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He took a half step backward, with one hand still touching my face. Tilting my gaze upward, to meet his, Cole smiled.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. “I had to try. If you weren’t involved and I didn’t do anything, I’d have to kick my own ass.”
I said nothing, only stared back at him. We were barely moving now, just standing in our corner of the dance floor. With his suit jacket off and his top three buttons open, he looked so much like a man.
“C’mon.”
Cole took me by the hand and led me away, until we were standing near the tables again. He was so gorgeous I couldn’t stop looking at him! But I also couldn’t look for too long.
Tate. Jacob.
All at once I was exhausted. But it was a mental and emotional exhaustion now, to go with the physical.
“Cole,” I began softly. “I—”
The song changed again, this time to Last Dance. Every woman in the place rose at once, as Donna Summer’s unmistakable voice called everyone back to the dance floor one last time.
“Go,” Cole grinned, nodding in the direction we’d just come. “Take a few more candids of the bride, dancing with her shoes off. Those are always good shots.”
I nodded and smiled. “O—Okay.”
“Say your goodbyes afterward, and meet me outside. I’ll bring the car around.”
I bit my lip and nodded, not knowing what to say. I wanted to hug him. Thank him.
Hell, I wanted to kiss him again too. But—
“And Serena?”
I half-turned, raising an eyebrow. “Yes?”
Cole’s grin was broader than ever. “Trust me, it’s all good.”
Twenty-Four
SERENA
The Uber pulled away as I popped open my mailbox and pulled out the latest stack of bills. As always, half of them were yellow. As if that little trick actually worked.
“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you…” I murmured, going through the electric, gas, and water bills beneath the muted streetlight. “You’re cool,” I smiled, setting aside a thank you card for attending a friend’s baby shower. Then back to the bills again: “Fuck you, fuck you…”
I couldn’t remember which movie the line was from, but it definitely applied. Sometimes life didn’t just imitate art, it outright copied it.
My legs were about ready to give out as I headed up the walkway and into the house. I’d nearly worked a double today. After being ready to sleep late as I did most Monday mornings, I’d been called in to help with an overhaul to the restaurant’s dining area that started at 6am. It paid overtime though, so I couldn’t keep away.
Halfway to the door, I stopped. Tate’s truck was here, but so was Jacob’s.
Oh.
My stomach rolled. I’d expected one maybe, but not both. Al
l day long I’d been thinking about seeing them again, and worrying about whether it would be awkward. Part of me was excited. The other part nervous, with ‘first date’ jitters.
I told myself I was being silly as I approached my front door. It was strange, having people in my house at different hours. Even weirder seeing it all lit up before I even got home.
I entered to the sounds of life… and the rich smell of beef, onion and garlic. The guys were in the kitchen, laughing about something. Tate was even stirring a pot with one of my wooden spoons.
“Hey! Welcome home!”
