“We have all the time in the world to deal with our issues. I’d just…I’d really like to do it together, if that's what you’d like to?”
Another nod.
“I don’t expect big declarations or grand gestures. I just want to be here with you.” I slide my right hand from his neck and press my palm against his pounding heart. “I want to continue learning what’s really in here,” I say softly. “If you’ll have me.”
“Fuck, yes,” he says, wrapping me up in his arms and holding me tight.
His entire body trembles, letting me know I was right about everything I just said.
But he’s not the only one who’s scared. He might never have done this before and is terrified of trusting his heart with someone, but I’m the one who’s already lost pieces of mine to someone who didn’t deserve it. I just hope that we can learn to get past everything that’s desperately trying to hold us back to allow us to move forward.
As we stand there locked in our embrace, the apartment buzzer sounds.
“That’ll be our breakfast,” Cole rasps.
“I can’t believe you weren’t brave enough to cook it yourself,” I tease, refusing to let him go.
“I wanted you to have something edible. I put you through it last night.”
I smile against his chest.
Yes, yes, he did. And I feel incredible because of it.
His lips press against the top of my head and he breathes me in as the buzzer goes again.
“I should get that. I promised to feed you.”
“Mmm,” I mumble, more than happy to just stay here locked in his arms and safely protected from the rest of the world.
“Go and get comfy on the couch,” he demands when he finally releases me. He sends me on my way with a swat to my ass, and I go with a happy giggle. But he doesn’t. When I look back, he’s still standing in the same place, watching me with an unreadable expression on his face. “Thank you,” he finally says, breaking the silence between us.
“What for?” I ask, confused. I’m only sitting on the couch.
“For taking a chance on me. I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’ve never…I’ve never had anything even close to this before, and I’m probably going to fuck it all up. I’m used to being alone and not having to think about anyone else, and?—”
“We’ll figure it out together. Be patient with each other. We’ll both make mistakes, but that’s okay. That’s how we learn.”
I can read his fear as if it were written on the walls of his fancy penthouse.
“I’m not going to walk away because you’ve done something silly, Cole. I’m here. I’m in this with you.”
He swallows thickly and nods.
“M-me too,” he rasps before the buzzer rings for a third time, and he finally spins away and goes to answer it.
“Melvin,” he says excitedly. “Yeah, yeah. Oh, perfect. Send it up. Shit.” Even from a distance, I see the way Cole’s shoulders tense. My heart slams against my ribs. What’s happened? “Okay. Yeah. No, I don’t think we have any plans. Yeah, I appreciate that, man. Thank you. Oh, there’s an extra coffee and cinnamon bun in that order. It should literally have you name on.” My chest tightens. This man just told me he isn’t used to looking after others, and yet here he is, ordering breakfast for the doorman. He knows exactly how to take care of people; he’s just never really had the opportunity to do so. Cole places the handset back before hanging his head.
“What’s wrong?” I call.
“There’s a crowd of people outside,” he confesses reluctantly.
“Shit,” I hiss.
“They’ll get bored,” he assures me before pulling the front door open and marching out in only a pair of sweatpants.
My stomach churns as memories from times with Rowan when the media would do anything to get a piece of him play out in my head. It was terrifying. They don’t care what lengths they have to go to; they just want to score the photo that will give them the big bucks and get their name in front of everyone. They’re no better than the celebrities themselves, searching for their little bit of fame at someone else’s expense. I’m just really freaking fed up with it being at my expense. All I want to do is live my life. I don’t want the media frenzy. I just want to live aquiet life doing the things I love with people who make my heart happy.
In only a few minutes, Cole is back with bags of food in his arms.
