𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 ✧ 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

chapter fourteen.

standing in the rain, that had now lightened up some, i stared at him. 

and i took a second to process.

"why did you think that'd be me?" i asked, now knowing my hatred towards them had been pretty clear to all of them.

i had begun to realize that my thoughts of the walter family werent even close to as secretive as i thought they were, or wanted them to be. danny, and now cole, had called me out on them. that made me sick. suddenly, sicker than getting close to the walters ever had made me. i had been caught, more so, i had been seen. which had been my biggest fear, more than talking to a walter brother, being understood by one.

and cole had hoped that the girl who hated them would be the one to see them for who they really are. possibly, be the only one too. he had wanted me to see that, maybe he was a jerk to the girls, but never one to his brothers. but he had been wrong. my previous laid foundation of hatred and judgement toward them just made any future wrong fuel the flames on more.

why was i suddenly ashamed of that?

still, i was curious to hear it from him.

"i said hoped." he kicked a rock with his shoe, "not a rational thought." i wanted to laugh at his joke, but neither of us did.

so... what now?

and do i even ask that?

"not like we can do anything anyway," i had gotten scared i had thought out loud, but he was still kicking the rock around, "with you getting pretty close with danny." he said it in a way like he was teasing me, but i wondered if that hurt for him to admit.

i sighed, tilting my head.

"i dont think thats whats going on between us." i said, taking a breath, "we just do theater together." cole looked me in my eye, and i tried to make my gaze as confident as i could, "but i dont think something like that is felt with anyone at the moment." i said carefully, as to not slap him in the face for all he had just said, "at least not for a bit."

after a second, i let a smile grow, "like you rightfully said," i rolled my eyes playfully, "i barely know any of ya'll."

surprisingly, and thankfully, cole chuckled a bit.

"i will admit," i decided to open up, too, "i think there was more bitterness sprung the night jackie was drunk than romance, on my side anyway," cole nodded, seeming to understand why, "it wasnt a favorable night in my eyes just yet,"

with their mother possibly being upset with me, too, and being forced to spend the night at the enemies house, i had reacted much differently than i would now. who so quickly just drove over here to give cole walter an assignment for class.

"but im willing to start over." i took another step toward him, "clean slate."

cole looked me up and down, but in a way where he was trying to tell if i was legit.

shocking even myself, i had never been more so. i suddenly was desperate for a fresh start with the boy.

it wasnt until he nodded, gently, that i had realized the rain had stopped.

"better go find jackie." 

he ended up saying, at some point, and eyed the car behind him. i nodded, following him to get inside.

after a few minutes of, now much more peaceful, silence, a question burned my chest too much to keep in.

"so, how did you get my number?" i looked over at him, "the night jackie was drunk?"

cole smiled, but kept his eyes towards the road, "jackie gave it to me." he tilted his head, "well, she gave me her phone, she was too drunk to get it for me." he laughed.

i nodded, "remind me to hit her for that later." i joked.

he just looked over at me, "you should. she was very happy to do it." he shrugged, "said something about us and how good we'd be-" i'd barely caught the last few words as his voice went out, and he leaned forward to peer at something outside of the window.

"what'd you say?" i asked, but he just honked the horn, and a girl came running out from the tree line.

we both sighed; jackie.

"what did you say?" i asked again, quickly, as jackie headed towards the car.

he smirked over at me, bigger than ever, "you'll just have to ask her yourself."

i glared at him. he knew i wouldn't. he knew i would never.

cole already got used to predicting my pride. good enough to know how to play with it, like he doing now.

i huffed, and turned away from him, and i could still feel his winning smile boring into my temple.

jackie got in, and we drove home.

"harper? what are you doing here?"