Page 62 of This I Know
Everything has felt so wrong lately. Everything but this. This, right here … this feels so very, incredibly right.
And now, it seems all I have to worry about is that lingering problem called Cole. I still haven’t seen him since I walked away with that strong strut – I’m not even sure he’s still here at all, come to think of it. But I’d rather not hang around to find out.
I lift my head off Ethan’s shoulder. “Do you want to get out of here?”
He helps me up and we make our way through the guests and across the deck.
We’re inside the house again, away from the exposure of the deck but now in the middle of the music and the intrusive crowd.
He must have thought I meant get out of the gazebo.
I look up at him. “I mean really get out of here.”
He nods. “Wait here.”
Ethan
I know what she meant. I want to leave this place, too.
But I could have sworn I saw Cole climb this skinny staircase when Avery and I approached. I caught a glimpse of him slinking away behind us as we stood near the front door.
I don’t want to upset Avery any more tonight, and since I totally caught on to the fact that her and Cole do not get along, I don’t say anything. And if he really is up there, like I’m pretty sure he is, there’s something I need to do before I leave with her. I need to find him, ask what happened and tell him what I think. I need to know what made her react the way he did, to make sure it won’t happen again. I could just ask Avery herself, of course, and I plan to do that – but it’s too soon after the event, and I’m way too curious by nature. If Avery and I are going to be together, we need all the clean air surrounding us that we can get.
I glance down the staircase at Avery. She’s still waiting patiently where I left her, twiddling her thumbs and watching people pass, giving them all polite but awkward little smiles.
I can’t keep her waiting long.
She catches my eye. I wave, and she waves back. Her shoulders relax when she sees me, as though the sight of me alone makes her sigh.
I love this already. I loveusalready.
As I continue my steps, it gets darker and darker. I’m at the top of the staircase and now I’m starting to regret this idea. I’m not so sure I want to know what’s going on up here.
The only light source comes from a lamp on one side of the wall; a strange throwback to medieval times that doesn’t seem fitting for this otherwise modern house. I hear nothing. There’s no one here.
Then Cole crosses the hallway several feet ahead of me.
“Cole!” I yell.
That gets his attention; he stops and faces me, his mouth hanging open in surprise.
“What are you doing here, Harrington?” he says. His voice is raised; it has to be to cross the distance between us.
“I need to talk to you,” I say.
He shakes his head. “Ah, man. Alright. Give me a minute.” Then he disappears.
Okay then. I’ll just wait here. In this dark, creepy hallway, all alone with this out-of-place solitary, creepy lamp. There’s nothing around me but the bustle of people a few feet below me and the thumping of bass through the walls.
And a few minutes later, the hall is still dark. I’m leaning against the wall with my hands in my front pockets, trying to look as casual as possible in case anyone should appear from out of nowhere. And then, someone does. From the shadows of the darkness, someone moves. I uncross my arms. At first I think it’s Cole. It must be him; I haven’t seen anyone else up here. But the figure is much smaller than Cole, and shorter, too – this is definitely a girl, not a boy. And she’s walking toward me as though she’s recognized me immediately.
When she gets to the edge of the light, I get why she’s coming toward me so forcefully.
“Julia. What are you–”
She leans in close to me and in one swift motion wraps her hands around the sides of my waist. She leans her head back, looking up at me, and parts her lips. No one’s ever tried harder to be seductive than she is right now.
“What do you mean, what am I doing? What areyoudoing?”
