chapter 23

I was still standing by Cole's bedroom door, unable to move. Cole approached me cautiously as if though waiting for me to scream and run. To be honest, I did consider it but even after witnessing Cole beat the living crap out of someone - I wasn't afraid of him.

Was I naive? Yes, probably. However, I had always been big on intuitions and I felt as if though Cole was a good person. Maybe that was what kept drawing me in from the beginning.

In front of me stood a completely different person compared to what I have witnessed only a few moments earlier. His eyes that were previously filled with rage, were filled with shame in that moment.

His hands still covered in blood, but I was unsure whether it was his blood. Silence filled the space between us and my eyes darted to the ground, near the kitchen bench.

A gun.

My mind pieced the pieces together. The man was going to shoot Cole, I wasn't sure if he was planning to kill him or just wound him. It didn't matter. Cole was defending himself, that's all I needed to know. Just like any other sane person would have done in his position.

I was justifying his actions and my mind didn't want to think about what would have happened if I wasn't here. Would that man still be alive or would he be rolled up into a bodybag and disposed of like an animal? I shuddered at the thought and my eyes felt heavy.

I walked to the kitchen without saying anything and Cole's eyes followed me curiously.

"Tea towel?" I asked without looking at him.

It took him a while to answer and I was beginning to think I would have to find it myself.

"Second draw on your right."

I pulled out a tea towel and ran it under the tap. I walked back over to Cole and he avoided my eyes. He didn't seem like he was going to say anything about what had happened and I didn't have the energy to confront him.

I took his hands in mine and he winced at my touch. I dabbed the tea towel gently on his knuckles to clean up the blood. Under the blood, his knuckles were busted and I noticed bruises already began to form.

"Charlotte," he began and I pressed a little harder against his knuckles when I heard his voice but he didn't notice. I didn't stop what I was doing until I was done and then walked around him to the bedroom.

It was past midnight and I could feel a hangover coming on already from the alcohol that I previously consumed.

"Charlotte," Cole repeated but I interrupted him.

"Not right now."

I knew we needed to talk about everything. Everything that we have ignored and put off for later. From Sam to Scarlett and the things in between, it was obvious that we both had baggage. The question was whether we would be able to get past it and move forward. However, it was more complicated than that.

That conversation for 'later' had to come eventually but it wasn't going to be right now.

Cole still looked at me as if he was expecting me to grab my things and leave. When I climbed into his bed, a small smile appeared on his face and there was a silent understanding between us. For now everything was okay.

It was the calm before the storm.

***

I woke up to the smell of coffee and honestly I didn't know why I haven't been a big coffee drinker previously. For the last few weeks I have weaned myself onto a cup of coffee in the morning without realising it.

Cole wasn't in bed next to me and I crawled out with a pounding head.

I groaned to myself.

I waddled to the bathroom and stared at my reflection. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting but I definitely needed some serious TLC. I managed to put myself together as best as I could before I followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw the scene unfold in front of me. I wasn't expecting to be met with Cole, still in his sweatpants, making breakfast. My mouth watered and it wasn't because of the food.

I watched him flip a pancake in the air and I was surprised at his skills. What couldn't he do?

"Good morning, Princess," he chimed with his back still to me.

"You know how to cook," I asked and my cheeks flushed from being caught staring.

Cole handed me a cup of coffee and the aroma filled my nostrils.

"A little," he admitted.

I took a sip of coffee and after only a few minutes, I was bathing in the kick of the caffeine.

"I thought I would have to drag you out of bed if you didn't wake up soon," he chuckled and I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

"What time is it?" I glanced around for a clock but there was none and my phone was still in the bedroom.

"A little past eleven," he casually said and I thought he was joking. When he didn't say anything else I jumped out of the seat and frantically ran to the room. It was Thursday, I had work. I had never been this late for work. Luckily I had given Sage a key to the boutique and he would have opened it up this morning.

I found my phone, I had a habit of putting it on silent so when I checked it was flooded with messages from Stella, Sam and even Sage but it also had eight missed calls from my mother.

I took a deep breath and clicked on my mothers contact.

She answered on the first ring.

"Charlotte, where are you? Why aren't you at work? What's going on?" she freaked out.

"Mother, it's fine. I just slept in, I am at Stella's," I lied and hoped she would let it go.

Nope. I paced around Cole's bedroom, I didn't want to lie but it's not like I could tell her the truth. She would flip if she knew where I actually was, especially because I was 'engaged' to Sam. I had almost forgotten about that little problem but fortunately for me it was meant to be sorted out tomorrow. It was going to be sorted out tomorrow.

"You never sleep in, what's going on?" she continued.

"Stella and I went to that concert last night," I reminded her. "And we got a little drunk, so I slept in."

Probably shouldn't have mentioned the drunk part but I just couldn't take it anymore.

"Drunk? I hope no one saw you. You know we as Clemonte's have got an image and you can't go around getting drunk everywhere you please --" she began to lecture me and I wasn't having any of it today.

"I think I can decide that for myself, mother. I am over being told what to do. I actually won't be coming in to work today, I think I deserve a day off. I will talk to you later, bye."

I hung up on her. I hung up on my mother. I felt more in control than ever before.

I checked the rest of my messages. There were a few from Sam wondering where I was, I texted him back without acknowledging his previous messages.

'I hope you're sorting everything out. You have till tomorrow, fiance.'

My phone was about to go flat, I searched for a charger. There was none in the powerpoint so I opened the first bedside table draw and I hoped I wasn't overstepping any boundaries. I just needed a charger and that's where I usually would keep mine.

It wasn't in the first draw, I was about to get up and ask Cole but I decided to give the second draw a go. My attention fell on the polaroid picture that was placed a little at the back. I picked it up and examined it. It was a picture of Cole, Tommy and Liam, they looked much younger but there was no date on the photo. Cole had his arm around a blonde girl, she was breathtaking. Was that her? The one who broke his heart.

I stared at the photo for a few moments, unable to stop. Cole looked so happy, he was laughing mid photo and it looked so genuine. After a while, I placed it back where I found it and almost ran back to the kitchen, my mind still on the photo for some reason.

I crashed into Cole's hard shoulder.

"Ah, shit," I groaned and rubbed my forehead.

"Fuck, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," he commented and I rolled my eyes. I felt like I have just been caught doing something I wasn't meant to and my face flushed.

"You should watch where you're going," I retorted, attempting to steer into safe grounds.

"I should watch where I'm going? You were the one who was basically sprinting out of my room," he eyed me warily and I reverted my eyes from his.

Don't look suspicious, Charlotte. It's not a big deal, you were just looking for a charger and came across an old photo. Why did I always have to overthink things? I really had to stop doing that.

"I - I just had to make a call," I stuttered. Good one. Now it looked like I was hiding something but he didn't press further.

"Okay... well I thought we could talk over breakfast," he said and I nodded in understanding.

I followed him to the counter and sat down. I watched Cole pour maple syrup over his pancakes and then sprinkle chocolate bits on the top. I shifted uncomfortably in the seat for Cole to speak but he didn't. The silence was beginning to irritate me. I noticed I was a bit snappy this morning and I blamed it on the slight hangover.

"About last night..." I began before touching my food. Cole's head snapped up at me at the mention of last night and he knew what was about to come.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that and I promise you'll never have to again."

He didn't say anything else and placed a forkful of pancake in his mouth.

"Who was that guy?" I asked, trying to sound casual while pouring maple syrup on my pancakes. Do you know how hard that was - when nothing about last night was casual. I hoped he would tell me the truth.

"No one you have to worry about," he replied and I sighed.

I didn't want to push him to tell me something he didn't want to or wasn't ready to. I guess that conversation will have to be postponed again. I waited for him to finish his food before asking anything else.

"So," I began again. "You have a girlfriend?" I asked. I played dumb and he snickered.

"I never introduced her as my girlfriend, your father just assumed, I guess."

"But you didn't object. Why did you bring her to dinner?" I quizzed, I already knew the answer but I wanted him to admit it.

"She's my assistant, it was a business meeting," he lied.

"She didn't even stay for the meeting," I shot back and raised one of my eyebrows.

He furrowed his eyebrows and stood up. He walked to the window and gazed out towards the view. I was still waiting for a reply but he seemed to be deep in thought.

So much for talking. I picked up our plates and took them to the sink, wondering what he was thinking about.

"Did you mean what you said at the dinner?" he finally asked and turned to face me.

I knew exactly what he was talking about but I wasn't about to let him know that.

"Hmm?"

I leaned my hand on the bench and turned to look at him. He ran his hands through his hair and took a few steps closer to me.

"Tell me," he demanded.

I folded my arms over my chest. I wasn't going to answer to his demands. He looked at me with inquisitiveness.

"Please tell me, Princess," he begged and a smirk formed on my face.

"Tell you what?" I teased and he closed his eyes.

I could tell he was getting frustrated. He was used to getting his way and I wasn't

I moved closer towards, "You, Cole Greyson," I placed my fingers on his chest, "need to stop being so demanding."

I travelled my fingers along his chest but he caught my wrist with his hand and glowered at me.

"I'm falling for you," I admitted. It was a strange feeling, maybe even frightening.

This time, instead dropping my gaze from his eyes, I watched them flicker with emotion. He looked at me and I felt like every ounce of breath left my lungs and floated in the air like smoke. It was times like these when we were so close to each other, it was as if though time collapsed around us.

He leaned down and his lips gently brushed mine before he pulled away.

He looked at me. His hair was still a mess but in the bright morning sun, he looked more handsome than ever and I could see his guard fall down for just a moment. "I think I already have," he said.