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I snap my gaze at her. “I do not have feelings for Cole Garner.”
She scoffs, and the chair squeaks as she leans back. “Oh, don’t give me that shit. I know what you look like when you’re smitten. You like Cole. Don’t pretend otherwise. It’s a little insulting.”
Blushing, I glance away. “There’s just a lot more to him than everyone thinks.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her shrug a little. “I honestly don’t know what other people think. I haven’t asked around about him. All I know is that he went to prison, and he’s gruffy.”
I slide my gaze back to hers, squinting one eye. “Gruffy?”
She nods. “And grumbly.”
I chuckle a little and flip the binder shut. “Yeah he is, but he has his reasons.”
“And those are?”
My lips pucker. I lean forward, grab my sandwich, and take a bite so I don’t have to answer. Can I lie to Tori? I never have before about big stuff like this. Would she know if I lied? I mean, I understand Cole’s reason for what he did, but would Tori? We may be best friends, but we don’t always agree on everything.
“Oh come on, Tegan.”
I chew and swallow, biding my time. When I see that she’s not going to leave this alone, I sigh. “What he did to go to prison was justified.”
She raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to clarify. I don’t, so she presses, “Is that all you’re going to tell me?”
I shrug, and my tone is pitched higher when I explain, “It’s not my story to tell, honestly. But all you have to know is that it’s justified, and I would have done the exact same thing.”
“I see,” she says thoughtfully and, honestly, a little doubtfully. Almost like she doesn’t trust my judgment. Maybe she’s right not to.
“He’s a good guy, Tori.” I feel compelled to defend him, to have someone see him for something other than what he shows on the outside. “You’re going to have to trust me on that.”
Elbows on the desk, she touches her hands together in a prayer position and taps the tips of her fingers to her mouth. “Just promise me something?”
I narrow my eyes. “I make no promises until I know what it is.”
“Just don’t get hung up on a guy who may be incapable of getting hung up on you.”
My throat bobs as I swallow with difficulty. “How do I know, exactly, if he’s incapable?”
Her shrug is small. “The only way to know is if you talk to him.”
“And say what?”
She drops her hands back to the desk. “Just ask him where you two stand. If it’s just sex and friendship or if he feels something more.”
My shoulder suddenly feels tense, so I rub at it as I consider what she said. The more that I think about it, the more I know she’s right. I have feelings for Cole, and I can either let them grow into something I can no longer control or learn where I stand when it comes to him. I deserve to know before I get so wrapped up in a guy thatI’d get hurt if he walked away because I was nothing more to him than sex and friends.
“Okay,” I nod. “I promise that I won’t let my pussy lead me down the road of no return before talking to him about his feelings.” Even as I say the words, I know it’s not going to be an easy conversation to have.
She curtly nods and turns back to her laptop. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”
Chapter 17
Cole Garner
Brows pinched in concentration,I swipe the wet paintbrush against the cabinet door when I hear a car door shut outside. As promised, I left the walls alone, but Tegan and I didn’t discuss the cabinets. And since Derek is too cheap to buy new cabinets, I have to update the old ones.
A little paint goes a long way. They may not look new, but they look far better than what they did.
Leaning back on my heels, I survey my work. With updated hardware and new counters, whenever those come in, it’ll look like a new kitchen. Sort of.
