“Yes.” My hands tightened on her. “You’re staying.”
“I’m falling in love with you, Cole.” She watched me like she expected me to freak out about it.
“Good.”
She laughed. “You’re okay with that?”
“Hell, yes. This is your home now, and I’m never letting you go.” I rose and set her on her feet. Then I took her hand and led her down the hallway to the spare bedroom.
The room was empty, with just a few boxes stacked against the wall.
“I ordered a big corner table for in here today.”
Her brow creased.
“Somewhere for you to make your jewelry. You can decorate however you want. Get whatever you need. This room is yours.”
Her face warmed. “Cole.”
“You can make your jewelry and sell it.”
She jumped on me and laughed. “I’m really going to fall crazy in love with you.”
I held her tightly and never wanted to let her go. “Same, sunshine. Same.”
CHAPTER 27
LILI
A few weeks later
“Now carefully bend the wire. There you go.” I smiled at Ava-Jane.
She smiled back.
Sure, it was a weak version of her old smile, but it was a smile. I’d take it.
We were sitting side-by-side in my sunny little jewelry studio room. The corner table Cole had ordered me looked fabulous and I now had small little drawers stacked on it that held all my beads and metals. There was a framed photo of Cole and I on the corner of the desk. Lark had taken it one night when we’d all been eating at Elysium,the Avernus’ best restaurant. I was sitting on Cole’s lap, laughing and he was smiling while looking at me.
Ava-Jane was still staying at the Avernus. She was seeing a therapist that Landon had organized, and talking with her mom.
And today, she was finally going home.
“I’m kinda getting the hang of this jewelry making thing,” Ava-Jane said.
I bumped my shoulder against hers. “You are.” I was working on a new bracelet for Cole. It had heavy bronze links, and I couldn’t wait to give it to him.
He was out at Darkwolf Tactical today, doing a training session.
I loved the life we were making together.
We’d settled into living together in the blink of an eye. We cooked, watched movies, he read while I made jewelry. We’d had several loud dinners with the gang, and I’d also had a couple of girls’ nights out with Georgie and Lark.
And sex.
Cole and I had lots of amazing sex.
I felt heat in my cheeks and hid my face from Ava-Jane. My friend was happy that I was falling in love with Cole, but a small part of me still felt guilty that I was so happy when she was so hurt.
