Melt My Heart Page 8

  I spin around, and of course, he’s dressed in jeans and a wrinkle-free plaid button-down that matches the red beanie on his head.

  “Hudson, hi,” I breathe, sounding way too panicked. “I’m surprised you’re up. Figured Mac and Dan would keep you up till sunrise.”

  His blue eyes sparkle as he laughs. “Which is why I booked my own room. Headed right to bed after I dropped you off.” He leans forward, placing a hand on either side of me, boxing me in. “I hate to admit it, but I was a little too excited about our date today.”

  I giggle, actually giggle, but it stops short when I hear a snort of derision.

  Hudson’s gaze flicks over my shoulder. “Hey, Paul, right?”

  “It’s Cole.” The whole table shifts as Cole stands. The heat of his body warms my side. The next thing I know, Hudson is stumbling backward.

  “Hey.” I shove Cole’s chest as he moves toward Hudson again. “What the hell is your problem?”

  “My problem?” Cole has the audacity to sound annoyed with me. “Unbelievable.”

  Caught in the middle and with no idea what to do, I turn toward Hudson. “I’m sorry.” I have no explanation for Cole’s actions. Never once has he acted this way even when he’s mad.

  Hudson runs a palm down the front of his shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles. “Don’t worry about it. I guess some people can’t handle mornings.”

  Yeah, that’s not it. Cole is the type of weirdo who can roll right out of bed and start singing songs and jumping on the bed to wake me up. Whoever this is, I can’t handle.

  “Cole, why don’t you go skiing? We’ll meet up about two, okay?”

  A new edge creeps into his voice. “Are you serious?”

  This is insane. Did I stumble into a weird alternate reality where my best friend has been replaced by a stranger?

  I place a hand on Hudson’s arm. “Can you give us a minute?”

  He smirks, his gaze still focused on Cole. “Sure. I’ll grab something to eat and meet you out front in thirty.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Once he’s out of the room, I turn to Cole. “What is your problem?”

  He shakes his head, the muscles under his ears pulsing as he clenches and unclenches his jaw. “I don’t like that guy.”

  “You don’t know him.”

  “Neither do you!” Cole yells.

  It draws the eyes of a few students stumbling in the room, so I grab his sleeve and drag him to the farthest corner of the room. “Chill out and explain what your issue with him is.”

  Cole lets out a long breath, focusing on the wall behind my head. I see the exact moment his walls go up. “Forget it. I’ll catch you later, if you’re not busy with loverboy.” He shakes out of my grasp and walks away, leaving me reeling.

  “What about the town?” I call, but never get an answer.

  I run a hand over my hot cheek and try not to make eye contact with the people staring at me. What I want more than anything is to chase after him, but I don’t even know what I’d say. This is brand-new territory for us and it’s freaking me out.

  Right now though, I’ve got a date with a guy who seems to like me. Sure, it’s selfish, but Cole isn’t even in the right headspace to have a conversation.

  Later, though, later, I’m dragging it out of him even if he hates me for it.

  By the time I no longer resemble the Crypt Keeper and am heading downstairs, most of the hotel is awake. For a group of people who partied like rock stars all night they seem a bit too bushy-tailed. Loud laughter fills the halls, and almost everyone is dressed for the slopes.

  I head to the elevator with my gaze downcast, trying to avoid conversation. Not that anyone at our school goes out of their way to talk to me, but today I’m not chancing it.

  When I’m almost to my destination, someone steps out of a room and plows into me. Pain shoots up my ankle as I stumble to catch myself before face-planting into the ground. I hiss and clutch the wall, rubbing the bruise peeking out of my shoes.

  “Watch it,” I snap then groan when I see who I ran into. Ian annoys me on a normal day. Add in the weirdness with Cole, and I have zero patience for him.

  “I’m sorry, princess. I wasn’t aware you owned the hall.”

  Rolling my eyes, I shove past him on the way to the elevator. With my luck, he’s heading this way too. Where’s a cheerleader when you need one? Oh, right. Passed out in my bedroom.

  “Go jump off a mountain,” I call over my shoulder, but his hand shoots out, wrapping around my elbow.

  “That’s no way to treat a person.” His red-rimmed eyes focus on my face for three seconds before skimming down my body.

  “Let me go.”

  “This cat-and-mouse game you’re leading is getting old.” Tension radiates off him in waves.

  He’s not used to this type of reaction from girls, but he better get used to it. All he’s ever seen me as a challenge. And this challenges is one he will always lose.

  “Well, let me clear it up for you. There is no game. I can’t stand being in the same room as you.” I pry his fingers off me and step back. “Leave me alone.”

  A cocky smirk replaces the tense set to his mouth. “Man. And here I was about to let you in on a little secret. Oh, well.”

  I should leave it alone. Drop it and move on. But a part of me wonders if he knows what’s going on with Cole. So, I do something stupid and open my mouth.

  “What secret?”

  A few people pass between us, shooting me odd looks. In response, I want to scream, “Trust me, I’m aware of how weird this is.” Never in a million years did I ever think I would prolong a conversation with Ian.

  “It doesn’t work that way, sweetheart. There’s always a price for everything.”

  Of course. Why can’t he be a normal, genuine human being?

  “What price?” I regret the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth.

  “Meet me in the billiard room tonight at seven.”

  “So not going to happen.”

  He pushes off the wall and heads down the hall in the direction I came from. “Guess you’ll never find out. And it’s good,” he calls over his shoulder before turning the corner.

  I try to shake the funk his words caused in me as I ride the elevator down to the lobby, but I can’t. As much as I hate it, Ian and Cole are friends—well, friendly. There’s a possibility he’s privy to something I’m not. Whatever it is might be causing him to be a grade-A douche.

  Would I be a bad friend if I didn’t do everything in my power to help him?

  I don’t have time to dive deep into the thought though because as soon as I step outside, Hudson is standing on the porch, laughing and joking with his friends.

  “There she is!” he calls the moment he sees me, his words sending puffs of steam up into the air. “I was starting to wonder if you stood me up.”

  Mac and Dan give us a nod as they head inside already dressed to ski, leaving us alone for the time being.

  “No, sorry. I ran into a classmate in the hall.” The cold morning air sends a shiver down my spine, making me wish I had brought something other than jeans and the pair of snow pants Cole forced me to buy at the mall.

  “Same classmate from this morning and last night?”

  “No. And once again I’m sorry about Cole. He’s not normally like that.”

  Hudson smiles as he drapes an arm over my shoulder and steers me toward the path to the tram. “Ah, so he’s got the friendzone blues.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  Hudson’s laughter shakes my body. “Dang, and you don’t even realize you’re doing it to the poor guy. You should put him out of his misery so he stops trying to mark his territory.”

  Territory? Friendzone? What the heck is he even talking about right now? If anything, I’ve been stuck in the friendzone all these years. Whatever was with the scene this morning, I can say with certainty, it wasn’t about staking a claim on me.

  In any event, this isn’t a conversatio
n I want to get into when I’m on a date. I might slip and admit my crush and end this before anything has a chance to start.

  So I do what I do best and switch to a less uncomfortable topic. “Have you ever ridden the tram?”

  He shakes his head. “This is actually my first time up here period.”

  “Really? My family used to drag me up here when I was little. Every time they tried to get me to ski, I would scream until they took them off me.” Oh my God. Why did I admit that?

  “Adorable.” He gives me a little smirk then tilts his head up toward the sky. “Think it will snow today?”

  I lean back to observe the dark clouds that have blocked out the sunlight. “Who knows?”

  “I wouldn’t mind getting snowed in if you were with me.”

  Words catch in my throat, leaving me mute. I’ve had a handful of random hookups, but I’ve never had a guy try this hard. Usually, we make out and then never speak again. That’s always been comfortable for me because in the back of my mind, they were all stand-ins for Cole.

  So this thing with Hudson is strange new territory for me.

  “Yeah, I uh, think I would like that too.” I cringe and turn away—not the most convincing delivery.

  Then it hits me. Do I want this? Is there a reason this has felt awkward since the inevitable friend-meet-and-greet? I’ve never been in this situation long enough to know so maybe it’s just blossoming relationship awkwardness?

  Ugh. Why can’t I be a normal girl who dates and has fun and isn’t hung up on her unattainable best friend?

  “What I mean is, that would be the highlight of this trip.” Well, at least that was a bit more believable judging from the smile on Hudson’s face.

  “So, does that mean you’ll hang out with me tonight? Just us. No annoying friends this time.”

  I open my mouth to say yes, but there is an Ian-shaped lump the size of Texas in my stomach. He said he had a secret. A secret that might be about Cole. I won’t be able to concentrate if I don’t at least investigate.

  “I kind of promised I’d hang out with some classmates tonight.”

  His posture hardens, somehow not matching the smile on his face. “Too bad. I was hoping we could sneak off and head back into town for a bit.”

  My parents would kill me if they ever found out I left with a stranger, but something in me wants to say yes. For once, I want to be the girl who doesn’t have everything planned. I want to take risks and be spontaneous.

  “What if I meet you after?” I can’t imagine a conversation with Ian lasting longer than an infuriating three minutes.

  His body relaxes into mine. “That would be great. Give me your phone. You can text when you’re ready.”

  I hand it to him, checking out the scenery as he adds in his information. By the time he gives it back, we reach the line for the tram. There are a surprising number of people waiting, which means we won’t have the alone time we planned on.

  For some reason, that sends a wave of relief through my limbs, making them wiggly like Jell-O. Everything was comfortable between us yesterday. It has to be Cole. He’s getting into my head because he’s acting all weird. Once I figure out what’s going on, I bet this thing between Hudson and me will be less awkward.

  So that means in a few hours I’ll have to have a conversation with the one person I can’t stand. I can only pray this will be the last conversation I ever have to have with him.

  At five before seven, I head downstairs in a grumbly, grouchy mood.

  The afternoon never got any better. Hudson and I had spent most of the time talking about shallow topics or staring out at the landscape through the glass windows of the tram. Then he dropped me off at my room, saying he had to meet up with Mac and Dan.

  I swear he almost sprinted to the elevator.

  Not that I blame him.

  I had the personality equivalent of a wet blanket all afternoon. I blame it on Cole because I couldn’t concentrate on anything but him.

  My only hope is this conversation with Ian clears my mind. All I have left is two and a half days with Hudson. At this rate, he’ll want nothing to do with me.

  I shake my head, trying to clear my frazzled mind. If I go into a conversation with Ian unfocused and fuzzy, he’ll do nothing but screw with me. I just want to pop in and out with the information.

  Call it intuition or my ability speak douchebag, but I don’t expect this meeting to go easy. He won’t give up anything without a fight.

  After stopping by the front desk and asking for directions, I find myself in an area I’m not sure most of the students know exists. The idea itself scares me. Why would Ian want to talk to me in such a secluded spot?

  I’m half expecting some ax-wielding maniac to jump out of the shadows and relieve me of my head.

  Ugh, freaking Cole and his stupid scary movies.

  When I reach the door at the end of a long hallway with the words Billiard Room scrawled on the glass, I breathe a sigh of relief. Which might be a bit too soon because I still have to talk to Ian.

  I stretch my limbs, wiggling my fingers at my side then push open the door. My legs stutter to a stop as I pause half in the room. After talking to me this morning, I expected to find Ian here alone. It never crossed my mind that Cole and another girl would be here with him.

  Kind of puts a damper on my plans.

  They’re laughing and joking, oblivious to my presence. A large part of me wants to turn and run, but surprise, surprise, with Cole here, I’m not as nervous. Which is stupid because there is no way Ian will let me in on this big secret now. Hell, there probably never was one.

  Whatever. I ditched Hudson for the next few hours. I might as well have fun. And pool, well, pool I can do. Kicking Ian’s butt is going to be the highlight of the trip.

  Cole turns at the sound of the door shutting behind me. I can tell he wasn’t expecting me because the smile drops off his face, his eyes widening in shock. Ian doesn’t miss a beat, though.

  “Hey, you made it.” He pushes off the table when he finishes racking the balls. “Now Cole’s got a fighting chance.”

  “So, this is where you’ve been hiding.” I direct my words at Cole but keep my gaze locked on to Ian. The smirk playing at his lips and the way Cole is fidgeting with the edge of his thermal in the background isn’t reassuring.

  “We figured it was time for a break.” Ian steps forward, handing me a pool stick. “This is Bre.”

  “Yeah, we’re in third period PE together.” I nod at her, rolling the cool wood between my palms.

  Ian rests his stick behind his head. “Now that we’re all acquainted, can we start?”

  I sidle up next to Cole, whose whole body stiffens when my elbow brushes his. What the heck is his problem all of a sudden? Judging from the forcefield of tension in his shoulders, he doesn’t even want me around. Most days I can’t get rid of him.

  “Who wants to break?” Ian asks, his narrowed eyes no doubt catching the weirdness between Cole and me. “Sam?”

  I glare his way. Cole already explained how I hate being called that, so it figures he would continue to use it. “Sure.”

  When I step forward, I already assume what Ian is thinking. I’m sure he’s not used to girls who can play pool. Little does he know that we used to store one in the garage before my mom complained it took up too much room. But before my dad sold it, he spent every Tuesday night showing me how to play.

  Ian’s not ready for the butt whooping coming his way.

  The cue ball hits with a thunderous crack, leaving both Ian and Bre slack-jawed as several balls roll into the pockets. Cole’s tension breaks as he grins. We’ve played together enough for him to know my mad skills.

  “Jesus, girl. I didn’t expect a pool shark.” Ian rubs a thick hand against the stubble on his chin. “We should liven up this game to make things fair.”

  Halfway bent over the table I pause. “Fair, how?”

  “How about we play a little game of truth minus the dare.”r />
  All three of us stare at him, waiting for elaboration, but I see the mischief swimming in the dark pools of his eyes. So not good.

  “Every time you skin a ball, you answer a question truthfully. And you sank…” Ian’s finger trails in the air as he mouths the number of balls left on the green felt. “Four. You get to answer four questions.”

  Dread floods my stomach in a crashing wave, making me clutch the mahogany wood of the table to stay upright. Was this his plan all along? Get me to come down with the guise of some big secret, so he can embarrass me?

  It’s almost too clever for me to be mad.

  Almost.

  Fear chokes my words, but I manage to get a few out. “Breaking doesn’t count.” When he nods in agreement, I lean over the table, angling my stick so the shot will be a little off. All I have to do is suck. I’m okay with that. There’s nobody here I need to impress.

  As I pull my arm back, Ian clears his throat. “Did I mention the losing team has to jump into the snow in nothing but a bathing suit?”

  “I-I didn’t bring one.”

  “Then I guess you better win.”

  I twist so that Cole comes into view. When he sees me staring at him, he shrugs.

  So helpful.

  Whatever. I can answer a few embarrassing things about myself. Cole knows almost everything about me anyway. I couldn’t care less what Ian thinks.

  “Stripes,” I call and hit the ball into the back corner pocket.

  Ian grins, rubbing his hands together. “Who was the last person you kissed?”

  Air whooshes out of my mouth along with a weird strangled noise. Okay, so Ian plays dirty. I expected him to use this opportunity to ask me embarrassing stuff, not dive into my love life. A love life I never discuss with Cole because it’s crazy weird. Figures, though. He swears Cole and I have hooked up, so he’s probably fishing to find out if he’s right.

  I clear my throat, trying to avoid Cole’s gaze at all costs. Which is almost impossible because I swear I can feel it creeping up my neck like an itch I can’t scratch. “Um… His name was Patrick. He goes to Hillcrest.”

  “Hillcrest, huh? Didn’t we play them in October?” Ian asks no one in particular.