Page 26 of I Wish I Would’ve Warned You (Forbidden Wishes #3)

EMILY

T he house I left is not the house I came back to.

Downstairs is now a maze of editors, PR staff, and Aidan’s podcast team. There's a full espresso bar on the marble island and two different assistants sorting through lighting equipment in the living room.

Someone asked me if I could step out of frame when I was walking out of the bathroom.

Apparently, this is a normal thing whenever Aidan is gearing up to release a new book and plan a countrywide book tour.

Not the slightest bit interested in asking questions about it, I toss my luggage into my room and shut the door. Then I slip into Cole’s room and undress before plopping onto his bed.

The sheets still smell like him. Musk, mint, something darker.

I scroll through his texts again, hoping he’ll show up soon like he said.

Cole

Running late. Don’t wait up.

Ugh…

I slip out of his bed and grab my clothes, barely getting my shorts on before I pull the door open—and nearly collide with Taylor in the hallway.

She jumps, blinking. “Why were you coming out of Cole’s room?”

I smooth my shirt like it matters. “Uh… just looking at his art.”

Her brows lift. “You went inside? He never lets anyone in there.”

“Well, he wasn’t there, so I didn’t really ask.” I start to move, but she plants herself in front of me like a puppy who thinks we’re still playing.

She squints at me. “You look different…”

“I just got back from a writer’s retreat,” I say. “Still readjusting.”

“Let’s get coffee and walk to the beach.” She loops her arm through mine and leads me downstairs.

I don’t bother protesting because I don’t want to spend time in an empty room.

After grabbing custom lattes from a staff tray, we take the path behind the garden that cuts through the trees toward the beach. The wind’s lighter than I expected, but the air smells like salt and sunscreen.

“It’s so cool that your mom is about to be a multimillionaire,” Taylor says, voice light as sea foam. “She’ll probably never have to work another day in her life.”

“Um hmmm…” I sip my drink. I’m slowly accepting that she’s an amenity that comes with this house.

“Did you meet any famous writers at the retreat?” she asks. “Take any amazing pictures?”

“No, not really. Everyone pretty much kept to themselves.”

“I meant hot guys, Emily. Brooding, tortured, reading-something-by-the-fireplace guys. Isn’t that, like, a thing?”

“Not exactly.”

“So you just went up there to write?”

I nod.

“Ugh. Bo-ring!”

I can’t help but laugh at her.

“Your luck is about to change tonight,” she says. “Trust me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll find out later.” She winks.

“I hate surprises.”

“Oh wow.” Her voice goes sly. “You sounded just like Cole when you said that. You two are becoming more like family every day, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say that…”

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure…”

“Well, it’s really like three things.” She bites her bottom lip. “Has Cole ever talked about me? Like intimately?”

Huh? “Not that I recall.”

“I guess that makes sense since you just met him, but…” She leans closer. “Do you ever notice the way he looks at me when I walk into the room?”

I blink slowly. “I’ve only been around you two a few times.”

“Focus, Miss Poetic Writer. I need you to help me write a few texts—letters, really—to tell him I’m ready. Like, officially ready. No more games. I want to be exclusive.”

“Wait… what?”

“We’ve been dancing around each other for years,” she says, dead serious. “First, you show up and get in the way of my big return message, and now that his cousin Matt is coming to stay here for a few weeks, it’s like the universe is testing us. Throwing blockades in our path.”

My brain stutters. “How much have you had to drink today?”

“A lot.” She grins. “Clearly too much because I ruined the Matt surprise.”

I exhale, grateful—for once—that it’s not another nuclear bomb from my mother and Aidan.

“Can you help me by tomorrow night?” she asks. “I want to tell Matt that I was right about Cole being into me.”

“Sure,” I lie. “How does Cole have a cousin if Aidan’s an only child?”

“From his late mom’s side.” She shrugs. “Oh—and whatever you do, don’t bring up the DUI thing in front of Matt. He gets really pissed about it as if Cole wasn’t in the wrong or something.”

“What?” My heart skips. “What DUI?”

“Oh, yeah.” Her voice drops. “Cole got charged with one a few years ago. He even served a little time in prison for it, but it’s a family secret. I can’t even tell my friends.”

“But you’re telling me…”

“You’re family now.” She smiles unevenly. “Trust me, if people knew Mr. Aidan Dawson’s son had a DUI charge, and just how bad that ‘accident’ was, that would totally tarnish his brand. I’m one for a good gossip, but not when it comes to family, you know?”

A sharp, cold prickle creeps up the back of my neck.

Like I’m being sized up for something I never signed up for.

Cole shouldn’t be upset with his dad about anything. He should be upset with himself…

“How do people not know if he went to prison?” I ask. “Isn’t that public record?”

“It’s a really long and complicated story.” She makes a zipped-lips motion as a few tourists walk behind us. “Just don’t tell Cole I said anything about it, okay? I’m sure he’s long over it by now, and I’m trying to focus on being his girlfriend, remember?”

She twirls once in the sand and heads back toward the house, humming to herself.

I don’t follow.

I just stand there, realizing just how little I know the real Cole…