13. Tori
TORI
T he familiar smell of cinnamon wafted from the bakery as Cole and I walked down Main Street.
The town was bustling, and for the first time in a while, I felt almost relaxed—until I saw her .
Samantha Crane. She’d been my so-called friend.
But really, she’d been Marcus’s eyes and ears, reporting back to him every time I dared step out of line.
What was she doing in Oakridge Hill? Did it have anything to do with Marcus?
Then I remembered Samantha mentioning that she sometimes came to Oakridge to do her hair, because her stylist had moved here or something.
She noticed me before I had a chance to turn away, her red-painted smile widening in that unsettling way I remembered all too well.
“Tori! Wow, it’s been ages,” she said, her voice honeyed and loud enough to make people glance our way.
She looked me up and down, taking in Cole beside me.
I felt the familiar pang of anxiety rise in my chest, memories flooding back of how she’d always worm her way under my skin.
The only reason I’d kept Samantha in my life was because, under Marcus’s tight control, I’d felt too isolated to completely let her go.
She wasn’t exactly a friend, more like someone who filled the empty spaces when I needed it most.
Even if her loyalty was questionable, she was better than the silence and solitude that Marcus imposed on me.
So, I had endured her company.
“Samantha,” I managed, keeping my voice steady.
Cole’s hand rested gently on my lower back, grounding me, though I could tell from his stiff stance that he sensed something was off.
“I almost didn’t recognize you!” Samantha’s gaze slid to Cole with thinly veiled curiosity. “And…who’s this?”
“Cole,” I said, my voice firmer this time. “My?—”
“Boyfriend,” he said effortlessly.
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I couldn’t deny the small comfort I felt at his protectiveness.
For once, it felt like someone was in my corner without hidden agendas.
“Oh, boyfriend .” Samantha’s smile turned knowing, her eyes glinting. “It’s just so good to see you happy, Tori. After everything, you know. You were…well, let’s just say, you’ve come a long way.”
The undertone in her words made my stomach clench.
She’d always had a way of making me feel like a child, like I’d only been something to Marcus because of her oversight.
I could feel Cole shift beside me, his fingers pressing more firmly against my back.
He was holding himself back, I could tell, fighting the instinct to step in.
“I have,” I said, forcing a smile.
I met her gaze, a spark of anger cutting through my nerves. “I’ve come a very long way. Without Marcus’s help, actually.”
Her laugh was the same one I remembered—a little too high-pitched, a little too smug.
“I’m sure you have. He only ever wanted the best for you, you know that, right?” Samantha asked.
I felt my chest tighten, memories clawing up to the surface.
I remembered the way Marcus would call me up after Samantha’s reports, her voice feeding his insecurities and paranoia.
I remembered the fear, the endless accusations.
“Maybe I did then, but I don’t now,” I said, my words coming out sharper than I intended.
Cole shifted closer, his fingers pressing comfortingly against me.
Samantha’s gaze flicked to Cole, something in her smile twisting.
“Well, if you ever want to chat, catch up on things, I’m sure Marcus would love to know you’re doing well. He worries, you know,” she said.
The subtle threat in her words wasn’t lost on me, and Cole heard it too; his jaw clenched visibly.
But this time, I wasn’t cowering. Not anymore.
“That’s funny,” I said, my voice steady, “because I don’t.”
Samantha’s smile faltered, and in that moment, I saw it—the flicker of frustration in her eyes.
I had changed, and I could see that realization land.
“Well,” she said finally, her voice tight, “I’ll let you two…enjoy your day.”
As she walked away, the tension in my body slowly ebbed.
I took a deep breath, looking down at my hands, which were still shaking slightly.
“Are you okay?” Cole’s voice was low and soft, and I could feel his gaze on me.
But when I glanced up, he wasn’t looking at me with pity or anger. Just…concern.
I nodded, my throat tight.
“I didn’t expect to see her again. Samantha was always Marcus’s…little messenger,” I said.
I continued, “She’d report everything I did, every time I spoke to someone he didn’t know about, every time I stayed out a little too late. She’d even make up stories just to make sure he kept me in line.”
Cole’s expression darkened, and I felt his arm tense around me.
“If I’d known…” he trailed off, frustration evident in his voice.
I placed my hand on his chest, trying to calm him.
“You didn’t know. And I don’t need you to fight my battles,” I reminded him.
I could tell he was struggling to respect that, and it made me realize something.
Unlike Marcus, Cole’s protectiveness didn’t feel like a cage. It wasn’t stifling or demanding, or some twisted means of possession.
When Cole watched over me, it didn’t come with rules or conditions or the fear of disappointing him.
His protectiveness wasn’t about control; it was about care.
When he looked at me, I saw a strength that was there to shield, not to suffocate.
It was the first time I’d felt that kind of security without feeling diminished.
Maybe, just maybe, I was starting to understand that.
Cole wasn’t trying to mold me into something or keep me within invisible walls.
He didn’t need to own me to feel close, and he didn’t need me to be smaller so he could feel strong.
For the first time, someone’s strength felt like it was adding to mine, not taking from it.
I smiled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
“Thank you for not stepping in back there,” I told him.
He looked down at me, a trace of regret in his eyes.
“I wanted to. I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her. But…” He hesitated, and I could tell he was trying to balance what he wanted with what I needed.
I nodded, appreciating his restraint more than I could put into words.
“I know you wanted to. But letting me handle it—that’s exactly what I needed,” I said.
His expression softened, and a small, relieved smile appeared on his face.
For once, I didn’t feel stifled by someone else’s presence. I felt…safe.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice gentle, almost playful.
"I know exactly where to go," I told him with a smile. "Let's go for a drive."
After we got out of Cole’s car, I reached for hand and started leading him down the narrow path.
“There’s a quiet spot by the lake I want to take you,” I told him, glancing back to catch the curious spark in his eyes.
We wound through the trees in comfortable silence, my heart thudding.
The leaves crunched beneath our feet, and soon enough, we reached a little clearing that opened up onto a glassy, still lake.
It was a place I used to come to think when things felt overwhelming.
“This is…beautiful,” Cole murmured, his eyes sweeping over the water, the tall pines framing the view, and the little wildflowers that dotted the edge of the lake.
“I didn’t think you could find a place this peaceful,” he added.
“It’s special,” I said softly. “I used to come here when I needed to get away. To clear my head.”
We found a patch of grass near the edge of the lake and settled in.
I drew my knees to my chest, feeling the cool air wash over us. For a few moments, we sat in silence, letting the quiet envelop us.
I didn’t realize until that moment how badly I needed this calm, and to my surprise, Cole seemed to feel it too.
His usually guarded, confident expression softened.
Cole exhaled deeply, almost as if he was letting go of something he’d been holding onto tightly.
“So, this is your quiet place,” he said, running a hand over the grass. “Do you still come here often?”
I shook my head.
"Not as much as I should. I used to come here all the time when I first opened the boutique," I added, glancing around at the familiar surroundings.
I continued, “Back then, I was constantly second-guessing myself. Marcus always told me I couldn’t handle things on my own, that I’d never make it by myself.”
Cole’s face tightened, and I immediately regretted bringing Marcus up. I wanted this moment to be about us, about something new.
But then Cole surprised me by reaching out, his hand covering mine in a gentle, steadying warmth.
“That must have been tough, feeling like you had to face everything alone,” he said.
I nodded. "It really was. It took me a long time to rebuild my confidence, to believe that I could actually stand on my own.”
Cole’s gaze held mine, and for a moment, I felt the weight of his own thoughts hanging in the air between us.
“You know, most people see me as this…confident guy, I guess. Maybe even arrogant sometimes. They think I’ve got everything figured out.”
He laughed, but it wasn’t his usual easy laugh—it was low, almost self-deprecating.
“Isn’t that true, though?” I asked, only half-joking. “You’ve built this incredible company. You have a family who adores you. You’re…successful in every possible way.”
Cole smiled, but there was a sadness in it.
“It might look that way. But the truth is, there are a lot of expectations. Expectations that I carry every day, whether I want to or not.”
He glanced down at our intertwined hands, his thumb brushing softly over mine.
Cole continued, “I grew up watching my dad build the company from scratch. I was a kid when it started, but I saw the sacrifices he made. The late nights, the pressure, all for us.”
I listened quietly, something inside me softening as I watched him open up.
It was a side of him I hadn’t expected—a vulnerability beneath the confidence.
“And you feel like you have to live up to that?” I asked.
He nodded, looking out over the lake.
“More than that. It’s like…if I don’t succeed, I’ve failed him. Failed everything he worked for. My siblings—they look up to me. They rely on me. It’s not something I regret or resent, but it’s there. And sometimes…sometimes it’s heavy.”
He turned to me then, a wistful look in his eyes.
“I envy you, you know? That you could find a place like this to escape to. That you allowed yourself to need that,” he said.
My breath caught at the openness in his words. He wasn’t just the smooth-talking, confident man I’d met.
Here, in this quiet moment, he was just…Cole.
“I guess we’re more alike than I thought,” I said softly. “Maybe we’re both trying to escape something. Maybe we’re both still learning that it’s okay to want more than just…success or control.”
His hand squeezed mine gently, and for a moment, we sat like that, connected and understanding each other in a way I hadn’t thought possible.
Then, without thinking, I leaned closer, feeling the warmth of his shoulder against mine.
He turned to face me, and suddenly the tension that had been simmering between us was undeniable.
My heartbeat quickened as I met his gaze, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
Slowly, he lifted a hand to my cheek, brushing a stray hair back behind my ear.
“Tori,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper.
I closed my eyes, letting the moment stretch and expand around us.
His touch was gentle, steady, everything I hadn’t known I wanted.
Without another word, I leaned into him, closing the distance between us as his lips met mine.
The kiss was soft at first, tentative.
But it quickly deepened, turning into something more intense, more consuming.
His hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, and I felt my heart race in a way it hadn’t in years.
When we finally broke apart, breathless, he rested his forehead against mine, his thumb tracing gentle circles along my jaw.
“I’m glad you brought me here,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.
“Me too,” I whispered, feeling a strange, giddy warmth spreading through me.
For a while, we simply sat there, wrapped up in each other as the breeze rippled across the lake.
The world felt distant, as if it was just the two of us in this little pocket of peace.
It was a feeling I didn’t want to let go of—a feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was something real here.
As the afternoon wore on, the sun dipped lower, casting a golden glow over the lake, and I felt the last of my walls start to crumble.