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We sat there for a while, just holding onto each other.
It was the kind of intimacy I hadn’t realized I craved—the quiet connection, the reassurance that I wasn’t alone in this.
Eventually, Cole stood, holding out his hand.
“Come on,” he said. “You need to sleep.”
I followed him to the bedroom, too tired to argue.
The room was as elegant as the rest of the apartment, but the bed was what drew my attention—a large, inviting space that seemed to promise rest.
Cole handed me one of his shirts to sleep in, and I smiled at the thoughtfulness of it.
As I changed in the adjoining bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror—tired eyes, faint traces of makeup smudged from the long evening.
But there was something else, too. A flicker of hope, of reassurance, I hadn’t felt in a long time.
When I climbed into bed, Cole was already there, his arms open in invitation.
I slid in beside him, nestling against his side. His warmth was comforting, his steady breathing a lullaby.
“Thank you for letting me stay over,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“You’re always welcome here, Tori,” he said.
He kissed the top of my head, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself relax completely.
The weight of the evening, of Marcus’ presence, of Samantha’s words—it all began to fade as I drifted off to sleep, safe in Cole’s arms.
TORI
The drive back to Oakridge was quiet, but it wasn’t the kind of comfortable silence I had started to enjoy with Cole.
Instead, it was tense, fraught with the weight of everything unsaid. Last night had been… something.
Waking up in his arms had felt safe, almost too safe, like I could finally let my guard down. But that was the problem, wasn’t it?
Safety wasn’t a guarantee in my life anymore, not with Marcus looming in the background like a shadow I couldn’t shake.
Cole’s hand was on the wheel, his gaze focused on the road ahead, but I could tell something was on his mind.
His jaw was set, his knuckles white against the leather steering wheel.
I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I also wasn’t ready for another heavy conversation. Not yet.
When we pulled into my apartment complex, my stomach twisted.
It wasn’t just the unease of coming back to reality after a night of peace—it was something more. Something felt off.
And then I saw him.
Aden stood near my door, a toolbelt slung low on his hips and a ladder propped against the wall.
He was drilling something into the frame, and when he spotted the car, he waved casually, like he belonged here.
“What the hell is this?” I asked, whipping around to face Cole.
He sighed but didn’t look at me. Instead, he parked the car and killed the engine.