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I have to laugh. He’s letting me have my ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ moment, but he’s still possessive and wants to shamelessly claim me.
The ladies at the next table, who’ve apparently been eavesdropping, cheer. “Ooh, girl, did you hear that?”
“Yeah, and what he said,” I add, feeling a blush creep up my neck.
“Whatever,” Henry snaps, still eyeing Cole like he’s considering possible angles where he might come out on top but finding none.
The truth is Cole is ten times the man Henry will ever be. Not because he’s stronger, richer, or more attractive. Or because he’s perfect, because he’s definitely not. It’s because I don’t have to wonder where I stand with him. He’s upfront and honest to a fault. I don’t have to search for silver linings in Cole. He’s all gray, all the time, but that’s somehow exactly what I need. I don’t have to hide any part of myself, not even the weird ones, with Cole. He accepts me as I am and celebrates everything about me.
I’m done here. I’m glad to have had this opportunity to tell Henry what I think, but it won’t change anything for him. He’ll brush me off easily, the way he always did. But it did change something for me. I have a sharper clarity now on my relationship with Cole and what it means.
“Let’s go home,” I tell Cole.
He doesn’t answer, just guides me away from Henry. I don’t look back, not even once. I don’t need to. That part of my life is over. That version of myself is gone.
I’m sure Cole looks back, though, because he chuckles at my side as we exit the diner.
Outside, he stops us, creating a safe space for me with my back against the wall and his hands on my hips. “You okay?” he asks, lifting my chin with a finger. When I meet his eyes, he’s gazing at me in wonder.
“Yeah,” I answer, then reconsider. “Actually, better than okay. It felt so good to finally say all that,” I confess.
Cole grins, looking proud of me. “It was sexy as hell.”
The recognition is hard-won, but I fought for it, earning it myself . . . but with Cole’s help. He’s the one who truly showed me, time after time, what I should expect in a partner, what I should demand for myself, and what happiness can be.
“Thank you,” I say. I lift up to my toes and press a kiss to his lips, stealing that smile for myself.
“Didn’t do anything. That was all you, woman,” he answers. But I see the quirk of his lip. He knows what he did.
CHAPTER 26
JANEY
Sitting on the arm of my couch, I stare out the window at the street, watching for a silver Suburban to pull into my driveway.
“Do you think they forgot me?” I call out to Cole.
He’s in the kitchen, eating reheated spaghetti from a plastic bowl. “Do you have your Red Bull and trail mix?” he answers, avoiding my question. “No telling how long it’ll take with all of you going, and I don’t want you to get hangry or decaffeinated.”
Distracted by his suggestion, I tap the bag at my side, feeling the cold energy drink and hearing the crinkle of my Ziploc baggie of snacks. “Yeah, I’ve got them.”
“They’ll be here,” he promises, answering my original question. He types on his phone and then holds it up. “Kayla says they’re turning into the neighborhood now.”
I smile. Not that they didn’t forget me—okay, maybe that a little—but mostly because Cole just casually texted his sister. Like it’s no big deal. Like they talk all the time. Like they’re thick as thieves now.
I hop up from my perch and rush him, my heart suddenly racing. “Really? Okay. They’re almost here. Be cool, Janey. It’s no big deal. Just a girls’ day out. It’s a pedicure, not an audition. It’ll be fine.”
Cole chuckles, bending down to get in my face. “You know they think you’re amazing, right? Kayla calls you a lion tamer, like you’re a badass or something.”
He smirks, and I remember the night of Paisley’s wedding, when Cole overheard my self-pep talk. Then, calling myself a badass was almost ridiculously silly. Now, it doesn’t feel as absurd, but it’s still a stretch compared to Kayla and Samantha.
“They’re badasses. I’m just Janey,” I counter.
“You’re not just anything. You’re Janey Williams, lion tamer extraordinaire, monster trainer, asshole whisperer . . . wait, not that last one,” he corrects with a horrified shake of his head. “We’re not that freaky.”
I can’t help but laugh, which I’m pretty sure was his mission because when a horn honks outside a second later, I’m calmer and definitely not freaking out as much. “They’re here! I’ve gotta go!” I tell him, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.
He follows me to the door, and once it’s open—where his family can see!—he shamelessly pulls me back in for a more thorough kiss. “Have fun, and I’ll see you tonight, ’kay?”
