Page 65 of Love Me Again

Oh boy.

It feels good to be touched, especially by him. I know I shouldn’t let him get this close to me because it’s too soon, and our therapist has put a ban on any sexual contact, but damn, everything he is doing, every single word coming from those gorgeous lips, is driving me wild. I feel like I’ve gone back in time to when we were first getting to know one another. I believe that is the purpose of this little experiment. Hold on a minute. I’m still angry with him. Oh, but the way his lips feel on my neck is reason enough to forgive him.

No Shayla! This is why you get hurt. You give in to him too quickly—make him work for it!

While Cole’s sticky fingers were slowly tugging my shorts down, his lips hot on my neck, sucking my pulse point, I couldn’t think straight for the life of me. Thank god, the doorbell rings, and my eyes snap open at the same time as Cole’s head pops up from my neck. “Ignore it.” He groans, burying his face into my neck again.

“Cole, we can’t ignore it,” I sigh, pushing him off and pull my shorts back up where he’d slid them down my thighs. Cole growls in frustration and looks up at me, his eyes all big and pleading. “Stop looking at me like that.” I slap his hands away when he tries to pull me close to him and pull his t-shirt on as I wasn’t wearing a whole lot.

“Who the hell is here at this time?” Cole whines, his brows fused tightly while he looks up at me from his position on the sofa. I shrug and walk to the door to answer it. I pull it open and see Aimee and Josh grinning from ear to ear.

“Jesus, took you long enough,” Aimee mumbles, walking in followed by a sheepish Josh who shrugs when Cole throws a dirty glance his way.

“Please, do come in,” Cole utters dryly as Josh walks over to the sofa, and they fist bump. I close the door and look over at Aimee, who was holding a binder in her arms.

“What is that?”

Aimee looks at the binder and then at me. “Last-minute wedding stuff I really need my maid of honours opinion on?” I laugh and nod as I guide her to the coffee table. “Where’s princess Laia? I miss my little bubba.”

I look down at the baby monitor and see she’s wide-awake, kicking about in her crib. “You’re in luck. She’s up. Come on, it’s time for a feed anyway,” I say, dragging Aimee upstairs to my bedroom. I turn the monitor off before I look down at Alaia. “Hi munchkin, look who’s here to see you.” I coo, lifting her and kiss her head before I hand her over to a beaming Aimee while she cradles her in her arms.

“It’s only been a week, but I really miss you guys being at home with us,” Aimee says, looking down at the baby before she looks at me. “How are you finding it being back here? Did we interrupt something before?” She asks with a guilty grin.

I feel my cheeks go hot when I remember the things Cole and I were doing before we got interrupted. “Yes, but I’m thankful because I’m not ready to be physical with him just yet, and we’re not even supposed to be having any sexual contact as per our marriage counsellor,” I explain with a frustrated sigh.

Aimee chuckles while rocking Alaia in her arms, “Really? I bet Cole is super thrilled about that.”

“It’s so hard being around him and not feel things, and now we’re supposed to start over, date each other, go back to the basics. I feel like our relationship keeps going around and around in a big fat circle.” I explain, taking Alaia when she starts fussing. “A part of me is thrilled to be reliving all the excitement and sexual tension, but at the same time, it’s bringing back so many memories that I would rather not remember,” I add, watching Alaia as she starts to feed.

“Shayla, I know you’re scared of getting hurt again, but you’ve suffered through the worst, and maybe now you’re at the point where you two can finally be happy again,” Aimee states, rubbing Alaia’s foot as she feeds. “You still love him, don’t you?”

I close my eyes and sigh deeply, “Of course I do. I’m crazy about him, but I miss the way we used to be. It’s still not the same, and maybe I need to accept that things won’t ever be the same between us because he’s different now.” I answer, brushing my thumb over the baby’s cheek, and she sighs while she looks up at me with her startling green eyes.

“Has Blake called you?” I look at Aimee and nod. “He came looking for you at the apartment the other day. He was worried when you didn’t pick up his calls.” She adds, and I lift Alaia to burp her.

“I know, I feel shitty about the way I left things with him. He’s such a good guy, but I don’t want to drag him through all this mess with Cole and me. Blake helped me out that night at the Lamaze class when you warned me about Cole, and he didn’t have to play along with the stupid lie I told and kiss me, but he did.”

Aimee sighs, “Josh said Cole was livid when he saw the two of you kissing, and had he not stopped him, he would have probably beaten him to an inch of his life.”

I roll my eyes and groan. “Which is why I’m steering clear. Besides, Cole and I have to work on our marriage for the next six months, or we could risk child services getting involved, and I will not risk losing my baby for anyone.” I explain, looking down at Alaia sleeping in my arms. After I put her down to sleep Aimee and I discussed the wedding details she needed help with. I couldn’t believe she was getting married in less than six weeks.

“I can’t believe how much our lives have changed in less than two years.” Aimee sighs, laying her head on my shoulder.

“I know, it’s crazy, it feels just like yesterday I moved in with you two knuckleheads, now look at us. I have a baby and a husband who doesn’t even know who the hell I am. You’re getting married. Jo is about to move in with my brother.” I explain, and Aimee laughs heartily.

“Oh, baby girl, like the sands through an hourglass...”

“These are the days of our lives.” We sing dramatically together and burst out laughing. Once we were done with the wedding talk, I turn the baby monitor back on, and we go back downstairs to the boys who were playing video games.

“And just like that, I kicked your arse…again.” Cole grins, dropping the remote and falling back against the sofa in triumph.

“I let you win, bro,” Josh grumbles, tossing the remote at him, and Cole laughs, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a sore loser. You’ve always been a sore loser, my friend.” Cole states, catching my hand and pulling me down into his lap when Aimee settles into Josh’s arms in the love seat.

“We need to discuss the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties,” I declare, giving Aimee a pointed look, and she grins. “And let’s not forget the no nookie rule you two put on Cole and me weeks before our wedding. Oh, it’s payback time, bish.” Aimee and Josh both groan while I cackle with laughter. “However, Aimee, you were right, it made our wedding night incredibly special, and I think you should apply that rule to yourselves also,” I advise with a chuckle, and Josh throws me a dirty glare, shaking his head slowly. “It will be my greatest pleasure to keep you two apart as maid of honour.”

“I hate you,” Josh complains, and I grin toothily back at him. Aimee goes to kiss him, and I throw a cushion at them just before their lips met, and they pull away, glowering at me.

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