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“Thank you for taking care of Mom.” My chin trembled. “If it makes a difference, I want to forgive you. My heart and head just need to catch up to each other.”

Samuel nodded. “I understand.” He looked away, then to Cole and me again. “If you kids are interested in dinner by the pool, I can grill some steaks. Maybe we can have one last evening before you two leave tomorrow.”

Memories of Mom’s smile and snuggles flashed through my mind. I never saw her broken the way that Samuel had described her. Maybe what Cole said was true. If Cole had gone to the same extremes to keep me safe and happy, wouldn’t I love him more for it? I wasn’t sure since I hadn’t lived through that experience.

“Cole?” I asked softly.

“It’s your call, baby.”

I swallowed over the tight feeling in my throat. “That would be really nice. What time should we be down there?”

Samuel’s smile lit up the entire room and reached inside my chest, cradling my heart. It felt good to see him happy, even if for just a moment.

“How about seven? That gives you two some time to finish packing.”

“Sounds good,” Cole said.

Julia and Samuel left, leaving the door open. I nearly rolled my eyes, but Cole and I would have our own place tomorrow.

We’d also agreed that Cole would leave his motorcycle here until summer. As much as it rained in Oregon, it didn’t make sense to take it and let it sit outside.

I stretched, my back popping. “Guess we better get busy.” I gave him a quick peck on the lips, then focused on preparing for the move. One thing I loved about Cole was that he never pushed me to talk. He always gave me the space to process. This was one of those times that I needed a few minutes to think.

Over the next several hours, we knocked out the packing for both our rooms.

I glanced at the alarm clock on my desk. “I should change clothes and put a bra on for dinner.”

“Okay. I’ll confirm with the guys that we’re still on for tomorrow afternoon.” Cole sighed. “Remington will help Samuel load my truck in the morning, but I’m glad Anderson and Sterling will be able to help unload when we get to Oregon.”

“No shit. I think Isabel and Zoe will be there to help, too.”

I was so used to Cole riding his motorcycle I’d completely forgotten that his bright blue Ford F-250 was parked in our garage.

“Excellent, then everyone can see the house, too.” Cole slipped his arms around my waist and brought me to him. “You did well with Samuel today. How are you feeling about dinner?”

“I’m okay. I’m trying to work through everything, but I think some distance from him will help clear my mind. It’s too easy to stay angry all the time when he’s around constantly. I figure one evening won’t be a big deal since we can excuse ourselves when we need to. Eight in the morning comes awfully fast.” I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed Cole.

He threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled, exposing my neck to his warm mouth. As quickly as he began, he stepped away and grinned. “Get dressed.”

I shook my head. “You’re so fucking bossy.” I laughed as I watched him walk out of my room, appreciating the way his jeans fit his ass and legs. I couldn’t wait until after dinner when we would finally be able to fuck like bunnies.

ChapterThirty-Five

The first week of freshman year was filled with a flurry of books, schedules, and wrapping my head around studying again.

The mid-September breeze blew through green tree leaves as I walked across campus, toward my next class. The early afternoon sunshine warmed my face as I took my time, breathing in the fresh air. People were gathered on blankets, chatting and laughing, while others rushed past me in a frenzy. Some professors locked students out of the classroom if they were late, which was bothersome during the first week since everyone was learning where the classrooms were, but the teachers didn’t care.

I adjusted my backpack and tugged down my navy top that kept riding up my stomach.

“Shae!” A familiar male voice called.

I spun around with the mention of my name and spotted David. He gave me a thousand-watt smile as he jogged over to me.

“Hey! I heard you were here this year. Congrats on the football scholarship. Maybe we’ll finally win some games.” I grinned, genuinely excited for him.

He chuckled, his brown eyes sparkling as his signature lazy smile eased across his tan features. The football team had already returned and were practicing crazy hours each day. “The guys are looking pretty good. I’m happy about that.” His attention traveled over me, pausing on my legs, then back to my face. “Will you be at some games? Maybe the parties after?”

“No,” Cole said from behind me. “Unless she’s with me.” He slipped his hand around my waist as I looked up at him. His mouth crashed down on mine, possessively. “Hey, baby.”

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