Page 19 of I Wish I Would’ve Warned You (Forbidden Wishes #3)

EMILY

“ H ey.” Cole nudges my shoulder, jolting me awake.

I sit up and realize we’re back at home, in the garage.

My lips still feel swollen and heavy, and as I turn to look at him, flashes of him making me orgasm for the first time cloud my mind.

“Thank you for the ride,” I say. “I appreciate it.”

“Anytime.” He steps out and, like the gentleman he is, walks over to my side and opens my door.

When we step inside, I spot a bouquet of pink and white balloons floating from a vase on the kitchen island. A small silver envelope hangs from their strings.

To Emily

From Mom.

I don’t bother grabbing it.

From where I’m standing, I can see through the glass doors on the other side of the kitchen; my mom is curled next to Aidan, her head resting on his shoulder.

“She told me your dad was taking her yachting overnight…” I mutter.

“Hmmm,” Cole says. “My dad never boats in weather like this. He might’ve told her he wanted to take her on a tour of it, though.”

No, I heard exactly what she said…

I nod, accepting that my mom is now deeply entrenched in the infatuation phase of her relationship. It’s the stage where she’ll tell little lies to me about where she’s been and where she’s gone, all to make herself endlessly available to her new man.

She never apologizes for this phase; in her mind, I gain something from it, too. Whether it’s her casting a blind eye to the cups of vodka I pour while I write, or the extra desserts she slips me from her dinner dates, in her mind, the new guy is good for me, too.

Ignoring the pain in my chest, I head upstairs with Cole behind me. He waits for me to slip into my room before slipping into his.

I head straight for the balcony, and Cole is stepping onto his landing at the same time.

We stare at each other for several moments, and then he unlocks the gate that connects his balcony to mine, and I move to his side.

Without saying a word, he grabs my hand and pulls me into his room.

He leads me toward the bed, and I sleep against him for the rest of the night.