Page 15 of This December

This was perfect. I didn’t want it to end.

But of course it had to. I had to get to work soon.

Cole pressed up, relieving me of his weight. “Sorry about that. You kinda took me out at the knees.” He leaned down and gave me a quick peck. “Give me a second to clean up, and I’ll be back to take care of you.”

I gave him a weak smile in return then unabashedly watched the rear view of him walking away. A few tattoos marked his back here and there, but it was his ass flexing as he walked away that I couldn’t take my eyes off of.

The second he was gone, I put my hands over my face to muffle my squeal.

What was I doing?

How was this my life?

It was crazy and probably a mistake. I was definitely going to get my heart broken at the end of this, but I couldn’t find it in myself to worry about that now.

You know what? Screw that. I was done living for other people and worrying about stuff way down the line. For the first time in forever, I was going to do whatIwanted and screw the consequences.

“You ready to get in the shower?” Cole asked from the doorway to the bathroom.

I cocked my head. “If you give me a minute of privacy in there first. I really like you and all, but no way am I peeing in front of you.”

Cole’s laughter filled me with warmth as I passed him in the doorway.

Or maybe it was the way he looked at me when I walked by him wearing the throw from the bottom of the bed.

I might be throwing caution to the wind, but I was still me. And I definitely didn’t have his shameless confidence.

But maybe after a few weeks with him, I would.

* * *

It was almost ten by the time I untangled myself from Cole’s arms with promises to return tonight for dinner again and more.

The thought of more had me grinning like a fool as I walked into my parents’ house. When I didn’t see anyone despite the four cars out front, I relaxed and headed for the back hallway and my room.

But I wasn’t totally lucky.

“Seriously?” Aspyn scowled at me from the top of the stairs. “You go out all night and don’t call or message anyone. You just slink home at ten o’clock? Looking like that? What the hell, December?”

I looked down at my clothes. Granted, my shirt was rumpled, and I’d tied my hair up in a messy bun, but I didn’t think I looked that bad. “What’s wrong with how I look?”

“You’re wearing the same clothes you were wearing when you ran out last night. And they look like they spent the night on the floor of some asshole’s bedroom. You’re too old to be acting like this. You need to do better. Be a better role model for your nieces and nephews.”

I blinked a few times. That was a lot to unpack. “My nieces and nephews are eight and under. They don’t know I was out all night, and they sure as hell don’t know what I was wearing last night—unless you’re going to tell them. And even then, who cares? I’m an adult. I’m going to do whatever I want. That’s really the only good part of being an adult. What the hell is your problem?”

“My problem is that you’re throwing your life away. You don’t have a job. You’re living off Mom and Dad’s largess.Again. It’s embarrassing.”

“Right. So sorry to be such an embarrassment, but I have to get to my non-existent job now, so if you don’t mind…” I pushed past her to walk down the hall to my bedroom.

“I’m worried about you, December. If you keep going down this road, it’s not going to lead to anywhere good. You’re better than delivering groceries. You’re not living up to your potential.”

“And you are?” I whipped around and gestured wildly. “Did you go to college? Did you get a degree in a field that you absolutely hate? Did you work for years in a corporate job that was killing your soul every minute? No. You got your M-R-S and then quit your receptionist job. Did I tell you that you were wasting your potential? That you deserve more than being someone’s wife and popping out babies?”

Aspyn stared back at me and opened then closed her mouth.

I sighed in frustration. “I respected your decisions because it’s your life. Your life, your decisions. And you were right—you’re a great wife and a great mom. But you’re being a shit sister right now. So how about you let me make my decisions for me? For once?”

Tears filled her eyes. But she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t.

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