Certified Disaster (Beautiful Mess Book 2) (9 page)

“She went home for Christmas.  She
gets in late tomorrow night.  What about you, J?  No arm candy for you tonight?”
 
Cole smirked back.

“Nah, I thought I’d give the ladies
a break.  Plus, you have to make time for your bros every once in a while.”

“Very true,”
Cole replied.

A few of the guys had brought dates,
and Cole recognized Jillian, sitting on the lap of a different starter than the
last time he’d seen her.  He snorted.  She was quickly working her way through
the ranks. 

He and Matt and Jordan joked and
laughed as they stuffed themselves full of deep dish pizza.  After the last
slice was gone, the other guys started trickling out.  Just as he and Matt were
getting ready to head back to home, Cole got an unexpected visitor.

“Hi, Cole,”
Jillian purred as she slid into Jordan’s
empty seat.  Her date was nowhere to be seen, and Cole raised his eyebrows at
her, confused at what she was doing there.

“Jillian,”
he returned blandly.  Jillian didn’t
even so much as acknowledge Matt’s existence. 

“So, I noticed that Bri wasn’t here
tonight,”
she
eyed him, “and I just wanted to let you know that if you’re ever lonely or
anything, I’d be more than happy to keep you company.”
 
She smiled at him, and he felt his
stomach turn.  “Think about it,”
she whispered in his ear, before standing and walking back to her date,
who had rematerialized by the door.

Cole and Matt exchanged shocked
looks.

“Um, did that just really happen?”
Matt looked as
confused as Cole felt.

“You mean did Jillian just…”

“Dude!  You just got propositioned
by Jillian Loft!”
Matt
whooped, and they both burst out laughing.  “Oh, this is too much.  Are you
going to take her up on her offer?”
 
He wagged his brows at Cole.

“Shut up, man,”
Cole shoved him.  “Of
course not.  I feel dirty just from her asking.”
 
He shivered.

“Pity.  I would so hit that,”
Matt grinned, his
eyes following Jillian out the door.

“Well, be my guest.  She’s uber
slutty and you’re a man-whore.  It seems you two are perfect for each other. 
Come on, let’s get out of here.  I feel like I need a shower.”

“Are you going to tell Bri about
Jillian?”
Matt
asked as they walked back to their room.

“Do you think I should?”
 
Cole didn’t think
Bri needed any more reason to hate Jillian, and knowing that Jillian had hit on
him might send her over the edge. 

“I don’t know, man.  Chicks get pretty
crazy over stuff like that.  Although…”
Matt trailed off pensively.

“What?”

“If you do tell Bri, I bet it’d
spark one hell of a cat fight.  So yes, definitely tell her, and then get me
front row seats to the fireworks!”

“I don’t know why I ask you anything. 
You are absolutely no help at all,”
Cole smiled.

“Women don’t want me for my wisdom,
my friend,”
Matt
smirked back.

Cole was up early Sunday morning, as
in just before dawn early.  He’d told Bri he’d be by to pick her up around
10:00 that morning, knowing how late she’d gotten in last night and how much
she was
not
a morning person.  Unfortunately, his body wasn’t listening
to his logic, and he couldn’t force himself to go back to sleep.  So after
getting ready, he tried to distract himself with anything he could.  But by
9:00 he was dying to get to her.  He’d just made up his mind that he had waited
long enough, when there was a knock on his door.  Jumping up from the couch, he
rushed over, praying it was who he hoped.

“Cole!”
Bri exclaimed, and threw herself into
his arms.  He staggered back a step under the force of her, his surprise
stunning him for a moment.  He wound his arms around her and lifted her off the
floor.  Damn, he’d missed her.  His whole body rejoiced at the feel of her, and
he couldn’t even return her greeting before his lips found hers.  Kicking the
door shut behind him, he carried her to the couch.  They kissed each other
hungrily, desperately making up for the time they’d been apart.  A few blissful
minutes later, Cole forced himself to pull away from her mouth.

“Hi,”
he breathed, smiling. 

“Hi,”
she smiled back.

“Seriously guys, having to watch you
two making out is not what I want to wake up to.”
 

Both Bri and Cole turned to find
Matt leaning against the door to his room smirking at them.  Bri blushed a
tempting shade of pink, and Cole silently cursed his roommate.  Matt had the
worst timing in the history of the universe.

“Glad to see you made it back, Bri,”
Matt strode over to
the couch and plopped down next to them.  “I thought for sure the beach and
warm California weather would’ve been too much to leave behind again.”

“It was tempting,”
she returned,
looking at Cole.  “But not as tempting as what was waiting for me here.”

Cole beamed and pulled her in for
another kiss, not caring in the least that they had an audience.  When Matt
started making gagging sounds Cole pulled back and glared at him. 

“Ready to go get some breakfast?”
 
He held out a hand
to Bri and helped her up off the couch.

“Definitely,”
she smiled as he led her to the door.

“I’m ready for breakfast,”
Matt pouted.  “Don’t
I get to come?”

“Not a chance in hell,”
Cole smirked, and
walked Bri outside.

“You know,”
she began as they walked out to her
car.  “If you are breakfast, I’ll be the luckiest girl in the world.”
 
She threw him a
teasing smile.

“Don’t tempt me.  It’s taking all my
willpower not to take you back to my room, kick out the annoying jackass, and
welcome you home properly.”
 
He raked his eyes over her body.

Her cheeks flushed, but she returned
saucily, “Who says we can’t do both?”

He groaned in frustration.  This
girl was going to be the death of him.

They spent the whole day together,
running errands and hanging out.  After dinner they ended up back at Cole’s
place, and decided to watch a movie.  Needing some time alone with her, Cole
grabbed his laptop and pulled Bri into his room.  They laid on his bed,
spending more time kissing than actually watching the movie, but since Matt was
in the next room, that was about as far as things could go.  Matt kept popping
in every so often, with some inane question or comment, and Cole had the
sneaking suspicion that Matt was hoping to catch Bri topless again.  And since
there was no way Cole was ever letting that happen again, he held himself in
check and didn’t let things get too heated.  Instead, he relieved his
frustration by throwing whatever he could reach at Matt every time he poked his
head in.  Cole had to admit, pegging Matt in the head with his playbook did
make him feel a bit better. 

Their movie ended, but he still wasn’t
ready to let her go yet, so he convinced Bri to stay and watch one more movie
with him.  He pulled back his blankets and they snuggled under the covers while
they watched one of Bri’s favorite chick flicks.  As it got later, Bri’s eyes
got heavier, until she fell asleep against his chest.  And since he had no
interest in the movie whatsoever, Cole quickly nodded off after her.

Sometime later, Bri turned in her
sleep and woke Cole up.  The laptop was dark, having shut off after too much
inactivity, and Cole moved it to the nightstand.  He glanced at the alarm clock
and froze.  It was almost two in the morning.  Both he and Bri had class early
the next day and he debated whether to wake her up and walk her home.  But then
she sighed and rolled back into him, and he knew there was no way she was
leaving his bed tonight.  He checked to make sure his alarm was set, it would
wake them up in plenty of time for Bri to get home and get dressed before her
first class, and laid back.  Pulling Bri with him, he snuggled further down
into the covers.  Brushing the hair off her forehead, he gave himself a few
minutes to enjoy the feel of her sleeping next to him, the smell of her hair
under his chin, the slow rise and fall of her chest against his.  He kissed her
head, pulling her tighter against him, and drifted off to sleep, feeling more
happy and content than he could ever remember being.  

Bri was certain she would like her
second semester at Duke even better than her first.  For one thing, she and
Cole had two classes together this time, as they were finally able to
coordinate their class schedules.  Jillian, though still a royal pain in the
butt, had been forced to tone down her criticisms and insults during practice,
mainly because she couldn’t deny that Bri was the best dancer on the team and
had to show her a little respect.  But the best part of all was basketball
season.  The Duke student body were basketball fanatics, literally, and the
whole campus buzzed with excited energy.  Instead of just cheering, the dance
team got to dance during some of the longer time-outs, and got to perform at
most of the home game halftimes, which made Bri extremely happy.  And as much
as she loathed cheering, it wasn’t nearly so bad when she got to be down on the
floor cheering Cole on.  The dance team also cheered and danced for the women’s
basketball games, which meant that Bri’s nights were very busy.

Unfortunately, Cole’s nights were
even busier.  Between practice,
traveling
for road games,
and her own hectic schedule, there were very few nights they were able to spend
together.  Even on the weekends.  The men’s basketball schedule was crazy, and
the team traveled at least once a week.  Bri was glad that there were a bunch
of tutors who traveled with the team to help them keep up on their classes. 
Without them, she didn’t know how Cole would ever make it.  Many of the few
nights they did get together were spent studying for tests, or finishing papers
that were due.  Not the most romantic way to spend time together, but she wasn’t
complaining.  Anything was better than nothing.

Their busy schedules also put a hold
on the whole sex thing.  That was just her luck.  When she’d finally decided
she was ready, that decision had been taken right out of her hands.  She
seriously felt like the universe just loved to mess with her, dangling what she
wanted in front of her and then yanking it back out of her reach.  Stupid
universe.

She’d convinced Cole to take a Latin
Ballroom class with her, and so they got to hold, and fondle a little, each
other while they danced.  Not that all the hip swaying and tight bodily contact
did anything to ease their sexual tension, but at least it was an outlet.  Some
days she thought she’d spontaneously combust due to all her pent up
frustration.  And Cole didn’t seem to be fairing much better.  Luckily they had
basketball and dance to keep them distracted.

They weren’t the only ones who were
distracted.  The whole school had gone basketball crazy, and everything else,
including studying and homework, was secondary to supporting their team. 
Students would camp out in front of the box office, with tents and everything,
to get tickets for the student section, which always sold out.  It was the
craziest thing Bri had ever seen, and she loved every minute of it.

The away games were always shown on
the huge TV screens throughout the student union building.  Bri sat with the
huge crowd who had gathered there to watch the Blue Devils take on N.C. State. 
It was a Saturday afternoon at the end of January, and she swore half the
campus was there.  But the atmosphere this afternoon was more anger and
frustration than excitement.  The Blue Devils had built up a sizable lead in
the first half, but that lead had dwindled dangerously as the second half wore
on.  Bri groaned as Jordan made a terrible pass and turned the ball over,
again.  Stacie, sitting next to her, let out a string of curses that left Bri’s
ears burning, and Bri had to laugh.  Yep, basketball was serious business here,
and everyone took it seriously. 

The camera panned over, and she
caught sight of Cole on the bench, looking livid as he and Matt exchanged
frustrated looks.  She could tell he was doing everything he could to keep
himself in check and not cause a scene.  He hadn’t gotten much playing time the
second half, only going in for a couple of minutes, and so he was forced to sit
and watch helplessly as his team was in real danger of losing their first
game. 

The Wolfpack was within two points,
with 24 seconds left to play.  After inbounding the ball, Jordan ran some time
off the clock and drove the ball in for a layup…
and missed.  N.C. State got the rebound, and raced down the court to get
a shot off before time expired.  The whole student union building held its
breath.  There was a huge sigh and cheer of relief as the shot bounced off the
rim and the buzzer sounded.  The Blue Devils had managed to survive.  Bri was
going to send Cole a text, congratulating him on the win, but as she caught his
face on the screen, she thought she’d better let him cool off first.  He did
not
look happy. 

Their next home game was that
Tuesday against North Carolina, and it was a big one.  The whole school was pulsing
with rivalry excitement.  Posters and signs popped up all over campus
proclaiming victory and praise for the Blue Devils, and all but promising death
to the Tar Heels.  Bri had never been part of anything this huge and intense
before, and she couldn’t get enough.  She’d even joined the whole campus in
wearing nothing but blue and white until the game, for luck.

Tuesday night, Bri walked out onto
the stadium floor, and immediately felt the excitement of the crowd and the
buzzing energy in the building.  This was the height of Duke basketball
madness, and she couldn’t help but get swept up in it.  When the team came out
to warm up, the stadium erupted.  Cole stopped by to give her a quick kiss, as
he always did, before joining his team.  Bri caught Jillian glaring at her and
turned a smug smile on the despicable girl.  She had noticed that Jillian had
suddenly taken an interest in Cole, and she was fully ready to pummel the girl
into the ground if need be.

After warm ups, Cole snuck over one
more time.

“It’s a big game.  Wish me luck,”
he smiled at her. 
She could see his nerves and tension simmering just under his skin.

“Like you need it,”
she smiled and
smacked his butt as he headed back to the bench.

Although, as the game began, Bri
thought that maybe Cole did need some luck after all.  The Tar Heels came out
hot, and the Blue Devils were barely able to contain them.  By the end of the
first half Duke was down by ten points, and Jordan and the other starters
looked stunned.  Unfortunately, after half time things just got worse.  As the
Tar Heels’
lead
continued to increase, Jordan seemed to lose it.  It was obvious that he didn’t
know what to do, or how to stop the disaster that was unfolding around him, and
Bri actually felt bad for him.  He looked like a deer caught in headlights,
unable to move or escape his impending doom.  She looked over to the bench and
saw Cole silently fuming.  He turned to one of the assistant coaches, and Bri
was close enough to hear him ask how long they were going to let Jordan drown
out there.  Cole looked her way and gave her a very frustrated, what-the-hell
look, that she could only return with a grimace. 

Finally, with only seven minutes
left and down by twenty five points, Coach called a time out and pulled Jordan
and two other starters, putting Cole, Matt, and another junior in to replace
them.  Cole rolled his shoulders as he stepped onto the floor, a look of
determination, that promised retribution to his opponents, on his face.  Bri
couldn’t help but smile as she recognized the look that had terrorized the
teams Cole had played against in high school.  Cole was pissed and focused, and
things were about to get very interesting.

For the next seven minutes, Cole was
a man on a mission, and that mission was to win that game.  Bri couldn’t help
the swell of pride she felt as she watched him.  This was what he was born to
do, and he was on fire.  He brought the Blue Devils back to within five points,
reigniting some energy in the demoralized crowd.  But as hard as he fought, in
the end there just wasn’t enough time, and Duke lost their first game by four
points.  Despite the loss, Cole had played a hell of a game, and Bri was
extremely proud of him.  Smiling, she watched as his coach pulled him over
after the game.

“Way to keep fighting, Marra.”
 
Coach gave Cole a
slap on the back and headed into the locker room.  Cole threw her a quick
smile, but she saw his disappointment and frustration return as he followed his
team off the floor. 

Bri went back to her own locker room
and changed quickly.  As she waited back in the stadium for Cole to come out,
she wondered if there would still be a bunch of parties tonight.  There were
always victory celebrations around campus after the games.  Sometimes she and
Cole would stop by each party, “making the rounds”
as he called it.  But the team had
never lost before, so she wondered what all of the victory celebrations would
look like tonight.

Movement caught her eye, and Cole
stepped out of the tunnel and into the stadium.  Immediately, a few of the fans
that had been waiting began shouting his name.  Cole looked up, utterly
surprised.  This had never happened before.  Usually the fans were clamoring
for Jordan’s autograph, or one of the other big guys.  So, with a slightly
dazed smile Cole strode over and began signing balls and t-shirts.  Bri
followed him over, watching as he charmed his fans.

“Great job tonight,”
one man said.  “If
you’d had a few more minutes you could have pulled it out.”

“Yeah,”
his buddy agreed.  “I can’t understand
why they left Wright in there for so long.  He was a disaster.”
 
Cole just smiled
as he continued to sign.

“Cole!”
 
Two little girls, about ten years
old, tried to get his attention.  He moved over to them, smiling dashingly as
they held out their programs for him to sign.

“You were awesome tonight,”
one of the girls
smiled shyly.

“Yeah, and you’re really cute,”
her friend said,
and both girls started giggling.

“Thank you,”
he beamed back at them, unleashing all
of his glorious Cole hotness on the poor girls.   

“Will you marry me?”
 
The second girl
giggled uncontrollably as her whole face turned red.

“Anytime,”
he winked at her, and Bri swore the
poor girl was going to pass out.  “Thanks for coming tonight, and thanks for
sticking around.  It was nice to meet you.”
 
He gave the girls one last brilliant smile before he turned to Bri.  “Hey
Beautiful,”
he
smiled at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes.  Even though she knew it had made
his night to have fans waiting for him, she could still feel his simmering
anger.

“That was new,”
she smiled up at
him as they walked out of the stadium.  “How does it feel to have fans?”

“Yeah,”
he shook his head, “my whole four
fans.”
 
He
sounded self-deprecating, but there was a smile on his face.

“Four is better than none.  Plus,
you might even have earned yourself a ten year old stalker,”
she nudged his
shoulder playfully.  “Don’t be surprised if she comes to collect on that
marriage proposal.”
 

Cole chuckled.  “Yep, it looks like
you have some competition in that department.”
 
He winked at her, and she shoved him.

Just then her phone dinged, and she
pulled it out to see a text from Seb.  Smiling, she sent off a reply.

“Who is that?”
Cole glanced over
at her.

“Oh, it’s Seb.  He wants me to tell
you that you played great, despite the loss.  And that your coach is an idiot
for not pulling Jordan earlier.  If you’d had more time, you guys could’ve won.”

Cole stopped dead in his tracks and
turned to her.  “You and Seb are texting now?”
 
He gave her a hard, penetrating gaze, and she could see his barely
contained anger resurfacing.  His whole body was rigid with tension, and his
hands balled into fists.

Knowing his reaction was partly due
to his residual anger and frustration from the game, Bri pushed down her own
temper and tried not to bristle as she replied.

“Yeah, every once in a while.  We
are friends, after all.  He was going to send that text to you, but he saw your
face on TV and didn’t want to piss you off even more.”

“So he sent it to you instead,”
Cole scoffed.  “Like
any friend would do.”

Bri paused, surprised at his
reaction.  “Do you have a problem with me and Seb being friends?”
 
She crossed her
arms and gave him a pointed look.  “Because it hasn’t seemed to be an issue
before.”
 
Cole
had known for a while now that she and Seb were friends, and he’d never said it
upset him.  Which was good, because she would’ve had to smack some sense into
him.  It looked like she still might have to. 

“Maybe I just have a problem with
you texting other guys,”
he shot back, and Bri could see fear behind the anger in his eyes. 

“Cole, are you really that insecure?”
she sighed.  “Just
because I have guy friends doesn’t mean that I’m going to go running off with
them.  I’ve been friends with Daymon for months now, and I’m still here.”

She saw Cole’s eyes darken, and she
realized her mistake.  She hadn’t exactly told Cole that she ran into his TA on
campus every once in a while, and that they talked and occasionally had lunch
together.  Needing to gloss over that fact she hurriedly continued.

“And do you see me getting all
jealous and worried about all of the girls drooling over you wherever you go?”
 
She raised an
eyebrow at him.

“No, because there aren’t any,”
he retorted,
crossing his own arms defiantly.

“Are you serious?  You really haven’t
noticed all of the girls on campus that follow you with their eyes, and
sometimes their whole bodies, everywhere you go?  And then there are the girls
that “accidentally”
bump
into you, hoping to get your attention.  Do you see me getting all pouty and
huffy about them?”
 
To
be fair, these things really did bug her.  They drove her crazy, in fact.  But
she knew that there wasn’t anything Cole could do to stop it, and so whining
and complaining about it would
n
’
t solve anything,
and would only drive a wedge between them.