Chapter 25
Lydia
My running victory is short lived thanks to the fact that as soon as I get inside, I have to rush to the bathroom to be sick. Still, when I get in the shower a few minutes later I smile at the memory of the look on Cole’s face. I may not have a lot of talents, but I have always been a fast runner.
There’s no sign of Cole when I get to the kitchen, so I just grab a glass of orange juice and a granola bar, then hit the road. He’s been working all week, leaving me at home to wonder what he and Ashley are up to; well today it’s his turn. Today he can wonder what me and the fourteen girls on my track team are up to. Take that Cole Jacobson.
Cole, however, does not stay home and wonder what me and the fourteen girls on my track team are up to. Instead, he shows up at the track about halfway through the meet. My heart does an unwelcome flip-flop in my chest as I catch sight of him sliding into one of the bleacher rows. He’s looking impossibly good in dark wash jeans and a V- neck t-shirt. I force myself to avert my gaze before he catches me staring.
His presence here unnerves me, and not just because I’m worried he’s here to play a prank on me, but also because I want him to be impressed by my coaching. Which is stupid. I coach middle school track and field. Whether they win or lose this meet is of very little consequence to anyone outside of our eight-school conference. Cole thinks I didn’t get into law school though, so it would be nice for him to see me do well at something.
I wish I could sit him down and explain about law school, but I don’t think he would understand. Not even Jamie knows the truth. She is forever telling me that she’s sure God has a plan for me despite me not getting into law school. Which, of course, is true, but what she doesn’t seem to grasp is that in my heart I know God’s plan for me has nothing to do with law school. I don’t know where exactly He wants me to be, but I do know He doesn’t want me wandering the ivy halls of Vanderbilt Law School. That’s why I lied and told everyone I didn’t get in. I knew if I told my parents that I just didn’t want to go, they wouldn’t accept it. They would’ve found a way to make me go. And even though I’ve had to endure their constant disappointment in me ever since, it’s still better than ending up on a job path I never wanted.
Tisha takes her place at the start line for the 200-meter dash, and I pull my attention back to her.
“Relax your shoulders, Tisha,” I call to her and see her visibly try to move her shoulders down. Tisha is naturally fast, but she tends to get anxious before races and forget about her form. “You got this, Tisha!”
The starting gun goes off, and she shoots down her lane. Behind me her teammates join me in cheering her on. As she crosses the finish line in first place our cheering gets even louder. In the stands the Faith parents join in. My traitorous eyes search out Cole, widening as they take him in. He’s standing with the rest of our fan base, cheering loudly, his fist pumping the air.
Tears unexpectedly fill my eyes, and I shake my head to clear them. It’s stupid to have this reaction, it’s just…I’ve never had someone cheer for me like that before.
It’s not that I had a tragic childhood. I grew up with wealthy parents who cared about me and told me they loved me on regular occasions. They paid for me to do any extracurricular activities I wanted and showed up to my sporting events whenever their work schedules allowed. But the most effusive cheering I ever got from them was the nod of approval my dad gave me from the stands after I won first place in the 200-meter dash at state finals. Afterwards, he told me if I’d pumped my arms a little faster, I could’ve shaved half a second off my time. They’re not cheerleaders. They’re critics. Cole is over there whooping like his team just won the Super Bowl.
His gaze travels over to me, and he grins. I can’t help it; I grin back.
Cole is waiting for me by the exit to the track after the meet. “Great job today, Coach.” He offers me his fist for a bump. I meet his knuckles with mine and try to pretend that this simple contact doesn’t affect me. In truth it sends shivers of pleasure down my arms. I chock this down to me still feeling sentimental about his crazy cheering.
“What can I say?” I tell him. “We had a pretty good cheering section.”
He doesn’t flush or try and play off his overzealous cheering, just lifts his chin in acknowledgment.
“I’m surprised that you’re up and walking after our run this morning,” I tease, hoping to take away some of the significance of the gratitude I just expressed. No need for me to get weepy on him or something.
Cole opens his mouth to answer, but a familiar voice interrupts.
“Lydia? Cole?” I whirl around to see Josh approaching, looking confused as his gaze moves back and forth between me and Cole.
“Josh!” I exclaim in a squeak. “What’re you doing here?”
“I came to find you of course.” He stops a few feet short of us, still looking wary. “I stopped by your apartment, and Jamie said you had a meet today so you’d be at the school.”
“Oh.” I squirm under his gaze. “I actually meant what are you doing here in Michigan?”
His posture relaxes slightly and he smiles. “ Actually, I have some exciting news.” Josh rubs his hands together. “At the wedding Grandma spoke to Delia and I about giving us the Robin’s Nest.”
“What?” My mouth drops open. Growing up we used to spend a few weeks of every summer in Grand Haven at Robin’s Nest, our grandparents’ bed and breakfast. It was during those weeks that I fell in love with Michigan. It’s why I was so thrilled to get a running scholarship to Hope College. Why I stayed here after graduating. “Josh, that’s amazing!”
“Yeah.” Josh grins. “We couldn’t believe it. It’s a dream come true for us.”
Josh and Delia met at the luxury hotel where they both work, him as the executive chef and her as the general manager. They’ve always wanted to open their own place. Grandma giving them her bed and breakfast really is their dream come true.
“So you’re moving here to Michigan?” I confirm.
“We are.” He nods. “We came up here this weekend to look at houses. Delia’s at the Robin’s Nest right now with an inspector, but I wanted to drive out here and surprise you. We thought you might want to go to dinner with us to celebrate.” Josh looks back over at Cole, some of his excitement dimming as he addresses him. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you out here, Cole. Delia and I were going to make a stop in Holland tomorrow, but if you and Ashley are free tonight you could join us for dinner too.”
Annoyance flickers across Cole’s face as a chill runs through me. Why would Josh think Ashley would want to join them for dinner? “Josh, you know Ashley and I aren’t together anymore,” Cole tells him.
“Oh.” Josh touches his forehead, like he’s an idiot for not remembering. I don’t buy it for a second. “I forgot. You two always seem to be breaking up and getting back together. Plus, she told Delia at the wedding that you two were talking about starting things up again. I just assumed you had.”
Josh is looking straight at Cole as he speaks, but I can tell his words are meant for me. He’s the big brother warning me away from Cole. My hand goes involuntarily to my stomach. Too bad he’s too late. My happy glow from a few minutes ago fades, then flickers out completely.
“Well, we haven’t. And I don’t plan on getting back together with her,” Cole states.
This should strike a chord of victory in me, but the words fall short. Where’s the emphasis and the conviction? Honestly Taylor Swift could’ve made it sound more convincing. We are never, ever, ever getting back together and all that.
“We’ll see,” Josh replies easily, but the tension beneath his words is clear. “Anyway, what are you doing out here in Grand Haven with my little sister, Cole?”
I wince. The moment of truth. I know I told Cole he had to be the one to tell Josh, but now that Josh is standing here in front of me, clearly against even the idea of the two of us as a couple, I’m wondering if we should tell him at all. Maybe we should just wait until Cole’s campaign picks up speed and the news reels start circulating information about us as a couple. Yes, that sounds good. Josh can read about his childhood best friend shacking up with his sister on his phone’s newsfeed. And I in turn can mute all of his subsequent calls and texts. Yay for technology! I eye Cole, hoping he’s on the same wavelength as me about all of this.
“What am I doing here with your little sister?” Cole repeats, looking at me as if I can telepathically provide him with the correct answer to this question. Which, admittedly, I was just attempting to do.
“Yeah,” Josh slides his hands into his front pockets like he’s got all the time in the world. “That’s what I said.”
“Funny you should I ask,” I jut in, but before I can add to this Cole’s phone rings. He grabs it out of his pocket and, without even looking at the screen, mutters something about having to take this call. Coward! I want to shout after him, but that wouldn’t help my current situation. With Cole gone, Josh has fixed his disapproving stare on me.
“Lydia, I don’t know what’s going on with you and Cole, but whatever it is, it stops today.”
I bristle, annoyed at his domineering words. “Excuse me, but you’re not in charge of my life.”
“So there is something going on.” His eyes narrow. “I knew it as soon as I walked up and saw you two mooning over each other.”
“What?” I snap. “We were not mooning over each other. Who even says mooning? What are you 80?” I pause, trying to stop myself from asking this next question but it comes bursting out anyway. “Wait, you think Cole was mooning over me?”
“Mooning over you? What’re you 80?” Josh retorts back. We stare angrily at each other for a beat, then he sighs, raking his hand through his hair. “I’m just worried about you, sis. I know you’ve always had a crush on him, so maybe that’s blinding you to the truth.” He meets my gaze to deliver this truth he’s referencing. “He’s going to end up hurting you, Lydia, just like he did when you were kids. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s always been in love with Ashley. Remember the spin the bottle game?”
I can hear my heart pounding in my ears it’s going so fast. I close my eyes against the rush of memories I’m accosted with at his words. The crushing disappointment I felt when Cole refused to kiss me. All the subsequent years of being teased because of those two words he threw at me so casually.
“Of course, I remember,” I whisper.
“Then what are you doing with him?” Josh’s voice is gentler now. He reaches over and touches me on the arm. “It’s the same three people, Lydia. What makes you think it’ll have a different outcome?”
My chest tightens in panic, and I feel tears well in my eyes. Stupid pregnancy. I never used to be this weepy. I swipe at the tears, and Josh’s hand falls back down to his side with a resounding slap.
“Lydia, what’s that on your finger?”
Instantly my tears dry as self-preservation takes over. He’s going to kill me.
I’ll just have to tell him about the twins to stop him. Surely he won’t be okay with committing triple homicide.
Of course then he’ll know about the pregnancy. And that’s definitely not ideal.
Alternatively, I could attempt to distract him.
This choice wins out easily.
“What’d you say?” I whip my hand back down and stuff it into the front pocket of my sweatshirt.
“Why is there a ring on your finger, Lydia?” Josh’s jaw clenches. “Tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means.”
“He was supposed to tell you, not me!” The defensive words wail out of me like the two of us are kids again, and I’m hoping to get out of a time-out.
“You’re engaged? He asked you to marry him, and you said yes?” He’s staring at me incredulously.
Cole chooses this moment to reappear, though as soon as he takes in the expression on Josh’s face he starts reaching for his phone.
“Oh no you don’t!” Josh steps close to him, so they’re only inches apart. “You’re staying right here until I figure out what kind of game you’re playing with my sister.” He jabs him in the chest.
“Woah, woah!” Cole holds his hands up in surrender, and I cringe as his own wedding band glints in the afternoon sunlight. Josh sees it too, and I start to worry he’s on the edge of an aneurysm.
“You married her!” Josh shouts, twin spots of rage appearing on his cheeks. “How? When? Why?” He scowls. “Please tell me this isn’t for your political career, Cole? Having a wife makes you more electable so you just found the first woman naive enough to say yes to you and made it happen!”
“Hey!” I start, but Cole cuts me off.
“That’s enough, Josh.” His tone is ice, all traces of apologetic meekness have vanished. “You’re not going to stand there and talk about Lydia that way. You’re way out of line!” Cole straightens to his full height and the effect is menacing. And hot. “You owe your sister an apology.”
Josh’s face turns even redder, but then his shoulders slump as his brain catches up to his angry emotions. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Lydia,” he says quietly. “I-I have to go.” Without another word, he turns and jogs off.
“Josh!” I call after him, but he doesn’t turn back, just gets in his car and drives away.
Cole and I stand there in silence for a minute, both of us in shock. Josh’s words are bouncing around inside my mind. Not the ones about me being naive; it’s not as if Cole and I don’t both know we only got married because I’m pregnant. No, what bothered me was what Josh said about expecting a different outcome when it’s the same three people. I can’t stop myself from imagining all the ways I could end up getting hurt. What’s to stop Cole from leaving me after he gets elected mayor? Maybe at that point he’ll no longer care about me and the twins, he’ll just go rushing off to Ashley. His one true love. I’m Leah and she’s Rachel, except polygamy is illegal in Michigan so he’ll have to divorce me before he marries her. Oh my gosh, his last name is even Jacob son. This is bad.
“Lydia?” Cole’s voice jerks me from my musings on the parallels between Genesis and my life. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I say quickly, not willing to get into this with him. The whole point of our prank war has been to avoid getting into anything serious with him.
“He’ll come around,” Cole assures me.
“Yeah,” I say again, but I don’t feel any better.