Rituals for Love ✔

Eleven

Tall, blonde, and gorgeous. Exactly how I remember him. I expected my heart to either shatter completely, or jump around in my chest.

It was doing nothing, how unusual.

My brain, on the other hand, was running a mile a minute. My thoughts doing nothing but fueling a wave of growing anger.

Lucy slammed into me as I had stopped dead she caught me, thankfully, before I fell. She quickly had to hold on to me as I began to yell.

"Oh, you're just going to show up after months of nothing? Of dead silence? That's bull." No matter how hard I struggled against Lucy she would not let me go. She did, however, start talking smack, too. Which only hyped me up more.

"I really should let her go!" Lucy was screaming in my ear. I didn't really care, out of the corner of my eye. I saw my parents run off.

I guess they didn't want to face another one of my "boyfriends".

I couldn't help but giggle, earning me a worried look from David.

Oh, screw him.

"Please don't do that, love." An unmistakable voice cut through all the noise, commanding all attention. I saw David stand up straighter, he temporarily lost his happy vibe.

Well, what was left of it, after he realized he wasn't getting a warm welcome.

Lucy relaxed her grip on me, probably due to the shock of seeing Cole.

That was all I needed.

I was storming across the foyer fist balled up at my side. All of David's focus was on Cole who I gathered was behind me.

Thoughts of decking him in the jaw ran through my mind. They stopped me short, once I had a moment to actually think.

By then, I was very close to David. I inched back and ran into a wall of muscle. Said muscle then wrapped their arms around me.

Not in a way of groping me, more like to say "You've lost, buddy" to David.

At this moment, that is exactly the message I wanted to send.

David's eyes finally came back to my face they were full of angry.

Like he has the right!

"Easy, tiger." Cole purred in my ear. I calmed a little.

"Who is this guy, Adds?" Using his nickname for me was a low blow. It's lost its effect. Instead of my heart melting, for the first time since I saw his face my heart stung. Which just pissed me off more.

I felt Cole's arms tighten around just a little.

"Me? Oh" Cole took one arm off of me to gesture to himself with a flare. His voice completely dripping with condescension with a hint of amusement. "I'm the guy, who's helping her get over you. Well, I am assuming you're David." His predator smile made an appearance for just a second.

"She didn't tell me how much of a douchebag you looked like though." Cole spun me around to face him. Not before I caught the look of absolute disbelief on David's face. I think I will always remember that look.

"Seriously, how did you go from him to me?" He booped my nose.

Satan just booped me...... How does one cope with this?

A real smile spread across Cole's face.

"Girl, don't you know good things come to those who wait." With that, he pushed me off to Lucy and gave her a look. He slapped my butt as I walked away.