulled something out of
the closet.  “Here, this is for you.”  Bri was shocked when he handed
her the painting of the sun setting into the ocean.

“What? 
You’re just giving this to me?”  She couldn’t believe it.  Cole
nodded, but she still needed to clarify.  “Really?  I can just take
it home with me, right now?”  She was starting to get excited.

“Really
Bri, it’s yours.  You’ve spent all summer staring at it.”

And
she had.  Every time Bri went to visit Cole, she was drawn to this
painting.  It had captivated her.  Apparently, Cole had noticed her
fascination as well.

“You
liked it so much, I wanted you to have it.”  He smiled at her, and Bri
threw her arms around him.

“Thank
you!  This is seriously the nicest thing anyone’s ever given me,” she
squeezed him once more before letting go.  “I love it!  I’m going
home right now and hanging it up in my room!”

“I’m
glad you like it!  I have to admit, I kind of like the idea that a piece
of me will be hanging up in your bedroom.”

“Wait,”
she looked at him dubiously.  “There aren’t any hidden cameras in this
thing, are there?” she teased.

“Dang
it!  I knew I had forgotten something!”

Cole
walked Bri out to her car.  She put her painting in the back seat and
turned to him.

“Well,
I’ll see you later,” she said.  She pulled him in for one more hug. 
“Thanks again, Cole,” she whispered.  He squeezed her before letting go.

“Anything
for you, Ambria,” he smiled.

Bri
watched him turn and walk back into the house before driving away.

Friday
night, Bri was up late, reading in bed.  Just after 11:00, she got a text
from Cole.

Hey,
you still up?

Yeah,
what’s up?

Any
chance you’d want to head down to the beach with me???

Right
now?

Yep. 
I’m actually outside your house right now.  I hope you don’t think that’s
creepy.

Stunned,
Bri sprang off her bed and opened the blinds on her window.  Sure enough,
there was Cole, lounging against his old pickup truck.  A nearby lamp post
cast just enough light for her to see him give a small wave when he saw her in
the window.

Give
me two minutes?
she texted back and closed the
blinds.  She quickly changed out of her pajamas and into a tank top and
yoga pants.  She grabbed a jacket, her flip flops, and her keys, and
slipped quietly out of her room.

Her
parents’ door down the hall was closed and their light was off, which would
make sneaking out of the house much easier.  Bri tip-toed to the front
door, soundlessly slipped out, and locked it behind her.

Cole’s
face lit up as she headed towards him.  He opened the truck door for her
and she hopped in.

“So,”
Bri began as they pulled away.  “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“What
do you mean?” he answered evasively.

“Well,
it’s not often you ask me to sneak out in the middle of the night, so I’m
assuming something is up.”

He
didn’t say anything as he parked the truck and led her down to the beach. 
She let him walk a moment in silence, before pressing him again.

“Well?”
When it became obvious Cole wasn’t going to respond, Bri brought out the big
guns.  “Coleston...?”

Cole
looked up at her and grinned.  “I think that’s the first time you’ve
called me that.  I kind of like it!”

“Well,
you forced me to use drastic measures.  Now that you’re finally talking,
will you please tell me what’s wrong?”

He
let out a breath.  “Nothing’s wrong.  My dad had his girlfriend over
tonight, and I just really didn’t want to be there anymore.”

Bri
knew exactly how he felt.

“You
don’t like her?” She stated more than asked.

“No. 
She’s one of those women who thinks she needs to come in and start being my
mother, even though she doesn’t hold that title yet.”

“Oh,
yeah,” Bri knew the type well.  “Those are the ones you wish you could
bash their faces in with a frying pan or something, just to get that pitying,
condescending look out of their eyes.”

“Exactly!”
Cole laughed.  “See, I knew there was a reason I picked you up tonight!”

“Why
did
you pick me up tonight?” she asked seriously.  It was a question
she’d been thinking about since she’d gotten in his truck.

“I
don’t know,” he said, somewhat shyly.  He shoved his hands in his
pockets.  “I left my place, not knowing where I was going, and I somehow
ended up in front of your house.  I guess I was hoping that spending time
with you would make me feel better.”

“Really?” 
She could feel herself blushing.

“It
always does,” he looked right into her eyes.

“I
like spending time with you, too,” she smiled shyly, her heart picking
up. 

They
walked a little ways before Bri gathered enough courage to ask something she’d
been wondering about for a long time.

“Cole,
what happened with your mom?”

He
was silent so long, Bri wasn’t sure he was going to answer.

“My
mom lives in New Jersey.  She and my dad got divorced when I was five, and
she took off without another glance behind her,” Cole replied bitterly.

“I’m
sorry.  Do you ever see her?”

“Every
few years or so, she’ll call if she’s in town.  But I’m lucky if she
remembers to call me on my birthday.  She mostly pretends that my dad and
I don’t exist.”

“That
really sucks.  Why are parents such idiots sometimes?” Bri asked, thinking
of her own dad.

“Well,
it’s not all her fault,” Cole relented grudgingly.  “She was really young
when she married my dad, and then had me right after.  I don’t think she
dealt well with the pressure and responsibility of being a wife and a
mother.  Anyway, it’s not a big deal.  I’ve had plenty of time to get
over it.”

“Yes,
it is a big deal,” she said knowingly.  “But I understand what you’re
saying.”

“So,”
he sighed.  “Now that I’ve spilled my sad story, let’s hear yours. 
Where’s your dead-beat mom?”

“She
died,” Bri replied quietly.

“Oh,
no, are you serious?”  A look of horror crossed his face.  “Shit,
Bri, I’m sorry.  I wouldn’t have been so callous if I’d known!  I’m a
freaking idiot.”

“It’s
okay, Cole.  How could you have known?”

“So,
want to tell me what happened?” he asked gently.

Bri
took a deep breath, debating whether or not she wanted to tell him.  But
seeing the earnest concern on his face, she knew that she wanted to share this
with him.  To give him something she shared with very few people.

“My
mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when I was eleven.  She managed
to hang on for almost ten months, before it took her.  She died two days
after my twelfth birthday.”

Cole
swore under his breath.  “I’m so sorry, Bri.  Life really sucks
sometimes, doesn’t it?  Were you two close?”

“Yeah,
we were best friends.  She was always there at all of my dance recitals
and competitions, even when my dad couldn’t make it.  We would go shopping
together, and have movie nights.  After she died, my dad couldn’t really
deal with it, and he needed to get away.  So he relocated us to
Dallas.  I don’t think he could handle all the memories and reminders of
my mom in Phoenix.  I think he thought we could both use a fresh
start.”  Bri paused and drew in a breath.  “Then he met Summer, and
it seemed like our lives before, with my mom, hadn’t happened.  He moved
on and never looked back.”

“But
not you, though,” Cole said knowingly. 

“I
did everything I could to hang onto my mom.  But once Summer came into our
lives, it was all over.”

“I
take it you’re not too fond of your stepmom?”

“She’s
not my favorite person, but it could be a lot worse.  She basically leaves
me alone and stays out of my life.  But she also doesn’t help me out in
any way, either.  So, while she doesn’t try and tell me what to do, I also
know I’m on my own with her.”

“Man,
I’m not sure if that sounds great, or horrible,” he gave her a sympathetic
smile.

Bri
shrugged.  “It is what it is.  But I know that she loves my dad, and
is totally committed to him and my brothers.  I just don’t seem to fit
into her family,” she finished sadly.

“Oh,
Bri,” he pulled her into a hug.  “I’m sorry.  I wish life wasn’t such
a pile of crap all the time.”

She
laughed humorlessly.  She didn’t want to admit it, but it felt wonderful
being wrapped in Cole’s arms. He radiated strength and security, like he would
shelter and protect her from whatever life tried to throw at her.  Bri let
herself linger in his embrace a little longer, before pulling back.

“So,
did your dad ever remarry after your mom left?”  She was ready to deflect
the attention from herself.  

“No,
thank goodness.  He’s had a couple of serious girlfriends over the years,
but nothing that lasted more than a few months.  It is nice to know that
no matter how rude, or annoying, or just plain awful his girlfriends are, they
won’t last long.  It’s the only thing that makes it bearable.  My dad
says he enjoys the single life too much to settle down.  But I think the
truth is that my mom took his heart with her when she left, and he’s never
really gotten over her.”

“That’s
so sad.  It’s just another reason why it’s amazing any of us give away our
hearts at all.  Sometimes I think love is overrated,” Bri sighed.

“Yeah,
I know what you mean,” Cole returned sadly.

“Alright,
enough of this sob story crap.  I’m supposed to be helping you feel better,
and all I’m doing is depressing us both.  I suck!”  She smiled
sheepishly.  “So, new topic.  Something light and happy...” she
trailed off, trying to think of something.

“How
about you tell me about your tattoo?” Cole brushed Bri’s hair back from the side
of her neck, revealing the white lily.  He gently stroked it with his
thumb.  His touch caused goose bumps to break out on Bri’s skin, and her
breath to catch.

“Nope,”
she stepped away.  “No more sad stories, remember?  Oh, I know! 
We should plan something special to do before school starts!  We could
celebrate you surviving your crappy football Hell Week, and enjoy the last day
of summer vacation.  What do you think?”

“I
think that sounds like a great idea,” he grinned.

They
continued to walk a while, planning their summer celebration, before Bri
decided that she’d better get home.

“Thanks
for coming out with me tonight, Bri,” Cole said as he pulled up in front of her
house.

“You’re
welcome.  I hope I didn’t end up making you feel worse,” she joked.

“No. 
I always feel better when I’m around you,” he smiled sincerely.  He
continued to gaze at her, some unidentifiable emotion rising in his eyes. 

“Well,
goodnight,” Bri opened the truck door.  Cole’s gaze was doing weird things
to her insides.  She moved to get out of the truck, but paused.

“Cole?”
She turned back to him.  “Being around you makes me feel better,
too.”  She smiled at him before exiting the truck and walking inside.

It
was the middle of what the football team called Hell Week.  Thanks to
two-a-day practices, and sometimes three-a-day if the first practice went
badly, Bri hadn’t seen Cole since that night on the beach.  A night Bri
had been thinking about, a lot.  In fact, she’d been thinking about Cole a
lot.  And worst of all, she had been missing him,
a lot.
 

He
had texted her a few times, but it wasn’t the same.  He’d been too
exhausted, he’d said,  to do anything other than crash after
practice.  Bri had tried to deny  it, but not seeing him was killing
her.

So
on Wednesday night, she picked up a few things she thought Cole might like: a
huge can of Mountain Dew, some snacks, and some Icy Hot, and drove over to his
house.  She was surprised to find his driveway full of cars.

Sitting
in her parked car, she sent him a text.

Hey! 
What’s up?

Not
much.  What are you up to?

Not
much.  Just sitting outside your house.

Really???

Come
find out!

Two
seconds later, Cole was out his front door.  He spotted her in her car and
sauntered over.  Bri noticed how stiffly he moved, as if every muscle
hurt.  She rolled down her window and he leaned in.

“So,
it’s your turn to stalk me now, huh?”

“Just
thought I’d return the favor!  You look sore.  Getting your butt
kicked at practice I see.”

“Yeah,
let’s just say Coach is not too happy with us.”  He gave her a cocky,
knowing smile.  “So, Bri, what are you doing here?”  He gazed at her
intently.

Uncomfortable
with his penetrating eyes, she evaded the true reason she was there by giving
him the lesser reason.

“I
brought you something.”  Bri held up the gift bag containing the goodies
she’d gotten for him,

“You
brought me a present?”  His eyes lit up.

She
shrugged.  “Not anything big, just some things I thought might make you
feel better.”

“You’re
always thinking of me,” he said, happily amazed.

Busted,
Bri felt her cheeks redden, and she dropped her eyes.  Moving on, she
asked, “So, are you going to leave me here in the car, or can I come in for a
minute?”

Cole,
looking uncomfortable, ran his hand through his hair.

“Um,
now’s not a great time.”

“Oh.”
Bri’s face, and her heart, fell.

“Oh,
Bri, don’t.  It’s just... a few of the guys from the team are here. 
It’s kind of like an unofficial meeting to figure out how to fix what’s going
wrong at practice.  If you really want to come in you can, but given your
dislike of all football players everywhere,” he flashed her a teasing smile,
“I’m thinking you may want to pass.”

“Yeah,
probably a good idea.”  She felt a little better.  “Maybe another
time.”

“Definitely
another time,” Cole smiled genuinely.  He looked into to bag she had given
him.  Shaking his head, he pulled out the Icy Hot.  “Ambria, you
always seem to know just what I need.”  He reached in, pulled her closer,
and kissed her temple.