Page 89 of The Pact

I lean over and give him a peck on the cheek. “I’ve never been to North or South Carolina,” I exclaim giddily. From the corner of my eye, I see the tension leave his shoulders and a satisfied smile replaces his worry.

Cole accelerates. The BMW shoots forward effortlessly. Wesley let us borrow his pretty red sports car for the trip after Cole promised him he would be extra careful with his baby.

The last time I was in it, Wesley was explaining the lyrics of the song that was playing. As promised, he sent it to me, as well as some other ones. He was right. It quieted the noise in my head.

Admittedly, they were songs I wouldn’t have sought out on my own—heavy, emotional, raw. And beautiful. Kind of like him and I.

Cole opts for something different. Deep, seductive beats pour through the speakers. Laying my head back, I enjoy the wind against my face and the feel of Cole’s hand on mine.

Thirty minutes later, we pull into a parking lot. “It’s a short walk.” He laces our fingers together. I don’t know how, but everything about this feels right. Not all guys are the same. When I tell myself this, I actually believe it this time.

“Here we are.” His eyes scan the horizon in wonder.

We’re on a wooden walkway with metal handrails. From where we stand, a complete view of a cascading waterfall is across from us. We are far away and high up enough to see from the very top of the fall to where it hits the rocks at its base, hundreds of feet down.

The white stream of water rushing over the gray rocks is the only interruption against the vast greenness. I immediately grab for my camera around my neck, then stop.

Instead, I give Cole my attention first. “This is amazing. It’s…It’s…” I’m at a loss for words, so I ask, “Why is this place special to you?”

Cole smiles warmly and stares out over the landscape, the green of his eyes matching the leaves. “I was on my way to Charlotte for culinary school and made a wrong turn. It was a while before I noticed. I started seeing signs for this place and figured I’d stop, have something to eat and stretch. Little did I know that this is what I’d find. In all honesty, I was second guessing my decision to go to school. My parents and my older siblings thought it would be a waste of money. They started getting in my head, but I stood here, looked out over the falls and it just clicked.”

“That’s beautiful, Cole.” I place my hand on his jaw—his beard tickles my fingers as I memorize the nostalgic look in his eyes.

“When I was conflicted about opening the bakery, I came back here. I…I also came here after our first date. This has kind of been the place where I’ve made my most important life decisions.”

My heart is hammering in my chest and for some insane reason, I hope this isn’t leading to him proposing or something.

Cole leans down and kisses me. “Thea, I wanted to bring you here to say…” Pulling away, he runs his hand through his curls and anxiety knots in my stomach. “I’m falling for you.” He must see the worry on my face. “And don’t feel pressured to say that you feel the same. I only wanted to tell you where I’m at. That I can see this lasting and my heart is all in.”

Calmness washes over me. Gazing up into those pretty eyes, I want to say it too, yet I feel overwhelmed. I want to be completely certain, so that I don’t hurt him. I guess I wasn’t sure how this part would go. There are so many moving parts to my relationship with these men—love isn’t really something I thought about much. I’ve known that my feelings for Cole were growing, but love…

Gavin was the last man I let myself love. And fuck, I really did love him, despite how he treated me. Look where that got me. The thought of letting Cole get that far into my heart terrifies me. I just need to think. I need to be sure.

“Thank you for trusting me with that.” I push up on my toes and kiss him for a long time, hoping that not saying the words back won’t change anything between us.

“Shit. I knew I should have stopped at that gas station.” The car sputters to a stop as he guides it to the side of the road. “I’m sorry. This is not how I wanted to end today.” Cole rests his head on the steering wheel.

We’re in the middle of nowhere and the sun is setting. I check my phone to find there’s no reception and my battery is at sixteen percent.

“I think I saw a sign back there for a restaurant or store. I wasn’t paying much attention,” he offers.

I take his hand and kiss it. “Let’s go on an adventure.” I hop out of the car and lace his fingers with mine as we walk in the direction of the sign he saw.

We find it about a half mile back from where we came. It reads The Evergreen Inn. “An inn?” I say hopefully. “Maybe someone can give us a ride to a gas station.” Cole smiles weakly.

We take the steps up to the cobbled brick and wood inn sitting atop a hill. There’s a large wrap-around porch with rocking chairs every few feet. Above, fans attached to the awning offer a cool breeze against the summer heat while the attached lights glow warmly, illuminating the porch as dusk settles over the sky.

Cole opens the door for me. “After you, love.”

Inside, the first thing I notice is the floor to ceiling fireplace. A massive deer’s head is mounted in the stone above the mantle—it’s horns casting long, pointy shadows across the walls. Rustic chandeliers dimly light the sitting area and front desk. The couches and armchairs around the hearth are empty. The only sign of life is the kindly older woman behind the front desk, grinning at us.

“Checking in?” She chirps.

“Oh, no,” I answer, a little disappointed that we aren’t. “Your inn is beautiful. We’ll have to book a stay another time.” I smile genuinely. “Our car ran out of gas about a half mile up the road. We were wondering if there is someone who can take us to the nearest gas station.”

She fidgets before responding. “Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m the only one working this evening. It’s a rather slow night. I sent everyone else home.” She gives me a tight smile. “I’m so sorry.”

I glance at Cole. “Should we call your brothers?”

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