“See? Daddy can’t ring-ring,” she said.
Cole turned to me, and I concealed a smile, shrugging in response. Thankfully, he also laughed and attempted to stand back up.
And once again, I couldn’t stop watching him. Even in despair he looked absolutely captivating. Too captivating. How could a young, attractive guy ever be interested in an old man like me?
Yeah. Friends was probably the best we could be.
I offered him my hand and helped him back to his feet before he threw in the towel and announced it was time to get home. I held on to him, and Ella with my other hand, and guided them back to the exit so we could put our shoes back on.
By the time we got to the car, I could breathe like a normal person again. And Ella was cheering for more ring-ring. Even as Cole strapped her onto the backseat and promised her they’d be back for more ring-ring soon.
“No. I wanna go ring-ring with Sami,” she said.
That put a smile on my face.
“Any time, gorgeous girl.” I gave her a thumbs up, and she reciprocated before Cole shut the back door.
“Thanks for today,” he said.
I glanced at him and smiled.
“Don’t mention it.”
“No, of course I will. I had a great time.”
“You did?” I raised an eyebrow.
He nodded.
“Watching you with Ella was so sweet. I think she likes you.”
“I like her too. You’ve got a great kid.”
He let out a long breath. “And don’t I know it,” he said, and I gazed into his eyes, stilling my body for fear of it betraying how on edge he made me feel. How alive.
We were standing there for seconds. Seconds that felt like minutes, but just when I thought it was all about to be over, he leaned in. He leaned in, and I sucked in a deep breath, bracing myself as his lips touched my cheek.
It only lasted a second, but the ghost of his kiss lingered there like a tattoo that could never fade.
“Thanks for teaching her how to skate,” he said.
I had no idea if I even acknowledged his compliment in any way. In fact, everything became a blur past the kiss.
So it was no wonder that my next clear memory was standing in the middle of the parking lot, on my own, unsure how I got there in the first place.
But then it all came rushing back to me, and I made my way home feeling utterly hopeless.
The memories from today—from all three of our dates, of his company—haunted me, putting a smile on my face at randompoints during the day. So much so that it earned me endless teasing from Zainab who thought I must have had sex because “I was glowing.”
I didn’t know if that was true, but what I knew was that I was screwed. Utterly screwed. And not in a good way.
Because try as I might to deny it or stop it, I was falling in love with my new friend. I might not be experienced in matters of love, but I knew that much.
17.Cole
“How was your date?” Enzo asked after he and Carson helped me hoist the tree into the house and upstairs on the main floor.
Instead of answering, I walked over to the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. Was I avoiding the question? Absolutely. One hundred percent, yes.
