18. Cole/ Tori
COLE/ TORI
C OLE
I couldn’t just sit there.
The minutes stretched into hours, and every second felt like a lifetime. Tori’s message had been clear: she needed space.
But giving her that space felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, knowing the ground beneath me was crumbling.
I paced my apartment, running a hand through my hair for what felt like the hundredth time.
My phone sat on the counter, mocking me with its silence.
She hadn’t messaged again, hadn’t given me any reassurance that she was okay. And it was driving me insane.
The fear clawed at me—fear that I’d pushed too far, that I’d become the very thing she was trying to escape.
The last thing I wanted was to remind her of Marcus, to make her feel trapped.
But wasn’t that exactly what I’d done by installing the security system without asking her?
I thought I was protecting her. Maybe I was. But at what cost?
The thought made me pause mid-step. Tori wasn’t Marcus’s victim anymore.
She was strong, fiercely independent, and I respected that about her. Loved that about her.
But I’d let my own fear—my own desperation to keep her safe—cloud my judgment.
I grabbed my keys before I could second-guess myself.
The drive to Oakridge felt longer than it was, the quiet hum of the car doing nothing to drown out my thoughts.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say when I got there, only that I had to see her. I had to make things right.
Her apartment building came into view, and I parked across the street, taking a deep breath before stepping out.
The cool night air hit me, but it did little to calm my nerves. I hesitated for a moment, staring up at the window I knew was hers.
She might not even open the door, but I had to try.
I knocked lightly, the sound echoing in the stillness of the hallway. For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no movement.
Then I heard the faint shuffle of footsteps on the other side, and the door cracked open.
Tori’s face appeared, her expression guarded. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt, her hair pulled back into a messy bun.
She looked tired, her eyes slightly red, as if she’d been crying.
“Cole,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you,” I admitted, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “I couldn’t just sit there, wondering if you were okay.”
She hesitated, her fingers gripping the edge of the door.
For a moment, I thought she might tell me to leave. But then she stepped back, opening the door wider.
“Come in,” she said softly.
Her apartment was warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the tension hanging between us.
She gestured for me to sit, but I stayed standing, unable to shake the restless energy coursing through me.
“Tori,” I started, meeting her eyes. “I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back with the security system. I thought I was helping, but I realize now that I was crossing a line.”
She folded her arms across her chest, her expression unreadable.
“I just… I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you,” I continued, my voice thick with emotion. “But if you need me to back off, to give you space, I will. I’ll do whatever you need.”
Her eyes softened, and she let out a shaky breath.
“Cole… it’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do. It’s just… I’ve spent so long trying to prove to myself that I can stand on my own two feet. That I don’t need someone else to fight my battles for me,” she said.
“I know,” I said, stepping closer. “And I don’t want to take that from you. But I also can’t sit back and do nothing when I know Marcus is still out there, still trying to manipulate you.”
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and for a moment, the silence was deafening.
“I’m scared, Cole,” she admitted finally, her voice barely audible. “I’m scared of letting someone in again. Of losing myself in the process.”
I reached out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking her hand.
“You won’t lose yourself with me, Tori. I don’t want to change who you are or take anything from you. I just want to be here for you. To stand beside you, not in front of you,” I told her.
Her eyes met mine, and I saw the vulnerability there, the fear she was trying so hard to hide.
“I’m scared too,” I confessed, my voice raw. “I’m scared of losing you. Of not being enough to protect you. But I know I can’t force you to trust me. All I can do is be here, however you need me to be.”
Tori let out a shaky laugh, wiping at her eyes.
“You always know exactly what to say, don’t you?” Tori asked.
“Not always,” I said with a small smile. “I’m just trying to be honest.”
She looked at me for a long moment, as if trying to decide something. Then she gave a small nod.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s try this again.”
“Try what again?”
“Us,” she said simply. “I don’t want to push you away, Cole. I’m just… trying to figure out how to let you in without losing myself in the process.”
I felt a weight lift off my chest, and I squeezed her hand gently.
“We’ll figure it out together. No rush, no pressure. Just… one step at a time,” I said.
She smiled then, a real, genuine smile, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds.
“Stay?” she asked softly, her eyes searching mine.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “I’d like that.”
We spent the rest of the evening talking, the tension slowly giving way to something softer, more hopeful.
She opened up about her fears, about the scars Marcus had left behind.
And I shared my own—my fear of not being enough, of losing her before we’d even had a chance to really begin.
By the time we moved to the couch, the barriers between us felt smaller, less daunting.
She curled up beside me, her head resting on my shoulder, and I wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.
For the first time in what felt like days, I felt a flicker of hope.
We still had a long way to go, but in that moment, I knew we’d find our way.
TORI
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the room.
For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe. I blinked, my gaze landing on Cole beside me.
His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, and I let myself linger on the peacefulness of his expression.
Last night had been a turning point.
We’d laid everything bare—our fears, our hopes, and the shaky path forward. It wasn’t perfect, but it was honest.
Cole stirred, his hand sliding across the bed to rest lightly on my hip.
“You’re staring,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
I smiled, caught in the act. “Maybe.”
His eyes opened, those deep green irises locking onto mine, and for a moment, the world outside didn’t exist.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice soft but warm.
“Good morning,” I replied, my voice just as gentle.
For a moment, we lay there in silence, the weight of the past few days hanging between us but feeling lighter somehow.
“I’ve been thinking,” I said finally, tracing a finger along the edge of the blanket. “About us.”
Cole propped himself up on one elbow, his gaze sharpening. “And?”
“I think… I’ve been so afraid of repeating the past that I didn’t see how different you are from him,” I admitted.
I continued, “You don’t try to control me, Cole. You try to protect me, and I’ve been so scared that I couldn’t see the difference.”
His jaw tightened, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face.
“Tori, I would never want to take anything away from you. I know I’ve made mistakes, but—” Cole began.
“I know,” I interrupted, placing a hand on his chest. “And I’m not saying I’m not still scared. But I trust you, Cole. I want to figure this out… together.”
His expression softened, and the relief in his eyes was almost enough to bring tears to mine.
“You don’t know how much it means to hear you say that,” he told me.
“I think I do,” I said with a small smile.
The morning unfolded naturally, an unspoken agreement between us to let the day be easy, free from heavy conversations.
After we got dressed, I found myself drawn to the kitchen, an idea forming in my mind.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
I glanced over my shoulder at Cole, who was leaning against the counter, watching me with that signature intensity.
“Starving,” he replied with a grin.
I pulled out a carton of eggs, a loaf of bread, and a few other ingredients.
Cooking had always been a way for me to clear my head, to ground myself.
Cole stepped closer, his presence a steady warmth at my back. “Need any help?”
“Are you offering?” I teased, cracking an egg into a bowl.
He chuckled. “I can manage toast. Maybe.”
“Then you’re on toast duty,” I said, handing him the loaf of bread.
It was surprisingly easy, the two of us moving around the kitchen like we’d done it a hundred times before.
He wasn’t half-bad at toasting bread, though he did burn the first slice.
“Better stick to boardrooms,” I teased, earning a mock glare.
By the time we sat down to eat, the air between us felt lighter, almost playful.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this… normal.
After breakfast, Cole surprised me by offering to come to the boutique with me.
“Are you sure?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s not exactly your scene.”
He shrugged. “I want to spend the day with you. Besides, I think you could use an extra set of hands.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
At the boutique, Candy’s eyes widened slightly when she saw Cole walk in behind me.
She shot me a knowing look, but to her credit, she didn’t say anything.
Cole was surprisingly helpful, carrying boxes of new inventory and even assisting a few customers when things got busy.
At one point, I caught him talking to an older woman about the scarves we’d just gotten in stock.
The sight of him holding up a bright pink scarf with a serious expression was enough to make me laugh out loud.
“What?” he asked, turning to me with a grin.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re just full of surprises.”
As the day wore on, I found myself glancing at Cole more often than I probably should have.
There was something grounding about having him there, like he was a steady anchor in the chaos of my life.
When the last customer left and Candy locked up for the day, she gave me a sly smile.
“He’s a keeper,” Candy said in a whisper, nodding toward Cole.
I felt my cheeks heat up but didn’t deny it.
The drive back to my apartment was quiet, but it wasn’t the tense silence of before.
It was comfortable, the kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled.
When we pulled up outside, Cole turned to me, his expression serious.
“I meant what I said this morning,” he said. “I’m in this with you, Tori. Whatever it takes.”
I reached out, taking his hand in mine.
“I know. And I’m starting to believe that maybe I don’t have to face everything alone,” I told him.
He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles.
“You never do,” Cole said.
That night, as I lay in bed, I felt a strange sense of peace.
The shadow of Marcus still loomed, but it didn’t feel as suffocating as it had before.
Cole wasn’t a perfect man, but he wasn’t Marcus. He didn’t diminish my strength—he brought it out.