𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 ✧ 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

chapter sixteen.

the ride back home began pretty silent.

cole nervously tapped on the wheel. well, maybe it wasnt nerves. maybe i was just projecting my feelings onto him. his face didnt show nerves. it didnt show much at all.

i felt like mine was the opposite. i felt like mine was showing everything.

"what are you thinking about right now?" he asked as he took a turn, letting the wheel slide under his hand.

i just shook my hand, "i just have so many questions."

i had said it seriously, but cole just laughed out loud. startling me, i looked over at him with wild eyes.

he was gleaming, "ok, harper gray. shoot."

where do i even begin.

"at the homecoming huddle," i started, catching him off guard as he tilted his head.

if this was happening, if this was a thing, we were getting it all out on the table.

"i wouldve swore there was something between you and jackie."

he creased his eyebrows, but took a sharp inhale in, "why would you think that?"

"because you sold yourself for her?"

cole just smiled, almost playfully, taking turns looking at you and the road, "no." he looked back towards the road, "no, it wasnt for her."

i raised a brow, "it was for me." i confirmed, and he blushed, and nodded.

seeing cole like this was different. seeing cole like this was weird. breaking down his walls, making him blush, he wasnt confident cole anymore. he had to be honest.

it seemed as if that was scary for both of us.

"so..." cole said after i had stayed quiet for a minute, "did it work? or?"

i had to laugh at his awkward state. at impressing me, i guessed he meant.

"i had to admit to myself that it was pretty unlike you, and pretty sweet." i took in a quick breath as i came to my second question, "but then you completely left jackie stranded the next day with the cart!"

cole pressed his lips together, "i missed jackie because i broke up with erin that morning."

what!? i wanted to say out loud, but i decided to process inwardly.

he broke up with her? i guess i had made assumptions that erin was the one to do it. erin was the one to get sick and tired of him. but i was wrong.

he had looked so dejected later that day, getting yelled at by parker, picking up the jersey on the walter's front steps.

"why?"

"she just wasnt the one." he had given the exact same reason erin had, so a mature conversations had to have been had, "and i figured..." he took a second, "if i was trying to impress other girls, it probably wasnt right."

my jaw almost fell. cole was changing.

was it all for me?

i was suddenly overwhelmed.

"look, i dont know how i feel about any of this right now." i leaned forward in the passenger seat, squeezing my knees.

cole took a few glances over at me, and i felt like the silence was deafening.

but he spoke quietly, "its okay."

that almost made it worse.

"what scares you the most?" cole asked after a minute, and i wanted to reject it. reject that anything was scaring me at all.

i thought i couldnt be scared.

i scoffed, "i dont know. the fact that i just had my first kiss. or the fact that the people ive tried to stay away from suddenly like me. the fact that you're probably too high to be thinking right now, or were when you kissed me." i tried to search for other reasons, "i dont want this to mess up what i have with jackie, or danny." but soon, the thoughts were fleeing me, and i had to force oxygen into my lungs. i dug my fingers through my hair, "i dont know."

"im not high." was all he said, in a matter of fact way, sticking up a finger of defense. i just pivoted my head in my hands to send him a look.

one that made him burst out laughing, "i swear! im not!" he urged, and just kept laughing.

soon, i was too, and he was pulling up into my driveway.

upon putting the car in park, he reached over to squeeze my hand before i got out, "i wasnt high. i was thinking. i do like you." i nodded along, looking down at my hands, "we can figure this out with the others." but the way he said my name made me look up at him, "but harper gray," his classic smirk was back, "i took your first kiss?"

he was geeking out about it, and i wanted to throw up.

but i just laughed, and nodded, tucking my hair behind my ear.

half of it didnt make it, but cole's thumb fixed it for me.

i felt like i couldnt breath with his thumb so close, now resting on my chin.

"just another thing to burst that ego of yours." i said, and we both chuckled softly.

he bit his top lip in a sweet smile, looking all over my face, and just said "goodnight harper gray."

im glad he didnt make any moves. im glad he didnt try to kiss me goodbye.

"goodnight, cole."

he just unlocked the doors, slowly took his arm away from me, and waited until i got inside the house to drive off.

but, i didnt even get the time to lean against the door and smile wildly like those girls in the movies do after a night like tonight, because he was calling me.

"hello?" i said.

"i forgot to mention, my mother is giving a speech next week, she's getting an award."

"okay." i whispered as i quietly settled my keys down on the small table by the door and creeped around the house, "and?"

"and i'd like you to go with me."

i had to stop myself mid tip toe.

"with you with you?" i asked, raising my eyebrows.

i heard him chuckle through the phone, "the label can be your call," i could also hear the smile in his words, "but harper, i just really want you there."

soon, a smile was behind mine as well, "okay."