Page 232 of Waiting Game

Cole: I love Gracie. She’s my sister. I was going to come clean about this but we were waiting to see if it was worth it.

Gray: What do you mean?

Cole: We said that we’d make a decision after eight weeks to bring this up with Gracie. But that there was no point if it was only chemistry keeping us together.

Gray: Sounds plausible.

Matt: It’s been eight weeks?

Cole: No. There was a fire tonight and it brought things to a head.

Gray: Jesus Christ! Are you okay?!

Matt: A fire?!! What happened?

Matt: Talk about burying the damn lede, Liam!

Cole: She saved my ass, guys. Literally. Got me through this tiny window. I don’t know how she did it, but I can confirm my butt is bruised like fuck. It’s one of those friction bruises too, so I look like I have a bunch of hickeys down there.

Matt: TMI, dude

Gray: Lol. Only you, Cole

Gray: But… she saved you?

Liam: By her own admission, the firefighters would have gotten to you in time.

Cole: She’s being modest. The room was engulfed in flames moments after she helped me escape. Like an idiot, I panicked and tried to go through the only window face-first. ????‍??There’d have been Cole BBQ served tonight if it weren’t for Mia.

Cole: We’re lucky. I’M lucky—she saved me.

Cole: If you can’t forgive her for what she did to Gracie, that’s fine. She knows she did wrong, and she’ll make amends however Gracie needs her to. But I love her. So you need to cut her some slack.

Matt: Cole’s got a point, Liam

Gray: You need to let the girl prove herself.

Liam: I don’t have to do dick!

Gray: Sure you do. That’s what family does, no?

Liam: Ah, fuck.

Cole: She’s good people, Liam.

Liam: Good people don’t betray friends.

Gray: They don’t, but are we really going to condemn her for life without giving her a chance to make up for what she did?

Gray: Gracie’s so cut and dry with this stuff. One strike and you’re out. But that’s not how it should always be. People change.

Liam: When did you turn into Maury?

Matt: Don’t be a baby because you know he’s talking sense.

Matt: I think I speak for Gray and me, Cole, when I say we’ll keep an open mind. But if wethink she’s in any way false or unworthy of you, we’ll be the first to tell you.

Gray: We will.

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