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“And I need to talk to you about why I had to meet with Amber at Peabody’s.” He paused for a few seconds. I thought he might have left. “Let me in. How am I supposed to fix any of this if I can’t see you? Come on, Kaitlyn.”
I pushed myself up from the floor and released the chain from the latch. I opened the door.
“Thank God. I thought you weren’t going to let me in.” Cole forced the door open all the way, until he was standing in front of me. His shirt was wet and he reeked of tequila.
I looked out into the corridor. It was empty.
“Are you expecting someone else?” Cole asked.
“Where did Amber go?” My eyes dropped to the floor. I didn’t want to be jealous.
“Home. To pick up Grayson. We had a lot to discuss.” He watched me. “She called when I was out.”
Now that Cole was standing in front of me, in my room, all my emotions were stronger, and being so near to him heightened everything.
I walked toward the dresser. “Maybe I should go. I could make this easier.” I started opening drawers and stuffing my new purchases back in their bags. The drawers slammed shut in my wake.
“What are you doing?” Cole followed me as I collected everything I had in the room.
“Am I in the way? Am I keeping you from Grayson?” I tossed a handful of shirts on the bed.
“Stop. Just stop.” Cole spun me around until his hands clutched my wrists. “You’re not leaving. And not like this.”
It was happening again—the air was charged and even though there were only inches between us, all I wanted was to erase them.
“Let me go, Cole.” I didn’t want to look at him. I knew he could melt any resistance I had, and the way he was holding me, he knew it too.
“I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but you’re not interfering with Grayson. Amber has made a huge decision and she wanted to talk to me about it.”
I let me eyes travel from the floor to his face.
“What did she say?”
He rubbed the scruff on his chin. “She wants to take a residency in London and write poetry.”
My mouth dropped. “What?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. She’s unpredictable that one. As far as I know, she’s never written more than a text.”
“And Grayson?” I was almost afraid to ask.
He looked at me. “I’m going to have full legal custody.”
“You are? Oh my God, Cole. That’s amazing. That’s what you wanted.”
He nodded, hiding a smile. “Yeah. It’s exactly what I wanted. And I have to get the documents drawn up before she leaves. Her classes start in the fall. That gives me about two months to get the Dunes set up and a real place for Grayson to live. It’s one thing for him to spend some time at the motel, but I need to find something permanent.”
“And it was Amber’s idea? The custody arrangement?”
He nodded. “It was her idea. I couldn’t be more shocked.”
“That’s not at all what I thought I saw.” I felt embarrassed and ashamed.
Cole crossed the distance, drawing me toward him. “I know it looked bad. I can only imagine, but Amber is only around because she has to be. And as much as it’s going to be hard as hell on Grayson, her taking a break is going to be a good thing.”
I nodded. “I know you’re an amazing father.”
His thumb grazed over my bottom lip.
