Ruthless knight

Sawyer

On Monday my locker was filled with long stem roses.

Tuesday, it was five pounds of chocolates.

Which of course were my favorite kind and so hard to throw away.

Which I did after Oakley grabbed a heaping handful of them, that is.

Oakley rubs his hands. “What do you think it will be today?”  

I’m not sure, but I really hope it’s not a food item again. I’ve managed to lose another five pounds and I don’t want to be tempted.

With a grunt, I open my locker.

Dammit. Cole knows my weakness.

Oakley raises an eyebrow. “Is that—”

“Nick Jonas,” I sigh. “Sure is.”

And he’s autographed. Damn him. Damn him straight to hell.

Cole, not Nick. Nick is perfect.

But just like the rest of the stuff Cole tries to buy me off with…Nick too, must go.

“There’s an envelope,” Oakley notes.

I hand it to him. “Knock yourself out.”

He happily opens it…then pouts. “It’s just some concert tickets.” He shrugs. “Front row, though.”

I actually whimper.

It’s going to be so fucking hard to throw these in the garbage.

“You have to do it for me,” I tell him. “I don’t have the strength.”

He snorts. “Happily.”

“Wait.” I pet the glossy picture. “Don’t hurt him too much. He’s so pretty.”

Oakley rolls his eyes. “You know you could just accept his gifts…and then, you know…accept his apology and give him another chance.”

“Oh, God. Not you too.” It’s bad enough I have Bianca pleading his case every time she sees me, now Oakley?

He shrugs i

“Good. Now he knows how it feels.”

“He swore off drinking for the rest of his life.”

“Great. He should swear off being an asshole for the rest of his life too.”

“Sawyer, he didn’t mean to hurt you. He has a lot of issues.”  

And if only he’d tell me those issues and help me understand why he is the way he is, and why he does the things he does…I’d think about giving him the second chance he wants.

But he won’t.

Because that’s not Cole.

“The fact that you know his issues and I don’t is a big part of the problem.” I say a silent goodbye to Nick. It sucks our time together was so short. “He can’t buy me off. If he wants me to accept his apology, he has to give me a reason to…and the only way he can do that is by giving me the real him. Because that’s the only Cole I’m interested in forgiving.” I slam my locker door shut. “As far as I’m concerned, Lucky Seven can go fuck himse—”

“I take it you didn’t like the concert tickets?” Cole questions behind me.

I glare at him. “Stop with the presents. Presents aren’t what I want.”

“Then what do you want?”

“The fact that you still don’t know is just...sad.”

I try to walk away, but he blocks me. “Sawyer.”

“Get out of my way.”

Out of my heart.