Cole sets a plate down and turns to face me fully, his gaze soft and understanding. “Kenna, the only person who should be sorry is me,” he says, his voice low but firm. “I was the one behind the wheel that night. No one else. If I had known what would happen, I never would’ve gone to that stupid party. A few hours of fun weren’t worth losing a life with you.” His words are a confession, raw and unfiltered, and I can see the weight of his guilt in his eyes.
My heart clenches, and I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat, struggling to find something to say. “Cole…”
He takes a deep breath, steadying himself before he speaks again. “I haven’t had a drink since that night, Kenna. And I never will again.”
I hesitate, a memory surfacing of that night at the bar. “But you were??—”
“Just because I was at the bar doesn’t mean I was drinking alcohol,” he interrupts gently, his gaze never wavering. “I swear to you, Kenna.”
I search his eyes, trying to find any signof dishonesty, but all I see is truth. My heart lifts slightly, the tension in my chest easing. Relief washes over me, and before I can stop myself, I step forward and wrap my arms around him. Cole doesn’t hesitate. His arms close around me, holding me tighter than I expected, as if he too has been waiting for this moment.
As I close my eyes, I inhale his familiar scent, and I feel his warmth enveloping me. “I’m glad you’re my son’s father,” I murmur against his chest, the words coming out softer than I expect. “I just wish you were more to me.”
Cole pulls back slightly, searching my face, his expression unreadable but gentle. “Why can’t I be more?” His voice is soft, full of something deeper than I expected. “I’ve wanted to be with you since the moment I got back into town. Hell, even before that.”
The words send a shiver down my spine, my heart pounding faster. He takes a deep breath, as though steadying himself before asking the question that hangs between us.
“I’m taking a risk here, Kenna,” he says quietly. “But I have to ask. Will you be my girlfriend again?”
For a moment, all I can do is just stare at him, emotions swirling within me like a storm. The feelings I’ve buried deep down for so long rise to the surface, and without thinking, I nod. “Yes.” The word comes out more easily than I expected, and it feels like a weight lifting from my chest.
Cole’s face breaks into a slow, relieved smile, and for a moment, everything seems right again. I lean in, pressing my lips to his. The kiss is soft at first, hesitant, but then everything falls away, and it’s just us. The two of us, reconnecting in a way we hadn’t in years.
A sudden burst of laughter snaps us apart, and we turn to find Cohen lingering by the armchair, his backpack dangling from one shoulder like he forgot he was wearing it. His grin is all mischief, eyes sparkling in a way that says he’s been watching longer than he should have.
“Eww!” he declares dramatically, scrunching up his nosebefore darting down the hall toward his room. His laughter trails after him, bouncing off the walls with the easy joy only a kid can pull off.
Cole chuckles under his breath as he watches him go, shaking his head with affection. “That kid,” he says, but there’s pride in his voice, warmth that settles in the space between us.
I can’t help the smile that rises—soft, unguarded, real. It feels like something that was tightly knotted finally loosened, and my chest feels lighter than it has in years. When I turn back to Cole, his eyes are already on me, and something shifts in the air—quiet, certain, almost tender. It’s not spoken, but it’s there. The sense that whatever this is, it’s finally allowed to move forward.
As we settle onto the couch, the atmosphere between us feels different—softer, warmer, like we’re finally stepping back into the life we once shared, but with new understanding.
The quiet hum of the house surrounds us, the comfortable silence filled with the occasional sound of the house settling, Cohen’s distant laughter as he loses himself in his comic book, and the gentle clinking of the dishes we left to dry in the kitchen.
I can’t help but glance at Cole, who’s leaning back on the couch, his arm resting casually along the back. His presence feels like home, like it always has, but it’s been so long since I allowed myself to admit that. Maybe I didn’t know how to make room for him again, or maybe I feared what it would mean, of how much it would hurt if things didn’t work out. But now, sitting here with him, I feel a strange sense of peace I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
He looks over at me, his gaze soft but searching, like he’s trying to read me, to understand what I’m feeling. “You okay?” he asks, his voice low and gentle, as if trying not to disturb the fragile moment between us.
I smile, though there’s a hint of uncertainty in my eyes. “Yeah, just thinking.” I look down at my hands, the movement of my fingers distracted, fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve. It’s hard to admit how much I’ve missed him, how much I’ve missed us, but I know I have to face that truth now.
Cole leans forward, his elbow resting on his knee, his eyes locked on mine with that familiar intensity that always made me feel like I was the only person in the room when he looked at me. “You don’t have to say anything if you’re not ready,” he breathes, his voice quiet but full of sincerity. “But when you are...I’ll be here.”
I feel a warmth spread through me at his words, a feeling of safety that I haven’t felt in a long time. My heart swells, and for the first time in years, I let myself breathe easily. Maybe we’re not all the way back yet, but there’s a chance. There’s always been a chance.
“I don’t know what this is, Cole,” I say, my voice shaky as I finally look him in the eye. “But I can’t keep pretending it’s nothing. You’ve been in my heart all this time, even when I tried to push it away.”
He says nothing at first, just watches me, like he’s trying to understand every word, every shift in my expression. His gaze doesn’t waver, and I feel like I’m finally being seen—truly seen. The weight of it all, the past, the pain, the love, is too much to keep inside any longer.
I whisper, “I’m scared,” the words escaping before I can stop. “I’m scared that as soon as I want you again, I’ll lose you for good.”
Cole shifts closer, his voice barely above a whisper as he reaches for my hand. “Kenna,” he says softly, squeezing my hand gently. “You won’t lose me. Not now, never.”
I look at him, the sincerity in his eyes striking me to my core. He’s here, and he means it. He’s not running away this time.
“But what if I’m not enough?” I ask, the vulnerabilitycreeping in again, my heart laid bare. “What if we just end up hurting each other?”
He shakes his head, his thumb brushing over my hand in slow, steady strokes. “We’ll never know unless we try. And I’m ready to try. For you, for Cohen, for us.” His words are steady, sure, like a promise that he’s not backing down this time.
