Page 28 of Better Hide

Cole’s voice startles me. “Did you hear me?”

“What?” I glance at him.

“I asked why you go for douchebags?”

I stare at Cole. He grins, and I want to smack him in that pretty mouth.

“You tell me. You’re the biggest douche I’ve ever met.”

Cole rolls his eyes. “Please. I’ve studied the shit out of Kyle,” he grinds his teeth together, “and I still don’t get it. He did nothing for you, and yet you stayed. Willingly.”

I cross my arms as heat flares over my cheeks. “How do you know he did nothing for me?”

“Because I watched you, Jo! What do you think I’ve been doing these past few months? Before we knew you, you practically lived online, and I spent the last six months living every second with you.” Cole grips the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turn white. “He made your eyes look dead, Jo.”

I look away from Cole, defensiveness bubbling under my skin. “Why do you care?”

“Because I do!”

“Well, for starters, Kyle never kidnapped me.”

“Sounds boring.” Cole smashes the radio on, switching to a rock station, and begins nodding his head to it. “He did kind of look like your dad.”

“What?” I sputter. “No the fuck he didn’t!”

Cole continues to rock out. “He never gave you any jewelry. Or if he did, you never wore it. Do you like gifts?”

I grit my teeth. “I like silence.”

“Not my specialty. Too bad. But I do give some nice gifts. And back rubs.” Cole winks at me.

“Sorry,” I snap. “I don’t accept those as payment for kidnapping and drowning me.”

Cole glances to the backseat. “Sounds like you’re shit out of luck, Jay. Cross back rubs off your list.”

Disbelief runs through me. He’s making this all a joke. My life is a fucking joke to him. He’s so cocky and self-assured like he’s already won me over. “You can’t tell me you’ve kidnapped and tortured your exes like this, and it’s worked for you.”

As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I freeze. I know exactly how Jayden treated his ex. And I know they mess aroundtogether. What if they’re serial killers? They grab a girl, mess with her life, fuck her at the same time, then kill her?

Suddenly, I feel sick.

“If you must know, I don’t have exes.” Cole glances over at me.

I want to swallow, but my mouth is too dry. Because they’re dead?

“I don’t.” Cole shrugs. “No one ever stayed longer than a night.”

“They were like a revolving door,” Jayden grumbles.

Something in me cringes at that thought. Of course a lot of women wanted Cole. On the outside, he’s the ideal man. And for some irrational reason, the thought of a bunch of women fawning over Cole angers me.

Cole winks at me. “I couldn’t settle down. The point still stands. Tell me what you want in a relationship because I’ve never done this shit before.”

My mouth dries up. The car goes silent except for the radio.

Did he just imply we were in a relationship? After all of this? This is the farthest fucking thing from a relationship.

I scoff, so angry I can’t put anything into words. I look out the window. As we drive, my thoughts bounce between my past relationships, these men, and what I actually want. Fuck, I want a boyfriend who actually cares. I’ve never been happy in my relationships. Turns out my first boyfriend was gay, and Kyle never cared about me. I just wanted them to care—to pay attention to me.

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