The corners of my lips twitch and I nod. “I will.”
We end the call and instinctively, I step to Cole, wrapping my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest. “Thank you. I really appreciate you staying here with her.”
“You don't have to thank me, Ella,” he says with a softness in his tone as he holds me tightly and presses his face against the top of my head. “I am here for whatever you need, whenever you need me. Go be with them and make sure Iris is okay.”
Emotion washes over me, overwhelming my senses and I revel in the way he feels wrapped around me. He's surprised me more than I ever imagined. When I first saw him again, I wasn't looking for anyone. I didn't need any kind of distraction. I was fine on my own, doing my thing with Chloe and knowing I never needed another person to complete me. A relationship wasn't something I planned on getting into any time soon, especially when I was still trying to nurse the wounds that Jacob left.
Cole Wild helped me to heal. He showed me that not everyone is like Jacob Evans. There is good to be found in people. There is hope in the world. He has changed my view on so many things, but he also helped me to look at myself differently. There's still a lot of work to be done, a lot of internal habits and thought processes I need to change. But now there is a confidence within me that I never knew I possessed.
I'm starting to believe in myself more than I ever have before.
I'm starting to believe in this... in us.
“I don't know what I did before you,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. My nostrils flare, tears pricking at thecorners of my eyes. Now that he's in my life, I can't imagine it without him. I don't want to imagine it without him.
Even if he is only a friend.
“You did what you had to do, El,” he whispers, his hand stroking my head as he runs it over my hair and down my back. “But now I'm here to lift some of the burden from you. I'm here to do the heavy liftin’ for you.”
“I don't need you to do any of that.” I pull away and peer up into his eyes. “I don't want you to ever feel like you're taking on any of my problems or anything like that.”
He lifts his hand to cup the side of my face. “Then just let me be here by your side. I'm here to support you, to lend a helping hand. I'm at your disposal, Ella Daniels. Whatever you need, I'm your guy.”
I lift up on my toes, pressing my mouth against his as my lips melt against him. Cole holds onto me as he kisses me gently before pulling back.
“Go,” he says, moving me away from him. “Take your time. Take the entire day. When you come home, we'll be here.”
The words linger on the tip of my tongue, but I don't dare speak them out loud. “Thank you, Cole.”
“Anything for you, El.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
COLE
I'm in the kitchen when I hear her soft feet coming down the hallway. Turning around, I wipe my hands on the apron I found hanging in the mudroom and find a sleepy little Chloe standing in the doorway. She has a stuffed elephant tucked under one arm and the other has a soft pink blanket draped over it with more than half of it dragging on the floor.
“Hey Clo,” I say softly, a smile breaking out across my face. I walk over to her, crouching down to her level. Her blonde hair is a tangled mess on top of her head and she raises one fist to rub at her left eye. She looks like she could go back to sleep still and I can tell there's a touch of confusion in her expression. “Your mommy had to go see Aunt Remi, but she'll be back later today. You and I are going to hangout and do some fun stuff.”
I don't bother telling her where Ella actually went. At her age, she won't understand and the last thing I want to do is cause any anxiety or for her to get worked up at all. Chloe doesn't say anything and nods, her eyes assessing me like she isn't sure whether or not she's okay with it. I don't want her to freak out and I know I'm still a little bit of a stranger to her, so I need to find a way to ease into this to make her feel comfortable with me.
This isn't exactly how Ella or I planned on me getting to know Chloe, but I couldn't leave her hanging this morning. Ella needed to go make sure Iris is okay and be there for her friend. I didn't hesitate to jump in and help and it made my heart soar when Ella agreed to it. It was a leap of trust I wasn't sure she was ready to grant me.
“Do you like pancakes?” I ask Chloe.
I already know she does, but this is a way for me to get my foot in the door with this tough little critic.
Chloe nods her head, half craning her neck to see what I have going on at the stove.
“Have you ever made pancakes before?”
She purses her lips and nods her head. “Momma wets me help.”
“Well, since she isn't here, do you think you can help me? I don't know if I'm doing it right.”
Chloe's face cracks the slightest and a smile breaks through as she moves past me, walking over to the dining room table. I watch her as she grabs one of the chairs and the sound of the legs scraping against the floor echoes in the house as she pushes it over to the oven. I walk over, trying to help her, but she gives me a look that is exactly like one her mother would give if she didn't ask for help.
I can't help but smile as a chuckle rumbles in my chest. She climbs up onto it and I move over to her, making sure I'm there to catch her if she needs any help. She hands me her blanket and stuffed animal and I set them on an empty part of the counter before standing by the stove with her. Chloe picks up the spatula and tries to replicate what she's seen her mother do.
