Page 69 of Broken Hearts

He sighs. “I don’t want to go, but we need to get ready to meet my parents… more officially. Is an hour enough?”

Ice fills my stomach. Meeting his parents today?

“Don’t look like a deer caught in the headlights. It will go well. My mother is a fan of you.”

Cole’s smile is infectious, but it doesn’t quite reach the part of me that’s still reeling from everything. “An hour should be fine,” I say, my voice more steady than I feel.

He nods, a look of understanding crossing his face. “Hey, if it helps, think of it as meeting some very interested, slightly nosy relatives. They’re not here to judge. They just want to know you.”

I let out a half-hearted chuckle. “Slightly nosy is an understatement.”

He steps closer, his hand lightly touching my arm. “I’ll be right there with you. We’re in this together, remember?”

Nodding, I take a deep breath. Together. That word has a whole new meaning now. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

As he leaves my room to give me some space to get ready, I stand there for a moment, lost in thought. Married. Mrs. Westbrook. The reality of it is daunting, yet there’s an undeniable thrill that pulses through me at the thought of being Cole’s wife, even under these crazy circumstances.

I get dressed, choosing my outfit carefully. A long floral skirt paired with a green cardigan that complements my eyes and skin. This isn’t a casual meeting; it’s a statement, an introduction to a new chapter in my life. I glance at my reflection in the mirror, taking in the woman staring back at me. She’s the same, yet different. Changed by a decision made on a whim, now facing the consequences head-on.

Heading to the living room, I find him waiting, looking every bit the part of a young man about to introduce his wife to his parents. His eyes light up as he sees me, and he offers a reassuring smile.

“You’re perfect, Angel,” he says, and I can’t help but feel a little flutter in my heart.

“Thanks,” I reply, trying to keep my nerves at bay.

“My parents already love you,” he says encouragingly, resting his hand on my thigh as we drive to the hotel. “My dad told me about your visit back in high school.”

That was our secret. “When?”

“Last time we were home. After—” I see his Adam’s apple bob as he tries to swallow, and I squeeze his fingers. He clears his throat. “I know what you witnessed that day with my father doesn’t show him in the best light.”

That’s the understatement of the year. It was actually the day I decided to help him with math, despite my head screaming to me that any involvement with Cole Westbrook would end up in a broken heart. I was walking in the school’s empty corridor and heard how cold his father was with him. How he called him useless and a constant source of trouble. I’d been so angered on his behalf that I’d stepped in, trying to help and fix a relationship I had no business fixing.

“There’s no excuse for how he talked to you that day.”

“No, but it was not only about math. I was and still am, in some ways, a source of constant worry. He gets very defensive when it’s my mother who gets worried, and this is when his ugly side shows its face to me.” He gives me a sad smile. “I never gave him an excuse until I showed my ugly side to the person I love the most in this world.”

“What did—” Oh. He’s talking about me.

“He told me to stay away from you. To leave you be, and here I am, married to you.” He chuckles. “I obviously never learn.”

“Oh.” My heart sinks a little bit more. “He doesn’t think I’m good enough for you.”

He stops his car in front of the hotel. “On the contrary, he thinks I’m not good enough for you, and I agree.” He gives me a cheeky grin. “That’s why I had to keep you.”

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head, I can’t help but smile. “You’re ridiculous,” I utter, a tone of exasperation coloring the words.

“Come on, Mrs. Westbrook, let’s go meet the in-laws.”

Stepping out of the car, I take a deep breath, bracing myself for what’s ahead. His hand finds mine, his grip reassuring and warm. As we walk into the hotel, I can feel the weight of the moment settling on my shoulders. This isn’t a casual visit; it’s a declaration. An acceptance of the new path my life has potentially taken.

The lobby of the Regency Hotel is elegant and bustling with activity, but it all fades into the background as we head toward the elevators. Cole presses the button for the presidential suite, and the doors close, encapsulating us in a private world.

His parents are waiting for us in the suite, their expressions varying quite extremely, showing the differences in their personalities.

And yet, they work perfectly. Jeremiah, dressed in black pants and a button-down shirt, opened at the collar, which I presume is the most casual the man will ever be, is looking at us with curious caution. Jade is dressed in wide-leg jeans, a tank top, and an open checkered shirt like the young people did in the nineties, and she’s looking at us with a bright smile, her hands resting on her chest, radiating happiness.

“Oh, Eva! Can I call you Eva?” she asks and grabs my hand, pulling me to the sofa before I get to answer. “I’m so sorry how things went off the rails yesterday, sweetheart. We didn’t mean to freak you out,” she adds, and her exuberance actually eases my nerves a little.

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