CHAPTER 52
Maddening Reminders and Deep-Rooted Friendships

"He has a child!" Asher shouted through the phone.

"So? He's hot!" I argued, leaning against the marble wall of the mall. "Why is everyone so caught up with Derek's child?"

"Addy, dating someone with a child isn't that easy."

I sighed, taking a deep breath. "Can we just forget about it? His child lives in London, and it's just a date. Stop fussing so much over it."

"Alright, fine," he murmured.

I heard a baby's cry in the background, making me frown. "Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm at Amelia's. She needed help babysitting her nephew."

"You're helping her babysit?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't like babies."

"But she's fun."

"She? You said nephew."

"You really thought I was talking about the baby?" He laughed. "He's a pain in the ass. I'm only doing this for Amelia."

"You have a girlfriend, Asher. Don't forget that."

"I'm don't forget that. Amelia is just a friend, Addy. But sometimes Hazel forgets that she has another boyfriend," he grumbled. "You see that? I've turned into the other boyfriend. She's always with Luke."

"Asher, this was your choice," I reminded.

"No, this wasn't my choice. I said an open relationship; not a non-existent one. I would've loved to spend my weekend with my girlfriend rather than some stupid baby, but Hazel keeps blowing me off for Luke."

"I'll talk to her. She's with me now."

"What the fuck?"

"Don't worry, she didn't hear anything. We were shopping for my date with Derek. I stepped away to take your call."

He let out a breath of relief. A shrill cry made him groan. "I have to go. I can't wait till this fucker goes to sleep so that I can have some time alone with Amelia."

"Asher, you have a girlfri—"

Before I could complete it, the line went dead, and I sighed, keeping the phone back in my purse.

I walked over to where Hazel stood, admiring a dress.

"I was on the phone with Asher," I informed.

"Oh, that's nice." Her casual voice didn't hide the hesitation in her eyes, keeping her gaze trained on the dress she felt.

"Hazel, are you avoiding him?"

"No, I'm not. Did he say something?" she asked nervously, snapping her head to me.

I sighed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a secluded place between the clothing aisle. "Hazel, what's going on?"

"It's Luke," she said. "I get this feeling that he wants to break up with him."

"So? Just break up with him." I shrugged.

"You don't get it, Addy. I don't want to break up with him," she whined. "I've been spending more time with him than Asher so that he would know that I care about him. I want to be with him."

"What about Asher?" I asked.

"I want to be with him too."

"Hazel, you can't have two guys."

"But I love them," she whispered, lowering her head.

"You love Luke too?" I asked, frowning. "Hazel, he was never supposed permeant. You did all of this for Asher."

"I do love Asher. Maybe even more than I loved him before I dated him. But what am I supposed to do? What if he decides that he would rather be with one of his other girls than me? I mean, he's probably with Amelia. He's always with Amelia."

"He's only with Amelia because you're with Luke. You both want to be with each other, then dump the rest and just stick to each other."

"What if he's not sure about me?" She looked to the ground, playing with her fingers.

"Hazel, he is sure about you," I assured, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you don't choose Asher now, you're going to lose them both. It would hurt Luke more if you wait longer."

"I need more time to think," she whispered.

"It's alright." I smiled. "I'll ask my driver to drop you at home. Cole is going to pick me up for lunch."

"Cole?" Hazel smirked teasingly.

"He's just a friend, Hazel." I groaned. "I only have one man in my mind now, and that's Derek."

"Addy, Derek has a child."

I groaned, glaring at her. "I just had to hear this speech from Asher, and Kate this morning. I think I even heard Jack's sleepy mumbles about this in the background."

Hazel sighed. "Fine, I'll let this go for now. But we will talk about this," she warned.

I rolled my eyes, walking to the exit of the mall. I found Cole's car parked in front, and I grinned, bidding Hazel a goodbye and walking over to him.

I entered the car where Cole sat, wearing the same depressed look he had etched to his face for the past three days since his kiss with Terra.

"Still not talking to Terra?" I asked, putting on my seat belt.

"I don't know how to face her." He started the car. "She tried to talk to me a couple of times, but I've been running away."

"Just talk to her. How bad can it be?"

"It would be horrible! She might be so disgusted with me now," he cried.

"She won't be disgusted with you. I wasn't disgusted after my first kiss with Blake."

"That's different," he said. "How would you react if Asher kissed you?"

"Ew! Gross! Don't say tha— Okay, I get your point. It's disgusting."

He pouted, keeping his eyes on the road.

"But that's because I see him as a brother," I reasoned.

"Terra sees me as a brother!" He freaked, and I shook my head.

"No, she does not. It's different with Asher and me. His family is the closest thing I have to a family. That's not the case with you and Terra. Who knows? She might have secret sexual fantasies about you."

His cheeks burned up to an obnoxious shade of red as he frantically shook his head. "She most definitely does not."

I chuckled at his embarrassment, looking out the window as he drove. Once we reached the restaurant, he parked the car and got out, entering the place. Cole found us a table, and we sat down, ordering our meal.

"Any plans for tomorrow? I have nothing to do, so we could do—"

"Cole!" I interrupted before he could ask me to hang out for this millionth time in the past three days. "How long are you going to stay away from home just to avoid Terra?"

"I don't know." He pouted.

"Stay home and learn to face her like a man," I told him. "Besides, my date with Derek is tomorrow, remember?"

"Addy, he has a son—"

"The next person to say this is going to lose a limb."

"Sorry," he mumbled. A waiter arrived with our drinks, placing them on the table.

"Single fathers date too," I said, pulling the glass to me. "So can Derek; especially since his son isn't even in his life?"

Cole took a sip of his drink, shaking his head. "Single fathers don't date high school students. You're forgetting that you're just eighteen—not old enough to date a man with a child."

"It's just one date, alright? I don't want to marry him or anything. I just want to fuck him."

"Really, Addy? I thought we improved on the "only sex" thing."

"Yes, we did. Me going on a date is an improvement. I've never been on a date before."

"What?" he asked, lifting his brows. "You've never been on a date before?"

"No, I haven't," I mumbled, playing with my straw. "I kind of wished that my first date would be with Blake. But oh, well. Derek isn't so bad."

"So, you're going on a date with him just to have sex with him?" he asked.

"Exactly! Haven't you ever wanted to fuck a hot older guy?"

"Not at all. I'm not into guys, much less an older one," he said.

"You're missing out on a lot, Cole." I smirked, sipping on my drink.

The sound of my ringtone interrupted our conversation. I took out my phone, a smile taking over my lips, seeing Blake's name on the screen.

"I've got to take this. I'll be back," I told Cole, getting up from the seat.

"Hey, Blake!" I greeted, answering the call.

"Hey." His smooth voice echoed in my ear.

"Hey." I chucked, walking out of the restaurant to the open air.

"Hey..."

"Did you really just call me to say hey?"

"Maybe, I just wanted to hear your voice," he said, making me bite my lips.

"What has turned you so mushy, Blake?" I asked, earning a chuckle from him.

"Do you want to come over? We could watch a movie and order lunch."

"I can't. I'm out with Cole," I replied.

"Oh," he said, the two letters holding so much weight.

"What about dinner?" I asked.

"Great! I'll cook!" He exclaimed.

"Blake, please don—"

"Come over at eight. Is that alright?"

"Why don't we meet at my place?" I asked, trying to dodge his cooking.

"No, we'll meet up at mine. My parents want to see you."

"See me?" I raised an eyebrow. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." He laughed. "You're all good. Just come over."

"Okay," I agreed with a bright smile.

We hung up, and I skipped back to Cole. The food was on the table, and I grinned at Cole, settling down.

"You seem happy," he commanded.

"Blake asked me to meet him. It's been so long since I spent some time alone with him." I smiled.

Cole nodded, picking his food on a fork and placing it in his mouth.

"What do you think I should wear?" I asked.

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "I want to make him want me, but I don't want it to look like I want him to want me. I don't want to make him want me because I know that he does not want me though I really want him to want me. But I still want to dress in a way that he would want me."

"Was I supposed to understand that?"

"Of course not. You're dumb." He chuckled at my words, shaking his head.

"Addy, you see him every day. How is this any different?"

"He called me to hang out at his place! We always hang out at my place. This just feels so different." I sighed. "And his parents want to see me. I don't know why."

"Are you nervous?" He smirked, leaning back in his seat.

"Of course not. I don't get nervous." I huffed, folding my arms.

"Sure, you don't." He laughed, making me throw him a playful glare.

"Just shut up and eat," I scolded, making him laugh again.

After spending lunch listening to Cole talk about the number of ways Terra could be disgusted by him, I desperately ran to the car to get home before he starts talking about the different ways Terra would puke on him if he kisses her again.

"Wait! Are we leaving?" he asked, pulling on my arms before I could get into the car.

"Yes."

"But this is the time when Terra's mom cleans the dining room, and she would be around there, helping her," he said.

I groaned, giving him a bored look. "Fine, let's take a walk for ten minutes, and then you drive me home."

He grinned, nodding his head, and I laughed, standing on my toes to kiss his lips. Pulling away, I noticed a shocked face before he quickly recovered, and I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"S-Sorry, I just got caught off guard," he said. He walked along the footpath, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Off guard? Cole, we've been hooking up for a while now, and you're still not used to this." I chuckled.

"It's not that," he said. "I feel like we have a great friendship. Like during lunch—we had a bond there, Addy. A platonic bond. You might be used to this, but to me, it's weird. One moment we're friends, and the other, we're kissing."

I sighed, shaking my head. "You put more meaning to a kiss than I do. That's why."

"Yeah, I get that. But I feel like we'll ruin what we have if we keep doing this."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Addy, you're a great girl," he said. "You're beautiful, good in bed, selectively nice, funn—"

"Cole, get to the point."

He took a deep breath. "I don't think we should do this anymore," he said in a single stretch. I glanced at him, continuing my steps beside him. "We've grown closer than we were before, Addy. I don't want us to ruin that."

I stopped in my track, turning to him with a smile. "I'm glad you feel like that because I feel like I've found a new best friend in you."

The hesitation in his face descended to happiness as a bright smile took over his lips. "I've found a new best friend in you too. And I want it to stay that way. I don't want sex to ruin it."

"That's alright. I can always find another fuck buddy." I laughed. "I don't want to ruin what we have either."

"Great!" He sighed. "I was so worried that you would be upset when I do this."

"Sure, Cole. Mr. Sutter-man is strong enough to break my heart," I commented sarcastically.

"And you had to insult me, Addy. You always find a way to." He laughed.

I gave him a soft smile, taking his hand in mine. "I love you, Cole," I said, looking up at him. "You've been my comfort in some of the most heartbreaking moments in my life, and I know that you'll be there for more. You mean a lot to me, Cole, and I love you."

"I love you too." He beamed. He grabbed my face, leaning down to kiss my forehead. I grinned as he pulled away, wrapping an arm around me.

"Wasn't that so simple?" I chuckled, walking along the footpath with him. "When it comes to Blake, my brain just shuts down."

"Stronger feelings hurt more when you get rejected," he said. "Terra is my whole world, and hearing that she does not feel the same would completely wreck me. By keeping quiet, I don't have to face the reality."

"Terra's a lucky girl," I whispered. "If she never sees your love for her, that's her loss."

"The same goes for Blake." He smiled sadly.

"No, I'd say that Blake dodged a bullet with me. I'm screwed up, and I've been so selfish with him. He does not need someone like me in his life."

"Don't say that. He would be lucky to have you."

"But isn't he luckier to have Terra?" I asked, and Cole lowered his head. "You wouldn't disagree with that because she's the one you want too. She's the better choice."

"No, I don't want Terra because she the better choice. I want her because she has always been there for me, so much that I can't imagine my life without her." He let out a sad chuckle. "But that person in Blake's life isn't Terra; it's you. So, he didn't get the better girl. He lost the best he could get."

I shook my head, hiding the gloom on my face. "He didn't lose me. He'll always have me because I'll never leave him even if he does not want me."

He nodded his head, pulling me closer to him, and I rested my head against his shoulder, holding back my tears

"Let's forget about the walk. You have to get to Blake's house. I'll help you pick out clothes or whatever. Anything to avoid talking to Terra about the kiss."

"Idiot!" I mumbled, chuckling.

I pulled him into a tight hug. He responded, enveloping me in his warm hands.

One good thing that came out of everything with Blake and Terra was Cole. We weren't able to help each other's heartaches, but he became one of the most important people in my life, and I knew that I had a lifelong friend. 

Author's Note

I'm sorry to all the Caddy shippers, but this was the fate meant for them. There are a lot of books out there where friends with benefits turn to lovers. Heck! Even my book is exactly that. And if they don't become lovers, they'll just part ways. I wanted to show a different relationship where two people do form a deep bond through sex, but it's not romantic, and they find themselves in a loving platonic relationship. I never meant anything more for them.

I hadn't shown any chemistry between them, so if you felt something, it wasn't real. I've only given them a platonic theme... but Addy would also kiss him, but it had no meaning to it. 

I'm sorry if I brought any hopes up, but they weren't meant to be. I've heard a lot of people say that they both have a lot of love to give, and they should give it to each other. But that's not how love works. They love Blake and Terra only; not each other. Cole and Addy can never work out because they have no romantic feelings for each other.

And in my opinion, in the long run, their relationship wouldn't work out well because of their clashing personalities. Some of Addy's actions can be... cruel and erratic. A person like Cole wouldn't be able to digest the things she does. I'm not saying that she needs a guy who would accept her behavior... no, because it's not acceptable. She needs a guy who could stay calm and help her. That wouldn't be Cole.  

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Signed,
Me