Free Only for You by Marquita Valentine Page B

say
solemnly.
    My mother smiles at me.
“That’s the very best part, I think, letting in someone
new.”
    Thinking about how Cole’s
been acting lately, makes my heart skip a beat.
    “ I don’t know… sometimes,
it’s the scariest,” Nana says and I nod my head in
agreement.

Chapter Ten
     
     
     
     
     
    Violet
    It’s New Year’s Eve, and
I’m celebrating with Cole at The Double Deuce. Only it’s a private
party, completely made up of his friends and their dates instead of
the customer that could have come (and paid for a cover charge and
drinks) from the surrounding area.
    And it’s all my
fault.
    Instead of things getting
better with Cole since Christmas, it’s gotten worse. It’s like a
flipped switched between the time he dropped me off at my nana’s
and when I came back from visiting my parents. He’s moodier than
ever, and I’m constantly weighing my words, wondering if what I
have to say or want to do will set off our next fight.
    The headlines have gotten
worse, too. The lies, the flat-out name-calling, and speculation
about my possible future involvement with Jaxon—is something that
Cole’s having a hard time ignoring.
    Last week, they ran a story
about his mom, about who her parents are and who Cole’s dad
actually is. Everyone knows, and no one will leave him alone about
it.
    The connection with Jaxon,
along with Crystal selling him, has weirdly not made any headlines.
I know this has to be Everett’s doing. To be sure he has all his
I’s dotted and all his T’s crossed. Plus, he and Kathy have always
been open about their son being adopted.
    But none of that matters
about Jaxon because Cole’s barely speaking to me, and if he hadn’t
already promised to take me to a real party, with normal people, I
doubt we’d be here tonight.
    I’d be at home, without
him, like usual.
    I stir the ice in my drink,
with a green novelty straw. Lacey brought straws that were shaped
like cupcakes at the top, for the girls, but Beau snagged one, and
in the past few minutes has gotten all lascivious with
his.
    “ Damn, this cupcake is
good,” he says, sliding his tongue down the center. His date, some
random chick that apparently no one has ever met before, looks
longingly at the straw.
    I shudder, thinking that
his tongue has probably been on Callie, whose tongue has been on
Jaxon.
    Maybe I ought to stop
thinking about that right now.
    Lacey taps her fingers on
the table; the tips of her fingernails are glittery. Earlier today,
we had our monthly mani/pedi. For the most part, the owner leaves
us alone except to do our nails.
    Sometimes though, her
curiosity gets the better of her, and she starts asking about all
the country music stars that played at the Grand Ole Opry. Most of
them are dead and I’ve personally met fewer than half, but I know
just enough to make her smile.
    If the owner’s smiling,
then she’s not prying into my personal life.
    Besides, I like to think
George Jones would forgive me for telling a teeny, tiny lie about
eating at The Cheesecake Factory with him.
    “ This is my favorite
song,” Lacey says, her eyes on the dance floor.
    Parker’s out there, with
his date, along with his BFF, West, and his date, a girl named
McKenzie. They’re staring into each other’s eyes like no one else
is around. And by they, I mean West and McKenzie, not
Parker.
    Although, according to
Cole, Parker and West have a bromance like no other. But I’m pretty
sure that he and Wyatt give them a run for their money.
    “ Why don’t you dance,
then?”
    “ Because Wyatt is playing
darts with Cole, and I don’t want to interrupt his
game.”
    Wyatt glances over his
glass of beer, checking on Lacey. I grin. “I’m pretty sure he would
be okay with it.”
    She shakes her head, pretty
auburn hair cascading over one shoulder. “Not anymore.”
    My grin falls. “Why is
that?”
    “ Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka said
they’ll fire me if I keep seeing him.”
    “ But that’s not
right.”
    Lacey stares at