HEY GUYS! Long time, I have so so many exciting announcements for you! Please make sure to read till the very end. TBBG is getting published, it's on episode and just so much more to come!!

Chapter Two: A Tween Would Find It Easier To Resist Velour Tracksuit Bottoms

"You made it!" Beth is smiling from ear to ear as she greets me and Cole the next day at a cafe a couple of blocks away from my apartment.

"You seem surprised." I lean into my boyfriend, who wraps his arm around me and tucks me into his side.

"Yeah well, I honestly thought you would be otherwise occupied." She winks and laughter rumbles from Cole's chest. Beth gets up to hug him as it's been a while since they've met. Since college, or rather after we left school it's been getting harder and harder to meet up regularly. Still now, at least I'm closer to Travis and Beth. But on the downside? Even though I'm closer to my family now, Cole is farther away than ever.

Just a few more years, I remind myself, just a few more years.

Travis gets back from getting coffees for all of us and greets Cole enthusiastically. They've come a long way from being two people who never really could stand each other.

"How long have you guys been planning this?" I ask, taking a sip of my sugar loaded hazelnut macchiato.

"Since you finalised the day you were moving." Beth grins, "What? You thought your boyfriend was getting out of doing all the heavy lifting?"

"I think all those shoes might have permanently damaged my back." Travis groans theatrically and I chuck a napkin at him.

"Don't worry Tessie, I'll take care of the rest of it and not even complain like this wuss right here." He slides his arm around the back of my seat and in turn I shift closer to him in the booth. I've realised that we've become that very couple that I used to make fun of while ignorantly single. I'd wondered why it was that two people couldn't bear being apart for that short while that they were in public. My naive fifteen year old perhaps couldn't see that when you're that in love with a person, you need to have contact with them in some way possible. And it's the smallest touches, the lingering of his hand on the small of your back, a kiss on the cheek, a caress of his fingers down your palm, all the things he does without even thinking about it that tells you that a guy is absolutely devoted to you.

I look at Cole and bite the inside of my cheek. It shouldn't still feel like this, this crazy emotion that sweeps up inside of me whenever I think about him. What's that they say about the honeymoon period? I'm pretty sure we've surpassed whatever time period you're supposed to stay in that phase and to be honest? I still feel as in love with him as I was five years ago. Nothing has changed for me, no feelings have diminished. If anything, with time our relationship has grown, evolved into something that I consider the most important thing in my life.

"So how long before you have to fly out?" Travis asks him and I feel his eyes on me as he asks the question. The concern he feels is palpable. I know he doesn't like the fact that I live alone and well, my history of self doubt means that I'm not to be trusted to do well with long distance relationships.

I like to thing that that's changed.

"I'm here till Monday night." I see Cole gritting his teeth "Technically I don't need to attend Tuesday's session but the professor's being a hardass. But at least I'll be able to see you off to your first day at work." He grins at me and I feel a mixture of elatedness and nervousness. Work, actual adult life and responsibilities that I may or may not have been avoiding in the previous years. I'd interned here and there but imagining myself in a situation where I'd be at a desk from 9-5 and be responsible for something huge, well it gives me the slightest bit of a panic attack. The interview process had gone smoothly and as I'd applied to several publishing firms, but in the end when I'd gotten a job as an assistant to a beauty magazine editor, I had of course been taken aback.

My dream job had always been to go into publishing, to find books and to find writers whose stories deserved to be told. I wanted to bring out the most magical and unforgettable books that would stay with the reader forever. I wanted these books to play as big of a part in someone else's life as the books I read as a child had done for me.

Now I'd be writing about lipstick, yeah it'd been a bit of a surprise.

Realistically I knew I could work my way up, that this job is just the beginning. I could work here for some time before looking for a position elsewhere. The job itself on paper is great and could help me save up for the future but in my head, I'm definitely walking into a Devil Wears Prada situation.

"Hey you okay?" Cole nudges my arm slightly and breaks my thought process. I look around to see three very concerned faces.

"You're going to be okay Tess. Don't tell me you're still worried about fitting in?" Beth gives me a pointed look. She's obviously concerned that her pep talk hasn't worked on me.

"I spent the past couple of days subscribing to all these beauty channels on YouTube. Do you realise how complicated makeup's gotten?" I turn to Cole, "Baking is not what Nana Stone does on Thanksgiving, it's something you do to your face. You bake your face. How is that supposed to make sense?"

He looks slightly horrified, "Uh,so you rub flour all over your face then?"

Beth snorts, "You're close enough. But Tess, stop worrying. There's nothing you don't know already and if you don't know you can always Google it. That's what I do."

"It's just...I never saw myself working in the beauty industry. I had to buy all these fancy clothes and work outfits when all I ever wanted to do was work in some up and coming publishing house where they let you come to work in sweatshirts." I groan.

"You'll get there Tessie, I have faith in you." My boyfriend rubs my back comfortingly, "But for now you gotta bake that face."

***

After breakfast we go our separate ways with plans for a night out tomorrow. I'm too exhausted from the previous day's move and I know Cole must be feeling pretty rough after his flight so the plan is to take a quick nap before going on a date later this evening.

You say we're boring, I say we're in a stable relationship.

"To think, I'm slumming it in an apartment that has no heating or hot water and always smells of Chinese takeout." He groans as he falls on my bed. I laugh and settle down next to him.

"Hey you chose to slum it. You can afford to stay in a better area but I have no idea why you're doing this to yourself."

"If I save now, we'll be in a better position to get a place in this city. You know, a place where I don't feel like I'm taking freebies from your dad."

My heart warms, gosh darn it why does he always have to say the right thing.

"I get that, you know I'm trying to save too. But if you try finding someplace, you know where you don't run the risk of becoming a human popsicle, I'd be able to sleep better at night."

"I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure there's one thing you definitely need for a good night's sleep that you'll be missing around here."

"Nope, I think I'm good. I mean have you felt this mattress? And the pillows? They're actual clouds, you wouldn't even spend money on the good ones from IKEA."

I'd helped him shop for some furniture online before moving and man, I think he's really taking the whole, 'save money for a New York apartment' seriously because he'd balk at the $13 price tag.

Then again, it's the fact that he's working so hard for us that makes me fall in love with him over and over again.

"I wish you'd let me get you some things without it turning into a huge issue." I stare at his profile, the guilt seeping into my insides. Here I am, living the luxe life while he's working and studying his butt off.

"You wanted to buy me a thousand dollar bed, that was obviously going to be an issue."

"If you stopped thinking about yourself for a minute, you'd realise that the bed was as much for me as it was for you. Now whenever I come visit you, I'll be sleeping on the bed that's the equivalent of being on the ground."

"Whatever princess, you and I both know that anything that involves you, me and a bed won't entail a whole lot of sleep so how comfortable the furniture is going to be isn't really a prerogative."

He gives me that wicked grin of his that gets my blood heated up and send my heartbeat skyrocketing, yes even five years later.

"You're very good at changing the topic." I tell him, my voice slightly husky. For the moment, I forget about how tired he looks, how worn down and exhausted he's sounded over the past couple of weeks. Flying down to see me, if only for two days is taking it's toll on him but I shove the guilt deep down because I'm not letting it ruin the time we have together. So when Cole draws me closer and kisses the life out of me, I'm thinking about him and only him and not the fact that right now, I have no idea of the kind of life he's leading all on his own.

***

Cole passes out for hours, a whole lot of hours. As time rolls around for our dinner reservation, I forgo trying to wake him up and order some Italian for us for when he wakes up. His phone has been going crazy the entire time he sleeps and I see it lighting up repeatedly. So even though I'm not in the habit of checking my boyfriend's phone, I do anyway because there could be an emergency while he's dead to the world.

The first thing I see are a bunch of messages on a group chat. The group name sounds like a class he might be taking this semester and the texts that come up confirm my belief. There's a bunch of people talking about some law terminologies that I've passingly studied in college but more importantly, I see a couple of texts about them being upset at Cole for leaving them in the middle of a group project. I don't get to read more because I hear footsteps behind me and Cole emerging from the bedroom.

I don't jump or pretend that I'm not going through his messages.

"So, I'm guessing it wasn't exactly easy for you to make this trip was it?"

He looks adorably dishevelled after the five hour nap he's just had. There's still some exhaustion in his eyes and I vow to make sure he's well rested before I send him off but for now, we need to talk about some things.

"What makes you say that?" He comes closer and glances at his phone that I hold up.

"You kept getting texts, I checked to make sure there wasn't something wrong back home and..."

"You saw that the people I go to school with are divas."

"They seem pretty angry."

"They're grown men and women who're throwing tantrums." He takes the phone from my hand and scrolls through his messages, the frown on his face getting worse as he continues. I see him bite back a curse but he then he turns his phone off and tosses it away.

"Problem solved."

Cole cups my face in his hands and gives me a deep kiss, "I know you're worried. I know you're overthinking and making him a hundred different reasons to blame yourself for my being here but guess what? I want to be here when I can. Those guys? I did my part of the project way before it was due because I had this trip planned for weeks. If they can't get their shit together and do their own job part of the job, it's not on me to babysit them. Please, please stop worrying."

I bite my lip, "But you have to promise you'll tell me when school gets too tough or when you don't have time. I love you for flying out to see me but you can't keep doing this. I want you to concentrate and I want you to kick butt in school. You realise that a lawyer version of you is the thing fantasies are made up of right?"

His eyes grow big and he pulls me flush against his body.

"You have lawyer fantasies?"

I roll my eyes, "Who doesn't? Haven't you seen 'Suits'?"

"This is the first time I'm hearing about it shortcake, you've been holding out on me. So what do these fantasies usually entail?"

I feel my cheeks get hot and I duck my head to avoid looking at him. Sometimes I tend to overshare, this would be one of those times.

And yes, there is such a thing as oversharing with a guy who has seen you naked.

Luckily the buzzer saves me from divulging any more secrets and the promise of food is enough to make Cole let me go.

"You know I'm going to find out right, with some deeply vivid description."

"Such a pervert," I toss out at him as I go to get our food.

"Never forget that I'm your pervert." He gently eases me out of the way to make sure I don't end up paying for the food.

"Go set up a movie, any movie. I'm sorry I fell asleep and ruined our plans. Unleash whatever historical romance nightmare you'd like me to watch."

"What if it's a musical?"

"That's an even more fitting punishment," He hangs his head in shame. "I'll sit through it and if need be even break out into song with you. But tomorrow, we do everything you've been planning for us to do together okay shortcake?"

"Deal!"

***

The time that he's here is slipping by way too fast and as Saturday dawns, I find myself close to tears which makes me feel ridiculous because I thought I'd found a way to cope with missing him all the time. But I think that has a lot to do with the time we'd spent not seeing each other, the time where what I'd been missing wasn't right in front of me. But in the short time he's been here, I already realise that not being with Cole every single day has removed something very significant from my life. It's made me realise just how much my happiness is tethered to being surrounded by him.

As if he realises that I'm awake and thinking some not so pleasant thoughts, Cole tightens his arms around me and pulls me closer to his warm, naked chest.

"What time is it Tessie?" He doesn't open his eyes but his hand gently strokes the small of my back, the one way he knows for sure that my body will unwind.

"About 5AM."

"You feeling the need to go on a morning run?"

I shudder at the thought, "Not even in my worst nightmare would I come up with that possibility."

"Then go back to sleep babe." HIs voice is hoarse, on his face a sexy 5 o'clock stubble.

"What if I want to stay up and look at your face?"

"That'd be creepy. Plus lack of sleep makes you cranky, I'd rather not have you breathing fire at everyone who comes near you today."

"You make a good point." He knows me too well.

"C'mere." He says in that sexy, raspy voice of his and I snuggle even closer if that's possible. The only thing I've got on is his shirt because I just can't sleep naked and the think fabric does little to provide any barrier between our bodies. His warm seeps into my skin and lulls my back to sleep. The last thought I have before going back to sleep is that he's ruined this bed for me. I'll never be able to sleep in it without thinking just how much better it could be if he were here for me.

***

"So since I ruined our plans yesterday, I thought we'd do something a little special today." Cole's making us breakfast the next morning. Well, actually it's the afternoon since we had a bit of a lie in and to justify the fact that it's nearly noon, getting out of a bed when Cole Stone is hellbent on snuggling? A tween would find it easier to resist velour tracksuit bottoms.

"You don't have to Cole. I'm perfectly happy with staying in, besides we're meeting Travis and Beth for drinks later tonight anyway."

"But I'd like to spend some time out together, without your brother looking at the two of us like we're ticking time bombs."

"He does not! Wait, does he?"

"They're worried Tessie, everyone is and I'm sick of trying to tell them that we're making it work."

The first person that comes to my mind is Cassandra. It may have been a long time since things went sour between Cole's stepmom and me but sometimes it still feels as though it only happened yesterday. I guess things that hurt you as much as Cassandra's words hurt me always leave their mark. Since telling me that I was the reason her family and her son were falling apart and later apologising to me for it, Cassandra has gone out of her way to make up for her behaviour and I've tried my best to not make her feel bad about it but our relationship has been strained and awkward ever since. In her head, Cole took my side and not hers when it all went south and I still feel that resentment from her. Given the fact that I don't want to create a rift between my boyfriend's family, I don't see them as often as I used to. I know that it makes Cole unhappy, he's not completely clueless and knows that his mom and I aren't on the best terms and he's okay with it.

It has meant that over the years, holidays have been spent apart and there's been a lot of travelling back and forth. We're still working on being completely functional but we're getting there.

Slowly.

"The next time my parents bring up the long distance thing, I'm just going to put it out there that they're the same people who wanted us to put some space between us right after college." I tell Cole and silently drool at the image of him standing in the kitchen. The tight undershirt he's got on leaves little to the imagination and I can tell that he's been hitting the gym a little hard lately.

Five years have changed both of us and while I try my best to have a somewhat healthy lifestyle and not pile on the pounds I'd worked so hard to lose in the first place, Cole's body has become...how do I even describe something so decadent?

Even though he's stopped playing football professionally, that hasn't stopped him from being an absolute fitness junkie. He's tall frame is definitely more defined now, his muscles broader, his chest even more chiselled and don't even get me started on those forearms.

I always did have a weakness for them and as he flexes them even now, I can't help but swoon.

His hair's slightly longer at the top, falling into his eyes which I know he hates. He must have forgotten to schedule an appointment with the hair dresser, which was something I usually did for him. The strange, melancholy feeling is back in the pit of my stomach. I wonder if he's all right, I wonder if he has someone to look after him, I wonder if there's someone he can talk to when I'm not there.

I know I shouldn't be having these thoughts but I've lived with this boy for the last almost four years of my life. I know his routine inside out, I know him inside out. I know how easy it is for him to lose himself in his work and forget to take good care of himself. As a team we worked well together and I somehow balanced his workaholic tendencies and he always motivated me to push myself harder when I'd let my procrastination get the best of me.

We're still a team but being so far away makes it just that much more difficult to work together.

"You want to go to Central Park?"

"Sorry?" I'd lost myself in my thoughts once again.

"I was just asking if there was something you wanted to do?"

"Not much really," I rack my brain. My time with his limited, come Monday he'll be gone and I'd think of a thousand different things I wish I could experience with him. I've been to New York plenty of time but have never lived her for a long period of time. I'll get to experience a completely different side of it as a resident and there's no one other than Cole who'd I have standing by my side.

"There's this exhibition at The Met I really wanted to see."

He nods, "We'll do that then."

I wish life were always this simple.

***

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Hello guys!

I know it's been super long, Happy 2017! I hope you're all having a wonderful new year. If you've only recently gone back to school or are still struggling with going back to school, I feel your pain.

So I am of course, not dead. But one of the reasons why uploading has taken me AGES, is because of all the exciting behind the scenes stuff I'm working on! First major news, if you haven't heard about it already is that THE BAD BOY'S GIRL is being published!!!!! It's taken a lot of work and time and the support of the best agency out there (shoutout to Trident Media and my agents for making this happen). But I'm so thrilled to announce that TBBG is being published in both ebook and paperback form. The ebook comes out February 21st 2017, yup in less than a month and is available for pre-order. I will be linking that in the external link or you'll find the link on my Wattpad profile, my Instagram, Facebook, Twitter-basically everywhere. It would mean the world to me if you pre-ordered. The paperback will also be releasing early this year and the pre-order page for it will be up shortly. The paperback will be shipped via Amazon and Book Depository, which ships worldwide! :)

If you have any book related questions please reach out to me on social media, tweet me @BlairHoldenx or leave me a message on my FB page- @JessGirl93 or instagram, also JessGirl93.

TBBG is now also a story on the app called 'EPISODE', an entirely new interactive role play/game style story which takes the TBBG experience to a whole new level. All you have to do is download the free Episode app for iPhone or Android and search for 'Bad Boy's Girl'. I've received the best reviews from readers who've already gone through all the TBBG episodes so make sure to check it out <3

I'm sure there's a lot that I'm forgetting. But here's to more regular updates and to me making these announcements in a lot more coherent manner haha. Happy reading!

Love,

Blair