It’s impossible to avoid his name, yet hearing his name fall from Rina’s lips causes me to freeze for a moment, an acheforming in my heart. Of course they would ask about Cole. Everyone’s been curious about him since he has returned.
“Uh, yeah,” I say, trying to sound casual as I sit back, keeping my tone neutral. “I just saw him the other day at the salon.”
Rina raises an eyebrow, her lips curling into a grin. “Just saw him? Someone told me they saw him at the shore a few days ago, and he looked like he hadn’t aged a day. Everyone’s talking about him, Kenz. I swear the town is swooning or gossiping about him. What’s really going on here?”
She nudges Natalie with her elbow, eyes wide with mischief. “You should’ve seen Janie from the bookstore. Said she nearly spilled her iced latte when he smiled at her. He’s like a walking romance novel now or something.”
Natalie lets out a quiet laugh but doesn’t look up from her phone yet. “Can confirm. He’s gone full Hallmark heartthrob. All the book club ladies are beside themselves. You’re the only one pretending like you’re unaffected, Kenna.”
I try not to wince at the way her words hit me, but it’s impossible not to feel that pang of nostalgia. Rina’s not wrong. Everywhere I go, I hear people whispering, speculating, even wondering if Cole and I are picking up right where we left off. But I can’t tell them the truth, can I? That everything about Cole—his smile, his laugh, even the way his eyes lock onto mine—is still so comforting.
I straighten my back, clearing my throat. “We’re just friends, Rina. Always have been. It’s nothing more.”
Natalie looks up from her phone, her eyes catching mine with a knowing look. She says nothing at first—just watches me, her silence makes me squirm, but Rina doesn’t notice.
“Okay,” Natalie says carefully, setting her phone down. “But if we’re being honest…we can’t talk about Cole without talking about Nathan too.”
Rina blinks. “Nathan?”
“Auto-shop Nathan,” Natalie continues. “The one you’ve been texting for months.”
My stomach tightens. “We’re just talking.”
Rina’s grin spreads. “For months.”
“And not moving forward,” Natalie adds gently, “even though you clearly could.”
I exhale slowly. “Because I knew Cole was coming back,” I admit. “And I didn’t want to cross a line I couldn’t uncross or one I would regret later.”
Rina sobers. “So you put yourself on pause.”
“I putuson pause,” I correct. “Nathan deserves more than half of me, and I knew I couldn’t give that while Cole was still this…unknown.”
Natalie nods like this confirms something she’s suspected all along.
“Your sisters grilled him at that dinner,” she says.”Millie and Lucie don’t do that unless they see potential..”
My cheeks warm. “That wasn’t my idea, trust me.” I mutter. “It was mortifying.”
Rina laughs. “Mortifying for you. Apparently he handled it like a champ.”
“He did,” I admit quietly. “Which somehow made it worse.”
“But he hasn’t met Cohen,” Natalie says, watching me closely.
I shake my head. “No. That’s the line I won’t cross. Not until I know what I’m doing.”
Rina sighs. “So you’re standing still while two different futures wait on you.”
The truth settles uncomfortably in my chest. Nathan isn’t a mistake. He isn’t a distraction. He’s the proof that I’ve been trying to move forward while keeping one foot planted firmly in the past. I thought holding back was the responsible thing to do. That it was protecting everyone involved, but now it just feels like another way of avoiding the inevitable.
Because no matter how steady Nathan has been, no matter how carefully I’ve kept things in that safe, undefined space, Cole’s return has shaken something loose inside me. His name alone stillcarries weight. History. A version of myself I’ve spent years trying to tuck away.
I know Rina sees it. She always has. She notices the way my shoulders tense whenever Cole comes up, the way I deflect with practiced ease. Natalie watches more quietly, but her silence is just as telling. They’re both waiting for me to admit what I haven’t said out loud yet. That some connections don’t fade, no matter how much time passes or how much you grow.
I don’t argue—because she’s right.
“Oh, come on,” Rina teases, leaning in. “You can’t be serious. I know you, Kenna. There’s always going to be something between the two of you. You were inseparable, remember? You can’t tell me you’ve completely forgotten that.”
