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

throw a glance in their direction. I can’t help comparing myself
and my own average appearance to the gorgeous girl I caught Cole with at
Stacey’s party. I know I could never live up to his high expectations, not if
that’s the type of girl he normally goes for.
    “Cole,
this is beyond crazy.” I confess, struggling to digest everything that has
happened to me in the short space of twenty-four hours.
    My
body is weary and my head is spinning, all I want to do is fall into bed, close
my eyes and forget about everything. I want this entire day to have been one
hideous nightmare, something I can wake up from like a bad dream that never
really happened.
    “I
know it’s crazy!” He yells, startling me by the harshness in his voice. “It’s
insane and messed up. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”
    “What
is it you want from me?”
    “ You .
I just want you.” He says decidedly, grabbing hold of my shoulders in a
vice-like grip.
    “You
mean… you want us to be together?” I whisper, sounding incredulous.
    The
idea of us being in an actual relationship is utterly inconceivable to me. How
could someone like him be interested in someone as ordinary as myself? It’s
impossible and I’m almost waiting for him to burst out laughing at my expense.
Perhaps all of this is one big joke to him? He could be in on it with some of
the guys from college, all of this could be a malicious and vindicate prank.
Something they will broadcast online and find hysterical for years to come.
    “Of
course I do.” He declares boldly. “Don’t you know that by now? I can’t sleep, I
can’t even fucking eat because I can’t get the damn thought of you out of my
head. It’s driving me insane.”
    He
refuses to let go, glaring down at me with a blend of passion and… animosity in
his eyes.
    “I-I
don’t know what to say.”
    “Look,
I know all of this must have come as a bit of a shock but I just wanted to be
honest with you, Serena. I needed to explain why I lost control with that piece
of scum who followed you home this afternoon and I didn’t want you to go back
to school tomorrow and believe any of the bullshit that people will no doubt be
saying about me.”
    “You
really think I would listen to anything those idiots have to say? The rumours
they’ve spread about me this past year have ruined me. I’ve had to take every
single ounce of their cruelty and malicious gossip without saying a word. Don’t
fool yourself that I will ever believe anything they tell me.”
    “What
are you talking about? What malicious rumours?” He challenges me, tilting my
face up towards his.
    “Oh…
I-I thought you knew.”
    “Knew
what?”
    “The
reason behind Jonathan being such a creep to me and thinking he had the right
to touch me.”
    “Serena,
tell me.”
    “I
can’t. It’s too humiliating.” I wail, pulling myself free from his grasp.
    “Tell
me.” He persists, determined to get the truth out of me.
    “Fine.”
I eventually concede, certain that Cole won’t stop until I confess everything
to him. “Last year I made a mistake, the biggest mistake of my life so far.
There was this guy who went to our college, he left last year but before he
did... we started talking. Our conversations mainly took place over the phone,
text messages and phone calls. He was constantly telling me how beautiful and
sexy he thought I was and I was dumb enough to believe him. One night he
somehow managed to convince me that I should send him something. A photo… of
myself.”
    “Please
tell me you didn’t...”
    He
holds his breath, begging me with his desperate eyes to deny it and tell him it
isn’t true.
    “I
did.” I murmur softly, fighting to gain control over my feelings of despair and
regret.
    “Fuck,
Serena! How could you be so stupid?! What on earth possessed you to do
something like that? How could you think that he would keep it to himself? How
did you actually fall for any of that crap he was telling you? I can’t