Nicola Taylor As I finished typing up my report on my students that was due tomorrow, I heard a sudden thud from outside. My heart jumped, and I quickly left my desk, rushing out into the hallway without even thinking to grab my shrug. The cool air hit my skin, but I was too focused on the sound to
“Cole, I don’t know where this is coming from-“ I tried to reason with him, to convince him to go back to his room, but before I could say anything, he cupped my face in his hands, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Nicola,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. “I mean it. You’re mine.” His
Nicola Taylor The school was eerily quiet on Saturday, a stark contrast to the usual weekday chaos. Only the faint hum of the air conditioning and the occasional creak of the building broke the silence. I found it comforting, a rare chance to focus on my reports without the constant interruptions o
I glared at Cole, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation. “Alright,” I grumbled, gathering my things and stuffing them into my bag. I walked out of the classroom, Cole following closely behind, the tension between us palpable. As we exited the school, I couldn’t help but think about how compl
Nicola Taylor The argument wasn’t over. I could hear Cole’s heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs, each one echoing my own frustration and anger. As soon as he reached the door, he began banging on it, the force of his knocks shaking the frame. “Nicola, open the door! We need to talk!” His voice
Nicola Taylor I woke up in Cole’s arms, his warmth and the steady rhythm of his breathing made my heart skip a beat. Carefully, I tried to slip out of his embrace, but his arms were heavy, and he held onto me even in his sleep. After a bit of a struggle, I managed to free myself without waking him
Nicola Taylor The next few days had been strange. Cole was very sweet, romantic, and nice, but somehow there was no sexual component to it. I didn't know how a person could go from having sex straight for ten hours to nothing. He brought me flowers, cooked dinner, and even kissed my forehead multip
"Of course I will. It's not like we're married and you have any right over my financial assets. Oh wait, you do," he said sarcastically, making me giggle a little as I didn’t see the sarcasm coming. "Alright. But I will pay you back, and if you don't take it, you'll face my wrath," I warned him pla
Nicola Taylor The night was a restless blur. Aaron’s small, trembling body pressed against mine as he cried himself to sleep, his tears soaking through my shirt. I stayed with him, stroking his hair and whispering soft reassurances until his breathing evened out. Even then, I couldn’t bring myself
Nicola Taylor As I sat on Emma’s worn but cozy couch, “I think I should head home now,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence between us. “I miss my kids, and I can’t keep running away. If I stay away much longer, Cole might do something drastic to track me down.” The thought made my stomach ch
Cole Harrington “Where is she?” my mom screamed, her voice cutting through the thick tension in the room as her glare landed on Courtney. Courtney shrank back, but she didn’t respond, her face pale and drawn. My mother had never been a fan of Courtney—not openly hostile, but certainly not warm. S
Nicola Taylor Her apartment was modest but surprisingly clean. A small living room with a sagging couch and mismatched furniture opened into a kitchenette. A door to the left likely led to her bedroom, and there was a pile of laundry in one corner. The faint smell of lavender hung in the air, mixi
“So, what’s going on?” she asked, her tone flat, as if she had asked this question to a thousand strangers and didn’t expect much of an answer. I froze, not sure if I wanted to spill my thoughts to a complete stranger. But something in her gaze—apathetic yet steady—made me falter. My walls were alr
Nicola Taylor The cab came to a screeching halt outside a small café, its warm yellow lights spilling out onto the darkened street like a lifeline. I thanked the driver, handed him a crumpled bill from the cash in my back pocket, and stepped out, realizing with a jolt of panic that I had left my p
Nicola Taylor I stood there, numb, watching the scene unfold in front of me. It was as though time had frozen, and in that moment, the weight of the truth crashed down on me. For six long years, I had loved Cole with every part of me. I had given him my heart, my trust, my soul. Yet, standing there
Nicola TaylorI woke up in a frantic state, my heart pounding as I blinked against the harsh hospital lights. The room was quiet, painfully so, and the sterile smell of antiseptic filled my senses. My head throbbed as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The clock on the wall read midnight.Fou
Cole HarringtonI couldn’t believe what was happening. I was holding her—her. The woman I thought I had lost forever. The woman who, at one point, had been my everything.Courtney trembled in my arms, her sobs muffled against my chest. My fingers curled instinctively around her shoulders, pulling he