Page 78 of Purity

She glares at me, though her lips are twitching slightly. “If you want someone to laugh about your depression, you’ve come to the wrong place. Read the room better.”

I grin. “We’ll see. We’ll see if your maternal instincts can withstand my masterpiece of patheticness. I think you’re going to lose.”

It turns out, I don’t make her laugh when I read her the text, but I am able to talk to her about the mixture of fear and hope that compelled me to write it in the first place, and the lightness I feel afterward makes me wish I had done this sooner.

TWENTY

Livvy

When I spot Cole through the shaded glass, I hesitate at the entrance. He’s sitting in the back corner with his phone in his hand, looking so handsome in his blue button-up shirt that I want to throw myself into his arms.

Thank God, I chose a Starbucks. I couldn’t have met him in a more intimate setting. It would have been too tempting to throw away everything I’ve worked hard for just because he’s beautiful and I’m horny.

His head jerks up almost as soon as I walk through the door. His gaze moves from the top of my head to my feet, like he’s taking in every detail.

He’s missed me.

I’ve missed him, too.

Still, I promised myself I would be strong today. I give him only a small smile back.

“You look handsome,” I say as I pull out the chair across from him. “I forgot you started work this week.”

He glances down at his shirt. “I actually don’t have to dress up this much unless I’m meeting with a client. This was all for you.”

My smile grows. “I love you in blue.”

“I know you do, and I’m not going to tell you how many different blue shirts I tried on. It would give you secondhand embarrassment.”

I lift a brow. “You only have like four.”

“Oh, but I went shopping for work clothes. I bought at least ten more blue shirts. I was preparing for battle, Olivia Grace.”

When my smile fades, his brows draw together. “Sorry,” he says. “That makes it sound like I want to fight you about everything, and the truth couldn’t be further from that.”

“It’s okay. I know you were just teasing. I was more surprised at hearing you call me Olivia.”

His shoulders relax, and he smiles again. My belly flutters. I’ve missed that smile.

“How is work?” I ask, not ready to dive into everything yet. “Is it okay being around your dad so much?”

“Actually, yes. We’ve kind of…reconciled, I guess.”

“Oh, Cole, that’s amazing.”

When he shuts his eyes for a moment, my stomach plummets.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

He laughs softly and shakes his head. He stares at the wooden table for a moment before lifting his gaze to meet mine. “I love it when you say ‘Oh, Cole’.”

“Do I say it a lot?”

“No.” His smile softens. “But I love it when you do.”

The tenderness in his eyes makes my chest constrict, and I glance down at my lap to collect myself. “I guess we should probably talk about everything.”

He clears his throat, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him straighten his posture. “I have a story to tell you.”

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