Page 11 of Sinful Nights
My body sags softly as sweat rolls down my body. Fucking Alex. I shouldn’t have let her back me into a corner. I tried to get away from her, but she kept blocking me in the doorway and arguing with me until it was too late. Well, fuck. I spend the next few minutes thinking of ways I could make it up to Cole. Because that’s the one thing I’m going to do for sure: make it up to him.
The front door creaks open quietly as I walk into the apartment. I kick off my shoes, doing a double take before picking them up and placing them off to the side and out of the way. The apartment is quiet as I walk in, only the sound of shuffling feet against the wood floors letting me know that I’m not alone. Turning the corner, I chuckle when I see Cole dancing around the living room. He’s wearing a pair of black sweatpants with a matching hoodie and his headphones placed over his ears. He doesn’t notice me because his eyes are closed shut as he sways to whatever music is blaring in his ears.
Dancing with Cole is one of my favorite things to do, so my feet are moving before I realize I’ve made a conscious thought to do so. He’s facing away from me, his hips moving slowly, so I’m guessing it’s a slower song he’s listening to. Grabbing hold of his waist, I spin him in a circle, encasing him in my arms. Cole melts right into me, his hands reaching out toward my shoulders. We’re nearly the same height, six-foot-one, though I’m about an inch taller. But we’ve danced like this time and time again, so even though I have no idea what music he’s listening to, my body knows how to follow his.
We stay quiet for a few minutes, Cole listening to his music, me only listening to the soft sounds of our breathing. I don’t think I can even count the number of times I’ve come home and danced around with Cole. Sometimes it’s more club-style music with both of us twerking around the living room, but most times it’s like this. Both of us quiet, holding one another as the music plays softly.
The song comes to an end, and the next one cues up, blasting through the speakers. Cole takes the headphones off his head and throws them down onto the couch with a small bounce.
“Hi, how was your day?” I ask, walking over to the kitchen and grabbing us both a bottle of water.
“Oh god, you have to come to yoga with us next time!”
Wrinkling my nose, I shake my head. “Yoga? With the goats? I think I’m okay, thanks.”
“You would love it. I know you would. You like all animals, so what’s wrong with a goat?”
I take a spot on the couch, patting the spot next to me for Cole to take. “There’s nothing wrong with goats. I just like my workouts to be animal-free. That’s it.”
“Will you try it one time? For me?” he asks sweetly, looking at me with his wide doe eyes. He knows it’s already hard enough for me to say no to him, but I can never turn him down when he gives me the puppy-dog eyes. It’s my weakness, and he always uses it to his advantage to get what he wants.
“Fine. But the second a goat tries to stick its head up my ass, I’m out.”
“Deal!” Cole yells, jumping out of his spot to land on my lap. “I know you’re going to love it!”
Cole climbs off my lap as quickly as he jumped onto it. I grab hold of his hand, knowing I need to talk to him about what Jensen said today at the gym. “Can we talk?”
“Duh. We talk about everything.”
Well, this conversation is going to prove that’s not the case, but I don’t want to upset him by saying that. “I know. So I ran into Jensen at the gym today.”
“Oh?” His eyes dart down to his hands, which are currently rubbing up and down his thighs. His nervous tic that he doesn’t realize I know about.
We both know that he’s only been around Jensen on game nights, so he probably knows what I’m going to bring up. “Remember the last game night when I wasn’t able to get away, and when you got home, you were telling me about all the fun you had? You even went into so much detail about it.”
“I remember.”
“Well, according to Jensen, you were extra quiet and kept to yourself, just sat there on the couch. Why would you lie to me?” I ask, my heart hurting at the fact that he lied.
Cole blows a raspberry, twisting his hands around. “When I told you about all the things they did, I automatically included myself because I didn’t want you to feel bad. I know you hated not being able to come, and I get it. Alex was important, but I also know you, and if you knew I was upset, you would have felt like shit. ThenIwould have felt like shit, and honestly, it’s just better for neither of us to feel like shit.”
“But you obviously did,” I add when he gets quiet. “I want to make it up to you. I never should have missed out on it. Not after telling you I was going to be there. So I want to go to the next one.”
“Really?” His voice gets high, a small smile trying to break through his stoic facial expression. “There’s actually going to be a game night tomorrow at Preston and Jonas’ place. I offered to bring chips and salsa.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Cole, I’m sorry I missed the last couple ones. And I’m also sorry you didn’t feel as though you could tell me.”
“I didn’t want you to think I was asking you to choose between Alex and me.”
“There’s no choosing,” I tell him, turning to make sure he looks me in the eye when I say the last part. “I’ll always choose you over anyone. You’re my best friend.”
“Yeah, until you meet the girl you’re gonna marry.”
“Even then. She’ll just have to figure out a way to realize we’re a package deal and no one can split us up.”
Cole laughs, tossing his head back against the pillows. “Okay, I believe you. And thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
I gather him into my arms, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Just promise you won’t lie again.”
