Unfair to push him away while secretly hoping he would stay.
And calling that night a mistake…
That had been wrong.
Deeply wrong.
Because it had not been a mistake.
I’d had an amazing night with him.
And the truth I had been trying to bury finally surfaced in my thoughts.
I had felt things with Cole that I never thought I would feel again after Caleb.Feelings I had buried so deeply I believed they were gone forever.
But Cole had quietly changed that.
And the painful irony was that he did not even know it.
I had never told him any of these things.
Not once.
Instead, I had pushed him away.
I had waited for him to call.
Or send a message.
Anything.
But nothing had come.
The silence between us had been prolonged.
He had come by the house to see the children, but even then, he had called Geeta beforehand to make sure I was not home.
He had avoided me.
Completely.
It hurt deeply to see our friendship come to this awkward, painful distance.
“I’ll grab a cup of tea,” I said, pushing my chair back. My voice sounded distant even to my own ears. “Can I get you a coffee?”
Jack nodded.
I walked into the kitchen, grateful for the brief moment alone. I filled the kettle and set it on the stove. Before the water began to heat, I heard hurried footsteps rushing toward the kitchen.
I looked up.
Jack stood in the doorway.
His face was pale.
Completely pale.
My stomach dropped instantly.
