Fifteen minutes later, Angel heard the distant roar of a motorcycle. It got closer, and closer. Pulling the curtain back, she saw him roll around the corner, and coast into a spot. She watched him cut the bike off, and dismount, then pull his helmet and glasses off. She moved to open the door.
Cole looked up at her, and moved toward her, his eyes never leaving hers.
Angel felt a jolt move through her body. He still has the power to unnerve me. She stepped aside, and he came in.
His eyes immediately went to the sleeping child laying on the far bed.
“Sit down,” she offered, indicating the small table and two chairs. She sat in one chair, crossing her legs.
He pulled the other over near her, and sat.
They were so close, their legs were almost touching. She waited for him to talk, not really sure why he’d come.
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “I’ve thought about you. Many times,” he said softly, looking down.
Of all the things she thought he might say, that wasn’t one of them. She stared at the top of his head. His blonde hair looked a little longer now. It was still shot through with lighter streaks. She longed to reach out, and touch it.
When she didn’t say anything, he looked up. “I’ve wondered, ya know?” he shrugged. “What would have happened…with us.”
Angel nodded. Staring into those blue eyes of his, she felt like she was in a trance. She’d forgotten how attractive he was. She took a breath, and looked away. “I’ve wondered, too.”
“I didn’t send you away.”
She looked back at him.
He was shaking his head. “I never would have ended it like that. I never would have hurt you like that.”
“Why did Mack tell me that you did?” she asked.
Again he shook his head, and looked down. “I don’t know. I guess he…felt you were a threat somehow.”
“A threat to what? The club?” she scoffed.
“No. I think he was afraid. I think he thought you could pull me away,” he explained, looking in her eyes.
She shook her head, and looked away.
“There was probably some truth to that fear,” he admitted.
She looked back at him. “You had feelings for me?” she asked disbelieving.
He nodded. “Yeah. I did. I still do.” He could admit it now, even if he couldn’t then. He heard her small intake of breath.
She looked over at her son, asleep in the far bed.
He followed her eyes, and looked at the child. “I don’t’ need any test to tell me that boy’s mine.” He looked back at her. “I should have been there with you. Through all of it. I’m sorry I wasn’t. I’m sorry you had to go through this all alone.”
Her eyes started to fill with tears.
Cole stood up, and pulled her into his arms. “Come here, baby.” She melted against him, and he wrapped his arms around her, running his hands over her hair. “Shh. Shh. It’s gonna be okay.”
She had had to be the strong one for so long. It felt so good to have someone hold her. To have someone to lean on, to tell her everything would be okay, even though she knew that wasn’t a promise he could make. No one could promise her this would all be okay.
“Hey.” He moved his hands to the sides of her face, and tilted it up. He looked down into her eyes. “I’m here for you.” He shook his head. “Whatever you need. Understand?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
She looked so fragile. Everything inside him ached for her. Every feeling he thought he’d buried, came rushing back. He pulled her back up against him, one arm across her back, the other across her shoulders. His hand slid up the back of her head, his fist closing over a handful of her hair, feeling it’s silky softness. He rubbed his jaw against the top of her head, and breathed in the scent. His eyes drifted closed, and he felt a tightening in his throat as the ice around his heart melted a little.
With her face pressed into his chest, Angel felt the warm softness of his tee shirt contrasting with the cool roughness of his leather cut. Her hand ran over the leather. It still carried the horizontal scratch she had cut into it that night in the desert.
Cole looked down, and watched her fingers run across it. “You put your mark on me, babe. In more ways than that.”