Page 9 of This December

“Huh?” Helovedme? What?

“Even when it seems like the world is falling around you, you still find a way to make me laugh. You’re amazing.”

“I think you have a seriously low threshold for what you’re looking for in a woman.”

He laughed again as he pulled my car door open. “Come on. Let’s go inside where it’s warm, and we’ll come up with a plan to ruin whoever made you cry like that. My December definitely deserves better.”

Despite the subfreezing temperature around us, warmth spread through me just from being near him. It grew as Cole grabbed my hand and pulled me to his side. He slipped his arm around my shoulder as we bumped against each other on the walk to his house. I was almost too hot as we stomped up the stairs to his front door. His arm around me was everything. He was being so sweet and thoughtful.

I paused to toe-off my snow covered boots at the door, but Cole pulled me through into the large, open main room.

“I don’t give a shit if you get snow on the floor. Come in to the fire and warm up.”

Considering he had gorgeous hardwood floors, I didn’t agree with him, but I’d let this man take me almost anywhere. I didn’t get a chance to admire the ornate entryway or the huge windows overlooking the surrounding forest. Mostly because the fireplace Cole led me to was ridiculous—standing in the middle of the room and open, like I could see through the fire to the room on the other side. A large platform surrounded it on all four sides where we sat next to the crackling fire and a chimney was suspended overhead. I’d seen something like this in a resort lodge, but never inside someone’s house.

“So what’s going on?” Cole asked as he settled next to me.

And reminded me of my totally unhinged entrance to our date night.

Right.

I closed my eyes with a wince. “Just your usual family spat. I’m the youngest, and my three sisters have their lives together, so they think they know what I should be doing with my life.”

“Do you want to commiserate or problem solve?”

“I don’t even know which direction is up at the moment. I don’t know.”

“Um, okay. Well, are you doing what you want to be doing?”

I snorted. “No, definitely not.”

“Do you want to do what your family thinks you should be doing?”

“No. I mean, it’s what I went to college for, I have a degree in it and everything, but the work is…soul crushing. I hated every minute of it.”

“So take some time and figure it out.”

“I can’t do that. I have bills, student loans to pay back.”

“Then do whatever you have to do to keep your head above water, but feed your soul, and pursue something that drives you. From what I’ve seen, you’re pretty smart. You’ll figure it out.”

“I…I don’t think I can do that. This is what I went to school for. I’ve worked in marketing for a few years. I can’t just up and leave my career behind me. It’s just not that easy.”

He sighed and leaned back slightly, stretching his legs out in front of him.

My mouth might’ve watered at the sight of all of him in front of me being earnest and so ridiculously sweet. My heart thudded unevenly.

He cocked his head. “What would you tell a friend who was in an unhappy relationship? She’s miserable, it’s just not working anymore, and they’re arguing all the time. The spark is gone; the sex is boring as fuck. But she’s put three years into being with this guy, and they’ve—I don’t know—bought a car together. She cosigned for the loan on his truck. But she’s miserable. What would you tell her?”

I smiled wryly, seeing the parallel he was leading me to. “I’d tell her to get out. Life’s too short. And there are plenty of other guys to waste time on.”

“Nice to know what you think about the male population by the way.” He grinned at me. “But seriously. Why does your friend deserve an out, but you don’t? Shouldn’t you give yourself the same advice you’d give this friend?”

“Cole…” I shook my head. “That’s so sweet, but it’s not the same.”

He tilted his head. “It is. You’re wasting your life on a job that’s making you miserable. You’re young. You can still pivot. So why don’t you?”

I opened and closed my mouth. I didn’t have an answer to that. Why not?

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