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She shrugs. "He's got a loud voice when he's upset."
I let out a deep sigh while brushing my hand through my hair. Samantha chuckles as she grabs the comb from the sink and brushes her locks. "His body is like a giant, solid rock foundation—appearing intimidating, but his heart is pure.'' She gazes at me through the mirror. "I believe he's struggling with something. The tension between him and his mom at the door was thick. I've got a feeling that it has something to do with his father."
With utter amazement, I stare back at the young girl, who's now binding her hair into a ponytail as if what she said isn't profound.
"You are one smart young lady, Samantha," I reply with a sneaky smile. "But to answer your question, I don’t know."
I point to the clock on the wall next to the bathroom door. "Time to go home so that you can rest. I'll talk with him, see how he's doing." My heart is jumping in my chest with the perspective of coming eye to eye with Cole.
Samantha nods. "Good idea."
The momentthe elevator stops at their floor, my heartbeat increases to where I can feel it pulsating in my throat. When Samantha sticks and turns the key, my stomach is in a knot.God, I hope he's in a better mood than when we left.We walk into a silent living room—the dimmed light in the ceiling cascades shadows on the floor.
She stops on her way to her bedroom. "I think he's on the balcony. It's his favorite spot. He sits there most late nights. Thanks for today, Alisha. It was the most fun day I've had in a long time."
"Back at you." I sent her an air kiss. The moment she disappears into the hallway, my eyes wander to the door that's leading outside.
When I take a step forward, the sound of my heels on the hardwood floor produces a noise that's too loud. So I step out of my red pumps and place them by the dining table. The feel of the wooden floor under my feet grounds and calms my nerves. The door to the terrace is open on a crack, and as I push against it, the cool, chill wind sends quivers through my spine. God, how does he sit here? It's way too cold, even with the red blazer I'm wearing. My eyes instantly find him, sitting on a chair with his arms resting on his legs, wearing a dark blue jacket.
I ignore the temperature and walk further. Without a word or a glance his way, I pass him and stop at the baluster where I left him this afternoon. I bite my lip. It’s hard to remain silent. But silence is my fresh, just thought up approach to this situation. Since my Chatty Cathy method from earlier this afternoon backfired, why not try the opposite?
The sounds coming from the street are a soup of murmurs this high in the air. The cars in the street fascinate me. It's like watching a world of fireflies moving to and from their destination.
I shiver and brush my hand over my arms when a stream of cool night air swirls around me. A small grunt followed by footsteps makes me swallow.Is he leaving?I get my answer when I pick up his masculine cologne—he's close. The scent is as fresh as the wind, and it makes me want to turn, but I stick to my plan. Silence.
With care, he drapes something over my shoulders. I shift my gaze down to find it's the blue jacket he was wearing, and his warmth still lingers in it. His hands rest on my shoulders, and I close my eyes, enjoying the heat his body radiates as he keeps standing behind me. It's like standing before a heater that smells delicious.
I bite my bottom lip when his warm breath scrapes my skin as he sighs, "I'm sorry, Alex."
The sincere and fragility in the deep timbre of his voice fills my eyes with tears. I lift my right hand and place it on his left hand. The second our hands come into contact, electricity shoots through my arm straight into my heart. I lean back against his hard chest, and a breath I didn't know I was holding escapes my mouth when his lips plant feathery kisses on my knuckles. Hummingbirds go crazy in my abdomen. God, the contradiction in this man is overwhelming. This afternoon I came face to face with the full-on raging bulldozer he can be, and now he's the most tender giant who makes me weak in the knees with his gentlemanly actions.
"Can you forgive this hypocrite?" His beard brushes over my hypersensitive skin.
Without letting go, I spin around and gaze up at him. His messy short blond locks reveal he has brushed through them repeatedly. The top three buttons of his shirt are open, showing the skin of his throat and upper chest. But when my eyes set on his face, I become breathless. The blue spheres surrounded by long lashes hold a whirlwind of sadness I've never seen before. It's like he's floating in this sea of unbearable pain, and my heart wants to reach out to ease this beautiful man's suffering.
"There's nothing to forgive, Cole. I pushed you when I should have respected your boundaries. So let's say we're even."
He closes his eyes for a moment, and I admire the long lashes that touch his cheekbones. "I don't deserve you in my life, Alex. I deserve to live with my demons."
I place my forehead against his chest and put my free hand next to my face as a gulf of overwhelming emotions hit me. God, what happened to this man? If I could dive into the depths of the ocean right now and free him from his torturing hellions, I would do it in a heartbeat.
I lift my gaze, and as he did earlier, I lift our joined hands to place a kiss on his fingers. His breath hitches as my lips connect with his warm skin.
"You deserve to be free, Cole."
He shakes his head. "If you only knew what I've done."
My chin lifts higher, and I whisper, "Then show me. Make me understand."
Seconds pass as his stormy eyes study me. An internal struggle seems to brew inside of him. I'm sure he's weighing the pros and cons of his next decision. Then he takes a step back and squeezes my hand, and without a word, we walk. The moment my feet step inside, my body shivers at the temperature difference. The soles of my bare feet suck up the warmth as we keep walking down the hallway, straight into his bedroom.
My heart gallops as Cole lets go of my hand and strides toward the dark wooden cabinet next to his bed. I press my lips together as I watch him kneel and open the bottom drawer. I frown when he sticks his hand inside.What is he doing?
My eyes widen at the sudden clicking sound coming from somewhere in the room. I rub my now sweaty palms over Cole's jacket as I await his next move. He stands up and walks to the door I once tried to open. Placing his hand on it, he turns and stares straight into my eyes. "Behind this door is who I used to be. Go ahead. It's open."
22
ALISHA
