Cole Harrington The car ride home felt like an eternity, the silence between us suffocating. Nicola sat beside me, her gaze fixed out the window, while I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. Arabella, drowsy in the backseat, broke the tension only once or twice with her
Nicola Taylor It was my first anniversary today. I couldn’t believe it had already been a year since I married Cole. The day had come and gone in a blur, with little to distinguish it from any other day in this strange new routine we’d fallen into. For the past month, ever since we decided to sep
“You did,” I said sincerely, meaning it. Cole’s actions, his kindness, and his flaws all pointed to the fact that he had been raised with love and care. But that didn’t make things easier. If anything, it made the situation even more complicated. Sienna sipped her coffee, her eyes never leaving min
Nicola Taylor I hid in my room after dinner, my thoughts swirling as I tried to distract myself from the heavy ache in my chest. It was the day after our anniversary and I still haven’t recovered from the letter he wrote. Cole was here, dropping Arabella off after she'd spent a week with him and hi
"I just want to touch you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, thick with longing and vulnerability. He reached out, his hands trembling slightly as they cupped my face. The warmth of his touch was electrifying, and I shivered despite the heat of the room. His fingers traced the contours of
Nicola Taylor The news hit me like a freight train. My mind was a whirlwind of panic and disbelief as I raced to the hospital, my tears blurring the headlights of the car. The drive felt like it took forever, each second dragging as I struggled to hold back my sobs. When I finally arrived, I ran
Cole’s eyes searched mine for a long moment before he turned to look at his family. “Mom, Dad, Lucas—yes, of course, I remember them,” he said, his voice laced with confusion. “What happened to me?” “You were in a car accident,” Dr. Patel explained gently, his expression filled with empathy. “What
Nicola Taylor The next week was filled with a mix of relief and frustration. Cole’s physical recovery was nothing short of miraculous—he seemed to bounce back as if the accident had never happened. However, his memory remained a blank slate, and it was clear that he was struggling to piece togethe
Nicola Taylor I sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel tightly, staring at the entrance of Cole’s office building. I felt utterly defeated. Six years ago, my life had crumbled in his absence. And now, here I was again, stuck in an endless loop, except this time, I wasn’t competing with the
Cole Harrington I watched Nicola walk off, her retreating figure stirring something uneasy in my chest. The weight of the day’s events pressed down on me like a storm cloud refusing to dissipate. I felt suffocated, torn between what was happening and what I was inadvertently doing to the woman I c
Nicola Taylor The weight of her words hit like a tidal wave. I felt my chest tighten as I realized what she’d sacrificed, and I could see the shift in Cole’s expression. The anger in his eyes dimmed, replaced by something closer to heartbreak. “And you just… agreed to that?” he asked, his voice b
“Because I knew you wouldn’t let me go,” she said simply. “You would’ve fought him, and he would’ve come after you too. After Arabella. I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t let him hurt you the way he wanted to hurt me.” The three of us stood in silence, the weight of Courtney’s confession hanging heavy
Nicola Taylor Arabella went back inside, her small figure disappearing into the house with a frustrated sigh. The heavy front door creaked as it closed, leaving just the three of us standing in the cool morning air. Silence settled over the driveway, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves i
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