Read Online That Summer (Part One) by Lauren Crossley - Free Book Online Page A

supposed to know? I didn’t
even want to be there myself, a couple of my friends persuaded me to go but
it’s the last place I wanted to be that night. I got drunk and I guess you know
the rest of what happened…”
    “But
you saw me. You actually saw me watching you and you just carried on. Why would
you do that? Why would you want me to see that?”
    “Because
I’m fucked up, alright?! I always have been and I always will be. Believe me,
I’ve seen enough therapists and doctors to prove it.”
    “Don’t
say that.” I beg him, closing the distance between us.
    I
place a tentative hand on his shoulder, willing him to turn around and face me.
    “You
don’t know the first thing about me or what I’m capable of.” He whispers
menacingly, clenching his fists. “My anger… sometimes I can’t control it, no
matter how hard I try. I just see red and lash out before I can do anything to
stop it. Like today with that son of a bitch who was trying to hurt you.”
    “Have
you tried to get any help with this? Anger management classes or something?”
    “They’re
useless.” He scoffs, striding across the room until he reaches the kitchen
window. “None of it works… at least none of it works for me .”
    The
window he’s now standing at is the same one I saw him out of the night I got
back from Stacey’s party. The night I first noticed his tall silhouette outside
my house.
    “Remember
the night you were stood out there?” I ask, joining him at the window. “You
really frightened me when I first saw you that night.”
    “I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have followed you home after the party but I just wanted to
make sure that you were ok. I know it must have scared you but I didn’t really
care about any of that at the time and that’s what makes me so fucked up. I got
off on the fact that you had seen me with another girl, Serena. A girl I don’t
give a shit about and then I wanted you to know that I was capable of finding
you, that I had the power of tracking you down. I suppose I didn’t want you to
think that you have the same amount of freedom as I do. I wanted you to know that
I’ll always be here, keeping a close eye on you… watching. No man can ever
touch you besides me, you do know that, don’t you?”
    “Cole…”
    “I
mean it, Serena. You’re mine. You’ve been mine since the first moment I laid
eyes on you and I’m done fighting it. I’m done with fucking other girls in an
attempt to get over you and get you out of my head. None of it works and I can
finally see that now.”
    “Y-you’ve
been sleeping with other girls?”
    My
voice is barely audible and a part of me hopes that he didn’t even hear me.
Mainly because I don’t know if I will be able to deal with hearing the answer
to my question.
    “Yeah.
Too many.” He replies casually, raking his fingers through his hair.
    “Why
would you even tell me that?”
    “I
guess I’m just curious.” He says softly, turning his head to look at me. “I’ve
been wanting to see how you would react when I told you. I’ve been trying so hard
to free myself from the hold you already have over me. I swear to God I’ve tried!
I even called out your name last night when I was with someone else.”
    “What?
You actually said my name? I can’t believe you’re telling me all of this, Cole.
I really don’t want to hear anymore and I think you should leave.”
    I
move towards the kitchen door, hoping he will take the hint and follow me.
    He
doesn’t.
    He
ignores my request and continues, oblivious to the fact that his explicit
revelation has the power to crush me.
    “Let’s
just say that she didn’t take too kindly to me crying out another girl’s name.
She was furious and disgusted with me for thinking of someone else when I was
supposed to be right there with her.”
    I
still can’t erase the image I now have of him with someone else. I keep on
picturing a row of nameless, faceless women with exquisite bodies just waiting
for Cole to