Chapter 2 What the hell!

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Summer’s POV

Hours later, I lay in bed, exhausted from my shift at the diner and thought about texting Mia but decided against it.

Her talks about Cole getting married really messed with my head all day and I kept on making mistakes at work.

But I was the one who was wrong here and that was why I've got to stop my feelings.

I meant it this time.

Cole was getting engaged. He was in love with someone else.

And Regina, she had always been kind to me.

I shouldn’t have done this to her or continued to hurt my relationship with Mia as well.

I couldn’t keep feeling this way.

I stared at my phone and scrolled to his name.

Mia’s brother.

I bit my lips. Curious to confirm if he was really proposing to Regina.

I started to type the message but came to my senses again.

It didn’t matter if he was proposing or not.

“I have got to stop!”

I screamed, dropping my phone.

I picked it up to text Mia but was startled when I saw the message had accidentally sent to Cole.

Oh my! What did I just do?

My heart dropped straight to my stomach as I stared at the screen, my fingers going numb around my phone.

Very slowly, I tapped the message open like it might explode in my hand.

Are you really…

That was the stupid text I sent to him.

I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned into my pillow.

“How could I make such a blunder?” I mumbled, dragging the pillow over my head like it could shield me from my own stupidity.

Maybe he wouldn’t read it.

Yeah. Maybe he was already asleep or too busy to see it.

My phone buzzed in my hand and I froze.

I slowly pulled the pillow away and looked at the screen like I was about to face execution.

Cole is typing…

My heart started racing so hard it actually hurt.

Oh my God, I needed to throw my phone away and needed several countries away then disappear forever…

The typing stopped and a message popped up.

“Really what?”

I stared at it and took a few seconds to realize I had to answer it.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard and my brain scrambled for anything that sounded normal.

Another message popped in.

“Were you trying to text Mia?”

I quickly took that excuse and used it.

“Yes. I wanted to let her know I was back from work.” I replied immediately.

“Why on earth would you accidentally text me instead of Mia? Wasn’t that strange?”

He added a smile emoji.

I suddenly wished the ground could open up and swallow me.

I couldn’t believe he would fool me like that but I wasn’t going to admit it.

“Of course it’s not. Why would it be?”

I answered.

There was a longer pause after that.

Long enough for my mind to spiral into every possible interpretation.

Then my phone lit up again.

“Maybe because our last text was you ignoring me after helping you cover your track.”

My chest tightened at the text.

Before I could process it, another one came in.

“I thought I did something wrong then.”

I blinked at the screen and suddenly, I wasn’t in my room anymore.

I was back on that road in the middle of nowhere.

It was toward the end of senior year.

Mia and I pretended to be college girls and went on a blind date with some perverts.

I was stuck on the road, trying to run away from the lunatic who wanted to force me to have sex with him and couldn’t call anyone for help except Cole.

Gratefully, he found me on time and got rid of the guy then drove me home.

I fell asleep while in the car but when I woke up, I saw him asleep as well.

I guessed it was the overwhelming feelings I felt with him saving me that made me lean in and brush my lips against his.

I pulled back almost immediately and literally ran out of the car.

I ignored his text after that and made sure not to see him until after graduation.

He never said anything about it either. Why mention it now?

I began to type again.

“Why don’t I treat you to a meal tomorrow as an apology?” I asked boldly.

“Okay.” he replied.

…

I shouldn’t have told him to come.

That thought repeated in my head for what felt like the hundredth time as I tied my apron behind my back, my fingers fumbling slightly with the knot.

Last night kept replaying over and over.

I didn’t think someone high and mighty like Cole Matthew would agree to eat at a small restaurant like this.

He was brought up with a golden spoon.

Even Mia hadn’t been here.

“Summer!”

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts as my manager’s voice cut through the noise of the diner.

“Table six needs refills.”

“Right. Sorry.”

I grabbed the jug of cold beer and forced myself to focus.

I checked my watch as I stood by the counter once more and waited for nine when he would be here.

“Hey, can you cover me for five minutes?” I asked Katherine.

I just couldn’t resist the urge to wash the stress and anxiety off my face.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Thanks.”

I bolted immediately and splashed water on my face as soon as I hit the restroom.

Then inhaled deeply.

Get it together.

I dried my hands and pushed the door open, stepping back into the hallway.

I paused when I saw Regina walk in through the front entrance, scanning the diner like she was looking for someone.

I blinked, caught off-guard.

Was Cole meeting her here? Was that why he was willing to come here?

I felt a little disappointed at that thought.

But of course, it would only make more sense.

I took a step towards the seat she just occupied but then someone beat me to it and walked up to her.

I paused, feeling there was something off.

The guy leaned in as soon as he sat and kissed her. Right on the lips.

Everything inside me went still.

What the hell?!

I thought for a second that she would pull back and hit him but she simply kissed him back.

My stomach dropped so fast it made me dizzy.

“Oh my goodness…” I whispered.

My mind started to race as I recalled that Cole would be here in a few minutes.

Panic slammed into me all at once.