"Liv!"

I glanced back over my shoulder before I hit the stairs and saw Cole standing at the concession stand with a group of friends. Being so tall, he was easy to spot. He smiled at me, murmured something to a friend, and strolled over. I had to tilt my head back to look up into his face. "Hey." I smiled at him. "You okay?"

He shrugged. "Just going to see a film with some friends." His eyes searched my face. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just heading home."

"You were here alone?"

"A person can go to the movies alone, you know."

Cole's eyes narrowed. "Right." He glanced over his shoulder before returning his focus to me. "Let's go back to the flat. Jo and Cam are just hanging out tonight. We can all watch a movie together."

"Cole, no, go be with your friends."

"Nah, it's cool. They're going to see a film I've already seen. Jo bought those little chocolate cupcake thingies you like . . ."

I groaned. "You know me too well."

He grinned. "Come on, then."

Maybe it would be nice not to go home to an empty apartment just yet.

"Okay."

We turned toward the stairs. "Hey, Cole!" Looking back over our shoulders we saw a pretty blonde step away from the group, her large eyes questioning. "Where are you going?"

"She's pretty," I murmured under my breath. "Sure you want to leave?"

Cole shrugged. "She's not really my type," he murmured back.

"Pretty's not your type?"

"She's kind of annoying."

"Coh-ul?" the blonde whined, and the sound was incredibly irritating.

"Oh, yeah, I get you now."

He snorted and looked back at his friends. "I'll catch you guys later, all right?"

One of the boys glanced over at that, his eyes flying to me and widening instantly. "Fuck, Cole, are you tapping that?"

Cole glared at the kid. "Del, why don't you turn around and start talking through your arse? That way we'll forgive the shit you come away with."

While their friends laughed, shoving and teasing this "Del" person, Cole gripped my elbow and started walking me down the stairs.

I was choking on laughter. "I know I'm supposed to admonish you for cursing, but . . . you are getting so like Cam, it's too funny."

Cole was pleased with my assessment. He tried to hide it, but I saw the flush of pleasure on his neck and the little twitch to his mouth. I understood why. Cam was this hero who had swept in and saved him and his sister from a crappy life. Cam was everything Cole wanted to be.

We were silent for a while as we strolled down Leith Walk side by side until the thought of the pretty blonde who'd stared at Cole with open fascination came to mind. "So, if you're not into the whiny blonde girl, is there someone else you like?"

In answer Cole flushed but surprised me by saying, while gazing at the ground, "There's someone, but I'm too young for her. And I think she likes someone else anyway."

A pang of deep affection echoed in my chest. "Dude, you really know how to boost a woman's self-esteem."

He smirked, but his eyes were searching when he finally gathered the courage to look at me. "I overheard Jo and Cam talking. I know about you and Nate and what he did. I told him I don't hang out with idiots or assholes, and seeing as he's both, I was done."

For some insane reason I felt bad for Nate. "Cole, while I appreciate your loyalty, and I really do, Nate is your friend. He cares about you. Don't shut him out because of me."

"But he hurt you."

"Yes. And I'm angry at him. But he didn't hurt you. So please don't you be angry at him."

Cole was quiet for a moment and then he said, "I think he feels bad. He's been looking like shit lately."

I pretended not to hear that. "That's the third time you've cursed-you realize that, right?"

He shrugged.

"Okay, I'll leave the admonishing to Jo. Let's talk about something less depressing. How's school?"

"You think that's less depressing?"

"It can't be that bad."

He shrugged.

"Okay, how about art?"

That topic immediately opened him up. "I'm getting a tattoo on my eighteenth birthday. I've been drawing loads of different ideas."

"Oh? So, are you still thinking about becoming a tattoo artist?"

"Aye, didn't Jo tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Adam's friend's cousin owns a tattoo parlor down in Leith. He's going to let me spend a couple of days a week there over the summer. After high school there might be a possibility of an apprenticeship with him. If he likes me, that is. He told me to keep all my drawings. Create, like, a portfolio."

"That's brilliant. Wow, you are way more organized about life than I was at fifteen."

He grunted. "Tell that to Jo. She wants me to go to college first."

"Maybe you should."

"We'll see. Despite what she thinks, I have still got time."

"She just wants you to have choices in life, Cole."

"Aye," he said, his eyes softening. "I know that."

The walk passed quickly as we talked about school and movies and books. He was a kid who was kind of taciturn with most people, and it was nice to be counted among the circle of friends and family he was willing to open up to.

Arriving at Jo and Cam's flat, Cole shoved the door open. "I'm home!"

"We're in the kitchen!" Jo called back.

Cole grimaced. "I'm not going in there," he whispered. "Sometimes when they think they're alone they're all . . . affectionate."

I chuckled under my breath and followed him into the sitting room. He stopped abruptly and I had to sidestep his tall frame to see past him.

If a bus had driven through the wall and slammed into me, it wouldn't have had any less of an impact than when I saw Nate sitting there. Our eyes collided and Nate slowly stood up from the couch. After a moment of helpless staring, my gaze drifted over him. Sporting a short beard and dark circles under his eyes, he looked exhausted and unkempt. It was so not like him.

"Sorry, Liv," Cole apologized quietly. "I didn't know he'd be here."

"It's okay."

"How?" Nate took a step toward me and I automatically took a step back. He stopped, swallowing hard as his eyes took me in, almost hungrily. "How are you?"

Before I could muster up some kind of reply to that stupid-ass question, the loud clack of heels in the hall grew in crescendo as they came toward us, and I turned, my eyes narrowing, as a tall redhead in a low-cut tank top and skinny jeans sashayed into the room in five-inch sandals. "That bathroom is gorgeous." She smiled politely at me before sidling up to Nate. Her toned arm slid around his waist and she pressed her breasts against him. "Your friends have a really nice flat."

Heat unlike anything I'd ever felt before flooded me. A fire blazed in my chest, the flames licking my throat and forestalling any words. Instead I just stood there glaring at them in impotent jealousy and heartbreak.

"Liv?" I turned at Jo's voice and found her standing in the doorway, her features slack with surprise. "What are you-"

"Just leaving." I cut her off and pushed past her hurriedly, ignoring her calling my name in concern as I slammed out of the apartment and raced for the stairs. I heard the door opening behind me, but I just kept moving, desperate to get somewhere quiet where I could brood and rail and curse Nate Sawyer to hell.

"Olivia!"

Oh, God.

"Olivia, stop," Nate growled behind me. Close. Too close.

His hand clamped around my arm and I found myself hauled to a stop and turned about to face him.

He stood, a few steps up from me, breathing heavily, his expression panicked. "Liv, don't go."

I wrenched my arm out of his grip, and immediately felt the phantom of his fingers wrapped around it. "Go back inside, Nate." My expression was pure disdain. "I should have known nothing would keep you down for long."

To my surprise, his eyes hardened with what I would almost call indignation.

What the hell did he have to be indignant about?

"Pot calling kettle," he bit out, taking a step down, bringing him closer to me. "I heard you got your library boy." He raked his eyes over me. "I assume you fucked him well and he's enjoying the benefits of my lessons."

A punch to the gut would have been just as effective. And probably would have hurt a whole lot less.

He flinched at my expression and ran a hand through his too long hair, his fingers turning into a fist. "Shit, Liv, I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely. "I didn't mean that."

I turned to leave and promptly found myself caught in his hold again. "Let me go," I hissed.

Instead he pulled me toward him. The familiar smell and feel of him made me ache. "Just tell me you're okay."

I relaxed, in the hope that it would make him release me. "I'm fine," I answered quietly. "Go back to your girl, Nate."

Nate's grip tightened. "She's not my girl."

I shook my head. "I wasn't talking about the redhead. I was talking about the ghost tattooed across your heart."

My words loosened his grip.

Lowering my lashes so I didn't have to see the haunted expression on his face, I turned and descended the stairs, back out of his life.

CHAPTER24.

Seeing Nate again was like straining a recent injury. When I left him I had to start packing ice on it again.

That's why when Ben called the next week while I was having dinner with Dad and Dee, I was glad of the distraction.

"I know we don't know each other that well, but I'm going to selfishly pretend that's not true in order to ask a massive favor."

Amused, I leaned my elbow on my dad's counter and relaxed into the conversation. "What kind of favor?"

"My sister has somehow managed to rope me into babysitting my niece, Zoe, on Saturday. Now I love my niece, but she's eight years old, a total girly girl, and when I asked her what she wanted to do, she replied that she wanted me to take her to see some Disney pop princess musical movie at the cinema. Zoe is used to getting what she wants, so this is going to happen. I was hoping you'd do me a favor by coming with me so I don't appear to be some creepy guy at a Disney movie, but-"

"One-half of parental obligation?"

"Exactly."

I laughed. "It sounds like you'll be owing me majorly."

"So you'll come with us?"

"Sure. As a favor. Not a date."

"Not a date. I completely agree. Nothing kills romance more than a teenybopper musical."

After a minute of confirming details of when and where, I hung up. My dad stared at me curiously.