You Are My Summer (The Cuttings #2) [In (Painstakingly Slow) Progress]

Chapter Twelve

A ROYAL SNOGGING IN THE MIDST
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THE MARQUESS OF HAVENHURST: PASSIONATELY IN LOVE?
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LOVERS' QUARREL TURNS INTO A STEAMY ENCOUNTER

The numbers of magazines went on and on as each of them were placed smackdab in the center of the desk in front of us by the butler that morning. Cole had specifically ordered the staff to bring all the incoming news about us to him once they'd seen them online or in the pages. My body flinched as they dropped but I wanted to die of mortification when my eyes scanned a few headlines from the leading gossip glossies in the country.

"And these have been published after...after the scenario yesterday?" I gulped, removing my stare from the magazines before me. I couldn't believe they already had the news out in less than twenty-four hours.

Cole gave a sarcastic grin as he said, "I think what happened between us yesterday wasn't a 'scenario.'" He grabbed a magazine randomly and flipped to the page where we were in. I couldn't help it but my body leaned slightly to the side as I tried to see what he was looking at.

Risking a glance at Cole, I could tell he wasn't that fazed by what the media had caused in just two days. There we were in the picture, lips locked and arms entwined around each other like there wouldn't be tomorrow, filled with, dare I say it, passion. I could actually see the tears coming from my left eye! And there was a picture before the kissing had occurred, where we'd been arguing and then we'd made up.

Or made out.

"If anything," Cole continued casually, like this wasn't the most bizarre and life-ruining moment in our -- or should I say, my -- life, "I'd say we gave out quite a show."

My neck veins nearly popped when I heard that. Show? Show? "You knew the media would be there?!" I nearly screeched as my butt rose up from my seat like hot coals had been placed just then.

"No," he intoned smoothly, "I didn't. I wouldn't have caused such a display of affection if that were true."

I couldn't help but notice the way he'd said affection; like it was the most disgusting word that had come out of his lips. My nostrils flared at that -- partly because my pride stung a little and mostly because I couldn't believe this wasn't as shocking to him as it was for me.

I slammed my palm on the desk in front of us and nearly cried out in pain from the sudden impact. But I didn't want to appear like a weakling so I cried inside like a winner and glared at Cole, like he was the reason I hurt my hand in the first place even though he was just there, sitting and acting like he couldn't care less about the whole situation!

The butler, Pemberley, merely stood there with his face an unreadable mask made of marble, while Uriah's lips were pursed in nervous anticipation. They didn't look at us.

"I can't deal with these hurtful people, and I can't deal with you right now!" I fairly screamed in frustration and complete paranoia because, hello, my parents would find out one way or another and I still hadn't checked my phone if Ollie had called again after the one millionth call he rang my way today. I was guessing he'd left me a million more voicemails and about ten thousand links to the gossip sites swirling around my and Cole Cutting's life.

"Stop being melodramatic," Cole said calmly, like I was acting like a child.

That was it. I huffed and started to spin on my heel when Cole's biting, icy tone sent a cold shiver down my spine and halted me in my attempted exit. "Sit down!" he clipped. He didn't shout, didn't pull me down, but I sat down automatically as if my body had a mind of its own. Or Cole could control it.