Page 29 of My Best Friend's Bully

Tyson

The flight goes smoothly, and we touch down at Midway shortly after six. The car meets me at the bottom of the jet stairs, and we rush off toward Jordan’s place without the need to enter the terminal. Just another of the many benefits of being the CEO of CyBrix. Midway International uses Guardian for their security, and has already scheduled the upgrade to Guardian 2.0.

Traffic from the airport is typically heavy for this time of day, and we arrive in front of Jordan’s apartment just before seven. As we pull up to the sidewalk and I step out of the back seat, Jordan steps out the front door of the brownstone, and I don’t even attempt to not stare. She’s done her makeup, enhancing her features with a sweep of eyeliner and pink, glossy lips that beg to be kissed. Her hair is curled, full-bodied and shining as she bounces toward me. I don’t care who’s watching as she gets close enough for me to touch. She presses against me as we kiss, sliding her hips against me in a way that drives me wild.

“If you keep doing that, we won’t even make it to Annabella’s. Let alone to dinner,” I say into her neck, nibbling the skin below her ear.

She pushes me back playfully, her hand on my chest. “Get in the car. We’ve got an outfit to buy, and after that, if you’re lucky, I’ll let you take me to dinner.”

Her words are teasing, but she doesn’t know how seriously I take it. As we walk out to my car, her hand in mine, I’m feeling like the luckiest man alive.

Chapter 15

Jordan

Thehospitallightsnearlyblind me when I step inside from my walk under the overcast sky. The sweet aroma of flowers from the gift shop conflicts with the pungent antiseptic hospital odors. Perhaps some day, after becoming a doctor, I’ll get used to the cacophony of smells, and they’ll feel more like home. But for now, I’m not in a white coat, I’m in a sweater dress and winter boots, and I’m just here to see Cole, not to work. I can only imagine how the strange mingling of chemical and floral scents affect the visitors when they first come to see their loved ones.

I approach the reception desk, my backpack full of books slung over my shoulder and a bag of Cupitol pastries in hand. “Is Dr. Reynolds with a patient?” I ask the receptionist, a young man with cropped hair and glasses. Usually, Cole has a break right around this time but he’ll work through it if no one stops him. “I’m just here for a visit.”

The receptionist stands up from his computer chair. “Let me check. It’s a rare day when he’s not, though.”

I wait at the desk while the man disappears through the set of double doors that lead into the bowels of the hospital. It seemed safer to come here to see Cole, where I know the chances of running into Tyson are slim. After our date—arealdate! — it has been harder and harder to hide our attraction for each other when we’re around Cole. Pinpricks of happiness dance over my skin at the memory of that night.

Ty had taken me shopping as promised, and despite my protests, spent nearly an equivalent of my month’s rent on a gorgeous, shimmering sequined dress that hugged my curves perfectly. He insisted that I also pick out some shoes and a handbag to match while he sat and watched me from one of the boutique’s lushly padded chairs. Annabella’s is the kind of store where attendants bring champagne and cater to the customers’ every whim, dashing around the store to find sizes and colors before you change your mind.

After shopping, we went to a tiny but elegant restaurant where we were seated next to a fireplace to enjoy the most amazing meal of my life. Sitting next to a roaring fire, sharing a bottle of what must have been the finest champagne brought out feelings in me that I had not yet experienced around Tyson. Feelings of comfort and security consumed me.

“He said he’ll be out in five,” the receptionist shocks me from my daydream as he slides back into his chair behind the counter. “You must be special,” he continues, giving me a wide-eyed look. “Doctor Reynolds said you can wait in the cafeteria.”

“He’ll work until he drops.” I shake my head. “If we let him. Thank you!”

I order us two large coffees and top Cole’s off with the requisite heavy cream and a scoop of sugar and sit down to wait for him beside the window. My mind drifts back to the rest of my date with Ty after dinner had ended. We were having such a great time, and I didn’t want the night to end, but I wasn’t ready to invite him back to my place. Just being in his presence made my pulse jump, and his gentle touch of my hand on the table as he listened intently to my stories made my blood percolate with desire. I was afraid of what might happen if we went somewhere private. So instead, we had wandered the street doing some late-night window shopping and looking through the darkened windows of the closed shops until we found a quaint café. There was nobody else there, so we had gone inside and curled up on one of the old worn sofas where I tucked myself in next to him to get warm. When he wrapped his arm around me on the couch, I was thankful it was a public place, even though we were alone.

“I know what you’re doing, Anders.” Cole’s voice jolts me from my daydream.

I spin around, wondering how he knows. Is it written all over my face? “What do you mean?”

He slides into the seat next to me and inspects the two coffee options. “Forcing me to take a break? A page out of my own playbook.”

“I need my study buddy alive, not dead on the floor from overworking.” I slide the sweet milky cup of coffee to him and shake the bag of pastries. “Plus, I’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.”

He reaches for the bag and opens it up, peering inside. “Oh man, chocolate. Mind if I?”

“Go for it.”

He takes a giant bite and closes his eyes in bliss. “I swear Ty has swapped half the food in my place for health food. I’ve been starving since he moved in.”

Only moments ago, thoughts of Ty warmed my heart and sparked a yearning that I’ve never felt, and now the mention of him causes my stomach to churn. I hate keeping secrets from Cole and the longer it goes on, the more intense it gets, the more I struggle with the lie. When I don’t respond with one of my usual quips, Cole looks at me with a frown.

“Sorry, my mind was somewhere else.” I take off my hat and rub my hands through my hair, wishing I could rub the thoughts of Tyson out of my head. “Does that mean he does the shopping?”

“Hey, if I’m on break so are you.” He pokes my forehead and I laugh, surprised. “No thinking about school right now. And yeah, he does, actually. I think it’s a control thing, he just wants to make sure I buy enough chicken and broccoli to fuel his obsessive workout habit.”

“Oh, so you’re not the only obsessive worker in the family. Maybe you should bake him some of your chocolate chip cookies. No one can resist those.” I want to tell him that I’ve seen Tyson eat sweets, that he’s taken a bite of chocolate cake right off of my fork, but I stifle the confession.

“I don’t think he and I have much of anything in common.” Cole finishes his croissant and goes quiet, staring out the window.

It’s not true, though. They’re both protective and caring and fiercely loyal to the people they care about. I reach out to squeeze his arm.

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