Chapter 60 Freya
FREYA
“Ishould call my mom,” I say after long, blissful minutes snuggling with Cole on his couch.
He pulled me on top of him a while ago, and I’ve already decided that he’s my favorite kind of pillow.
Sure, he’s a little hard, especially in one specific place, but he’s so warm, and having his arms locked around me makes me feel safer than I ever have in my life.
Cole thrusts his hips up, ensuring I can feel the solid length of his erection against my stomach. "Are you really thinking about your parents right now, Whirlwind?” he teases.
“She’ll be worrying,” I say, knowing full well that she’ll have seen my face staring back at her as soon as she looked at her cell this morning.
“I’ve already spoken to her.”
I sit up sharply and stare down at Cole. His hair is a mess from me running my fingers through it, his eyes are dark and hungry, and his lips are swollen. He looks unbelievably hot.
“You’ve…what?” I ask, shaking my head. I must have misheard him.
“I’ve already spoken to your mom. She knows you’re okay,” he says softly.
My mouth moves as if I’m saying words, but none come out.
“W-when? How? I don’t…I’m confused.”
Cole chuckles. “I can see that. You look like Charlie at the shelter when I tried getting him to give me his paw.”
“That cute, huh?”
“Baby, you have no idea.”
“When did you and my mom get so close?” I ask, curious.
“The first time we met. She gave me both hers and your dad’s numbers.”
“Why?”
“In case of emergencies, I guess. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t given your dad mine, though, because I haven’t had a message from him yet.”
“Oh god. He’ll be a nightmare when he gets that.”
Cole chuckles, a sappy smile playing on his lips.
“I don’t mind. Your dad is cool. The kind of man I always wish I had to raise and support me.”
“You might think again in a few months when he is driving you crazy,” I tease.
“I will never regret anything when it comes to you or the people who love you.”
I shake my head, utterly blown away by this incredible man.
“What?” he asks.
“Just you. Who knew that beneath all the pads and sky-high walls, you were such a softie, Cole Hansley.”
“Shhh, don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation as a hardass goalie.”
“Something tells me that you wouldn’t be too bothered.”
“Guilty. I’ll happily tell the entire world that I’m falling head over heels for you.”
My chest contracts as my heart swells.
“Where do we go from here?” I ask. It seems too easy to attempt to ignore Rowan and his games and continue as if it never happened.
“I’m sure Hailee has a plan,” Cole says, dragging me back to his chest. “I can wait to hear it, though.”
“Yeah, me too,” I sigh, snuggling back against him.
We end up putting a movie on, and we spend the afternoon twisted together on the couch. When Cole starts to get hungry, he places an order for more food, and Melvin makes sure that it gets to us safely.
Ignoring the chaos swirling around outside, we have the best day together.
I open up more about my life on the road with the Rusty Trinkets.
I try to avoid talking about him, but seeing as everything was literally about him, it makes it pretty hard.
I talk about the places I visited, those I barely caught a glimpse of and would love to travel back to one day.
And Cole dives into some of the darker times of his childhood that I’m pretty sure he’s never spoken about to anyone before.
With every word that leaves his lips, I feel closer to him.
Our connection is growing right before my eyes, and I couldn’t be happier.
It isn’t until the sun sets that we finally agree to let the outside into our peaceful little bubble.
Despite Cole saying that he’s reassured Mom, I still need to speak to her myself.
After locating my dead cell in my purse from last night, I charge it up, ignore all the notifications, and hit dial on her number.
“Freya.” She pants down the line as if she just ran a marathon to get to it.
“Hey,” I say, guilt swirling inside me for not calling earlier. I was…distracted.
“How are you, baby? Is Cole taking good care of you like he promised?”
A smile spreads across my face as I curl my legs beneath me on Cole's swivel chair and spin myself so I’m looking at the view of the city beyond.
“Yeah, Mom. He’s incredible.”
“Oh my gosh. Is it true?”
I frown, hating that she might have fallen for some of the lies about me that are circling.
“Is what true, Mom?” I ask, sounding exasperated.
“That you and Cole are together?”
A laugh puffs out of me. Of course, out of everything that’s been said, that is the only thing she cares about. I bet Dad is losing his mind at the thought of his favorite hockey goalie one day being his son-in-law.
Unable to stop it, hope and excitement for the future flutter inside me.
Is that the direction we’re heading in? I have no idea.
I briefly think about a conversation not long after I first started, where Cole adamantly said he didn’t want kids.
Maybe that was true. Or maybe that was his fear speaking.
Either way, it doesn’t change how I feel about him or wanting a future together.
Right now, the only thing I want is him.
With a smile stretching across my lips, I give my mom the exclusive answer.
“Yes, Mom. We’re together.”
“Oh my god,” she squeals. “I knew it. I knew it. But I still needed to hear it from you. Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for you, Freya. Cole is so wonderful. And the way he looks at you, the way he treats you and talks about you…oh, it’s just everything I always hoped you’d find.”
I’ve always known that my mom is an old romantic. The contents of her bookcase are clue enough, but hearing the joy and excitement in her voice right now? Well, it just confirms it.
“The instant he called me this morning, I knew you’d be okay.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty incredible.”
“Unlike someone else,” Mom muses darkly. “I can’t believe that silly, silly boy. I always knew he was bad news. I sensed it the first moment I saw him.”
“I know, Mom. I messed up. I should have listened to you and—”
“Now, now, enough of that. If I did everything my mother told me when I was young, I probably would have ended up with a very different life. As much as I suspected he was bad news, sometimes, we just have to see the evidence for ourselves. And plus, if you never ended up with him, you might not have found your way to Cole.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself.”
“Is he okay? I’ve only skimmed over a few of the stupid articles, but from what I’ve picked up, his life hasn’t been as nice or as cozy as we’d all like to think.”
“He didn’t have a great childhood, something that he’s done his best to keep away from the media.
But nothing can stay hidden forever, I guess.
He’s okay, though. I’m sure something good will come out of it.
He might not want to believe it, but he’s an inspiration to so many young people out there with dreams bigger than they think they’re able to achieve. ”
Mom sighs down the line. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Mom. I really do.”
“Will you both come to dinner again soon? Once everything has calmed down, of course. I don’t want to put any more pressure on your shoulders.”
“We’d love to. Thank you, Mom. Thank you for accepting him and—”
“Freya, I love you so much. I will always support you, even if I don’t completely agree with your decisions.”
“Well, seeing as you approve of Cole, maybe we’re past all that.”
She laughs. “Here’s hoping. I should let you go. You’ve got a man to hang out with before he’s off again.”
Sadness and a little bit of fear tug at my chest at the thought of him leaving me alone for the first time after all this. I know I could retreat to Mom and Dad’s. But…I don’t want to. I haven’t done anything wrong; I refuse to hide and cower like I’m the guilty party here.
“I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“You got it. Say hi to Cole for me.”
“I will. Enjoy your evening. And please, try to stay off the internet,” I mock. Despite knowing most of it is lies, Mom can’t help herself. She loves a bit of celebrity gossip. Always has and always will.
“You too. Just maybe…get to know each other a little more before you make me a grandmother.”
“Mom,” I gasp, making her laugh, and reminding me that I really need to book a doctor’s appointment to get back on birth control.
She’s still chuckling as we hang up.
I lower my cell to my lap, smiling as I look out at the view. The sun is setting, casting a pretty pink hue over the city.
Eventually, I look down at my notifications.
I don’t have a whole lot, probably way less than Cole, but Casey and Parker have both called and left messages, so has Summer, telling me the gossip has made its way across the pond.
I’ve got some missed calls from unknown numbers, which are going to find themselves blocked real fast. I send a message to our girls’ group chat to let them know that we’re both okay and that we’ll catch up soon, before replying to Summer to reassure her as well.
I don’t bother waiting for replies; instead, I abandon my cell on the chair and go in search of my man.
His bedroom is empty, so I continue down the hallway toward the part of the apartment I still haven’t explored.
One of the doors is ajar, and I step up to it. Nerves flutter in my belly as I lift my hand and knock.
I know it’s probably silly—the door is open, and it’s not like he’s ever told me I can’t come down here.
“Yeah,” Cole calls. I press my palm against the heavy wooden door and reveal the most incredible office space.
He’s sitting at a huge walnut desk that’s in front of another set of floor-to-ceiling windows. The walls are covered in bookcases and shelves. My eyes scan over everything, trying to take it all in.
Cole’s entire life and career are showcased in this room. Trophies, photos, framed jerseys. I get my first look at him as a little boy, a pre-teen, and all the way to the man who is sitting at his desk with his eyes burning into me.
“This is…wow,” I breathe, my eyes darting from photo to photo, newspaper clipping to newspaper clipping.
“You’ve never looked in here?” he asks in awe.
“No, you keep the door shut,” I say as I absently reach for one photo that really calls to me. “Who is this?” I ask, my eyes on an older man with his arm wrapped around a young Cole. He has a proud, beaming smile on his face. Almost father-like.
There’s movement, and a second later, Cole steps up behind me. “That’s Austin Richardson. He was my first hockey coach. He found me playing grass hockey alone at the local park and invited me to join his practice sessions.
“I almost didn’t go. I didn’t have any equipment, or even any money to pay for the sessions, but my curiosity won out. I wanted to have a go on the ice, so I turned up. I guess the rest is history.”
“Do you still speak to him?” I ask, but deep down, I think I already know the answer.
Cole’s breath tickles over my neck a beat before he responds. “No, he died of cancer a few years ago.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Me too. I owe him everything.”
I place the framed photo back down carefully now that I’m aware of just how precious it is.
Spinning around, I stare up into Cole’s eyes. They’re a little glassy.
“He was lucky to find you,” I tell him.
A humorless laugh falls from him. “Nah, it was definitely the other way around.”
I shake my head. “If he were still here, he would disagree. I bet you had much more of an impact on him than you realize. You’re incredible, Cole. And I’m lucky to have found you as well.”
His eyes bounce between mine. “I never really believed in luck. Or anything really,” he admits. “Everything was too shitty, too hard, to think there was a reason why I was dealt the life I was.”
“To be the man you are today,” I tell him honestly. “You inspire people daily all across the country. Hell, the world.”
He doesn’t want to believe me, I can tell by the way he bites down on the inside of his lip, but it’s true. And I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to prove it to him if I have to.
“Was your mom okay?” he asks, gladly changing the subject.
“Yep, she’s beside herself to be the first to hear our news. She has warned us to take things slow and not make her a grandmother yet.” I can’t help but laugh when all the color drains from Cole’s face. “It’s a joke. She’s joking, Cole. We’re taking this at our pace, remember?”
Twisting his fingers in the hoodie that I’m wearing, he pulls me closer and wraps an arm around my waist. “It doesn’t matter. I’m pretty sure I want everything with you, Whirlwind.”