The Princess and The Jester - A.D. McCammon Page 0,57
keeps,” I vow, having no doubt in my mind he’ll own my heart forever.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Present
GWEN
Cole’s scent lures me from sleep, my body rolling in search of his. I’m met with a cold, empty bed. Fear hits me like a bucket full of icy water, and my eyes pop open.
I sit up, my eyes blinking as they adjust. Just as I’m beginning to question if last night had been a dream, a small folded piece of paper grabs my attention. There’s a heart drawn on the outside, good morning written underneath it in Cole’s handwriting.
My heart flutters as I pick it up and read the message inside.
Get your sexy ass downstairs. I’m making breakfast.
For keeps,
Cole
I squeal like a middle school girl who just got a note from the boy she likes and throw the covers off me. Last night wasn’t a dream. This is really happening. We’re getting a second chance.
I’m practically dancing on my way to the bathroom, humming and bopping while I clean up. But the second my feet begin to descend the stairs, nervous energy twists in my gut. There’s one huge downfall to having Cole back: the possibility of losing him all over again.
He said he forgave me for everything, that he didn’t even blame me anymore. But it doesn’t feel like anything was resolved. Cole keeps reassuring me Shane isn’t a threat anymore, and I haven’t heard from him since the pictures, but there’s still a dread weighing heavily on my chest.
Shane could’ve told Cole everything yesterday. It doesn’t make sense for him to continue to keep the secret. He has to be up to something. This isn’t over. It won’t end until everything is out in the open.
I have to tell Cole the truth. When he finds out I’ve been hiding something so huge from him all this time, I could lose him for good.
The heavenly smell coming from the kitchen temporarily distracts me from my dark thoughts, all of them completely abandoned once I lay eyes on Cole. He’s wearing those damn gray sweatpants again, the top half of his body bare.
To Be So Lonely by Harry Styles is playing through the tiny speaker sitting on the island. My heart explodes in my chest as I watch Cole sing along to the lyrics and move to the beat.
As if sensing my stare, he looks over his shoulder and smirks.
“I didn’t take you for a Harry Styles fan,” I tease.
Cole abandons the stove, a swagger in his step on his way over to me. “The girl I love is obsessed with him, so I decided to check him out.”
My smile is too big for my face as he wraps his arms around my waist. “You seem to know that song pretty well,” I challenge.
He chuckles. “What can I say, the dude is talented.”
His lips connect with mine, and I melt into him. The kiss is loving and sweet. It’s the kind that promises there are many more to come.
Dear god, please let this be a promise he can keep.
My head feels dizzy as he pulls away.
“Let’s eat.” He gestures for me to take a seat at the table before returning to the food. “Chef taught me a new dish last week that I think you’re going to love.”
“Awesome.” I sit, observing the way he perfectly prepares our plates. “You didn’t have to make me breakfast, you know.”
Cole scoffs as he carries the plates over. “I wanted to. You’re my favorite person to cook for, and your parents will be back tomorrow night. I’m soaking up my time alone with you as much as possible. Unfortunately, I’ve got to work for a few hours today. But,” he places a plate in front of me, his voice huskier as he continues with, “when I get back, we’re playing house for the next twenty-four hours.”
Nervous energy bubbles out of me as he winks and takes the seat next to me. We were never left completely alone when he lived here with his mother. Last night, things started in the kitchen before we headed up to my room. I thought Cole was joking when he said he wanted to be with me in every room of this house, but the mischievous grin on his face says otherwise.
Cole leans over for another quick kiss, and my abdomen tightens.
“Damn,” he says as he breaks the kiss. “It’s going to be really hard to keep my hands off you when your parents are around.”