Chapter 14 Cole
COLE
“Oh, he’s cute,” Freya breathes, and I can’t help but laugh.
I’ve learned a very important lesson this afternoon.
Freya is a dog person. And not just any dog person; she is borderline obsessed. I’m pretty sure the dogs know it, too.
The second the Golden Retriever looks up, he spots her and instantly picks up speed.
“Oh, hello there, handsome. Are you having a nice walk?” she greets, letting him sniff her hand before she gives him some fuss. “Oh, you’re soaked,” she teases. “Did you find some water to splash in?”
No sooner does Freya mention the word water does the big guy shake. To be fair, it could be a hell of a lot worse, but we still get sprayed.
“Oh my God, Dougie, don’t do that,” his owner says, rushing over.
“It’s okay,” Freya says with a wide smile as she continues to pet the wet pooch. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you, Dougie?” she coos before allowing him to go on his way with his owner.
“So, you’re a dog fan, then?” I deadpan as we continue on the trail we’ve chosen.
She laughs. “I guess you could say that.”
“Do you have any?” It’s an innocent question, so I’m confused as to why she stops dead in the middle of the path and glares at me. “What?”
“Do you think I’d be such a bad dog mom that I’d come here for a walk and not bring my four-legged bestie?”
“Uh…” To be fair, she has a point.
She sets off walking again.
“No, I’ve never had one. My parents wouldn’t allow it. They were both working a lot of hours, and I was at school. Then I went to college, Vegas, and then …”
“And then?” I ask, kicking myself for asking. But I can’t lie; the curiosity to find out more about what she’s been doing these past few years burns through me.
I can predict the basics, but I don’t want to guess. I want to learn more about the woman who arguably is now the most important one in my life.
“And then…I followed a man around the world. There’s no space for a dog on a tour bus,” she says sadly.
“No, I guess not.”
“A dog would have been more loyal, though. He wouldn’t have got bored and sent me home.”
My chin drops.
“Freya—”
“Don’t,” she warns. “Everything happens for a reason, right?”
“Apparently,” I muse, rubbing my jaw.
“You don’t believe that?”
“I…I don’t know. There have been times in my life when I do. Times when I’ve met people I wasn’t expecting who have helped and pushed me forward. But there are other times when life has been downright cruel, and I can’t help wondering what I did in a former life to make me deserve it.”
Freya mumbles an agreement.
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
“Yeah, and at this point, I'm pretty fucking strong,” I mutter absently.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“About as much as you do your ex.”
“Noted,” she says with a laugh.
“So, which breed would you go for?” I ask, circling back to the beginning of this conversation.
Freya sighs, but when I glance over, she’s wearing a huge smile.
“See, this is where my problem lies,” she explains. “How do you choose just one when so many are so cool, loveable, and cuddly?”
“You’re cute.” The words erupt without approval, and my heart lurches.
Have I ever said those words to a girl—a woman—ever?
No, I don’t think I have. But as panicked as I am about her reaction, I can’t deny that they’re true.
“Most people think my indecisiveness is annoying, so I appreciate that.”
“Most people, or your ex?” I counter.
“Touché.”
“You can’t live your life with his words in your ear, Freya.” Sure, I might not know what he’s said exactly, but I have a damn good guess. “You’re not the version of yourself he thinks you were.”
“How do you know that?” she asks quietly.
“Because I do.” I fall silent for a moment, debating whether to ask my next question or not. Really, I don’t need to bother; I know the answer. But in the end, the words fall free regardless. “Before you met him, did you overthink everything like you do now?”
She went to college, and she decided to leave her hometown and her parents to go to Las Vegas. She then left all that behind for a man. I’m struggling to match that girl to the woman I know now.
“No,” she finally confesses. “But I was younger, and—”
“Age has nothing to do with confidence, Freya.”
She lets out a huge sigh.
“What do you want to hear? That he totally messed me up?”
“Hell no. I don’t need to hear anything. I would, however, like to see you pushing past all that. You’re an incredible person with an amazing talent, Freya. No one else on the planet should make you second-guess that.”
She ducks her head, unable to accept the compliment.
My fists curl at my sides. I really want to hurt the motherfucker who did this to her.
“I’m doing better than I was,” she admits.
“I know it’s hard. Trust me, I do. But the only person who should have the power to control your happiness is you. Also, life is too fucking short to be miserable and questioning everything. Fuck him and his unwanted opinions. No one gives a shit about him.”
“Not entirely true.”
“I don’t give a fuck if he’s a famous musician or the fucking president. No man should bring a woman down like that, leave her questioning herself because he wasn’t man enough to do his job properly.”
I don’t even realize we’ve stopped, nor do I notice that Freya is standing in front of me until her warm palm presses against my heaving chest.
“Shit,” I curse, as the warmth from her touch flows through me. “I’m sorry, I—” I cut myself off, not wanting to cover my word vomit with excuses. “I may have some skeletons hidden in my closet as well. Mine have just been shoved further back.”
“I’m hoping one day, he’ll be shoved so far back, he’ll just fall right out,” Freya laughs.
“I have a great therapist I can recommend.”
“Thanks, but I can’t afford anything like that. I have to use free services, like my mom and Casey.”
I’m about to speak when she suddenly steps away and continues walking.
“I want a soft, fluffy, cuddly one,” she says. It takes me a moment to catch up.
Dogs. Right.
“I want to be able to snuggle with it and enjoy stroking its soft fur.”
I nod as if I understand. A dog has never been on my radar. I’ve spent most of my life trying to figure out how to take care of myself; I don’t need to add anything or anyone to that.
“Top choices would probably be a retriever or a spaniel of some sort. Maybe a cockerpoo.”
I frown. “A what?”
“A cockerpoo. It’s a mix between a cocker spaniel and a poodle.”
“Of course it is,” I laugh.
“I just need to get my own place and then maybe, just maybe, I’ll add a pooch to my life.”
“You should. Will be a hell of a lot more reliable than a man.”
“Speaking highly of yourself there.”
“I can’t even cook for myself. I don’t have a lot going for me unless you want access to my bank account.”
“Absolutely not,” she states fiercely, just like I expected her to.
Freya isn’t like most of the other women I spend time with. She doesn’t care about my job, my status, or my money. She’s hanging out with me right now because of me. And maybe a little bit because I invited myself.
“So, what about you? If you weren’t traveling so much, would you have a pet?”
I think about her question for a moment.
“Oh God, you’re a cat person, aren’t you?” she asks in horror. “I should have asked that the day you offered me the job.”
I laugh. “No, I’m not a cat person. I don’t really see the point in them as a pet when they spend most of their time outside and getting fed by someone else.”
“Ah, something we can agree on. I’m sure there are a few out there who are cuddly. But I want loyalty. I might not be able to find it in a man, but a dog? I reckon I could manage that.”
“You deserve it from both,” I point out.
“Yeah, I do. But I think I’m done with trusting men for a while.”
“Oh, ouch.”
“That wasn’t…I didn’t mean—”
“I know you didn’t. I’m just teasing. I know it’s not the same, but you can trust me.”
I glance over in time to see her nodding. “I know I can. Thank you, Cole. I really appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me, working for you.”
“You have nothing to thank me for.”
“I really do. You have no idea how much you’ve changed my life.”
Happiness washes through me. I did that. I made an incredible person’s life better. And in turn, I eat like a king every fucking day. I call that a massive win–win.
“So if you’re done with men, why are you going out on a date tomorrow night?” I shouldn’t ask. It’s really none of my business. But I can’t help being curious.
She’s silent for a few seconds as we continue walking. The gravel track crunches underfoot, and the fresh spring leaves blow in the wind above it. It’s a perfect day in LA, and it reminds me just how lucky I am to live in such an incredible place.
I’ve almost forgotten that I asked a question when she begins speaking.
“He seemed like a nice guy.”
“But not nice enough to trust.”
“I guess only time will tell. But I’m not rushing into anything. I’ve done that before and look where that landed me.”
“I find it hard to believe you’ve ever rushed into anything.”
“What? Like agreeing to work for you?”
“Yeah, okay. Fair enough.”
“I like to believe that if something feels right, then you should go for it.”
“I can get on board with that.”
“Yeah. It’s all great until it goes wrong.”
“He’s an asshole for hurting you, Freya. One day, he’ll wake up and realize what he’s lost.”
A laugh spills from her lips, but it’s heavy and full of pain. I hate it.
“I doubt that. He’s too busy being a superstar.”
“Is he…is he big?”
“You sound like a cheesy journalist wanting all the dirty details,” she teases, shooting me an amused look.
“I didn’t mean big like…his legit size. From the way he’s treated you, I’d be tempted to say he’s small in every sense of the word.”
“Well, I don’t want to kiss and tell, but …” I bark out a laugh as she lifts her hand and holds her forefinger and thumb about an inch apart. “Don’t tell anyone I told you that, though. It can be our little secret.”
“You got it. But in the superstar sense? Is he someone I might have heard of?”
“Probably, yeah.”
‘Well, if I ever see him in person, I’m going to let him know exactly what I think of him.”
“No, Cole, you can’t.” She stops walking, turns toward me, and rests her hand on my forearm.
Her touch is warm and gentle—soothing for the anger racing through my veins as I think about what he’s done to her.
It’s not even that he broke her heart. It’s the way he stripped her confidence and self-belief. I fucking hate him for that.
I turn to face her, gazing down into her light-blue eyes. They twinkle in the sunlight, drawing me in even more. I take a step forward, closing the space between us.
“I can and I will, Freya. No one gets to hurt you like he has and get away with it.”