AllFreeNovel
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“The joys of being in love. And I understand where you’re coming from. Cole owns half of my soul. It sounds corny, but he does. He gets me. But it’s more than that; I get this feeling inside me whenever I think of him. When I try to feel the true depths of the love I have for him, it actually hurts. My chest tightens and the thought of losing him is enough to break me.”
I sigh, closing my eyes for a second before glancing over at her and taking her hand. “What are we like, huh?”
She giggles, hugging me. “We wouldn’t change it for the world, though.”
I nod, agreeing, but then remember what I wanted to talk to her about. “Um, so the pain, this burning feeling… It goes, right?”
She stares for a few moments before bursting into laughter. “Yes, it does. You do realise he’s probably just big? When Mum sat me down for the sex talk, she told me her first time was uncomfortable at first, and disappointing.”
“Like yours?” I tease, remembering her coming to mine angry at the world. Her boyfriend was experienced, and according to gossip, slept with his fair share of girls, but when it came to actually performing, he only cared enough to get himself off. She was disappointed.
“Yeah,” she laughs, but then stops, going quiet. I give her my attention again, noticing the serious expression she has.
“What has you thinking so hard?”
She turns to me, tears in her eyes. “Do you think it’s wrong for me to be this happy after everything I’ve been through? Did I rush into things with Cole?”
I shuffle in next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. “Low, you’ve been through so much, but you need to remember there isn’t a time limit for grieving, for getting over a traumatic event. Do you feel it’s right with Cole?”
Her lips part as her eyes widen. “Of course, it’s right. I love him.”
I smile, squeezing her shoulder. “That’s all there is to it, then. No one has the right to judge you for moving forward. They haven’t walked in your shoes. What’s really brought this on?”
A tear slips down her cheek and my heart clenches. “At the game, I went back to the car to grab some gloves for Becca, when I heard those girls whispering.”
“What were they saying?” I ask, yet again feeling like a shit friend for not being there for her.
“That I was lying about what happened to me because I didn’t look or act like someone who had been raped.”
I gasp, horrified, and get to my feet. “I’m going to—”
“They said fucking what?” Cole growls, making me jump.
I spin around to find him fuming in the door way, his face filled with rage. CJ seems just as angry as he walks over to me, pulling me into his arms. He kisses me quickly before turning to Cole, who is kneeling in front of Willow.
“Who said that about you?”
She wipes under her eyes, forcing a smile. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. They don’t know a thing about you or what you’ve been through.”
She smiles at him, this one real. “No, but you do. Allie and I were just talking, and for a moment, I felt like I was going to explode from happiness. Everything is perfect, as perfect as our lives can be. Then their words came to me and it made me feel wrong somehow.”
He runs his hand down the side of her face before cupping her jaw. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she says, before pushing herself up to kiss him.
I lower my gaze, smiling, and face the light of my life. My mouth goes dry at the mere sight of him, suddenly forgetting what we were talking about.
Sheesh, he’s magnificent.
“Hey.”
Gaining my senses, I melt into a puddle at the sound of his voice. “Hey.”
He smirks down at me, pulling me against him. I relax against him, then gasp when I feel his bulge pressing against my stomach. “CJ,” I hiss quietly, but can’t hide the fact my body reacts.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, and I glance away for a second, blushing.
