I closed my eyes, feeling oddly at peace in his arms. “Yeah, well, someone has to keep you in check. I’m glad she has my back,” I giggled lightly, smiling when I felt him chuckle.“So, does everyone in my family prefer you over me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, though there was a playful glint in h
Nicola TaylorAs I came back from my class, I heard Arabella’s high-pitched voice and Cole’s deeper, exasperated one coming from the kitchen.“But Batman is the best, Daddy!” Arabella insisted, her tiny fists planted firmly on her hips.Cole looked down at her, his brows furrowed. “I’m just saying,
Nicola TaylorCole looked bewildered, his hand hovering uncertainly over her shoulder. “Woah, why are you crying?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.“Because—” She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “It’s just… I can’t believe something could have happened to you, and I would never have seen you again or hear
Nicola TaylorI stared at the nothingness, feeling hollow inside. The house was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that seeps into your bones and amplifies every thought, every doubt, until it’s all you can hear. I blinked, trying to clear the haze from my mind, but it was no use. My thoughts swirled
Nicola Taylor"Nicola," Mrs. Kinsley started, her voice gentle but firm, as if she was trying to soothe me but still get her point across. "He didn’t tell you about Sierra because, quite simply, it wasn’t important to him. It was just an arrangement his mother was pushing for, you know, because she
Cole Harrington“Where’s Nicola?” my mom asks, settling herself down right in front of the TV like she’s about to join us for a match. Meanwhile, Lucas and I are deep into an intense round of Call of Duty.I barely take my eyes off the screen as I reply, “She didn’t want to come.” Then, I lean close
Nicola TaylorAs I worked at the kitchen counter, focusing on mixing the batter, Cole slipped in behind me, his towering frame overwhelming the space making me gasp. His hand dipped into the batter, stealing a taste before I could stop him. “Cole, this is for class tomorrow,” I scold, smacking his h
Nicola TaylorConvincing Cole to go to bed took longer than I had hoped. After an hour of coaxing, I managed to persuade him by reminding him of how important tomorrow was for me. To my relief, he finally relented and crawled under the sheets, exhausted.At 2 a.m., I was still awake, finishing the d
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