Out of the Shadow (34 page)

Lila? Ally remembered the name but couldn’t place it.

“
Okay,” he said slowly. “What did you have in mind?”

Was he actually…making a date? Ally pursed her lips as her horrorstruck heart clenched.

His face transformed before her eyes as he listened to this Lila. His eyes softened and his lips curled into a tender smile. “Of course – that sounds perfect. Hell yeah, I’ll go. Thanks, Lila. I can’t wait.” His smile widened. “Sure. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

He snapped his phone shut, his smile still on his lips, and her heart fell to her feet. She scooted her chair back and got up, heading for the basement.

“
Where are you going, Al?” he asked.

“
To go shut that damn game off before they both sit down there until three in the morning,” she said and stormed down the stairs.

***

“
So what the hell happened with Ally last night?” RJ asked as he plunked several cereal boxes on the table. Jamie collected bowls and spoons while Cole grabbed the milk. “Why didn’t she stay the night here?”

“
Don’t know,” Cole said. He sat down and dumped some sugary cereal in his bowl.

“
She’s so moody lately,” Jamie fretted. “I wonder what the problem is.”

“
Hard telling,” Cole said as he poured milk on his cereal. “Oh, RJ, before I forget. I talked to Lila yesterday and Doug asked her to set up some sort of charity promotional thing for us with the holidays coming up and all. She’s trying to set something up where we can go visit the teenagers in the Cancer Center. She said we could take them CDs and stuff. What do you think?”

“
That’s a great idea,” RJ said, milk dripping off his chin. “I’m in. I’m sure Parker and Ren will be cool with it, too.”

“
She’ll call me back with the details today sometime,” Cole said.

“
Did you get a chance to talk to Ally about you guys working with Robby?” Jamie asked.

Cole shook his head. He finished his cereal and dumped the milk in the sink. He rinsed the bowl and leaned against the counter as the others finished. “Nope. Not really. Maybe you can convince her to come over to our place before we have to fly back to L.A. for that New Year’s thing.”

“
If Robby hasn’t already talked to her about it,” RJ said. “I mean, I know she said he wasn’t her boyfriend, but she still hangs out with him a lot.”

“
I know,” Cole said, sweeping his bangs off his forehead, a pang in his heart. He couldn’t forget how cozy they looked in Robby’s office, both sitting there chatting about who knew what. She certainly seemed comfortable in his presence. He didn’t know what to think or what to do anymore but he was pretty certain that he was running out of time.

***

Ally jogged out of the gym with her chin held high and her phone clenched in her fist. She’d called Robby and asked him to meet her for coffee so they could talk.

Her heart sped up as she hopped in her car. She was certain that she’d made the right decision. She’d left the boys at RJ’s and had gone home to lock herself in her bedroom. She’d cried that night, quietly, but for a long time. She’d plastered a fake smile on her face Sunday whenever her family was around but mostly kept to her room. She’d taken that time to reflect on her relationship with Cole and had decided that it was time to let him go.

Obviously, he’d let her go.

She parked near the coffee shop and a smile jumped on her face. She nearly ran inside, eager to see him. He stood near the counter, placing an order, and smiled when she appeared at his side.

“
I can’t believe I had to go workout today,” she grumbled good-naturedly as she tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “It’s Winter Break.”

“
Hey,” Robby said. “How was your weekend?”

“
Eventful and informative,” she said. “Yours?”

He lifted a brow as he paid for their coffee and handed a cup to Ally. “Oh, the usual.” He took her arm and led her to a tiny table near the restrooms. “Did you enjoy your time with your friends?”

She set her cup on the table and took one of Robby’s hands in hers. “I did and I’ve also come to terms with Cole.” She swallowed and smiled. “He’s dating someone else, I guess. I heard him make a date with her while I was there.”

“
Ally,” Robby said, pulling her closer. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head fervently and ignored the spark of pain in her chest. “No, don’t be, because don’t you see, Robby? He’s moved on and it’s time I’ve moved on, too. I thought about it all night Saturday and all day Sunday and I’m ready.”

He eyed her speculatively and she held her breath. “Ally, are you sure?”

She nodded, her eyes not leaving his. “Yes, I’m sure.”

His lips melted into a smile as he cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. “Then have dinner with me tonight.”

***

Ally sat at her dressing table, humming one of her dad’s songs under her breath as she pulled a brush through her hair. She eyed the clock as she finished preparing, counting down the minutes until Robby was due to arrive.

“
Ally?” her mother asked softly as she poked her head in the door. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Ally turned on her chair to smile at her mother. “Sure, Mom. Come in.”

Liz walked in the room and took a seat on Ally’s bed. Her eyes wandered around the pale peach room, her lips curling at the thought of some old memory. “I remember the first time I painted this room – when I was pregnant with you.”

“
Are you feeling old, Mom?” Ally teased.

Liz laughed and her green eyes sparkled. “No, not yet. Give me a year or two.”

“
What’s up?” Ally asked as she twisted to set her brush on the dressing table.

Liz inhaled, held it, then slowly released it as her eyes fell on Ally and softened. “So, things didn’t quite work out with Cole, huh?”

“
No,” Ally said, her chest tightening. She was so tired of thinking about Cole and wondering if she’d made the right decision. But all doubts left her head as soon as she was in Robby’s presence or talking to him on the phone.

“
And are you dating Robby Redden now?” Liz asked.

Ally lifted a shoulder. “Well, I’m not sure how to classify it. I like him and we enjoy each other’s company.”

Liz nodded, her lips set. She reached over and took Ally’s hand. “Does Cole know about this?”

Ally’s defenses rose in her chest. “Mom, I don’t even know what this is yet. All I know is that Robby is taking me out tonight and we’ll just go from there.”

“
I understand,” Liz persisted. “But if you do figure out that you are dating Robby, I really think that you should tell Cole. I think he deserves to hear it from you and not from some other source.”

“
He didn’t bother telling me he was seeing someone else,” Ally said stiffly.

A deep groove appeared in Liz’s forehead. “He is?” Ally nodded. The groove on Liz’s forehead deepened. “I hadn’t heard that.”

“
And I haven’t talked to him except for a few minutes on Christmas Eve when everyone was over here,” she continued. “Aren’t they supposed to go back to L.A. for New Year’s?”

“
Yeah,” Liz said absently. “They left this morning. Jamie went with them.”

Ally ignored the pang in her heart. “Are you disappointed that Cole and I didn’t work out?” Ally blurted before she could stop herself.

“
Maybe,” Liz admitted. “But, honey, this is your life, not mine. It’s not your father’s or Nate’s, either. Whatever you and Cole decide is between the two of you.”

Relief filled Ally and she hadn’t realized until that moment that she was worried about such a thing. “Nate’s not mad at you or Dad, is he? Or mad at Rhys Redden?”

Liz chuckled and squeezed Ally’s hand. “Of course not. Like I said, it’s your business. Yours and Cole’s. You know Nate loves you like you were his own and he just wants to see the two of you happy. If you can’t be happy together then you shouldn’t be together.”

“
I still love him, Mom,” Ally admitted quietly. “I suppose I always will.”

“
Yes, probably,” Liz said with a tender smile. “I’ve always loved your dad, too. He was my first love and although we separated for awhile, I still loved him.” She patted Ally’s hand. “When we saw each other again, I knew that I would never stop loving him. I’m just lucky I got another shot.”

Ally wondered briefly if her mother was trying to tell her something but dismissed the thought immediately. Her mother was just wrapped up in old memories. “Well, I, personally, am glad you got another shot.”

Liz smiled and pulled Ally off the chair and into an embrace. “Just be careful, honey. I don’t want to see you hurt again. And if you’re just dating Robby to get over Cole, you’ll end up hurting them, too.”

“
I know,” Ally whispered in Liz’s ear. “Trust me, I know.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Jamie stood between RJ and Cole out on the deck of Doug’s L.A. cottage as they clutched their drinks and listened to the raucous party on the beach. Parker and Ren had ditched them to join in the fun but the three friends decided to take it easy.

“
That Lila girl has a thing for you, huh?” Jamie asked Cole with a laugh.

Cole snorted and finished his drink. He turned his back on the party and trained his eyes on the French doors that remained open, allowing party goers free reign.

“
She’s annoying as hell,” Cole muttered.

“
But she’s very nice looking,” Jamie said incredulously.

Cole shrugged indifferently. “Then ask her out, man. Maybe that will get her off my back.”

“
That will never happen,” RJ said. He laughed and the other two turned to see what was so funny. RJ pointed at Ren who was just visible near the roaring bonfire set only a few feet away from the surf. “My idiot brother is trying to get that girl to go out with him without telling her he’s in the band.”

“
Oh?” Jamie asked.

“
I bet him a hundred bucks she wouldn’t give him the time of day unless he told her that he was in the band,” RJ said, laughter spewing from his mouth. “And look at her – fake smile on her face. She’s obviously trying to politely get away from him.”

“
You’d think, as his brother, that you’d be a wingman or something,” Cole said, amusement in his eyes. “Not set the poor guy up.”

“
He’s a big boy,” RJ said. “He can handle himself. And if he can’t, I got his back.”

Cole spotted Lila sauntering up the path with two friends in tow. He stifled a groan and crushed the empty, plastic cup in his hand.

“
Hi, boys,” Lila greeted, flashing a bright smile at Cole. “These are my friends, Darcy and Colleen.”

They were both blonde, though Cole doubted they were blonde naturally, but they were both pretty, too. He caught Jamie out of the corner of his eye sizing them up and deciding whether he’d want to spend the rest of the evening with either one.