Page 3 of Coming Home
“Yep, living the dream.”
Not really. I wasn’t nearly as talented as the rest of the ballet dancers. I struggled to compete with them. Down here, I was good, but in New York, I was barely getting by. But I didn’t say that because Cole was smiling at me like I was the best thing he’d ever seen. And it made my dick perk up.
“They your parents?” Cole asked softly.
My head swiveled around to see that it was, in fact, my parents. They weren’t even paying attention to us. They were just watching one another, holding hands, as they walked back to the house. My dad stopped to unlock the door, letting Mom go in first, then he closed it behind them.
“Yeah, that’s them.”
“They’re cute. I met them briefly at the wedding. They seem nice. Happy and in love. Like my dads.” Cole’s lips stretched in a big smile.
I smiled as I remembered Cole talking about Dean and his father. How happy he was for them. “My parents are disgustingly in love. Embarrassingly at times. I’m glad, though. Some of my high school friends’ parents hated one another.”
“I like that my dad found Dean. It can be gross, but I’m happy for them. He spent years alone after my mom died,” Cole reminded me. He lifted his hip and slipped his phone from his pocket, then rolled his eyes. “Speaking of... It’s my dad.”
I chuckled softly. “He’s just looking after you.”
“I guess I should have told him I was going to get some fresh air.” Cole climbed to his feet, and I followed. “It was cool running into you, though.”
“Come by tomorrow. I’ll show you around.”
I didn’t want to come across as too eager, but the chance to be friends with Cole again, to have him in my life, was right there. Dangling in my face. I didn’t want it to be snatched away before it was gone again. Maybe he’d get that NHL contract that he wanted, andpoof, I would once again be a forgotten memory. I had to shoot my shot while I had the chance. Even though the last time it had broken my heart.
He nodded. “I will.” Cole turned to head back to his house, then stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “I’m glad I ran into you, Reed.”
“Ditto.”
WHEN I WOKE UP THEnext morning, it almost felt like I had made Cole up in a dream. Like maybe he hadn’t been real. It was crazy to think that we had bumped into one another, his dads buying the house next to mine and us reconnecting again. We were still following one another on IG, but I had stopped liking his posts because I didn’t want to seem like a stalker. I found myself scrolling through his feed now, catching up on thingsI had missed over the past couple of years. His high school graduation, moving into college, making the college hockey team, numerous photos with his new college friends, and frat parties. There were also plenty with Cole and his father, Beau. Not to mention the ones with Cole and Dean. Ones of just Beau and Dean. It was more than obvious how much Cole loved both of them. How they were a huge part of his life. I chose to ignore the ones with a beautiful woman with big eyes who looked at Cole like he was a million bucks.
I finally climbed from my bed, practiced a little in front of mirror, stretched my muscles, took a quick shower, and finally got dressed before I made my way downstairs. My parents were gone. Dad was out with my younger siblings, while Mom was down at the ballet studio, so I made myself some coffee, mixed up some oatmeal with fresh fruit, and sat down at the table. I tried to stick to a healthy diet, even during the summer, because I didn’t want to gain weight and be an embarrassment when I went back to school. Sure, it would be okay to indulge now and again, but not now. I might not be the best dancer back in New York, but I could at least look the part. And even an ounce would make a difference to my instructor.
I pushed that thought aside and took another bite just as the doorbell rang. I climbed to my feet, and when I opened the door, I found Cole staring back at me. He was dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and an old Boston Terriers shirt. He looked like my wildest fantasy come true. But it was the baseball hat he had on backwards that really did it for me. His dark curls peeked out from beneath it. It was really unfair how hot he had gotten. He was cute when we were younger, but now he was a wet dream.
“Hi.” Cole smiled at me. “Is this a bad time? I can come back.”
I waved him inside. “No, I was just having breakfast. Did you eat? It’s just oatmeal. Or would you like a coffee?”
“I’m good, thanks.” He held up a can of Monster Energy before he followed me to the kitchen and sat down across from me. “My dads left for their honeymoon this morning. The house is weirdly silent now.”
I swallowed my food. “Did they go somewhere nice?”
God, Cole’s eyes were so blue. I could just drown in them.
“Hawaii. Apparently, that’s where Uncle Mav and Jax went, so Dad wanted to take Dean there, too. It’s like a tradition or something.” Cole chuckled. “I think if I get married, I might go there. But six weeks? That’s a long time to spend there, right? Wouldn’t you get bored?”
I could think of a few things they might do that would keep them entertained, but I didn’t say that to him. Maybe Cole didn’t think about his dads having sex. I know I didn’t want to think about my parents like that.
“There’s a lot to do there. Hiking, snorkeling, Pearl Harbor, and don’t forget, there’s more than one island.”
“Wow, okay, I didn’t realize you were such an expert.” Cole grinned and took a swig of his drink.
And now I was staring at his Adam’s apple again. Why was that so sexy? I had kissed plenty of guys before, and it had never been a problem. But for some reason, Cole’s really did it for me. Honestly, everything about him did it for me. He was my dream man.
I blushed when I realized he was waiting for me to answer. “Uh, well, we had to do a report on a state in school once, and I picked Hawaii.” I reached for my coffee. “What did you have in mind for today?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea.” He grinned at me as he took another sip of his Monster. “What do you recommend? I got here a couple of days ago for the wedding, and I’ve barely had time to breathe. I mean, I visited last summer. I went to Mav’s and Killian’s places, but I haven’t explored much.”
I chewed on my bottom lip as I climbed to my feet and put my bowl in the sink. “Let me just go change really quick. I have an idea.”
