Chapter Thirty-Eight Cole
Levi’s parents, Kai’s sisters and his mother sit around the dinner table with us on a warm Saturday evening. I watch everyone laughing and enjoying themselves and a part of me wishes I was close with my own family, but they burnt that bridge a long time ago. I don’t think there is much of a way back.
After everything that happened with the Petrov shipment, Nick has kept his distance which is all I’ve ever wanted. A part of me knows I should have done worse to him. He should be rotting in the ground being feasted upon by worms like Kenny or Adam for what he did, but another part of me knows there’s still the five-year-old Cole inside me, desperate to have him come back to that shed and tell me he’s sorry.
Kai sits next to me, and he laughs at something Zoe says. It took me a minute to figure out which one was which, but Zara is the louder one and Zoe prefers being in the background.
Zara and Levi have already declared themselves new best friends, but I can tell Zoe is still wary of us. She eyes me from across the mahogany table like she’s trying to read all my secrets just from my face. I have no idea how to handle nineteen-year-old girls, but it’s safe to say she terrifies me.
Levi is deep in conversation about the political state of the country with Zara and Aleeta and I watch everyone around the table with an ease in my chest I have never felt before.
With Adam and Kenny gone and both Levi and Kai knowing the truth about what I did, I feel a lot lighter and the happiness that flows inside me is unfamiliar but welcome. I always thought I was happy with Levi but there were so many secrets between us. Now that Kai is with us it’s like having a walking sunbeam around you all the time. I’m obsessed with constantly being in his light.
When dinner is over, everyone filters into the second living room, the house full of loud chatter and clinking glasses full of wine.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, a text from my grandmother asking me to deal with a particularly difficult client.
“You feeling okay?” Kai looks at me carefully, like he’s trying to assess any damage. “I know my sisters can be intense.”
I smile. Zara has been too focused on Levi and Zoe has barely said a word, but she does keep staring. “Nah, they are great. You did an amazing job with them.” I plant a small kiss on his lips. “I just need a second to make a call, okay?”
He frowns like he doesn’t want to let me go but he nods, and I pass Levi, giving him a quick kiss too. When I make it to my office, I shoot a quick message to my grandmother telling her I’ll deal with it on Monday but just as I slip my phone back in my pocket, there is a soft knock at the door.
Kai’s mother walks in, looking a little cautious. She’s short, can’t be more than 5”2 and her skin is a smooth deep brown. A pile of curls is set atop her head and it’s uncanny how much she resembles her three children.
“Cole,” she says walking further into the office. “Do you have a moment?”
“Of course,” I say. “How can I help?”
“I just wanted to come in here and tell you thank you,” she says.
I tilt my head. “For what?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know, you just seem to care about my son a lot and Levi too. It’s like you move with them, wherever they are, your eyes are on them. It’s…sweet,” she says. “I don’t know how much you know but Kai didn’t have the easiest childhood, and I was oblivious to it for a long time. He deserves people who care about him. I’ll say this to Levi too but I’m glad that it’s both of you.”
“Oh,” I say. “He’s come to mean the world to me so quickly. It should be me thanking you for him.”
She laughs and waves a hand. “You don’t have to charm me, Cole. It’s not my approval you need.”
I nod, understanding. The twins. I better get to work then.
“Thanks,” I smile.
“Anytime.”
When I return to the living room, everyone has settled in, and Raina is suggesting we play charades. I see Kai’s mother looking at me for a second before she goes back to her conversation with Oliver. My eyes move away from her to Zoe who is standing by the couch, scrolling through her phone.
Even if she scares me, I put on my best smile, walking up next to her. “Hi,” I say.
She eyes me and then nods. “Took you long enough.”
I frown. “What did?”
Zoe stares at me like I’m not very smart. “Zara has forced herself onto Levi, but I wasn’t going to force myself onto you. I was waiting for you to make your move. A twin sister each so to speak that way I can defend you when you guys all fight.”
I feel myself relaxing a little, laughing. “I don’t think we’ll fight,” I say.
She shrugs. “Just saying in this equation, I’m the sibling you want in your corner.”
“Is she giving you a sales pitch?” Zara comes up next to her sister.
I stare at both of them, a smile dancing on my lips. “Kind of?”
Zara rolls her eyes. “All talk no action with this one. Plus, I’m Kai’s favourite.”
“You’re definitely not,” Zoe mutters.
Zara plants a kiss on her sister’s cheek and Zoe pretends to hate it but they sneak away to a corner, their heads close together and laugh between themselves. Just then, Levi and Cole come up next to me. Levi curls his arm around my waist just as Cole rests his head on my shoulder. I have a family that genuinely loves me for who I am and there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect them.
Levi
I press start on the dishwasher just as Kai and Cole resurface from cleaning up the other living room where everyone was earlier in the evening. Our house is completely quiet now and I’m slightly relieved although today was a good day.
After dinner, we played a few games and everyone got extremely heated during a round of Trivial Pursuit and obviously, my team made up of Aleeta, my father, and Zara won despite my mother’s strong protests.
“Hey,” I say, leaning against the counter and looking at them. “All done?”
“House is spotless,” Cole says with a smile, pulling Kai close to his side.
Kai lets him, shifting his body so that he’s leaning into Cole. “Thank you for today, by the way,” he says. “My mum adores you, but I think my sisters are in love with you both and I have a bad feeling they’ll take you up on your invitation to come over whenever they like.”
I was a little nervous about meeting Kai’s family, but it was surprisingly easy, and I loved having them around and watching Kai with them. Around his sisters, he becomes straight-edged, responsible Kai, making sure they are both okay and fussing a little. It’s adorable but it makes me even happier that he doesn’t have to be like that all the time anymore.
Cole beams at him. “That’s okay. Zoe and I bonded on our mutual dislike for most people. It’ll be nice having them around.”
“And Zara has some really interesting thoughts on the current government,” I add with my own smile. His sisters are made up of every good part of him.
“Sounds like them,” Kai laughs.
I take in a quiet breath, swallowing down the bubble of anxiety that forms inside me. “Can I uh, can I talk to you both about something?” I ask.
My conversation with Zara made me realise how much I miss talking about things I enjoy talking about at work. As good as my job at A-EYE is and as much money as I make, I don’t particularly care about it, and I don’t feel any passion for it. I was never passionate during school, but I think it could be different now. I’m in a completely different space.
“Sure, are you okay?” Cole asks.
I nod quickly. “Yeah, I’m great but I think I’m going to quit my job.”
Cole’s eyebrows lift just as Kai says, “What?”
“I know it’s a bit leftfield, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot and talking to Doctor Sloane about it. I’m in a better place mentally to manage my mind and I think it’s something I enjoy without all the noise.”
As sad or destructive as I was back then, I’ve always been smart and my former professors are constantly emailing me, trying to get me back into it. I know one of them would have a place for me as an assistant if I enrolled for a PhD.
“You sure?” Cole asks.
I nod. “Yeah, something about today made me realise that I should just take the plunge.”
Kai smiles, immediately coming round to where I’m standing to hug me tightly and kiss me on the cheek. “I’ll miss our lunch dates,” he says quietly. “But I’m happy for you. You deserve to be happy.”
“I can always visit. I’m sure they’ll still let me in,” I say.
“I’m proud of you, Evie and I’m happy you’re away from that place,” Cole says, coming over and kissing me too. “Kai, are you sure I can’t convince you to just stay at home and read books?”
Next to me, Kai makes a face, and I laugh. I don’t even know why I was nervous. Of course, they are happy for me.
“You can join all the housewives at Reformer Pilates on random Wednesday mornings now,” Kai says.
“Oh, they’d hate him. He would kick their asses,” Cole says.
“Wait, does this mean you’ll wear your glasses all the time?” Kai asks, eyes wide.
“Do you want me to?” I ask.
“Obviously, you look so scholarly and hot with them on. Everyone is going to be so jealous of how hot and smart you are.”
I shake my head, resting my head on the dip of his neck.
Last week, Adam was buried in a private funeral. His family have kept it pretty hush, more concerned with keeping their name clean than making any noise about it and attracting the attention of nasty tabloids eager to feast on the pain of people like them.
No part of me thinks he shouldn’t be dead. I don’t know if that makes me a bad person, but I don’t care. He hurt me and he was going to do it again because he couldn’t stand the fact that I didn’t want him.
If I didn’t have Kai and Cole he would have succeeded. I’m glad he’s dead. I’m also glad Kenny is dead. We get to be happy, and they don’t.
“How do you both feel about a private island with no service for two weeks?” Cole asks, smiling wide.
“Unlike Levi, I still have to care about annual leave days so I can do one?” he says hopefully looking up at Cole.
“You sure you don’t want to be a stay-at-home boyfriend?”
Kai narrows his eyes. “I don’t think that’s a thing.”
Cole grins. “It can be then we can just keep you here fuck you whenever we want.”
“Absolutely not,” Kai shakes his head looking horrified.
I smile. “We’ll wear you down, don’t worry.” I plant a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“A private island,” Cole says seriously.
I roll my eyes, but I’ll indulge him. I like that Kai and I belong to him. I like being theirs. I like letting go of some of my control.
“Either of you up for a Lord of The Rings rewatch?” I ask hopefully.
“Yes!” Kai says excitedly.
“Oh my God,” Cole mutters and the two of us laugh.
I love that we exist as just the three of us, balancing each other out perfectly. I’m excited to see where we end up but I’m also happy to take our time getting there.