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“Can I show you something?” she whispered, back to being shy.
Taking her hand firmly he nodded. “Anything.”
Colin followed her upstairs and back into the closet, where she reached into the top drawer in her chest that housed her clothes and pulled out a small bottle of cologne and a handkerchief.
“This was Daddy’s,” she whispered, a sad look passing her face as she pressed the handkerchief to her nose and closed her eyes. “It used to smell like him, before the scent finally faded. Vanessa and I searched everywhere for this cologne, and we could never find it. We gave up looking about three years ago. And the night that man came into the karaoke bar to proposition Vanessa was the first time we’ve smelt him since the scent faded,” her words dissipated as she handed him the piece of cloth.
Moved at her raw display of vulnerability, Colin gripped it between his fingers hard, his eyes suddenly stung with tears as he was bombarded with memories of his own loss.
Madre.
He thought about his mother and how he would give up the entirety of his wealth for the opportunity to smell her one more time. To have one more hug, share one more laugh, hear one more word from her lips.
Aching to voice these thoughts to her, he swallowed back the words.He didn’t have it in him yet to open pandora’s box, and he didn't want to make this moment about him. It was never about him, he'd always make sure she was the priority.
Colin held the cloth to his nose appreciatively. Vowing to buy her a hundred cologne bottles, so she’d never have to feel like he did. Twenty-three years since he’d last known unconditional love. Twenty-three years since he knew the look of someone who’d cared for him unlike anyone else in the world had the capacity to.
The pain of grief was debilitating sometimes, and he didn't want her to suffer in this way.
“Your father had good taste,” Colin said, smiling at her. She took the cloth back from him and carefully wrapped it around the cologne bottle and placed it gently amongst her belongings. Unbeknownst to her, inside the recesses of her mind, the lid on her box of hurts tumbled off. Her other secrets demanded to be set free.
“Let’s eat dinner. How’s your arm? Do you think you’re up for playing a little game of pool later?” he asked suddenly, wanting to do something fun with her to break up the tension and put a smile on her face.
“I’m shit at pool,” she giggled., turning and leading the way out of the closet.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Colin teased darkly, giving her a sharp slap on her ass.
The verdict was, in fact, that she was shit at playing pool. And he teased her mercilessly about it, unashamedly.
Happiness tightened his chest as he beat her game after game, seeing her determination and her drive to not give up. The feeling caressed over his skin like a soothing balm. That night, they went to bed, limbs entwined as they whispered to each other in the semi darkness of their room.
Not having sex, but sharing a different kind of intimacy instead.
Threats All Through
The next couple of weeks ran by quickly. Colin worked longer hours, trying to prepare for the holidays. Sometimes bringing along Olivia, and sometimes she stayed at home depending on her mood.
The lighting company Colin hired set up orange lights all over the exterior of the house, and he paid to have huge blow-up pumpkins on the property. Along with an elaborate pumpkin decoration at the front gate, fountain, and the front door. It cost, but he felt it was pretty. He took her home late that night, wanting to surprise her with the decorations while it was getting dark.
I can’t wait for her to see it, I hope she loves it, he thought. He’d been anxious about it the entire day.
Colin waited for Mary’s text, informing him the decorators were done before he took Olivia home. He took out his phone and recorded her reaction as they pulled up on the property.
Olivia surprised him with her reaction. She squealed with excitement, clapping her hands and laughing hard at the monstrous blow-up monsters and pumpkins. She launched herself at him in joy as they drove slowly up the drive.
Olivia took her own phone out as they got out of his SUV, jumping into his arms and sharing a slow sweet kiss with him.
They both laughed as they turned three hundred sixty degrees in each other’s arms recording them kissing with all the decorations in the background of their video.
Colin set Olivia on the hood of his SUV. Feeling content, appreciative, and joyful. His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he leaned into her.
As Colin kissed her soft warm lips, feeling her curves pressed against his body, he almost said he loved her. Yet, he stopped himself, still probing this new feeling of his. The first time he knew that he truly felt it in his adulthood. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her unique scent, trying to shut down these feelings that scared him, and made him feel alive. He felt like he could soar when she was around.
***
A week and a half later, Vanessa, Allison, and Johnathan all came to the house to dress for Halloween. They planned to take Allison trick or treating in Colin’s neighborhood and Johnathan was especially excited, wanting another chance to be around Vanessa. The poor man had caught some serious feelings for the curvy, fiery redhead.
Olivia caught Johnathan staring at Vanessa on multiple occasions, looking quite lovesick.
