My throat constricts, my breath catching within the confines as he plucks the oxygen from my lungs with his words. I swallow roughly, forcing my emotions back down into my chest, tucking them away in the neat little box I keep them in. I’m conflicted—so goddamn torn.
“Cole,” I start, my voice trailing off as his name dissolves on my tongue.
He smiles at me, shaking his head again as a touch of sadness creeps into his expression. “Compliments are allowed to be accepted, El.” He pauses, letting out a ragged breath. “Please, just let me speak my truth.”
The fact that he reads me like an open book has me instinctively wanting to take a step away. It’s like he reaches inside my brain and plucks my thoughts out with his fingertips. My facade is threatened by him. My mask has cracks in it and if he stares too intently, too closely, he’ll see the broken pieces inside.
What happened with Jacob and I destroyed my self image and confidence. Only within the past year have I grown more confident in myself and in my own skin.
I struggle accepting compliments from Remi and Iris. My mind can’t even begin to fathom accepting them from someone like Cole.
Someone who might mean it.
“Tell me about yourself,” I chance, breaking through the silence, attempting to shift the conversation. It’s an easy question, almost like an icebreaker. I’m not asking him to tell me his deepest, darkest secrets. Just the simple things.
“You already know me.” Cole tips his head to the side as he tucks his hands into the front pockets of his shorts. “What do you want to know, El?”
“Pretend this is your first time meeting me. What would you tell me if I were a complete stranger?”
Amusement dances in his eyes and he laughs quietly as he ducks his head. I watch him walk a slow circle around me, gently kicking the water with the tips of his toes. Droplets scatter along the surface of the river. He’s silent with his own thoughts and I desperately want to know what he’s thinking.
I want to know what keeps making him look at me from the corner of his eye with a coy smile, like he’s cradling a secret only he knows.
“What if we play a game?”
My lips form a flat line and I snort with annoyance, although I’m not annoyed at all. I’m entertained by this man. Enchanted, if you will. “We’re not children anymore, Cole.”
He chuckles softly, shaking his head. “No, I know that, Ella. Trust me.” His eyes darken slightly before softening. “Let’s do two truths and a lie. That’s easy enough, right?”
I swallow back the hesitation. “Right. You go first.”
Cole blinks, a smirk lifting his lips. “Okay. I never planned on staying in Silverspur Springs, but after I left, I found myself wanting to be back here.” He pauses as a thoughtful look passes through his eyes.
His voice dissipates, getting carried away by the breeze. I don’t care what words he speaks, I only want to hear more. I want to hear everything.
“That’s only one thing.”
He titters, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “Greedy,” he mumbles as he shifts his weight on his feet and moves beside me.
My heart skips a beat as his arm brushes against mine and he doesn’t move away. We both stare out at the river, the stars speckled in the night sky above us.
“My favorite color is green. I wanted to ride bulls instead of playing baseball, but I chose baseball instead.” He lets out a breath and turns to look at me. “And I enjoy long walks along the river at night.”
“We’re not even walking,” I say pointedly as a smile creeps across my lips. I look at him and meet his eyes.
He shrugs with a mischievous grin. “Tomato, tomato. Standin’ or walkin’—I just like the water.”
“Fair enough, but that was four different things.”
“Damn,” he chuckles, wrapping his hand around the back of his neck. “It was, wasn’t it?”
“Yep,” I laugh softly. “The lie was riding bulls. You never wanted to do that.”
His eyes narrow, not in a negative way, but like he’s assessing me. “How do you know that?”
“Because I remember you talking about it when we were younger. You were only ever interested in baseball, not rodeoin’”
“Hm,” he blows out a breath. “Alright. It’s your turn now.”
