I somehow managed to convince Noah to drop the topic of Cole and he told me Jess was planning to come down some point this month. I freaked out of course but turns out I wasn't meant to know. It was meant to be a surprise.

Schools just finished and when I pull out my phone, I have texts from both Josh and Mia saying they're heading straight to the mall. They ask if I wanna tag along but I decline their offer and I see there are not many cars left in the parking lot.

There goes my plan to ask Noah for a ride, looks like I'm stuck walking home.

I start walking and there's a car I finally notice in the back of the parking lot. "Someone shoot me," I mutter and keep my eyes pinned to the ground.

Maybe if I don't look up he won't notice me.

I almost make it past his car when I hear the window roll down. I knew it was too good to be true. Of course, it wouldn't work.

"Do you wanna ride home? It looks like it's about to rain." I look up at the sky and he's right. The sky is covered with black clouds and it looks like it's going to rain any second now.

"No, I'll be fine but thanks." I leave school and not even two minutes later it starts to rain. And when I say rain, I mean rain rain.

My skin feels like it's incessantly being stabbed by the rain which is pelting down onto me. I walk as fast as I can, hoping it won't take too long for me to get home. A car pulls up right beside me.

But as you probably already know. It's not just any car.

"Changed your mind yet?" You can hear the smugness in his voice and that's all it takes for me to bite back.

"No. I'll be fine. I was fine before you so I'll be fine after you. I don't need you for anything." I say, hostile and Cole's smirk transforms into a smile.

"Why do I feel like this isn't just about the offer home?"

I huff in annoyance and jump when I hear the thunder which is followed by lightning.

"Just get in the car, princess," My heart flips. Stupid nickname. "It's getting dangerous." I start walking again and Cole starts to drive slow so he's still beside me.

"I said no. Go home, Cole." The thunder gets louder and the rain heavier.

"Get in the car, Andie. I'm not messing around." He grits his teeth and him getting angry gives me even more motivation to ignore him and continue walking.

Just because it's pissing him off.

I no longer hear the car engine and I feel victory when I realise he's gone. The lighting gets larger and so I begin to walk faster but I don't get far before someone picks me up, throwing me over their shoulder.

"You should've listened to me the first time, Princess. This all could've been avoided." I don't scream like I want to, I just resort to hitting his back with my fists.

"Put me down, asshole." He opens the passenger door and flings me in the seat, making sure to lock the door immediately after he shuts it. Looks like he knew I would've tried to make a run for it.

I shout at him but I'm completely ignored until he gets into the car himself. "You're so fucking stubborn." He grumbles while he starts driving again.

I realise the shouting and cursing isn't getting me anywhere so I go for a different approach. The silent treatment. The number one strategy to annoy someone.

"What, so you're just going to ignore me now?" I look outside the window while the rain makes a pattering sound as it hammers on the window.

"Can we please talk about what happened this morning?" Yep. Now I'm confident in my decision to not say a word. "Just speak to me for god sake." I try to push down the smile which is creeping its way onto my face.

You're meant to be mad at him. Especially after lying like he did this morning.

He pulls the car over and I hear him shuffle in his seat. I presume he's looking at me but I don't dare look.

"I didn't sleep with her this morning." I snort and can't seem to stop the words that tumble out of my mouth.

"Yeah sure, you didn't. I don't know who I believe more, you or the lipstick on your neck." I still haven't looked at him. I'm staring out the window with my arms crossed over my chest—it's the closest bit of protection I have for my heart at the moment.

He's destroyed everything else.

"I didn't. I admit I kissed her, but I did it because I was trying to get you out of my head. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the car this morning. I pulled away almost straight away. I couldn't even bare kissing her for two fucking seconds, I couldn't get you off my mind." A sense of relief washes over me but I'm still angry.

I finally turn to look at him.

"Oh," I say sarcastically, tapping my forehead lightly with my hand, "I do apologise for getting in the way of another hookup. But congratulations are in order. You managed to turn finally turn a girl down before she caught feeling. Big improvement on your part."

"You think I don't feel the same way?" His voice rises.

"Obviously not, dick! If you did you wouldn't have kissed her in the first place!" I raise the level of my voice to match his.

"I already told you why!" He's shouting now.
"You seriously don't get it, do you? Do you think I want to think about you every second of the fucking day? Twenty-four-seven. I think about you all the time and it pisses me off beyond words. I tried everything and I still can't get you out of my head!"

I sit there stunned by what he's saying but before I can argue back, it seems he has more to say. "I've never felt like this! I don't get feelings for other people, Andie but you had to change everything!"

"Are you kidding me right now? I changed everything, huh? Bullshit. Was this before or after this morning? Or maybe it was the girl you had pinned against the lockers!" We're both shouting at each other and it doesn't take long for him to argue back.

"Yes, you! You fucking changed everything! You wormed your way into my head and now I can't shake you! Everything is just you." His voice seems to become quieter.

"I can't go back now. I even think about the stupid shit. How you have to wait until your hot drink is almost cold before you're able to drink it. How fucking adorable you look in your sleep.

How you care about everyone more than yourself but you still have enough fire in you to argue back, just like how you put me in my place the day we first met. How your eyes are almost closed whenever you laugh. Why the fuck am I thinking about this shit? I've racked my brain for answers but all it ever comes back to is you."

I don't say a word. I don't even move a muscle.

"I like you so much that I don't even know when I started feeling like this. I know I'm a dick but I'm fucking crazy about you." I can't seem to move my eyes from his and I don't hesitate to grab his face in my hands and kiss him.

My hands travel to his hair and I shiver when he's the one to cup my face in his hands. Our eyes lock and he moves a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"I want to do it. I want to give things a try, princess." I suck in a huge breath, his words taking me by surprise.

"Y-You do?" He laughs and I can't help but smile.

"Why wouldn't I? You're fucking amazing." He kisses me tenderly and after a ten-minute make-out session, we decide it's time he drops me home.

All the tension that was there before has dissolves—as if it never existed. As we pull up outside my house, a bad feeling begins to grow in the pit of my stomach.

The happiness I felt before is almost all gone. Somethings wrong and I don't know what.

It looks like I'm right when I see Mia and Josh rush out of the house, the expression of their faces being a large giveaway. They're meant to be at the mall and they're back already.

Nadia and Mark come outside as well, their faces matching Josh and Mia's. I reach for Cole's hand as comfort because I'm almost certain I'm going to need it. "Where were you?" Josh asks as I step out the car.

"With Cole, why are you guys back already?" I walk around the car to stand in front of them and Cole must sense how tense I am because he gets out the car to stand by me, grabbing my hand again.

"We've all tried calling. Me, Mia, my parents." I look at my phone and see it's dead. I show them and then I ask the dreaded question I know I don't want the answer to.

"What's going on?" I frown.

"Why don't we all come inside and we can speak." Nadia cuts in, her voice calm. But my attention isn't on her for long. It goes to the figure which is standing behind her.

At first, I can't make out who it is because of how dark the hallway is but when they walk outside. I squeeze Cole's hand so tight I'm scared I'm cutting off his blood circulation. 

"Mandy?" The voice calls and I wouldn't be surprised if all colour has drained from my face.

The use of my full name... The familiarity of the face...

Within seconds I know who it is...

I think I'm going to pass out...

>>>>>>
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter :) Who do you think it is? And thoughts on what Cole said to Andie🥺

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