10
jenna
“Take it easy, Em,” Cole says and takes a step in my direction.
I immediately shy away, putting somemuch-neededspace between us. What is he thinking? I can’t be near him right now with Emma here, especially since he’s wearing nothing but a towel.
“I will not take it easy,” Emma cuts in. “I haven’t seen you in years, and I come out here to Mom and Dad’s lake house to find you with my best friend. And you …” Emma turns her icy glare to me, and my pulse skyrockets. “You’re secretly fucking my brother?”
“Emma,” I plead. My chest aches from her obvious anger toward me. I can’t believe I did this and didn’t think of the consequences. What did I expect her to say when she found out?That’s awesome, Jenna! It’s totally okay that you’ve been keeping Cole all to yourself and not letting his loved ones know he’s okay or that he’s back in town. Your happiness is all that matters.How could I be so selfish?
“That’s enough,” Cole intercedes. I feel his hand wrap around my waist as he draws me to him. My mind urges me to move, but my body craves the comfort, so I allow it. “The only person you need to be mad at is me. If you want, we can go talk, but you need to chill the hell out first.”
My heart is beating so hard as I look to Emma, silently begging for her forgiveness.
“Fine,” she clips. “But you need to go put some clothes on because I can’t take you seriously in that.” She turns from him to me, and I don’t get a chance to read her face before she cuts her eyes back to Cole. “I’ll be on the porch when you’re decent.”
As I watch Emma exit the house, I catch the scent of something burning and rush to the stove. The eggs are completely ruined, and as I turn off the burner I drop my head and let all of the emotions I’ve been holding back loose. My fifteen minutes of happiness are long gone, and back is the feeling of loss and emptiness.
Cole’s arms envelop me from behind, and he kisses my hair before turning me around. “Don’t let her get to you, Jen,” he tells me as he wipes away my tears. “She’s more in shock than anything, and she’ll get over it soon enough.”
I shake my head. “We’ve never been mad at each other—never given each other a reason to be mad.” I take in an unsteady breath. “Until now. What was I thinking?” I drop my head, but Cole’s fingers touch under my chin and lift my face to his.
“We did nothing wrong, Jenna. It’s not like we’re kids just fucking around.” He brushes my hair behind my ear. “I don’t know about you, but last night was a game changer for me.” He meets my gaze before his hand gently cups my jaw. “You’re the first thing in a long time that I’ve not regretted.”
My hand rests over his, and I briefly close my eyes as I nuzzle against his palm. “I don’t regret being with you, Cole. I just wish Emma wasn’t so upset.”
“I’ll take care of my sister. I’ll take care of everything, so don’t worry anymore,” he tells me, and then he grins before placing a tender kiss on the tip of my nose. That sweet, playful gesture makes my heart flutter and somehow puts me at ease. He has that control over me, and I didn’t quite realize it until now. I’m not even sure how he does it, but I like it. I like that need he has to take care of me—not out of obligation, but because he wants to. “Be back in a few,” he says and leaves me so he can dress and head outside to talk with Emma.
The wait makes me anxious as I wonder how the conversation’s going, so I make myself busy.Firstthing I do is get rid of those nasty burnt eggs and scrub the pan. All I need is Cole’s mother hating me for ruining her gourmet cookware. Once that’s done and the kitchen is clean, I move into the living room and do a quick tidy up in there. I glance out the window to see Cole still talking with Emma—her wild hand gestures and facial expressions letting me believe that things aren’t going well. I want to talk to her so bad, to try and help smooth things over, but I’m going to stand back and let Cole handle it. I need to trust him—and I do.
With Cole and Emma still deeply engrossed in their talk, I head off to the bathroom to get myself ready. I shower, dress, and brush my teeth and my hair before heading back out to the kitchen. As I pour myself a cup of coffee I hear the door open and turn to see Cole and Emma enter the house. Her brown eyes are rimmed with red, and I know instantly that she’s been crying.
“Oh, Jenna,” Emma says when she spots me and walks over to where I’m standing, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me tightly. “I’m so sorry I jumped on you like that.”
I set my cup of coffee on the counter and return her hug, fighting back my own tears and the lump that has somehow found its way into my throat. “No, I deserved it. We never keep secrets from each other.”
Emma laughs and loosens her hold as she pulls back to look at me. “I’ll let this one slide. After all, how can I be upset when—”
I see her eyes cut to Cole a moment before she lets her sentence fade, and the soft shake of his head peaks my curiosity.
“My brother’s finally home,” Emma continues, but I know that’s not what she was going to say.
“Why don’t you stay and hang out with us today?” I ask and release her as Cole comes to stand by me. His arms wrap around me from behind as he pulls me back against his chest. “We can relax by the lake andbarbecuelater. Plus, it’ll give you and Cole more time to catch up.”
“I could use a break from work …andfrom my house.” Emma laughs. “I love Uncle Roy, Aunt Marina, and their kids, but I can’t wait for them to be gone and have my house all to myself again.” She smiles at me and then to Cole. “Let me just check in with Ashley and make sure everything’s going okay at the shop first.”
Emma runs and owns a local bakery, and she recently converted the front of her building into a small dinette where her customers can sit while enjoying their pastries and coffee. The business has consumed her the past few weeks, especially since she’s making all of the desserts for her mother’s birthday party this coming weekend, and I’ve missed spending time with her.
“I told you everything would be fine,” Cole says to me when Emma steps outside to make her phone call.
I turn in his arms and smile as I rest my palms against his firm chest. “You made her cry,” I tease.
“Not on purpose,” he tells me. “Besides, they were happy tears. So don’t be too upset with me.”
Tilting my head back to look up at him, I smile and lean into him. “I am so far from upset right now. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this …” I pause and search for the right word. “Content.”
“Me too,” Cole says, and he dips his head down so his mouth meets mine.
