Page 94 of Unspoken Rules

Me: Ain’t that the truth.

Me: Christopher will be fine. Don’t worry about him. He’s a big boy, remember?

Mila: I remember. I just wish his head wasn’t so big.

Me: Same.

Mila: All right, you caught me at the gym. Talk later?

Me: Later!

Mila: Also, thank you for last night. I appreciate you sticking up for me.

That has my chest aching. Ever since the five of us have been together, us guys always watched out for Mila. Not that she was picked on or bullied, but as the only girl, we made sure she was protected. Always. And she’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful and guys were always all over her. She’s got the hot librarian thing going for her. Smart, funny, loyal. She’s a catch. If only I were into women… and not my best friend’s dad.

Me: He never should have said what he said. He’s an asshole.

Mila: He’s just struggling.

Me: Doesn’t give him the right to be rude to those who care about him. Especially you.

Mila: You’re right. K, going on the stairmaster now.

Me: Good luck with that.

I suddenly realize I’m sweaty. Considering I didn’t shower before bed, I should shower now. I don’t want to use Chris’s bathroom. All I need is for him to come back here for something and know I was in there. He’d probably start a damn war over it. So instead, I grab everything I need and head to the bathroom downstairs, thankful when I find the house empty. I even glance out the window to make sure Cole’s truck is gone. And it is.

I get another flash of the mystery woman, but since today isn’t Tuesday, I won’t stress too much. Doesn’t mean she couldn’t turn into an everyday fuck, but still.

The shower is quick. It isn’t as nice down here as it is upstairs. There isn’t a fancy rain shower head and it’s much smaller—a corner one that fits one person. I’m not sure it’s big enough to even fit Cole fully. But it’s a shower and I’m clean.

When I get out, I find breakfast made. I shake my head, but eat the plate left for me. I think if I ever come down here and breakfast isn’t waiting for me, I’ll die of a broken heart. The man, no matter what kind of night he’s had, always makes sure I eat. And not just me, but Chris too. Today is the first day there’s only one plate made. Even when Chris took off for the week, Cole always had food waiting for him. Honestly, it was fucking sad. It hurt my heart. Is this Cole giving up? I fucking hope not.

I’m so mad at Chris for being an asshole. I get he’s struggling, and he’s allowed to be mad at his father for whatever he wants, but doesn’t he realize he’s ruining all the other relationships in his life too? Doesn’t he care? I guess that’s the thing about addiction, isn’t it?

When I’m done eating, I text Mark to apologize and ask how the show went. He doesn’t answer, but he’s probably still sleeping. Life of a rock star and all.

While I’m still riding the high of getting a job, I pull up the text with Troy to let him know I’m going to decline the apprenticeship for now, since I was offered a job, and I should use my BFA and see how it goes.

He doesn’t respond, and that also makes sense. I think the life of a rock star and a tattoo artist are roughly the same.

After washing my dishes, I pace around the kitchen, trying to figure out what to do. It’s so quiet here. I have nothing to do now that painting the shop is done. Chris is gone. Mila is at the gym. Mark is still sleeping, I’m sure. Tomas? I don’t feel like dealing with him right now. I like the guy, but I feel like the more I go to him, the more he’s going to get the wrong idea of us, which is the last thing I want.

My head is spinning with options. Clothes shopping. Apartment hunting. There’s so much to do now that I’m going to be employed. But I decide on neither of those things and instead want to do something nice.

I’m going to make dinner for Cole.

I recall him mentioning the other day that he’d be gone most of the day today because he was meeting with a potential client who lives an hour away. He’d be home late. How perfect.

Hopefully coming home to dinner will cheer him up. He’s dealing with so much, yet he still does so much. I won’t be here much longer, and there aren’t many appropriate ways to thank him. I have a feeling cooking for him will go a long way. Though, I’ll admit, I’m much more in the mood to suck him off.

I look through the cabinets and freezer and see what there is. I put ingredients into this app that offers recipes with what you have, and a few dishes come up. I settle on something simple.

I used to like cooking when I was younger. I haven’t done it in a long time, mostly because I haven’t had the opportunity. There was no stove in college, so everything I ate came from a restaurant or a microwave. But I think I can manage.

It’s for Cole, after all.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

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