Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I feel the air constrict in my lungs as I sit there, completely dumbfounded. I was looking for the truth, and now I had it. After a couple of minutes of pulling ourselves together quietly, the pizza arrived. We had both lost our appetites, and even though we both agreed that this was our favorite pie, we couldn’t finish it. We could barely eat the slices we had on our plates.
“Do you know the guy with the glass eye?” I ask as I play with the melted cheese on my plate.
He sighs loudly, making me look up and see his mournful eyes. “I did. I knew him well, once upon a time.”
I nod in response. “It’s a lot to take in. I guess it’s different, hearing it from your perspective, since you were older than us and actually remember it.”
“I remember it every day, and every day, I wish I didn’t,” he replies solemnly.
Chapter 20
Present
5 months later
Everything is blooming outside of the full-length windows of the two bedroom apartment Cole and I bought together a couple of months ago. We decided that we’d look for a bigger place later—when we really need one. Our place is close to Soldier Field and to any job that I’ll get once I pass the bar this summer (knock on wood). Aimee and I have been studying for a couple of months now. We’re both excited to put the killer that is law school behind us and get on with our lives.
As I rummage through the kitchen drawers, looking for a spatula to decorate a cake for Cole’s birthday--which is today--I stumble across the Christmas card we sent out months back and smile. It’s a picture of Cole and I standing in front of the tree in Rockefeller Center in New York, as we do our best Home Alone “scream face” expressions. I tuck the picture back in the drawer when I hear the shower turn off. I go back to icing the cake and turn around when I hear the bedroom door open. I turn and find Cole dripping wet, with a towel wrapped around his waist. His wet long hair is flicking up and down every time he blinks, and his crooked grin tells me he’s up to no good.
“Why are you wet?” I ask crinkling my nose.
“I thought you were going to sneak up on me in the shower,” he says with a fake pout.
I laugh. “Aww, poor baby. Get back in the shower, maybe I’ll make an appearance in a couple of minutes.” He smiles, flashing one dimple and winks at me before turning around—fully aware that I’m gawking him—and lets his towel fall to give me a view of his perfectly sculpted ass. I gasp loudly, which makes him laugh before facing me to show off his very hard—all over—body. I toss the spatula aside, throw off my “While I’m Wearing This: I’m The Boss” apron, and run to jump on him, wrapping my legs around him as he squeezes my bottom and walks us into our room.
That night, Aimee, Aubry, and Mark come over for cake and ice cream. We all settle down around the living room, talking about anything and everything. Cole, Mark and Aubry get into a heated conversation about street lights--yes, really, street lights.
“Why it is that you didn’t go into law school, Cole?” Mark asks with a laugh.
Cole smirks. “Because I don’t like bullshitters.”
I slap Cole playfully on the shoulder. “Hey! I’m not a bullshitter!”
He grabs my hand and pulls me into his lap. “You are, and I love you anyway,” he says before stopping my reply with a searing kiss. I’m breathless when I pull away. “Asshole,” I mutter against his lips before smearing his face with the piece of cake I had left on my plate. We spent the rest of the night throwing cake all over each other. When Aubry shoves a blob of ice cream down the back of my shirt, I decide play time is over. After we clean up and everybody leaves, Cole and I shower and lay in bed grinning at each other.
My heart is overflowing with love for him, for us, for our life together. As I look into his loving green eyes, I think of all the years I’ve known him and all the years that I will continue to know him, and it makes me smile brightly. I am so thankful for him. He’s never given up on me, no matter how crazy and impossible I get. And I do get crazy and impossible—often.
I lean into his face, and just as I’m about to kiss him, I whisper, “I love you, Cole.” He doesn’t return my kiss, and his face is priceless when I back away. He looks at me in awe before leaning up on his forearm to looks at the time.