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“Don’t say it.”
I promised him with my eyes that I wouldn’t.
Cautiously Cole removed his hand from over my mouth. I gri
“That reminds me. I need to speak to Rae.”
“She’s been very forthcoming.”
“Stay here while I go find her and kill her.”
“She’s here?” I said, looking around the store for her.
“She came in while Joss was talking.” He stilled and I followed his gaze to see Rae in the corner laughing with Ellie and her mum. “I’ll be right back.”
“Cole,” I protested, but he was already striding off.
“Uh-oh, someone’s in trouble.”
I turned at Ha
Ha
“She told me about Cole’s crush on Olivia.”
Delighted, Ha
“Yup.” I giggled. “Which is why Cole’s going to kill Rae.”
“What are we laughing at?” Liv hurried over to us with Jo, her eyes filled with curiosity as she bestowed her freaking amazing smile on us.
My own gaze took in all her voluptuous gorgeousness. She wasn’t beautiful like Jo, or glamorous like Joss, or stu
“Rae told Sha
We all stared across the room where Cole was laughing with Rae.
I snorted. “Well . . . he was . . .”
“I hope it doesn’t bother you . . .” Liv seemed unsure. “It was years ago. He was just a teenager.”
“Of course not.” I waved her concerns away.
“I’m just glad to see you getting along with Ha
I reassured her with a grin. “Oh, you mean because all his ex-girlfriends were crazy people?”
Cole’s sister looked surprised. “Cole told you?”
“Yup. Don’t worry. I’m not blind.” I looked at Ha
Relief glittered in her pretty brown eyes and it occurred to me this was obviously something she had to worry about every time Cole started seeing someone new.
“Anyway,” I continued, “it’s not like Cole and I are anything serious.”
Just like that the mood in our circle changed. And not for the better.
Jo looked visibly confused and upset. “But . . . Cole doesn’t do casual.”
I opened my mouth to explain but found I really didn’t know how.
“Issues.”
I spun around to find Joss standing behind us, apparently listening in.
She waved her wineglass at me. “I can spot someone with issues a mile off.”
“Issues?” Jo and Liv stepped closer, crowding me in. I was starting to feel a little trapped. “What issues?”
“Yes, what issues?” I snapped, forgetting this woman was my current idol.
Joss shrugged. “If it were my guess, I’d say the whole ‘not serious thing’ was your suggestion and it was your suggestion because of a bad breakup.”
Ha
Yes, I definitely felt trapped.
“Jesus, women.” Cole suddenly appeared, pushing past his sister and Ha
I wrapped my arm around his waist, thankful for the intrusion despite being likened to a lion cub. As much as I liked Cole’s friends and family, I wasn’t really up for sharing my past with them.
“We’re sorry.” Ha
Jo, however, wasn’t ready to let it go that easily . . . “What does she mean you’re not serious?”
“Jo.” Cole sighed. “Don—”
“Since when do you do casual?” She crossed her arms over her slim chest, a
I relaxed against her brother, remembering how Rae had told me Jo raised him. She was just being protective.
“Jo—”
“I don’t think—”
“Jo, sheathe the mother-bear claws.”
He said it in such an authoritative tone I wasn’t surprised when she snapped her mouth shut.
Cole’s fingers tightened their hold on my waist. “Sha
“And you’re my business,” she argued, glowering at me.
“Awkward.”
Everyone stopped talking and looked at me.
I blanched. “Did I say that out loud?”
Cole nodded, shaking with amusement.
Joss, Ha
* * *
To my relief, over the next few weeks, Cole never brought up “our situation.” I refused to call it a relationship even though very quickly I got lost in a blissful bubble with him. His attentiveness, his consideration, his cockiness and sweetness . . . it never wavered. It appeared that that was just who he was, and I had to admit it was nice.
Okay, so it was more than nice.
Cole didn’t hide his affection for me, although he still maintained a distant professionalism in front of customers, and he didn’t hide that he thought we were definitely going somewhere serious and that I’d eventually come to trust him. His optimism was kind of charming.
As was his good humor and his patience and . . . and, and, and!
I really wished I could find some kind of fault with him. But as we spent those weeks on dates at the movies, out to di
A thing I could deal with because . . .
I was happy.
And with the happiness came the guilt.
Logan was in prison while I shacked up with a gorgeous tattoo artist.
No wonder my family still hadn’t bothered to get in touch with me. I was happily living my life while my brother suffered for having tried to protect me. My sister hadn’t texted me since that last text weeks ago when she asked me to confirm I was alive.
And so for the last few days the worry over what my family would think if they found out about Cole had overtaken my contentment. It didn’t matter if Cole wasn’t really a bad boy at all. He looked like one, and that was all that would matter to my family.
I knew Cole could sense I was in a weird place, but thankfully he put it down to the fact that he was staying at my flat for the first time. I hadn’t invited him to stay with me, because secretly I liked the idea that I could leave Cole’s whenever I wanted. Not that I ever did, but the control was there. If Cole stayed with me . . . well, it was just much harder to kick someone out than it was to leave. But a few days ago Cole had insisted on staying the night. We’d argued. He’d won. Now he thought I was pissed off when in actuality I was neck deep in self-recrimination.
While I cooked di
“Shortcake, have you seen my phone?” he called out.
“Try the bedroom.”
A few minutes later I caught sight of him out of the corner of my eye. I glanced over my shoulder to find him standing in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a piece of canvas, eyes on me. He looked confused.