46. Cole
Chapter forty-six
Cole
“I rarely do things like this,” I begin, speaking into Laurel’s microphone that I took from her grasp, and it gains the attention of everyone in the room. “But I need to clear a few things up before we finish this job we all started three months ago.” I see Mara’s head snap in my direction, but I ignore her, and it feels good .
My focus is solely on the girl standing next to me with her head resting against my shoulder, and her fingers laced through mine.
“This girl beside me; she is who I belong to, every part of me. No amount of money, stardom, or fucking stupid gossip will make that stop.” Mara rolls her eyes, while Jenna squeezes my hand in support. “Not even someone who throws herself on me while I’m barely conscious, and tries to make people think she slept with me,” I say, and that’s the only time I allow myself to look at Mara, and I watch as all the color drains from her face.
“I’m almost certain there’s a word that could describe that scenario, but I want to give the person in question the benefit of the doubt, and hope once this is all over that she takes a step back to reevaluate all the shit she did to try and break us apart. And maybe a lot of therapy.”
Silence.
Well, not completely.
I hear a door slam somewhere, and given Mara’s seat is now empty, it’s obvious who was the culprit.
“Do I make myself clear?”
Everyone nods in unison.
“Good. Now let’s finish this. I have a life I can’t wait to begin back in California.”
***
“Alright, who’s ready for round two?” Harley asks, opening the front door to his home for Tate, Jenna and me to enter. He and Cassandra offered to throw us a little farewell and mini wrap party, but—thanks to Lizzie—it turned into another games night.
I’m not mad.
The last games night was a lot of fun for many reasons, but I don’t foresee a repeat happening.
At least, not under this roof.
But the night is still young.
“Don’t tempt me with a good time, Wingrove,” my brother grips his shoulder before stepping out of his shoes and walking inside the luxurious home.
“Mind out of the gutter, Green,” Harley retorts with a hearty laugh, closing the door once we’re all comfortably inside. “Beers and white wine are in the fridge. Herring is making cocktails. Help yourself to whatever you want.”
Everyone—minus Robbie, Bea and Laney—is already here, deep in conversation by the time we make it inside.
Olive is about to kick off her tour with Akira Rain that begins over on the east coast, so I guess, in a way, this is a mini farewell to her, too.
We all intend on going to as many shows as possible, so while we may not see each other in Grangewood Creek for a long time, we’ll see each other often.
The girls will make sure of it.
“I can’t believe you all fly out tomorrow,” Cassandra mopes, her bottom lip pouting, and her hazel eyes watering. “We’re going from two song lengths back to two and a half movie lengths again.” She sighs, pulling Jenna in for a long—clearly much needed—hug.
“We’ve spent the last year living apart and we’re stronger than ever,” Jenna reminds her with a kiss up top of her head, but she doesn’t let her go. Not until Lizzie lets everyone know that the first game is up, and it’s apparently one where you shove a weird contraption thing in your mouth, while saying a tongue twister that everyone else attempts to decipher.
We went around the table, everyone was paired up while Tate remained partner-less, yet somehow ended up being on Olive and Lizzies team—much to Lizzie’s dismay, as she didn’t want him to disrupt their twin telepathy or something to that effect.
I attempted to have Jenna be on my side, but she shook her head, determined to be with Cassandra, leaving Harley and me no choice.
Well, we had a choice.
Neither of us wanted to choose Tate, though. We came to the obvious conclusion that this was the best it was going to get.
“My turn,” Cassandra says, then squeals, turning to face her best friend. Jenna’s knees bounce up and down as she pats her open palms on them.
God, she really is perfect.
Her smile takes over her entire face, and her blue eyes have this glow and light in them that used to come in waves, but now are a permanent addition.
I wasn’t sure how it was going to go with the cupcake and the coffee, but when Cassandra told me that Jenna had a flight booked, I scrambled to think of something to get her to stay.
I needed to get her to the movie set, and I knew that once she was there, I could convince her. I knew I could find the right words if she just gave me a chance.
Once Cassandra had dropped her off, she texted to say she had Jenna’s key, would unpack all of her things, and her apartment would be waiting for her by the end of the day.
It was a long shot, but I knew I needed just one .
Once we got back home, I explained everything to her—where I slept that night, how I found Mara in my bed, and I made sure she knew that nothing happened between us.
She was hesitant at first, but I knew she believed me.
Cassandra readies herself for her turn, sliding the mouthpiece in. Giggling, she turns to Harley, her eyes smiling, and saying her phrase, “I avin a ab ee.”
“Oh my God, I cannot understand a word you’re saying,” Jenna says through a fit of laughter while everyone else struggles to breathe through theirs—me included.
“I ed-I avin a ab ee,” Cassandra attempts to say again, gums and teeth flashed wide, and tears streaming down her face through her amusement. Harley sits beside her with hearts in his eyes, watching her like she’s the only person that exists.
I guess to him, she is.
And I get it.
If I hadn’t just realized that Cassandra was trying to tell Jenna that she was having a baby, I would’ve scooped my girl up and taken her back home so I can worship every inch of her body like I have been for the last week straight.
“Wait,” Olive says, her eyes darting between her sisters and brother-in-law. “Did you just… One more time, please.” She looks frantically at Lizzie and Jenna, then back at her oldest sister.
Cassandra clears her throat. “I ed,” she begins and Olive repeats her, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I said.” Cassandra nods.
“I avin.”
“I’m having.” Another nod.
“A a-bee.” She drags it out, her eyes darting around the room to see if anyone has caught on, but it’s like they’re all waiting for Olive to spell it out for them before they react.
“A baby? You’re having a baby?” Olive jumps out of her seat, forcing Lizzie and Jenna to rise with her and Cassandra’s head bobs frantically, taking the mouthpiece out.
“We’re having a baby!” the Wingroves say in unison, and the screams that pierce our ears are deafening. There isn’t a dry eye in the damn place.
“Congratulations, Wingrove,” I say to Harley, tapping my beer glass against his before shaking his hand and bringing him in for a side hug.
“Thanks, man.” He smiles, a single dimple appearing on his right cheek as he claps me on the shoulder.
Tate congratulates him next while the three of us stand around watching. The girls all coo over Cassandra and her nonexistent belly before they remember that Harley plays a part in all of this, too.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he says with a laugh as Jenna, Lizzie and Olive all wrap him in a bear hug.
Jenna’s eyes find me over Harley’s shoulder, sending a wink my way.
My chest squeezes knowing how far we’ve come, and how much of our lives we still have to live.
Together.
That this is only the beginning.
She worried about the distance being an issue when we moved back to California, and I thought about telling her that we’d be living in the same building.
I really did.
But ultimately, I decided on going with the element of surprise instead.
I just hope it’s one that doesn’t backfire on me.
“You ready to get out of here, Snow?” I take my girl by the hand, pulling her closer and she looks up at me with those ice-blue eyes that I adore.
Lizzie and Olive left about an hour ago, dropping Tate off on their way home, so it’s just been the four of us since.
“I’m never ready to leave my soulmate, but I’m ready to be home.” She nuzzles her head into my neck, and I know the last three months have finally caught up to her.
Home.
If home were a person, Jennifer Rogers would be the one I would call my own.