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He takes a few steps back, and grabs his phone lying near the weightlifting station and gives it to me while a sexy, lopsided grin spreads across his features. I open YouTube and search for that one particular song.
"This is my message to you," I say, holding out the device.
He grabs it and pulls me closer. With my arms around his waist, he watches the video and listens to the lyrics of Andy Grammer’s "The Best of You." When it ends, he slides it into his sweatpants’ back pocket and lifts me in his arms. "You’re incredible."
I place soft kisses all over his face and whisper near his ear. "You’re my man, Cole Walker. I love you."
He chuckles when a big yawn escapes my lips right after these words. "It's adorable how you get sleepy after sex."
"I can't help it. Your dick has worn me out."
The laugh he lets out reverberates through my chest and fills me with joy. I nuzzle my face in his neck as he carries me home. The silence and the warmth of his body, combined with the rocking motion, make me drift off to sleep in the safest place on earth—his arms.
* * *
"Good morning."
My eyelids part when Cole's deep voice and the sweet caffeine-giving aroma reaches me. "Hey," I say, pushing myself into a seating position.
"I have to go into the office for a meeting. Can you drive Samantha to school?"
I lift my cast-free arm. "Sure, no problem."
He pecks my lips and hands me my coffee. "See you later, gorgeous."
As he rises and turns, I smack his behind. "You bet your exquisite ass on that."
With a wink, he strolls out, and moments later the front door closes. I take a comfortable seat with my head resting against the headboard, sipping my espresso.
It's been ten days since the dinner at his mom's. Cole has been clear he doesn't wish to talk about the situation at the moment. Instead, he focuses on work and gets rid of the overflowing emotions by getting up at the crack of dawn for a few rounds in the gym. I joined him a few mornings in which he continued to teach me how to box and defend myself. But this non-morning person hit her max with early risings.
Knock, knock.
"Alisha?"
"Hey, Sam, come in."
The sweet teenager strolls through the door and sits on the side of the bed. She places a book next to her and fiddles with her ponytail's end.
"What's up, Sam?"
She sighs. "I tried to speak to Cole this morning, but he said he isn't ready to talk about his mom."
I lower my coffee and glance at Samantha who's inspecting the bedsheets. "Want to talk to me instead, honey?"
She stares at her fingernails and chews on her bottom lip for a few moments, but then she nods. "I know what Carmen did is terrible, but do you think he'll stay with his decision of cutting her out of our lives?"
I let out a long breath.Thank God, she didn't ask him this sensitive question."I don't know, honey. Cole is trying to come to terms with what happened. He needs time to process. But tell me, Sam, what are your thoughts and feelings about the situation? It seems you've done some contemplating of your own."
She looks away when her irises become glassy. "The first few days, I was mad at her for what she did, but..." She stops and strokes her palm over the bed linen.
I reach and touch her hand. "Hey, it's okay. There is no judgment here."
Her eyes dart up to mine. "You'll think I'm crazy."
When I don't react and wait, she continues, spilling her genuine feelings. "When are things going to settle, Alisha? First, I lost my mother and grandparents. Then Leo broke my heart by disappearing. And now my dad is in pain, and I lost another grandmother."
I reach forward and pull her against my chest when her shoulders shake as her tears come flowing out. "Oh, sweetheart." I bite my lip to control my emotions while cradling her as she lets out her grief.God, I wish I could ease her agony.After a while, she sits back up, and grabs the book that she brought.
