Cole

I didn't know what was up with me. I had never wanted to kill someone so badly, and that's saying a lot since I deal with a bunch of sweating football players every day. But I felt this urge to beat him right then and there when I saw him talking to Jasmine.

Instinct?

Walking in the house, I tried to think of some excuse to tell Jasmine. I knew she was going to ask. Imean, I had messed up her whole family function. But right now, while she started bringing Gracie upstairs, I still had a little bit of time. I couldn't just say, ' Oh I just had this instinct to want to knock the drunk guy out' That wasn't going to cut it. But my time cut short when Jasmine came back down.

Here goes nothing

''Look Jasmine, I'm sorry about what happened.'' I began as she was about to sit on the couch. She swished her head around to me and started walking into the kitchen where I had flopped on the counter.

''I completely messed up your family function thingy and I let him get to me instead of just walking away. I k-''

''Cole, It's fine. I understand he was talking shit, so you hit him. I would have done the same thing. Probably would have swung at the first insult, so you did the right thing. You gave him a chance to get his stuff together by walking away, and he chose his fate. '' she started and when I looked up from the ground, was smiling at me.

This woman is something else.

''Thank you, Jasmine. How about I repay you for ruining your function, go shopping tomorrow, you can use my card? ''

He scratched the tip of her nose and the smile on her face vanished, instead filled with disappointment.

''Aw, I would love to, but I had plans to go over to my place, get some stuff done.''

''Oh, that cool. I mean, it is your off day so you should be able to do what you want.''

Just peachy

Jasmine

''Move it a little to the left,'' said Tatum.

I tried to move it a little closer to the door but almost immediately slipped and fell on the couch, the painting falling with me.

Just great

''What is up with you, Jazz? It's your off day and you're acting like you want to go back to work''

Maybe I do

Last night when Cole offered to take me shopping, I was more than ready to cancel my plans with Ethan and Tatum. A chance to spend time alone with him would have been amazing, but the little crush I had on him was going to get the best of me if we went together. So instead I did the reasonable thing and decided to spend my Sunday hanging my old painting with Ethan and Tat, while they sat back and ate old pizza.

''Nothing is wrong with me, geez. Y'all are just sitting there eating while I'm busting my ass trying to hang these paintings. I'm not even living here right now. '' I mumbled and got back on my feet.

''You guys wanna see Daniel?'' Ethan asked, ignoring me.

I rolled my eyes. ''Whatever. You guys are going to help me. That's not a warning, it's a promise.''

Daniel was Ethan and Samantha's unborn child. They announced she was pregnant to me and Tat a few months back. Samantha and Ethan were highschool sweethearts and married right after college. It wasn't long before they had their first kid and now were on to the second.

In high school, everyone assumed we couldn't do the whole opposite gender friends and one of us was bound to fall. Complete bullshit. Look at us now. As far as Tat, she is a romantic, to say the least. It shocks us all how much of a hopeless romantic she is. Every time she met a boy, she thought they were the one until she actually found the one last year. Jacob. Now all that's left is me. I'm just the single weirdo in the group.

Life couldn't be better

Ethan showed us the ultrasound and I could see little Daniel's head.

''He's adorable.'' complimented Tat.

''He is. I'm going to make a great godmother.''

Tat's head shot up, and she looked at me confused as I tried to stand on the counter.

''You? I'm Daniel's godmother. What are you talking about?''

''You? No, Ethan made it clear that I'm Daniel's godmother.'' I snapped and turned back around.

"No! You need to stop, Jasmine. You know damn well I'm his godmother!"

"You need to stop Tatum, not me! We both know you didn't even know his name!" I shot back and her mouth fell open.

"I thought that was a secret!"

Ethan gasped, '"So y'all are keeping secrets behind my back? And about my kid? The betrayal in here is astronomical!"

"Oh please, like you and Samantha don't do the same!"

"Why can't you just admit it, Jazz? I'm his godmother and you aren't. It's easy!"

"No! You need too! Here I'll say it with you. J-a-"

I stopped talking when there was a knock on the door. We all stared at each other and then back at the door.

''Did someone call the cops?'' Tatum asked.

''No.''

''You told someone to come over today, Jazz?''

''Nope.''

''Get the bat.'' Tatum told Ethan, and he ran to the closet, grabbing the bat we kept hidden.

He went to the door holding the bat and me and Tatum followed behind, standing in the back of the Ethan.

''Wait.'' I whispered as Ethan was about to open the door.

''What?''

''I want to do it. I want to be the one to hit the person that tried to kill us. Just in case we die.''

''Fine. But try to get them in the face.'' Ethan answered and handed me the bat as we switched places.

I gotcha now sucker.

Opening the door without looking, I swung the bat recklessly with my eyes closed.

''Stay back!" I shouted and continued swinging. I wasn't hitting anything and was beginning to get frustrated.

When I realized Ethan and Tatum were not screaming with me, I decided to open my eyes and I immediately dropped the bat.

''Hi to you too.'' Cole said, smirking, and Gracie was on the side of him trying to hide her laugh in.

Why do I always do this to myself?

I turned around, ''I just swung a bat at my boss's face, didn't I?''

Ethan and Tatum nodded their heads.

Turning back around, I tried to look as nonchalant as possible.

''My bad, thought you were a murderer.''

He smiled.'' It's all good. Gracie wanted to stop by, and since we were in the neighborhood, i figured why not?''

''In the neighborhood, Mr. Archer? No offense, but I can't picture you just coming anywhere near a neighborhood like this.''

''What is it you say, I guess you'll have to see that to believe it,'' he smirked.

''Can we come in?'' he asked as they walked in.

Closing the door, I remembered all of my paintings were still out.

''Woah! What's this?'' Gracie asked, looking at one of my free draw paintings. Most of my paintings were free-drawn. I could never complete one. Every time I started one, I ended up getting too lazy or losing inspiration. Sometimes a mix of both. The only one I had ever been able to finish was the one I made when I was in Middle School, a little while before my grandma passed. It was a portrait of her. I still had it locked in my parent's basement.

''It's nothing, just some sloppy colors put together. Let me throw them in the room.''

''Sloppy? I thought it was beautiful. I didn't know you were an artist, Jasmine.'' Cole started staring at the painting.

''I'm not.'' I snapped and brought the rest of them into my room.

All four of us watched movies and talked. Soon Gracie fell asleep on my leg. While she was asleep, we talked about our childhood experiences and I could tell Cole was starting to warm up around my friends. He made jokes, sarcastic remarks, and whenever I looked over at him, he would flash me one of his dazzling smiles.

I was starting to fall for this man, and it was nothing I could do about it.