Part 14 (2/2)
Instead, I made him knit me a scarf.
”You're getting pretty good at that.” I peer over his shoulder. Only two dropped st.i.tches that row. ”You can give that to Jason for his birthday.”
”I don't know when Jason's birthday is.”
”Seriously?”
”Correction. I don't care when Jason's birthday is.”
”How about Cole's birthday?” I'm not sure why I bring that up. I walked away. I don't care about him. Liar, liar, pants on fire.
”June tenth.”
I freeze. Somehow Cole having an actual birthday-a date on which he was born, once helpless and small and probably very cute-makes him more human. ”How do you know that off the top of your head, but not Jason's?”
He ducks his big, blond head and stares at his knitting.
”Wilson?”
”I thought you might want to know. I can also tell you his favorite foods, total net worth, and the results of his last physical.”
In broad strokes, I think I know the answer to the last point. I don't care about the middle one. But the first... ”Uhm, okay. What kind of food does he like?”
Wilson twists his head and looks at me. ”If I tell you, can I stop knitting?”
”Nope. It's going to impress the reporter, and if I'm lucky, distract her. The ladies love a man who's good with his hands. Maybe if you're lucky she'll want to nip the interview short and drag you back to her hotel room.”
”I think she's married.”
”Too bad for you.”
”Too bad for you.” He shoves the world's ugliest scarf attempt back into my knitting basket. ”Why did you agree to this interview if you don't want to do it?”
Because I don't like to be selfish. ”I couldn't think of a good reason to say no.”
”Pretty sure my life isn't for public consumption' is a perfectly acceptable reason.” He stands, filling the s.p.a.ce beside me, and for a second I think he's going to hug me. That would be weird, but he doesn't. Instead he skirts around me and pulls his computer out of his backpack. ”Do you remember what I told you the other day?”
”From her previous stories, you think she really wants the hint of taboo. She's going to keep coming back to Taylor and the Vice President.” I nod. I can do this. ”But instead I'm going to give her the estranged sister story.”
It's not a lie, and it's a part of my life I don't mind sharing. I won't make Taylor look bad, but it's to my advantage that the world knows we aren't close.
”And if you can find a way to talk about s.e.xual a.s.sault on campus...” he trails off as I snap my gaze to meet his. I'm scowling, because we've been over this. ”Okay, fine. I'm just saying, it's a s.e.xy story.” He turns a faint shade of red. ”Jesus. Not s.e.xy, that's not what I mean. Sensational. It'll sell magazines.”
I roll my eyes and head into the kitchen to make tea.
”I'm really the wrong person to be doing this with you,” he calls after me.
Too bad I've banned the right person. Cole would just get my boundaries without these awkward conversations, but he's off-limits because if he helps me with this, we'll end up naked in my bedroom before the interview is over.
No, Cole is not an option.
And I refused to have Jason do it. I'm furious with him, even more so than with Cole. Because you're not really mad at Cole. No, I'm just trying my best to move on from an ill-advised fling. But Jason, on the other hand-I saw the way he looked at me, like I was a problem that needed to be dealt with. I get enough of that bulls.h.i.+t from my family. I don't need it from their hired muscle, too.
I lift my voice. ”Why are you here if you don't like stuff like this? Didn't Tag volunteer? He likes pretty reporter ladies.”
”He did. Cole wanted me to do it.”
You're mine. His words roll unbidden into my mind, and I stare blankly at my tea cupboard before grabbing four random boxes and sticking them on a tray with a tea pot of hot water.
Now I'm grumpy, because how can I move on when he's all but here in person?
I set the tray down a bit harder than necessary on the coffee table.
”You didn't need to make tea if it's p.i.s.sed you off.”
I shoot Wilson a death look.
”Oh. Not the tea?”
”No, not the tea.”
”Me?”
”Shut up.”
”Ah. Cole?”
I sigh and sit down. ”I'm not mad at him.”
He hesitates, then looks at his computer before talking again. ”But you were.”
”Yes. No. I wasn't mad. I was scared.” And I still think Cole came perilously close to using me. But I'm not going to tell Wilson that. It feels like a betrayal to even think it when Cole's actually been pretty steadfastly on my side.
Again, I think about asking Wilson about the arrests. I go half-way there. ”He's okay, then? Not under investigation for...anything?”
”He's fine. Kind of p.i.s.sed, still. Stomping around like a hungry bear.” That makes my heart ache, that Cole is out of sorts and I can't soothe him, and Wilson must see that on my face, too, because he shakes his head. ”I'm not helping, am I?”
”It's okay,” I whisper.
”It would be best if you forget him.”
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