AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jenny banged around in the kitchen until the game came back on. “Pause it, please. I’m coming!”
I loved that she wanted me to pause the game, that she hated avocado ice cream, that she was making us sundaes, and that she was wearing my hockey team’s sweatshirt.
I loved everything about having Jenny back. And if that terrified the fuck out of me, I refused to admit it.
Not even to myself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
jenny
“What doyou want to do today, babe?”
I opened my eyes. Cole was next to me, eyes on my face.
“Were you watching me sleep?” I pulled the covers up to my chin. “Oh no—was I snoring?”
He gave me a broad smile, the smile I loved. “Not at all. Maybe a little drooling, but that’s it. I swear.”
I swatted him. “I don’t drool.” I wiped the corner of my mouth, just in case.
“Of course not. I was just teasing you. I like watching you sleep. You’re so peaceful. You look like a little kid.” He pulled me close against his warm, muscular body and peppered my cheeks and shoulder with kisses. “Mmm, you smell good. And you’re so warm.”
“It’s because I’m next to you.” I nestled against his massive chest. Although I had no business being in his bed, reuniting with Cole was healing my heart.
He held me tighter, and we were quiet for a minute.
“I’ll ask you again: what would you like to do today?”
I looked up at him shyly. “Whatever you want to do.”
“That’s the perfect answer, Jenny.” Cole waggled his eyebrows. “Because I have the whole day planned. Let’s get dressed. We have places to go and people—er, things—to see.”
I scrunched my nose up. “We do? What sort of things?”
“It’s all part of my master plan.” He shooed me out of bed. “Hurry, okay? We don’t want to be late. And wear sneakers, babe. We’re walking.”
Curious, I hustled through my morning routine, throwing my hair up into a ponytail and going with minimal makeup. I was almost done with a few swipes of mascara, a little lip gloss, and blush. But when I went to apply my eyebrow pencil, I winced.
Eyebrows made me think of Auntie Theresa.
I’d sent her the money, of course. I couldn’t risk her reappearing at Fifty Liberty, bullying Amari, and causing a scene. After I’d sent it, I’d forcefully pushed her from my mind. If I didn’t think about her, it was like she didn’t exist.
Except that was a Jedi mind trick that could only get me so far. If she showed up again—if she told Cole about my past—it would break me. It was bad enough that she was colluding with Cole’s father, but that was just another thing I refused to think about.
I tossed on a pair of tights and a tank top, hoping Cole liked it when I dressed like Sporty Spice. As instructed, I wore sneakers. When I reached the kitchen, his eyes lit up. “You look hot,” he said immediately.
Sporty Spice FTW!
“Thanks. You look pretty good, yourself.” Cole wore a tight-fitting T-shirt, dark jeans, a pair of Nikes, and an enormous platinum watch. He hadn’t shaved, so a dark scruff colored his jaw.Yum.”Are you sure you want to go out?” I asked, a hint of flirtation creeping into the question.
“Not when you look that good—but like I said earlier, I made a plan.” He held out his hand for me. “Let’s go have some fun.”
My heart soared as I went to him. Cole laced his fingers through mine, and right then, I was the happiest girl in the whole world.
Amari hadcoffees waiting for us—did I mention that it did not suck to be wicked rich? And the sun was shining as we exited Fifty Liberty. Cole kept his arm firmly around me as we navigated the sidewalks. He led the way, and as we headed down the Central Wharf, I couldn’t help but grin. “Are we going where I think we’re going?”
Cole flashed me the lopsided grin that I loved. “I’m not telling.” But soon enough, we reached the entrance to the New England Aquarium. “Ta-da!” Cole pulled me through the crowd to the Harbor Seal exhibit, where my favorite seals shot back and forth inside the tank. The spotted, pudgy seals were playing, zipping around in the cold water. There was Tuba, Chewbacca, and Reggae, all doing laps.
