I sipped my coffee as I smirked at the dirty text from Travis, thinking about how to best respond when I saw someone sit in the chair across from me. I glanced up from my phone and smiled at Jackson Cole, looking crazy handsome as usual, super casual in a band tee and well worn jeans.
"Is this seat taken?" He grinned, winking at me as I set my phone down and crossed my legs.
"Aren't you suppossed to ask that before you sit?" I questioned, though I was amused. I liked Travis' brother very much and seeing him was a welcome surprise. Especially since I hadn't actually seen Travis since New York, he kept making weird excuses. But then that was probably better. Right?
"What's a pretty girl like you doing here in the middle of the day?" He asked, ignoring my comment completely.
"I'm enjoying my monday." I replied with a grin. "How about you?"
"I'm enjoying the view." He grinned wider then called for the waitress to order a cappucino. The girl was about my age but plain, and got flustered by Jackson's attentions easily.
"Poor thing." I pouted as she walked away. "You made her nervous." Jackson did a double take to watch the girl before looking at me.
"Do I make you nervous?" I laughed at that.
"No." I grinned.
"I saw an article about you online. Apparently you're quite the artist." He commented.
"Are you looking me up?" I asked, intrigued. He shook his head.
"Just interested. Tell me more."
"I just got back from showing in a gallery in New York." Jackson blinked.
"Huh. Trav is in New York." he commented. I swallowed, wondering why he was still there when he was suppossed to have come home a few days ago.
"I know." I lied. Kind of. "I saw him." Jackson rose a brow.
"Did you?" he was acting a little wierd, but then maybe he was just prying into his brothers life. Lord knew my brothers loved to do that with me.
"I sat next to him on the plane." he nodded and then pried further.
"And?" I rolled my eyes and leaned into him.
"Do you really want to know about your brothers sex life?" I asked, smirking a little. Jackson laughed.
"How about you leave him out of it and just tell me about your sex life." He wiggled his brows and I laughed.
"That would be a boring story if I was to leave Travis out of it." I admitted.
"Does it mean you're not sleeping with anyone else?" he asked without missing a beat. I glared at him.
"Do I strike you as slutty?"
"No, of course not. Sorry Lila, I didn't mean it that way." he scratched the back of his neck and looked embarrassed, a strange look on a Cole man. "It's that you're so sexy...I don't know, maybe I hand out with the wrong girls and now I think that everyone's like them." I laughed at that comment, shaking my head.
"It's okay, I know you don't think I am like the ones you like." I pointed out, thinking of the busty brunette. The waitress came to set his cappuccino in front of him and he shot her a killer smile before turning towards me. Damn that smile. It was sexy as hell.
"I like you."
"Yes, sure but not in that way." I said back with a shrug before sipping my coffee.
"Just because my brother met you first." he replied, sounding serious but with Jackson I never knew. Then again? He kind of had a point. "You picked the wrong Cole."
"For what I know you're both cut from the same cloth."
"No." Jackson smirked wider, taking a sip of his cappuccino, "I'm not grumpy or moody like him."
"Oh if only I had known that." I sighed and faked a frown before breaking into a silly smile. True, Jackson was more my type, I didn't usually go for the broody guy. I liked happy and playful and flirty better. But it was different with Travis. He was my exception. But I did wonder what would have happened if I had met Jackson first. I was certainly attracted to him.
"My brother is a lucky bastard." he said offhandedly, shaking his head.
"You don't sleep with as many girls as he does?" I asked, raising a brow. He took a long look at me and shrugged.
"Maybe." He took a sip of his coffee and I followed suit, a part of me wishing to get another chocolate croissant.
"That waitress would probably sell her soul to go home with you." I commented, smirking back at him as he made a face.
"We weren't talking about me. And I have far better taste." I laughed at that, seeing as how I'd seen some of the girls he went home with.
"Right, you wanted details on your brothers sex life." I teased back. "That's a little weird."
"You're kind of a smartass aren't you?" He grinned wider and I shrugged even though I was still smirking.
"Guilty." I winked at him and he took another long second to stare at me. Not in a checking me out way, though he definitlely did that too...but this was more in a I-wish-I-knew-what-she-was-thinking way.
"When did you last see Travis?" I licked my lips.
"The morning I left for home." I admitted. "Why?" Jackson shrugged and ran his hands through his hair.
"Just wondering." I licked my lips, a thought entering my mind and I knew I was probably in the wrong, but I was just too curious.
"Did you know Karlie?" I asked, the words spilling out of my mouth before I could stop them.
"Who's Karlie?" he asked, faking a look of total innocene. Bullshit.
"Karlie as your brother's ex." I pointed out.
"Adam never had a Karlie ex." he was smirking this time, making me know for sure he was messing with me.
"I was talking about Travis." I said softly, making him nod and look a little uncomfortable.
"Oh, that Karlie..." he trailed off, leaning back in his chair as he looked at me.
"Why, do you know many Karlie's?"
"I'm bad with names."
"Oh god." I chuckled, shaking my head, I didn't doubt him. I wondered what he called all his girls to keep them straight. "Your as good as deflecting as your brother."
"What was the question again? I got distracted." he smiled.
"Did you know her?" I bit down on my lip, wondering how serious they had been. Had she been a part of his family? Did they love her?
"I did...I do." he answered eventually, "She's not dead you know."
"How is she?"
"Your opposite." Jax said quickly. Almost too quickly.
"What does that mean?"
"She's not blonde and she's crazy."
"Yeah I heard that." I said under my breath, making me even more curious. How was she crazy? And why? Travis hated drama....how did they even fit together then? "What else?"
"I don't think Travis would be happy if I talked about her with you." he said, looking back at me, seeming sorry, but serious. I could understand that....but still.
"Travis is usually not happy so what's the difference?" I quipped back, making Jackson laugh out loud. It was a sound totally different from Travis' laugh, but still so nice. The Cole men really were good ones. I wondered about Adam.
"Why do you even want to know?" I licked my lips and then gave him a look before shrugging.
"I'm a girl we're jealous and needy and nosey." He smirked.
"You're not though." I let out a sigh. Honestly? When I had met her sister in New York I'd questioned just how much Travis still saw of this ex-girflriend. The fact that he had been a boyfriend at all was such a stretch. But then maybe that was just because he didn't want to be my boyfriend. What did she have that I didnt? See....I was a jealous girl.
"I am." I sighed, hating myself a little bit. "Did you like her?" Jackson ran his hand over his face and nodded.
"She's a nice girl." I licked my lips before asking the question that I knew we were both thinking.
"I'm not Travis' type. Why is he fooling around with me?" Jax's serious face turned into a big grin.
"You're everyone's type baby." I rolled my eyes and laughed, though I could feel my cheeks getting pinker again.
"Oh shut up, you go for busty brunettes just like your brother."
"I don't have a type." He replied, sitting back in his chair. "I'm hungry."
"Order some food genius." I tilted my head to the side and bit my lip as I smirked at him, making him groan.
"Damn it Lila, stop being so pretty, it does things to me." I widened my eyes at the outburst.
"I'm not even dressed up or anything. You're just lonely." I teased him. "You need a girlfriend."
"Are you offering for the role?" he asked as he kept grinning. I made a face. I wasn't even sure if I made a good girlfriend. I certainly didn't with Riley, I was awful.
"No, of course not."
"Why not? You're single and hot, I'm apparently lonely and needing a girlfriend...it sounds like the perfect match to me."
"Yes, too bad I'm already seeing your brother." I said nonchalantly, rolling my eyes.
"You're seeing me now." he pressed, making me realize that seeing Trav wasn't the same as being with him at all.
"You know what I mean." I ran my hand through my hair. "And I'm too young for you anyway." He gave me a questioning look as he sized me up.
"Why how old are you?" he asked.
"You shouldn't ask that to any girl you know." I pointed out with a grin, "But since we're friends...I'm 23." Jackson's eyes widened, as if he was expecting a lot older.
"Damn, I'm ten years older than you." he thought about loud before shrugging, "Age is just a number though and I could teach you many things..." I laughed, since that was such a casual response to something that seemed to bother Travis a lot.
"If your brother was here he would've kicked your ass already for what you just said."
"I'm just messing with you Lila." I grinned and leaned into to him slowly.
"So then you can't teach me many things?" I asked, tilting my head to the side and shooting him a fake innocent look.
"I feel as if this is a trick question...." he trailed off, his eyes moving from mine to my mouth to lower and then back up.
"I'll take it as a no." I sighed dramatically. "Men. All talk and no action." I tried not to laugh as I took a sip of my coffee and Jax looked like he was debating exactly what to say.
"Women. All teases." He retorted, making me actually laugh.
"Oh please, you have plenty of women willing to kneel at your feet if you'd let them."
"None like you." I blinked.
"Keep talking like this and I'll think you're trying to steal me away from your brother." I commented. Jax smirked.
"I could if I wanted to." He grinned.
"You couldn't actually." I sighed. "I'm not his to steal." Jax leaned back, staring at me again. What was with that anyways?
"You want to be." he replied, a statement not a question.
"It's obvious I know." I agreed. "I wish I didn't." Jax licked his lips.
"I wonder why he's stringing you along if he doesn't want what you want too." He said out loud, almost as if he hadn't meant to. I shrugged.
"He can't say no to me." I replied simply. And I had that same weakness
"And you can instead?" I quipped back, smirking.
"No, I can't." I confessed with a sigh, playing with a stray curl of my hair as I looked away from him.
"Good"
"Good? How is that good?" It felt like a curse to me.
"My brother doesn't like no's." he smirked.
"Your brother surely has many demands for giving me nothing back." I replied without even thinking....something I did too much.
"That was bitter." he raised one eyebrow at me and I immediately felt awful, "But I'm sure you're right. He's hard to handle, I'm surprised you're still sticking around. I'm surprised he's letting you too."
"Oh yeah, I'm so lucky." I spat back sarcastically. "So lucky and special he didn't even tell me he was going to stay in New York."
"I thought you knew instead." he replied slowly.
"Knew what? When is he coming back?" Jackson blinked.
"Um. He got a job there Lila...they transferred him." I stared back at his brother feeling like I just fell off a cliff. My chest felt tight and my stomach felt hard like a rock.
"What?" Jackson reached over and grabbed my hand.
"Are you okay? You look really pale."
"I always do." I spat back, pulling my hand away. "He could have told me."
"He should have told you." Jax agreed. "It was a dick move not to." He shook his head as I tried to breathe correctly. What did this mean? Why was this happening to me?
"...He doesn't owe me anything." I said finally, trying to relax.
"Bullshit. Does he know?" I looked back at Jackson.
"Does he know what?"
"That you're in love with him?" I winced. Was it that obvious? Clearly it was.
"He knows." I nodded. "But he doesn't feel the same way."
"Couldn't you be in love with me?" he asked, offering me that adorable sexy smile that was so him. "I promise I'd love you back." I laughed, but coughed a little on it.
"I wish." Damn it I hated this....I hated feeling weak.
"Let's go, let's take a walk." he suggested, setting a few bills on the table and standing up.
"Okay." I nodded and followed him, watching as he slid the hands into his jean pockets, looking casual but a little unrelaxed.
"He cares about you." he said slowly as we walked.
"Did he tell you?" I asked, hooking my arm around his if only for balance.
"He doesn't talk much, but I know him." I let out a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair.
"I'm being awful, you should run away." Jackson laughed.
"I never run away from pretty girls." he winked and I laughed, a real laugh since I liked Jackson. A lot.
"No you just sneak out the next morning." I teased him. He set his hand on his chest in mock hurt.
"You wound me Miss. Trenton." His eyes were sparkling with glee, so opposite from the storm in Travis' eyes. A nice change actually.
"We should be friends Jax." I said seriously.
"That is literally the worst thing you can say to a man." He replied, shaking his head. "Damn Travis."
"What?"
"I was serious about him meeting you first. You would have been mine so fast..." he shook his head and I laughed.
"That is very cocky of you." I started. "But I understand that's a family disorder so I won't judge too much."
"Nah, I'm the only cocky one, Travis just likes to copy the things I do. He used to follow me around like a puppy." I tried not to laugh since I couldn't even picture it.
"Second of all? You wouldn't love me either and since you're always so cute and happy I'd have fallen way harder and would now be an epic messs instead of just a semi-epic mess."
"I'm also much better in bed." He grinneed wickedly at me and I rolled my eyes.
"I doubt that." I said under my breath since I was pretty sure no man would ever match up to the sexual connection I had with Travis. It was stronger than anything I'd ever felt.
"You wound me again." he shook his head. "Fine. I'll be friends with you but only if we get to go lingerie shopping together." I nodded.
"Good idea, are you a thong wearer or more of a boyshorts kinda guy?"
"You're hilarious Lil." he nudged me.
"That's what Travis says too." I paused to fake a frown and a serious face, "Hilarious Lila." I said, mimicking that infuriating man. Jackson laughed even louder this time, tossing his head back.
"You're killing me. That was really good."
"I know I'm amazing in so many ways." I sighed and glanced at him noticing the way his eyes had glazed over. "Not in that way! You can't keep having these thoughts if we're supposed to be friends."
"Thoughts? What thoughts? I swear I never had a thought of any kind."
"You're silly."
"I hope it's not a problem." he winked at me. "What are you thinking about?" I blinked because that was the thing I usually said, men didn't really want to know the answer.
"I'm trying to guess what's your job." I replied.
"How's it going so far?"
"I have no idea." I admitted, which was strange since I was usually pretty intuitive. "Tell me."
"I'm a building contractor...kind of." he said back, making a face.
"Kind of?" I repeated slowly.
"I could do better, but it's hard and all I get is small jobs." he explained quietly, "I can't complain really, but when I look at Travis and all the money he makes I wish I had been studying more. Then I look at Adam and I wish I his family. God being in the middle sucks."
"Oh my god. You're right. I should have met you first." I shook my head and Jackson clapped his hands.
"Exactly!! So what do you say, want to be my girlfrined?" I chuckled.
"Yes. But you can't flirt with other women." I said back seriously. Jackson groaned.
"Ugh. Dealbreaker." I nodded.
"Yeah I figured."
'What if you were to like, dress up as other women....could I flirt with those pretend girls?" He asked, looking me up and down.
"You mean like a slutty nurse or a sexy cop?" He nodded.
"We're on the same wavelength already." He grinned wider and I shook my head.
"You and Travis are so different." Jackson turned the corner and I followed him.
"Ahh did you try to dress up for him once? He hates that." I laughed again. In fact I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so much.
"No I tend to dress down around him instead....fuck I miss him." i shook m head and ran my hands through my hair again.
"Me too actually. Want to go to Trenton's and help me pick up girls?" I rose a brow.
"You go to Trenton's to pick up girls?" Jackson nodded.
"Hell yeah, that place is full of hot girls." I laughed.
"My brother owns Trenton's." Jax widened his eyes.
"Oh shi.t Lila Trenton. Wait that means you have like 6 siblings who are all famous right?"
"How do you know that?!" I laughed. "And they're not all famous....just 2 or 3 of them."
"I've talked to Kolton a few times at the bar. Good guy."
"Until you tell him you want his baby sister to dress up like a slu.tty nurse." I teased.
"Me?" he faked an innocent face and shook his head, "Never. I'm a saint." I laughed again and walked a little straighter, the longer I was with him the better I felt.
"I'll remember that."
"When? When you'll finally understand that I'm the best Cole you can get?" he teased.
"You should stop hitting on me." I grinned and poked his side.
"I'm not. We're friends, remember?"
"True." I ageeed, walking in silence for a few moments before he spoke again.
"What do usually friend do?" he asked eventually.
"Don't you have any friend?"
"Not girls." he answered with a shrug.
"Go figure." I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you have a girlfriend?"
"I'm waiting for the right girl. I have bad luck." I wasn't really sure if he was teasing or not, but he sounded kind of serious
"And you think you can find the right one at Trenton's?" I asked skeptically.
"I could have met you." he pointed out.
"Yeah sure, but me aside?" I knew the kind of girls who went there, besides me and Colbie and our girlfriends, they were mostly just girls looking to get at men like my brother. Aka, not girlfriend material.
"Why do you have so many brothers? Couldn't you have more sister?"
"I have one." I smirked at him, trying to picture him with Colbie.
"And a hot one." he nodded and I watched as he saw her in his mind. I didn't blame him. Colbie was gorgeous. "With a kid." he added, wincing.
"My nephew is adorable." I shot back quickly, always at the defense for my family.
"He is, I know." he smiled at me. "But still." he just shrugged and I understood what was going one.
"You're not paternal?" I teased him. He shook his head.
"Nah, kids scare me." I laughed.
"Travis says he wants kids. A family." Jackson nodded.
"He does. But he's too obsessed with his work to focus on it." I sighed.
"Why is that? He's already successful, he doesn't need to spend his life obsessing about it." Jackson ran his hand through his hair.
"We didn't grow up with much Lila, almost nothing actually. And Travis being the youngest never really got anything that wasn't once mine or Adam's. He saw our parents struggle with money and I think it got to him." I nodded slowly, some of my brothers were the same way.
"Makes sense." I licked my lips. "I went the opposite way, I always got Colbie's handmedowns or my brothers old legos, but it was how you looked at things that made them good, not where they came from."
"But you're successful Lila, you worked hard to be where you are."
"There's a difference between success and money though isn't there. Even if I had none, I have art and family and friends...that's worth so much more."
"Are you sure you're 23?" He asked seriously and I laughed.
"Don't get me wrong, I like a good shopping spree as much as the next girl." I sighed. "I just wish Travis could see that I don't care about anything but him. He thinks I want him to change his life around. I love him the way he is." Jackson nodded.
"He's a lucky man." I licked my lips and took a deep breath.
"It doesn't really matter anymore though does it. He's not coming back." Jax stopped walking and reached for my chin gently, tilting my head up as he studied me.
"Don't be upset Lila, you should always be happy." I looked away, releasing the breath I'd been holding.
"It's kind of sad though. He didn't tell me anything..." I trailed off, sounding like a pathetic broken record.
"Maybe he'll come back." he tried.
"You said they transferred him." I felt myself pouting and I hated it...but I couldn't really help it.
"He doesn't know if it's a permanent thing." he explained. "It could last a few months only."
"Yeah but what does that change really?" I folded my arms in front of me in some kind of protective gesture, "Even if he comes back, he still doesn't want me...what should I do? Wait?"
"You shouldn't wait."
"Sure, because you're here and I can have you instead." Jackson laughed and it perked me up despite of everything.
"That's not what I meant but I'm happy you finally understood what's good for you."
"You're too silly for being Travis brother." I shook my head, "But thanks. I needed someone to talk to...you know, Travis is too closed off and my brothers, well, are my brothers."
"Anytime Lil." he smiled.
"I think I need a hug too." I announced, throwing my arms around him. He froze but then a second later his arms were around me, holding me tight.
"That's what friends are for, right?"
"Right." I nodded. "So tell me more about your job." he shook his head.
"Nah, that's not exciting."
"Do you hate it?" he shook his head.
"Not at all." he stopped and sighed, rolling his head so his neck cracked twice.
"Okay I can get the hint that you don't want to talk about it. But we will eventually." He winced.
"We'll see about that." I grabbed his arm again.
"Let's go see a movie." he turned towards me and then nodded.
"Yeah okay. Perfect, there's a few out I want to see, and since I have no chance of getting you naked, I don't have to watch what you want." I laughed.
"Deal. I'm not really into girlie movies anyways. I have 5 brothers remember?" He grinned.
"This day is turning out better than I thought. Can we see the one with that victoria's secret model trying to act?" I winced.
"No. My brother is in that one and I don't want to watch him groping her." Jackson laughed again.
"You have such problems Trenton." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I shrugged.
"Nothing that popcorn and an icee couldn't cure." I lied, but hey, it was better than nothing.
