“I see I’m just in time.”
“Holy hell!” I jump, turning around tosee Cole standing there. “You scared the shit out of me.” I punch his arm.
He laughs. “Sorry, but not really. Nowlet’s unmake this bed and christen it.” He grabs my hips, pulling me to him.
I suck in a breath. “We can’t.”
“The hell we can’t.” He backs me up tothe bed.
“Kurt’s asleep in the family room.”
“I saw. He’s asleep with the televisionon. We’re good.” Cole captures my mouth, lifting me up on the bed and pushingme up it. I lay on my back, looking up at him. He takes his jacket and beltoff. He scrunches his nose at me. “What are you wearing?”
“Oh this. It’s my favorite comfy outfit.I’ve missed it.” Cole leans down, sticking his finger in the hole of my shirtunder my armpit.
“Hey,” I laugh, lowering my arms.“Careful. I’ve had this shirt since high school.”
“I can tell.” He smiles. Cole runs hishands along the waistband of my capris, and he lifts my shirt up, kissing mystomach. But it doesn’t do anything for me. I’m too anxious about tomorrow andeverything else. I promised my mom no ‘hanky panky’ in her words. That and Kurtis asleep in the family room.
“Cole,” I grab his hands, stopping him.“I can’t, not with Kurt here. And well…” I glance away from him. I don’t wantto tell what I promised.
Cole lays down next to me and then turnsme so we are facing each other. “And what Cookie?”
I bite my lip, lowering my gaze. “Kate.”Cole puts a finger under my chin, lifting it back up.
“I promised my mom we wouldn’t sleeptogether, or see each other until tomorrow, when I was walking down the aisle.”
“Oh.” Cole falls back on the bed.
“I’m sorry, but she kept going on and onabout tradition and wanting me to have the best experience possible, so Ifinally said I would. And then she made me promise.”
“I might survive.” He turns back to me,caressing my face, a smile on his.
“I don’t know if I will.” We sit insilence for a few minutes. “Isn’t this the part where you say we should elope?”
Cole laughs, pulling me on top of him,pinning my hips to him. “Let’s elope, Cookie. Just you and me and Elvis’ Chapelof Love.” We both laugh for a minute, but then Cole’s eyes turn dark and hereaches up, kissing me. Before either of us knows what’s happening, both ourshirts are off and we are tangled together in the heat of the moment. I grip myfinal straw of reality, tightening my arms around Cole’s back, stopping him.
“If Kurt wasn’t here, I wouldn’thesitate.”
He nips my lips and moves down to my jaw.
“I know, baby. It’s okay. We will justhave to break in our new bed another night.” We lay together for a while, Colelightly running his fingers over my bare arms. “Aren’t you tired?”
“Exhausted,” I breathe.
“Try not to think. Just be here with me.”
I give a snort of laughter. “It’s notthat.” I turn looking at Cole. “I drank an energy drink to stay awake so Icould watch a movie with Kurt and he’s the one who fell asleep.”
Cole shakes his head, laughter on his face.“Oh, Cookie. I better go. Will you walk me outside?” I get up, putting my holyBruins t-shirt back on and walking with Cole out to the suburban. I kiss himgoodbye and watch him as he drives away. I walk back to the bedroom and crawlinto bed, willing sleep to overtake me, and after an hour or what I think is anhour, I finally doze off.
…
I wake with a start, a bit dazed anddisoriented, but then remember where I am. I glance at the alarm clock and layback down with a huff. It’s only four thirty in the morning. I’ve only beenasleep for three hours. Ugh. I pull the blankets back over my head. I try toclear my mind of all thought and take deep breaths, but it doesn’t work, so Iget up. I can’t watch TV. Kurt’s asleep on the sofa. There isn’t any alcohol inthe house, and I don’t even have Cole here to help tire me out. I could callhim. No, not with Kurt here, but maybe I could go to him.
I crawl out of bed and slip on a pair offlip-flops and pick up my keys. I look Kurt over and fix his blankets. He’ll beokay by himself for an hour. I press play on the movie again and turn thevolume down. The noise will help him sleep. I’m pretty sure he sleeps mostnights in front of the TV. I lock the house up and then get into the Dart.There’s still a chill in the air, since it’s only May, and I shiver in the car.There’s one great thing about this car and that’s the heater. That’s half thereason I call it the beast. Once I’m in front of the Hilton, I text Cole:Wakeup.
It only takes a few minutes, and he textsback:I’m awake.
