Chapter 5 – Cole-Present
Chapter Five
PIECES OF US
COLE-PRESENT
I stare at my phone, the screen glowing in the dim light of the living room. It’s been days since I sent the hibiscus and art set to Kenna. Days without a single word from her. The knot in my stomach tightens as I swipe the screen, refreshing my messages for the hundredth time.
Nothing. No missed call. No text.
I try to convince myself that I’m being stupid. She’s busy. She has a life of her own now. But the tightness in my chest won’t loosen. I can’t stop thinking about her, and the more I do, the more it feels like she’s slipping away.
I know I have no right to expect anything. Not after everything. But I still hoped. I guess that was my mistake. Letting hope in again.
I toss my phone down on the coffee table, rub my hands over my face, and then push myself up. I need to clear my head.
The guys texted me earlier today saying they were going to the bar. Maybe some time out will help.
But even as I reach for my keys, a small voice in my head whispers that I’m not going out to relax. I’m going out to forget, even if just for a little while.
I grab my jacket, shove my phone into my pocket, and head out the door. The night air hits me immediately. It smells like pine and pavement. I remember nights like this when Kenna and I used to drive through town with the windows down and the music too loud.
The bar smells like the sharp scent of stale beer, oddly comforting as it drifts into the back of my throat with memory. The low thrum of a guitar riff hums from the jukebox in the corner, and the lighting is just dim enough to blur the sharp edges of my thoughts.
Josh is already in a booth, lifting his beer as I walk in. Andy leans back lazily in the corner, his hat pulled low, but he looks up when he sees me. There’s another guy sitting with them—a stranger.
He’s got dark hair, and a neatly trimmed beard, a calm presence that somehow makes the noise around us seem quieter. He turns his head slightly, catching my eye.
Josh waves me over. “Cole! Look who rejoined the land of the living.”
I manage a grin, the tension in my chest easing a little. “Yeah, needed to get out of my head for a bit.”
Josh nudges the guy beside him. “This is Gabriel. Married to Millie—Kenna’s sister. I think this is the first time your paths have actually crossed.”
I blink, processing that. Millie. She used to be the kid tagging along behind us back in the day, all wide eyes and smart remarks. Now she’s married. Has a kid. Another on the way, if I heard right. Time really doesn’t wait for anyone.
Gabriel extends a hand. “It is good to finally meet you. Josh talks about you like you’re some kind of legend.”
I let out a short laugh, dry and a little bitter. “Yeah, a legend who disappeared for a while.”
“Well, I know how that goes. Life gets complicated. Doesn’t mean it’s too late to come back.”
Something about his tone makes me pause. He’s not just being polite. He’s been on the outside too. Perhaps not in the same way, but enough to understand that kind of weight.
Josh doesn’t miss a beat, leaning back into his seat. “Gabriel’s quiet until he’s not. But give it time, and you’ll see he’s the smartest one at the table.”
I chuckle, glancing at Gabriel. “Oh yeah? I’ll have to see that for myself.”
“Don’t oversell me,” Gabriel says mildly, and takes a sip from his glass.
I slide into the booth across from Andy, who’s still scrolling through his phone, his eyes flicking up at me but not saying much.
He’s the guy who waits until you’re in the middle of a conversation before he jumps in, and I’ve never minded that.
But I know he has a knack for reading people. He’ll catch what I’m not saying.
We fall into a kind of comfortable silence for a few moments, and I grab a soda from the bartender before leaning back in the booth. It feels good to sit with the guys, but there’s still a weight in my chest that Kenna hasn’t messaged.
The door to the bar swings open, and I glance toward it out of habit.
Then I freeze.
Reuben and Asher.
The twins stride in like they own the place, just like they used to back in high school.
Reuben’s taller by a hair, broader across the shoulders, and still walks with that quiet confidence that used to pull people in without him saying a word.
Asher is the one with sharp edges, sharper eyes, always the observer.
My gut twists.
Reuben spots me almost immediately, and I feel my stomach twist. He motions to Asher, and they start toward our booth. My heart picks up speed.
“Cole,” Reuben says, his voice a little gruffer than I remember. He pulls up a chair and sits down without waiting for an invitation. “Didn’t think we’d see you out.”
Asher lingers behind him, arms crossed, eyes locked on mine. There’s no warmth there. Not hostile exactly, but a coldness born from knowing too much.
I force a smile, trying to keep things casual. “Yeah, needed to get out of my head for a bit.”
Asher stands off to the side, arms crossed, studying me with the same intensity he always had. His eyes are sharp, like he’s trying to figure me out all over again.
“We’ve been talking to Kenna,” Reuben says, his gaze steady on me. There’s no small talk, no preamble. Just straight to the point.
My pulse jumps.
“She’s not the same,” he adds, voice low. “You leaving? It did something to her.”
I feel the guilt slam into me again, heavier this time. It hasn’t let up since the day I left her standing in that courtroom.
“I never meant to hurt her,” I mumble.
“I know you didn’t,” Reuben replies, his tone softening just slightly. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you did, even if you didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
Asher speaks up, his voice quieter, but it carries weight. “She’s lost something, Cole. We can all see it. She doesn’t let people in anymore.”
His words land like a punch to the gut.
“So, what do you want me to do?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t just walk away from her.”
Reuben’s eyes soften, just a little. “No. But don’t expect anything from her. Be consistent. If there’s even a chance for her to let you in again, she has to know it’s for real this time.”
I nod, swallowing down the tightness in my throat. “I can do that.”
Asher looks at me with a guarded expression. “Don’t make it about you, Cole. Let her find her way.”
I nod, but I don’t have any words left. I stand up, feeling like I need some air. “Thanks for the talk,” I say, then leave before I overthink it all.
I leave the bar not long after, the cool night air hitting me like a wall. The truth of their words hangs heavy in the air, but also, strangely, there’s something freeing about it. I know what I need to do.
When I get home, the house is dark except for the kitchen, where my mom is still awake reading. She looks up when I walk in, glasses perched on her nose.
“How was the bar?” She asks, her voice calm, but warm.
“Fine,” I reply, running a hand through my hair. “Talked to Reuben. And Asher.”
Her eyes soften, and she leans back in her chair, her hands folding in front of her. “How’s Kenna?”
I sigh, sinking into the chair opposite of her. “Not great. Her brothers says she’s different, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
She studies me for a long moment before speaking.
“You can’t fix it, dear. Sometimes you just have to be there for someone, even when they don’t ask for it.
That girl’s always been strong, but even strong people break, sweetheart.
And you were part of her heart. When that kind of love gets torn away, it leaves a scar. ”
I take a deep breath, letting her words sink in. “Mom, I still love her. I always will. But I don’t know if that’s enough anymore.”
She reaches out, placing a hand on mine, her touch steady. “If it’s meant to be, Cole, it’ll work out. You can’t force it. But you can’t walk away from her either. You just have to be patient.”
I nod, absorbing her words, feeling like I might understand. Maybe patience is all I need right now. Just be there. No expectations.
The next morning, I lace up my shoes and hit the pavement.
The town is still waking up, and the air is cool and sharp.
I run past old haunts, through the streets we used to walk together, passed the library where she loved to spend hours on end reading.
Without meaning to, I end up in front of the salon.
Kenna’s inside.
She has pulled up her hair, and she laughs softly at something someone says. But the smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. I stand across the street, breath catching, heart pounding.
Then she looks up.
And our eyes lock.
Kenna blinks like she’s not sure if she’s really seeing me, then her mouth pulls into a soft, almost hesitant smile. She murmurs something to the person beside her, then disappears from view.
The salon door swings open seconds later, and there she is.
She steps out into the morning light, wearing an oversized beige cardigan over a soft blue dress that I swear I’ve seen her wear a dozen times before. She looks tired. Beautiful. Guarded.
“Cole?” she says, her voice soft.
I nod, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. “Hey.”
The air between us crackles with old familiarity and new distance.
She tilts her head, offering a small smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “Didn’t expect to see you out here. Thought you were a night owl, not an early riser.”
I try to relax, rubbing the back of my neck. “Yeah, just needed to get out. Clear my head, you know?”
She leans against the doorframe, arms folded lightly across her chest. “Seems like everyone has been doing that lately.”
There’s a beat of silence, long enough to feel it but not long enough to escape it.
“I saw the flowers,” she says, her voice gentler now. “And the art set.”
“I wasn’t sure if I should’ve sent them,” I admit. “But I wanted you to know I was thinking about you. About…everything.”