“And you didn’t tell this to Mr Hanover?”
“Why would I want to repeat that shit to anyone?”
“You told me.”
I almost snorted. I knew better than to keep anything from Quinn.
“Yes, but you’d ground me or something worse if I lied to you.”
“Well, I am going to ground you for a week even though I understand why you did it. You need to stop getting into trouble at school, Cole. It makes your mother anxious.”
I didn’t object to my punishment, knowing it would only get me in further trouble if I did.
“Have you told her and Dad?”
“Not yet. They’re at the Syndicate.”
Whenever my dad found out anyone had talked shit about my mum, he’d get this wild look in his eyes. Honestly, my dad could be intense as shit. Not to mention how he was with my mum. I could only be glad our bedrooms were downstairs. None of us wanted to hear our parents going at it. I shuddered at the thought.
“She’s going to be upset.”
“Can you blame her? Duke wasn’t as much trouble as you and I’ve told you what Xav was like at school.”
I smiled at that. Duke was a force to be reckoned with and his dad even more so. Xav might be in his fifties and liked to make fun of everything and everyone, but the guy was still ripped to shit. He could probably bench press Mum if he wanted to.
“No, I guess I can’t.”
“I don’t want to have another conversation like this with you, Cole. Head down and concentrate on your exams, yes?”
I nodded. It wasn’t like I didn’t try at school. I was smart and all that shit, but people just pissed me off. Maybe I’d got that from my dad. My aversion to being around idiots. Mum said he used to be worse when she first met him, but my dad had gotten better over the years at being out of the house and around people. We were all well aware of our parent’s pasts. They hadn’t hidden that from us.
“Good. Now, you can go, but don’t forget your presence is expected at dinner as we have a guest.”
I got up from the chair.
“Yeah, don’t I fucking know it,” I muttered.
Quinn didn’t tell me off for my language. Considering the way all of my parents, including him, swore like sailors, he didn’t have a leg to stand on.
I trudged out, picking up my bag on the way. Walking towards my bedroom, I couldn’t help fixating on Meredith Pope again.
Where did Raphi take her?
I fucking hoped the two of them were not hauled up in his room or something. That would have me on edge. As if I wasn’t already. The damn girl had me worked up.
I passed by it, stopping to peer inside because apparently, I couldn’t help myself. It was empty.
You live another day, brother.
I walked into my bedroom a minute later and threw my bag down before changing out of my school uniform. Raphi and Meredith didn’t have to wear any since they were in sixth form. I would be fucking glad when this year was over. I wanted to do something with my hands as opposed to being studious like Raphi. My parents got annoyed with me for constantly tinkering with their cars, but it never stopped my innate desire to learn more about the inside workings. Might not be the most high-flying job, but if I wanted to be a mechanic, then so fucking what? Dad said he’d let me get my motorbike licence, much to Mum’s dismay. She didn’t have the heart to tell me no.
As much as I hated Raphi for saying it in front of Meredith, he was right about me being a mummy’s boy. She let me get away with far more than the others as I was her baby. Probably why she left all the disciplining to Quinn.
I sat down at my desk and took out my homework. Might as well get it done. Then I could watch Meredith later without my parents harassing me over schoolwork. For now, I was safe in the knowledge Raphi had likely taken Meredith into the living room and they were not hanging out alone. If they were, I’d have a few fucking choice words to say to my brother.
Firstly, Meredith was mine.
Secondly, I would hurt him if he touched her.
And third, he better be telling the truth when he said they were just friends.
I would not stand for anything else. If that made me crazy, then so be it. I wanted what I wanted. That was Meredith Pope. And soon, I’d make sure she fucking well knew it too.
Chapter Four
Raphi and I were watching TV when the rest of his family arrived home and the noise level in the house went from zero to one hundred in an instant. Raphi’s dad was in the kitchen making dinner. Who knew where Cole was. Raphi told me Quinn would be ensconced in his office, so he didn’t want to bother him.
I was a little overwhelmed when five people arrived in the living room. My eyes darted to each of them in turn. I knew Duke and Aurora, having been at school with them. The short blonde haired lady must be their mum, Ash. Next to her was a man with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes. Lastly, there was an auburn-haired man with grey streaks running through it and striking blue eyes. He looked exactly like Duke apart from their hair colour. Duke used to have blonde hair, but it had changed to a lighter auburn colour similar to mine as he grew up. The man had to be his dad, Xavier, and he was the first one to open his mouth.
“Well, hello, is this the girlfriend you’ve been telling us all about, monkey?”
Raphi immediately scowled.
“Not funny. I told you she’s just my friend. Repeatedly.” He turned to me. “Please feel free to ignore him.”
Xavier winked and came over, putting out his hand to me.
“You must be Meredith. I’m Xav, Duke’s dad.”
I shook his hand over the back of the sofa. It amused me how adamant Raphi was to his family about me being his friend. The feeling was entirely mutual. We got along well. Besides, if I was attracted to anyone it would be… DO NOT SAY IT!
I shoved aside all of those dangerous thoughts and concentrated on Raphi’s parents. Ash and Rory had arrived by the sofa.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Meredith. I’m Ash and this is Rory, Cole’s father.”
Ash put her hand out to me and I shook it. Rory didn’t put his hand out for me, but to be honest, I found him a little intimidating. Especially the vibrancy of his hazel eyes which matched his son’s. It’s like he could see right through me and knew I’d thought about his son inappropriately.
Stop it. No one knows you think Cole is hot, okay? No one. Not even Raphi. And even if he suspects it, you just have to keep denying it. That’s it.
“It’s lovely to meet you all too,” I replied.
“Has Quinn come out yet?” Ash asked, turning to her son.
“No,” Raphi shrugged.
“And where’s Cole?”
“How should I know? Probably in his room sulking.”
Ash raised an eyebrow.
“Why would your brother be sulking?”
“This is Cole we’re talking about. He’s always grumpy about something. He spent the entire way home staring daggers at us for no reason.”