Covered in Rain | Kol Mikaelson

Chapter Four | Desperately Wanting

"Well, you know, since Bonnie moved out, I have an extra bedroom.." I felt my cheeks flush as her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, Presley. Tell me you didn't," Lila whined, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "Please tell me you didn't take him in like a lost dog."

"I can't do that," I admitted. "He had nowhere to go, Lila. His own brother kicked him out of the frat house, and he can't even be in the same room as Elijah.."

"Stop right there," she said, pressing her hand against her forehead. "I don't want to hear it. Ooh, what I wouldn't do for an entire bottle of whiskey right now!"

"You're pregnant, dear," her mother reminded her.

"Am I really, Mother?" Lila growled. "Oh, look at that!" She rubbed her belly with a sarcastic smile, and I realized she was very close to snapping.

"Okay. Well, I've got to get to class, but I just wanted to tell you about my new roommate," I said, knowing she needed some space. She would handle things better once her mom left. "Call me later."

I kissed her cheek and waved goodbye to Marla before ducking back outside.

Things may have been weird for me at the moment, but I would always be thankful that I wasn't in Lila's shoes.

I heaved a deep sigh before crossing the street towards the quad. I had my first class of the day over in Wayne Hall. Checking my watch, I knew I was cutting it close, so I picked up speed.

I walked into the classroom just as the bell rang, all eyes flicking towards me. I ducked down and hurried to my seat, before pulling out my notebook.

The Professor began his usual blather, losing my attention after just a moment of speech. I was typically an excellent student, but my thoughts were so jumbled, I couldn't focus.

The image of Kol's busted up face was running through my mind. He'd looked so ragged, so sad and worn down.

I longed to be the one to make him smile again.

I thought back to the moment on the floor when it looked like he was going to kiss me. There was definitely something between us, he just hadn't figured it out yet. He may have been stuck on Lila, but things could always change.

My eyes fluttered shut as I imagined him lifting me in his arms and bringing me over to the bed, his warm lips drifting over my throat. I swallowed back a moan, my walls clenching on their own accord.

Then someone dropped a textbook on the floor and I was suddenly reminded that I was still in class.

All the months of sexual frustration were building up like a tsunami, threatening to crash over me at any minute. I discreetly pulled out my phone and scrolled to Mason's name, before shooting him a quick text.

If Kol wasn't interested, I'd just meet up with someone who was.. and Mason was always interested.

By the time class was over, we'd made plans to meet that night at The Firefly.

I looked up at the Professor and realized I hadn't listened to a word he said the entire class.

I needed to relieve this ache one way or another, before I got myself into trouble.

***

"If Bonnie knocks, could you let her in, please?" I peeked my head into the living room, my wet hair still wrapped in a towel.

I was wearing a turquoise bra and panty set, with a matching silk robe drawn tightly around my waist. Everything was covered, but the robe only reached the tops of my thighs.

"Sure, darling." Kol said, turning his head to throw me a wink. His eyes widened as he caught sight of my appearance, an adorable blush quickly spreading across his cheeks.

He'd been studying on the sofa, with a stack of notebooks resting on the coffee table. I had thought the bad boy, leather jacket look was my favorite, but I was wrong; Kol looked even better in his gold wire-framed glasses, buried in school work.

I cleared my throat, fighting the overwhelming urge to climb onto his lap.

"Are you, um, going out tonight?" He called to me, as I stepped back into the bedroom to dress. "I thought I could cook us dinner. You know, to say thanks for helping me out."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you to offer.. but I've got a double date with Bonnie and Enzo," I replied, wincing in anticipation of his next question.

To my surprise, he didn't ask with whom I'd been paired. I didn't know if I felt relieved or disappointed.

I took my time getting ready, styling my hair so it fell down my back in loose waves. The dress I'd chosen was a Lila Grey creation of course—a short, off the shoulder, silver frock with lace accents. It was still freezing outside, but I'd hoped Mason's body heat would help keep me warm.

I had just fastened my earrings when I heard Bonnie's excited chatter in the foyer. She, unlike Lila, fully supported my decision to help Kol get back on his feet. She didn't know how attracted I was to him, but it wouldn't take long for her to figure it out.

After swiping on some lip gloss, I made my way out to greet her.

"Hey, gorgeous!" She cried, reaching out to hug me. We hadn't seen each other as much since she moved out, and I missed her desperately. I wrapped my arms around her for a warm hug, before pulling back to check her out.

"Wow, I love it," I breathed, toying with the fabric of her sleeve. Her dress was similar to mine, but the olive hue brought out her shimmering hazel eyes. Her hair was swept up in a sophisticated twist, and her makeup was applied flawlessly.

"Thanks," she grinned. "It's been awhile since I had the chance to dress up."

"So, uh, who all will be there tonight?" Kol asked as he handed me my jacket. He suddenly pulled it back towards him before I could reach it, spinning it around to help me put it on.

"Oh, you know.. the usual." My cheeks grew hot and I bit down on my lower lip, Kol's intense gaze warming my insides.

"Mason's still meeting us there, right? I told Enzo to save us a few spots by the fireplace."

The expression on my face alerted Bonnie to her gaffe, and she spun around to face Kol. She arched a brow in surprise when she saw the smolder in his stare.

"Mason Lockwood? I thought that was over, and that we both agreed he was rubbish," Kol said softly.

"Yeah, it's nothing serious," I mumbled, flipping my dark curls back from my shoulder. "I'm just meeting up with an old friend."

Kol's eyes narrowed on me before he shook his head. An insincere smile curled his lips as he pulled open the door for us. "Right. An old friend. Well, have fun, ladies. I've got mountains of work to do, so I'm certain I'll still be up when you return."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that my plan was to not return that night, so I just gave him a half-smile. "Enjoy your night. I'll text you if anything changes."

As I pulled the door shut behind us, I caught a glimpse of Kol's dour expression. My heart began to pound in my chest at the thought that it could have been a frown of jealousy and not disgust.

A gentle rain was falling outside, and Bonnie grabbed my arm. She tugged me down the street towards The Firefly as the excitement flowed through my veins.

One way or another, tonight was going to be interesting.

[To be continued..]