"Are you excited for Aaron's party?” I asked, brushing through her locks as she watched me through the mirror.She nodded, swinging her legs happily. “Yes! But I have to take care of everyone. Because Aaron’s just a baby, and I’m the big sister,” she said, very seriously.An hour later, we were fina
Five Years LaterNicola Taylor"Relax, Nicola. This is normal. You need to calm down," Isabella said, casually munching on fries in front of us. Her relaxed demeanour did little to soothe the growing unease in my chest. I pushed my plate aside, unable to muster an appetite."I just thought Cole and
Nicola TaylorThe clock struck midnight, and the house was eerily silent except for the faint hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. I was curled up in bed, staring at the glowing screen of my phone, waiting for a message—any sign from Cole. He still wasn’t home, likely buried in his office, consum
The sensation was overwhelming, a mix of pleasure and pain that had my toes curling. He didn’t move at first, letting me adjust to his size, but the heat in the room was stifling, his dominance palpable.When he finally pulled back, the slow, deliberate movement sent a jolt of pleasure through my co
Nicola Taylor“Mumma, I’m hurt.”I glanced down to see my five-year-old son, Aaron, clinging to my leg with a pouty face as I worked on taming Arabella’s unruly hair.“Baby, you’re not hurt. Let me finish fixing her hair, and then I’ll get you a snack,” I said, bending down to kiss his head before t
“That’s alright. She’s probably just going through a phase,” Cole murmured, his hand sliding onto my thigh under the table. It was a casual touch, invisible to everyone else in the room, but it sent a jolt through me.I stiffened, my gaze snapping to him. His lips curved into the faintest smirk, as
Nicola TaylorI sank deeper into the tub, the lukewarm water lapping at my shoulders as I cradled a half-empty glass of wine in my hand. The faint scent of lavender from the bath salts mixed with the sting of frustration bubbling inside me. Two hours I’d been sitting here, trying to soak away the we
His eyes flashed with something—pain, anger, maybe regret—but he didn’t back down. Instead, in a fluid motion, he closed the space between us, and suddenly, he was standing so close I could feel the heat radiating off of him. His presence was overwhelming, and my breath hitched.“You think this is e
“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
“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