Nicola TaylorI watched him as he stood across from me, a weighty silence stretching between us. This conversation had been waiting, bubbling beneath the surface for too long, and now that he was here, I didn’t know if I was ready for it.His presence, strong and so familiar, tugged at something dee
His jaw clenched, and he looked down, visibly wrestling with his own thoughts. “But I feel like I’m failing you. That who I am isn’t enough, that maybe you’d be happier if I changed.”I reached out, my hand finding his, and squeezed it gently. “You’re not failing me, Cole. I fell in love with who yo
Nicola TaylorThe kitchen was a war zone of flour and laughter, Betty and I standing shoulder to shoulder, each armed with rolling pins and piles of dough that didn’t stand a chance. The morning sun peeked through the windows, casting a warm glow over the counter as we rolled and shaped our pastries
Nicola TaylorI nudged my cart forward through the busy supermarket, half-distracted by my list and hoping to wrap up quickly. Just as I reached for a can of tomatoes, my cart bumped into someone else’s. I looked up, already stifling a sigh.“Nicola,” a familiar voice greeted, way too smooth and fri
Nicola TaylorAs I chopped vegetables for dinner, the thought of my run-in with Brad kept tugging at me. I hadn’t planned on telling Cole about it, not wanting to drag up any unwanted tension, but Brad’s words still lingered in my mind. Maybe I should let Cole decide if it mattered or not.After all
Cole Harrington The office buzzed with tension as I stormed through the hallway, each step building the rage pulsing through my veins. I didn’t care about the gawking faces of Brad’s assistants, the whispers passing between them. They could sense the storm I carried with me, and for good reason.Wi
Nicola Taylor“No, no, no…” I whispered, staring at the calendar date, a hollow dread filling my chest.This can’t be happening. My hands shook slightly, and I felt my pulse hammering beneath my skin. I swallowed hard, pressing a hand to my stomach. The overwhelming thought was louder, more urgent now:I knew this would happen.My breathing grew uneven, and I tried to push down the panic building inside me. "Oh God," I murmured to myself. "I’m going to die…" My stomach turned as the reality began to set in.I was pregnant.A dizzying mix of emotions crashed through me—fear, confusion, something that felt like excitement but was smothered by worry. My mind raced, piecing together the fragments of memory that led up to this.Cole and I had never really used protection. I’d been on birth control for so long that it felt routine. But after I moved here, I’d stopped taking it—part laziness, part my own complacency. I’ll grab an after-pill if we need it, I’d told myself. Surely, we’d eithe
Cole HarringtonAs Nicola’s words sank in, I just stared, unable to process everything. She was sitting there, looking fragile in a way that broke my heart, her voice barely a whisper. "I… I think I might be pregnant, Cole," she managed, her voice trembling. "I haven’t taken a test, but I’m ten days late." She was holding back tears, bracing herself for my reaction.My silence must have been deafening because I saw her shoulders tense even more. I swallowed, pushing down my own whirlwind of emotions to focus on her, only her. I didn’t know what to say at that moment, but seeing her so scared, so vulnerable, made me realize that this was far more difficult for her than it was for me. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to sound calm. “Hey,” I murmured, pulling her closer, rubbing her back gently as I held her. "Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. I’m here, okay? You’re not alone in this." She buried her face against my shoulder, and I felt her release a shaky breath. It made me w
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