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He laughed and shook his head. “I miss that spitfire personality the most.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop.”
“You miss me, too, don’t you?”
Not even a little.
Have you ever dated someone, then looked back on said relationship and thought, “What the fuck was that?” That summed up my marriage. It was as if I’d had a bad fever dream and woke ten years later dazed and confused.
“Cole. No. I don’t. We’re moving on. I’m going to start dating. You’re going to date. We’re starting our own lives,” I explained.
“You’re dating? Who?”
“As if I’d tell you.”
He laughed again. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I used to love his laughter. That was until it was soaked in disloyalty.
“I have to go, but before I do…” I brushed my hand against the back of my neck.
I couldn’t help but think about what Tatiana mentioned and the harassment Alex had been facing. Even though that, too, wasn’t my business, I felt a tug at my heart to speak up to Cole.
“I wanted to mention something to you,” I stated.
He arched an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s going on?”
“I’ve heard a bit about the new restaurant owner, Alex, being harassed with vandalism. Has your team been looking into it?”
He narrowed his eyes. “What interest do you have in Alex?”
I could almost feel his jealousy simmering beneath his words.
“Nothing. I don’t think it’s right to have anyone in town harassed. We shouldn’t have those people doing things and not being caught.”
“It’s just kids doing kids’ stuff.”
“Cole, it still isn’t right. Maybe you should figure out who it is and teach them a lesson that those actions aren’t allowed in our town.”
“Or maybe an uppity restaurant owner should find a new place to put his business. My grandfather would’ve been pissed about what happened to that theater.”
“It was a run-down spot that hasn’t been used in years.”
“It was a staple of our town’s history. I took you on our first date there, you know.”
Yes, I knew.
He also spilled his whole Slushie on my lap because he was so nervous. What happened to that sweet boy? It still blew my mind how much a person could change throughout the years.
“Cole, can you just watch out and help Alex? It’s literally your job.”
“Fine.” He groaned like he used to when I’d ask him not to leave his dirty underwear on the kitchen countertops. “I’ll help him if you let me see your new place.”
“Cole,” I scolded.
“Or let me take you on a date.”
“Cole!”
He smirked. “You feel it, don’t you?” He gestured back and forth between us. “The heat we’re creating?”
“That’s not us. It’s ninety-three degrees outside right now.”
“Yara, mark my word. I’m not going to give up on us.”
Please do, Cole.
I sighed, exhausted by the conversation. “You know what? That’s my sign to leave.”
“All right. If you'd like, I can drop Cocoa off at your new place in a few days.”
“No.” He’d never step foot in my building if I had it my way. I hated that he even knew where I lived. “I told you. This is just our drop-off and pick-up location, Cole. I don’t want to engage in more than that.”
“But—”
“Has your therapist taught you about boundaries yet?” I chimed in.
He tossed his hands up in surrender. “All right, all right, I hear you.”
“Good. I’ll see you here in a few days to pick her back up. Good night.” I walked off without allowing him to take any more of my time. He’d already taken enough from me throughout the years.
As I headed home, I hoped to run into Josh, but I wasn’t that lucky. I did, however, end up sharing an elevator ride with Alex. Soon enough, I’d start thinking he was stalking me with the number of times we’d crossed paths. He allowed me to step inside first, and he followed after. He pushed both of our floor numbers, clearly remembering mine from before. Then he stood on the opposite side of the elevator. Silence. He didn’t even look my way. How could his nonexistent staring make me feel so…vulnerable?
And he had a crush on me?
Where, Tatiana? I needed a magnifying glass to spot said crush.
After he got off the elevator, his head slightly looked back toward me, and his dark eyes locked with mine for a split second. That was all it took from him—one look with those dark, piercing eyes sent my mind straight into a delusional fantasy world. Where nothing made sense.
He was so in love with me! It was almost embarrassing. Okay, maybe not love, but he had major like. I couldn’t tell before because the poor guy suffered so heavily from RDF that I thought he was constipated. But really, that whole time he was showing me major like signals. He didn’t look me up and down and wag his tail, but he did look my way. The way his eyes locked with mine couldn’t have been anything other than signs of a crush.
