Day 24 - 11:38 am
"Girl, it sounds like he ate you like a five course meal." Cierra kicked her legs up on the coffee table as she popped open the top of her Coca-Cola bottle. Kristie snorted from laughing too hard as she nearly fell off of the wobbly chair she was sat on. The small group of girls were gathered in Charlotte's dorm, and of course Kristie had asked about the "noises" she heard for half an hour on Christmas night.
They ended up staying at Charlotte's house for a few days before they told her mother goodbye and headed back to their dorms on campus. Jaclyn seemed to pester Cole every chance she got, giving him open ended threats and asking him very personal question. He surprisingly behaved himself though, and her younger sister grew to accept him as if he was part of their family. Charlotte's mother fell in love with him as if he was her own son, and she did the same for Andy too.
Although, she never did find her lace panties after Cole stripped her of them and threw them somewhere on the floor. That morning, the two of them searched every crevice of her room looking for them, yet they remained missing. He felt really guilty about losing her underwear, so he promised to take her to Victoria's Secret one day and get her some new ones. Of course, she didn't decline that offer.
Charlotte's cheeks and neck flushed crimson red as she nervously twirled a piece of hair between her fingers. It was a nervous habit of hers that she never seemed to break. Her stomach felt like it had been tied in knots and flipped upside down just by listening to them.
"I knew that you were a dirty girl deep down. You always made it sound like I was the dirty one, when in reality Cole found the freak buried deep within you." Kristie hollered with a cheeky grin on her pale face. She took her hair tie off of her skinny wrist and put her freshly dyed, pastel pink hair up into a high ponytail. Her bangs immediately fell out of the tie, but it suited her facial structure well.
"Well, I feel kind of guilty." Charlotte whispered as she played with with the charm at the end of her necklace. It was the crystalized rose necklace that Cole had got her for Christmas, and she found herself clutching the pendant within her palm. Cierra cocked a brow at her, and Kristie stared at her so intently that she knew that her full attention was on her. "I didn't tell him that I loved him." She muttered quickly, embarrassment washing over her features.
Kristie gasped, but Cierra wasn't phased as she took a big sip out of her Coke bottle. "I know you two haven't been together that long, but you've even told me that you love him. I thought that by now you would've told him, especially after he gave you such a beautiful Christmas gift." A small frown took over the pink haired girl's lips as she continued to look at Charlotte.
"Charlotte doesn't have to do anything that she's not comfortable with." Cierra shrugged as she set the empty bottle down on the coffee table. "It's been less than a month, and it's understandable that you would feel cautious telling the man you love him, especially after meeting one of your psychotic exes at the diner that one day." She chuckled lightly as her eyes flickered between the two girls.
"Are you just nervous to tell him? Or are you still not sure how you feel?" Kristie asked, resting her chin in the palm of her petite hand.
Charlotte looked down at her thighs as she pondered her best friend's question. She had repeatedly told Kristie how much she loved him, yet had never uttered those few words to the man himself. It's true that she believed at one point in her life that she loved Harry, but those feelings were gone. Cole was the new man in her life, and although he only joined it twenty-four days ago, he had really left a mark on her soul.
He made her laugh, and he made her cry. Cole drove her insane with his his stupid antics, yet he drew her in with his charm. Not only did he make her feel special, he made her feel at home. This wasn't a relationship built from fear, it was one built from love. She knew that too.
"I–" Charlotte started, but had to let out a deep sigh. She was making this a lot more complicated than it needed to be. "I do love him." Her cheeks heated up immediately just thinking about it. A rewarding grin came to Kristie's lips as she looked at Charlotte, but Cierra remained unreadable. "I think that's why I was so hurt when he wasn't there to help me. I don't know what I was expecting though, life doesn't always play out perfectly like in the movies."
"Well, you've got that right." Cierra nodded at her, letting her tight curls bounce as she did so. "He isn't exactly Prince Charming if you know what I mean, but he is trying from what it sounds like." She got up from her spot on the couch and made her way to the kitchen to raid their fridge. Although she had only been here one other time before, she helped herself to just about anything. "How come you were so pissed at him during the Social?" She called from the other room.
"He started to argue with Becky over something, so Dylan and I got to talk a bit by ourselves." Charlotte had to pause for a moment so she didn't trip over her own words. "He, uh, told me that those two actually had an affair sometime before we began to date." She stated nervously as she pursued her lips, watching as Kristie nearly boiled with rage in her swivel chair.
"She's a bîtch, Charlotte. This happened before you two started dating, and you shouldn't let it eat you alive. What's in the past is in the past." Kristie finally heaved a sigh, but noticeable anger was still stirring in her green eyes. "She's probably just jealous because she knows that you're prettier than she is and that Cole only wants you." She scoffed as she spun around frustratedly in the desk chair that she was sat in.
Charlotte looked down at her body and huffed silently to herself. Her breasts were small, her thighs were thick, she had below the belly button chub, and she had big feet. She knew her skin didn't get very dark during summer months, her nose was oddly shaped, and she was only five foot two. Whenever she looked at Becky, she actually felt jealousy towards her because she felt insecure.
Becky had long, blonde hair that nearly reached her butt. Her figure was like a perfect hourglass, and her skin tanned nicely. She had beautiful, stormy eyes that looked amazing with any type of makeup. Although, Becky was only taller than her by a few inches. Regardless of her height, the woman could have been a model if she wanted to. It made her wonder why the hell Cole would go after a simple girl like herself rather than someone as stunning as Becky.
Cierra came back into the room shortly after the girls heard the microwave beep. She came back in, hot pocket in hand, before she took her rightful seat on the couch. "Honey, I could practically feel the insecurity radiating off of you from the kitchen." She took a bite out of her hot pocket and rapidly fanned her hand over her mouth because her meal was too hot. "There is no reason for you to be self conscious. Cole should love you for yourself, not solely for your looks. If he was doing it just for that, then he'd just be a walking penîs looking for the fakest girl on the block."
That brought the corners of Charlotte's lips up into a small smile as she tried not to laugh. Her mood changed though as she was reminded of her problem at hand. "You've never seen this girl though. Honestly, she could be the poster model for a Victoria's Secret campaign advertisement." She groaned as she let her back hit the top part of her comfortable chair. "I get that a man shouldn't love you just for your looks, but wouldn't someone feel more sexually attracted to a woman like her?"
"Not always." Kristie shrugged. "Sexual attraction can come in different shapes or forms, and it truly depends on the guy you ask. Andy, for example, may find someone who he thinks is attractive that Cole might think is hideous. Personality also plays a part in sexual attraction. If a girl had a beautiful body, but had the personality of a rattlesnake, than that attraction can certainly be extinguished." Kristie got up from her spinning seat and walked over to Charlotte, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I really don't think Becky is even close to competition anymore. He's fallen head over heels in love with you."
"Considering he ate you out like you were his last meal, I'd have to agree to that one." Cierra chuckled as Charlotte shot her a dirty look. She raised her hands innocently, unable to wipe that cheeky grin off of her lips. "Sweetie, I just tell it how it is. Now come on you two, let's go see a movie." She said before she got out of her seat.
Charlotte raised her brows slightly as she looked up at Cierra. "What movie are we going to see?" She questioned as Cierra moved to go put on her black wedges.
"I mean, we can see anything. I heard that Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is still in theaters." She casually shrugged her shoulders, but Kristie sent her a small smirk before she spoke.
"You just want to watch that movie because Kevin Hart is in it." Kristie stuck her tongue out playfully as they all began to quickly get ready for the movie theater. Charlotte couldn't help but giggle as Cierra sent them a flustered look.
"Oh come on, who could resist 'the Black Hammer' from him?" She said as she referenced Ride Along. This caused both girls to nearly cry from all of the laughing they were doing as they started to head for the door. "By the way, I prefer Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. I'd rock on him any day." She said as she started to open the door. "Looks like you two are stuck with Jack Black then." Cierra scrunched up her nose.
"Hey, what's wrong with some Kung Fu Panda action?" Kristie commented, making Charlotte shake her head as they left their dorm room.
-
Meanwhile at Ian's apartment, the group of mostly high college students were getting stir crazy about the bet. There were only six days left, and they were wondering why Cole hadn't got in her pants yet. He made it seem like the two of them were doing well, so it made them wonder why she was still a virgin.
The one who was the most suspicious had to be Ian. He had a feeling that Cole was acting a bit too friendly with the girl, although he always claimed that it was to get her closer to her. Something just didn't seem right in his mind. He had taken her on dates and bought her gifts, yet he still hadn't fûcked her. Ian knew that Cole was being cautious, way more cautious than he expected him to be. Once he had his proof, he'd make sure to ruin him.
"So, I can't be the first one to notice that this is probably the longest one night stand that you've had." Kylie snorted as she passed her blunt to Becky, who took a big inhale from the wrapped paper in her fingers. "I mean, I know she's probably a hard woman to crack, but dâmn I though she would've caved in by now if she wanted some of that." Her eyes stared right at Cole's lower pelvic area, causing snickers to fill the room with noise.
"I know you told us that you at least touched her last time, anymore progress?" Ian ran his fingers through his midnight black hair as his icy eyes landed on Cole. The younger male gave him a small nod, which caused him to cock his brows in surprise. "No video yet, but more progress? Care to share with the group?" Ian smirked as he leaned back in his recliner.
Cole just straight up told the group what he did to her last night. No hesitation, no regret in his voice, nothing. Last time, he had almost cracked under all of their continuous pressure. He couldn't let Ian know how vulnerable he actually was right now. In reality, he was more attached to Charlotte than she was attached to him, and he wished that he didn't have to share every intimate moment that they shared with this group. If he didn't tell them of any progress though, he knew that Ian would start to become curious.
"At least she didn't stink, that would've been hilarious." Becky snorted as she took another hit from her blunt. Cole wanted to defend Charlotte from all of her cruel comments, but he knew that Ian was listening to every word that he ever said in front of them. "Also, shouldn't you be thanking us?" A sly smile came to her plump lips, and Cole just gave her a quizzical look.
"You made us fork up two hundred in advance for your little girl's Christmas gifts, the least that you could do is thank us." Ian chuckled as he felt Cole's eyes burning bullets through his skull. "Oh, Cole. Don't be such a sourpuss. That bad attitude may cost you from getting laid in the next few days."
"You guys want a thank you?" Cole looked around at the different faces around him. Most of them were cocky smiles or smirks, but two of them weren't very enthusiastic about this conversation at all. Andy and Dylan, the two boys who grew to be worried about Charlotte's well-being after this was all over with. "I'll give you guys a thank you."
A devilish grin came on Cole's cracked lips as he reached into a pocket that was hidden on the inside of his leather jacket. He pulled the object out, and quickly made it into a sling shot so that it quickly hit Ian right in the chest. The older male picked it up and held it out for everyone to see.
Charlotte's black panties that she had lost Christmas night.
Kylie gasped as she quickly snatched them out of Ian's hands and held them out just as he was before. "These are cute as hell, Victoria's Secret. For such a boring girl, she has nice âss taste in lingerie." The brown haired woman laughed as she passed them to Becky, who was immediately disgusted that she was holding her competition's underwear.
"Nice going, dumb âss." Becky groaned as she put them down on the coffee table. "The slût is probably wondering where the hell her panties went."
"Wow, look who's talking." Ian snickered as she shot him a death stare. "Just because she has a little fun with Cole doesn't mean she's a slût. If I were you, I'd keep your jealousy a bit more in check."
"Trust me, I'm not jealous of someone who looks like that." Becky cackled as she tied her long hair up into a high ponytail.
"She's clueless." Cole smirked as a cynical look came to his green eyes. "What surprised me the most about the whole ordeal was that she allowed me to do things to her even though she knew that anyone could've walked in and seen us." He twiddled with his thumbs in his lap.
"Dude, trust me, you guys were not quiet." Andy rolled his eyes from his seat across from Cole. He was a bit sick of Cole's egotistic âsshole attitude since he knew his true feelings for the woman. "Your little girlfriend moaned pretty loud a couple times. Just be lucky that her mother was in her room fast asleep." He bit his lip as her nervously looked down at the ground. When no one else spoke up, he decided to break the silence. "Why can't you just take her virginity already? Don't you think that she's going to suffer enough as it is?"
"Are you defending her?" Kylie asked with her brows furrowed together. She leaned forward in her seat, her nails digging into the soft, cushioned armrest. "Before Kristie, you didn't give a crap about anyone, and now you're feeling bad for Charlotte?" She pressed on, making Andy feel uncomfortable.
Andy clenched his teeth together as he kept his eyeballs glued to the ground. It was true, Charlotte had grown on him. Not as a lover, because he obviously loved Kristie, but as a person. Although Cole was the one who probably felt the most guilty about the bet, Andy definitely showed it more than he did. Just knowing that his girlfriend's best friend was about to be used and tossed to the side made his stomach churn. It was truly sickening.
Dylan, who had been silent this entire time, stepped forward from his spot so that he was stood behind Andy. "Look, Andy isn't the only one who feels this way." He took in a deep breath, shutting his eyes momentarily as he ran his fingers through his black hair. "Cole, you need to just get this over with. She's falling for you harder than you may think. You're going to hurt her, and I–" He couldn't even finish his sentence before Cole abruptly cut him off.
"But, isn't that the whole point?" Cole asked, letting out a small huff of boredom as he rested his chin in his calloused palm. "If she didn't love me, she wouldn't give me her virginity. As long as I don't fall in love with her, then all is well." A small smile slipped on his lips as he finally looked up to meet Dylan's gaze. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me that you're planning to swoop in like Prince Charming after this is all done."
"I don't have to be Prince Charming to save her from your leftover pain and suffering that you'll leave her alone to deal with." Dylan gripped his hands into fists as he stared down Cole. "Charlotte's my friend, and she doesn't deserve any of this." He spat as he walked over to the kitchen island to grab his phone. "Count me out of this stupid bet, I don't want to have any more part in this sick, twisted plan to ruin an innocent girl's life." With that final statement, the only sound heard throughout the entire apartment was the slamming of a door.
The entire room was silent. Cole could feel his heart beating in his chest as he was brought back to reality. The reality of it was that he loved Charlotte, and no matter how good of a show he put on for his friends, he would never mask his true feelings for the brunette. If he could go back in time to the day he shook Ian's hand to seal the deal, he would do anything to stop himself from accepting the bet. If it had just been a dare, the worst that could happen was him being called a chicken or a wuss by his friends. However, the bet involved money as a consequence.
Cole dismissed himself from the circle of friends shortly after Dylan had left. Ian gave him a questioning glance, but didn't say anything about it. After he walked out of that building and allowed the cold air to whip his face, his mind began to wander as he began to imagine that beautiful smile that he'd learned to love.
Did Charlotte actually love him? She never said it straight to his face, so he really wasn't sure. Of course, he had said it a few times now, but not enough times to express how much he truly loved her. It was a conflicting subject for him to ponder on because he wanted her to love him, but at the same time he didn't want her to love him.
If she loved him, then he knew that their feelings were mutual. The only problem with that would be the heartache she would suffer if she ever had to find out about this bet. If she didn't love him, then their parting will be easier for her to deal with. The downside to that is Cole would've fallen madly in love with a woman who did not feel the same way about him.
He hated feeling this conflicted about the woman he grew to love.
WOW CRAPPY CHAPTER I AM SORRY but it was more of a filler. I apologize if it was uninteresting or anything, the next few days will be better.
I think the biggest point to take from this chapter is that Dylan has officially bailed out from the bet. He wanted no part in the downfall of his new friend, so he just left. TEAM DYLAN?
Most of the votes from last chapter are telling me to make a book 2, but I'll decide whether or not to do that when it gets closer to the end of the bet. So we shall see.
Also 18k! Thank you all for the continuous reads, comments, and votes. I appreciate it all so much!