I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep, but my mind wouldn't quiet down. All I could think about was the way Kylie looked when she walked in earlier. Could she have overheard the conversation with Mom about the date? The thought made my stomach twist. She didn't say anything, but her face… I couldn't shake the feeling that she knew.
I rolled over again, frustrated. I had to do something about how I felt for her before this spiraled out of control. Hank would kill me if he knew what was going on in my head. But it wasn't just about Hank. It was about Kylie. She deserved better than my confused feelings.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking through the whirlwind of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen. Kylie.
It was past midnight.
My heart raced as I immediately answered the call.
"Cole, please come pick me up. I'll send you the address," her voice cracked, sounding small and teary.
Tears? Kylie never cried. She wasn't the kind of girl to let people see her like that, not even me. Hearing that vulnerability in her voice shook something inside me.
Without a second thought, I jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, and grabbed my car keys. There was no way I was letting her stay wherever she was, especially not like that.
By the time I got to the address she'd sent, I spotted her instantly. She was sitting on the curb, her legs hugged tightly to her chest, looking so small and fragile. Her eyes were red, tears still silently streaming down her face. She was drunk, tired, and heartbroken.
My chest ached just looking at her.
Kylie didn't say a word when she got into the car, and I didn't push her to speak. The air was thick with an unspoken sadness, and I feared that asking too many questions might make it worse. Instead, we drove in silence, the sound of the road the only thing breaking through the quiet tension.
Every few minutes, I glanced at her through the rearview mirror, watching her sit there, lost in thought. The sight of her like that—so broken—tore me apart.
I couldn't fix whatever had happened tonight, but I was going to make sure she was okay. At least, I'd try.
I swore to myself that I'd find out who had done this to her, but for now, that had to wait.
When we got home, I helped her inside, supporting her as she stumbled to the couch. She sank into the cushions, looking even more defeated under the soft glow of the living room lights. I knelt beside her, carefully adjusting the blanket over her, my heart in knots.
"What happened, Kylie?" I asked quietly.
She didn't answer at first, just stared at me with those tear-filled eyes. Her cheeks, flushed from crying and alcohol, made her look more fragile than I'd ever seen her. And then, the tears started falling again.
"You wouldn't understand," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "You'll never see me the way I see you."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. She was too drunk, too emotional, but hearing that... It was like the world shifted beneath me. I wanted to pull her into my arms, to tell her how much she meant to me, but Hank's voice echoed in the back of my mind like a warning.
Instead, I forced myself to say, "Kylie, you need to rest."
As I started to pull the blanket up over her, her hand shot out, grabbing my face. I froze, staring into her eyes. Everything around us disappeared in that moment—the house, the night, even Hank. All I could think about was her. How close she was. How much I wanted to close the gap between us.
And then I did.
I pressed my lips to hers, unable to hold back any longer. The kiss was soft, tentative at first, but the feeling of her kissing me back ignited something in me. For a second, everything felt right. But just as quickly as it started, it ended.
She pulled away, her eyes fluttering closed as she slumped back against the couch, too drunk and exhausted to stay awake any longer.
I stood there, my heart pounding, wondering if she would even remember this in the morning. Part of me hoped she wouldn't. But another part of me… couldn't shake the fear that she would.
I couldn't sleep after that kiss. I stayed awake, sitting on the edge of the couch, watching her breathe softly, wondering what would happen in the morning. What if she remembered? What if she didn't? I couldn't decide which possibility scared me more.
Her words played over and over in my mind. You'll never see me the way I see you.
Had I been wrong about everything? Had she been feeling the same way all along?
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. This was a mess, a complete disaster. Hank would kill me if he found out, but more than that, I had no idea how to fix whatever had just happened. She was too drunk to be thinking straight, too emotional to understand what she was saying. But I couldn't deny the rush I'd felt when our lips met.
Eventually, I got up and moved to the kitchen. I needed to clear my head, get some space before I did something else stupid. The kitchen was dark and quiet, giving me some time to think. I scribbled a quick note for her and stuck it to the fridge. Something to make the morning a little less awkward—if that was even possible.
We need to talk when I get back.
Yeah, that wouldn't be easy, but avoiding it would make things worse. I couldn't ignore what happened, and neither could she. I sighed, grabbing my keys and heading out the door for a drive to clear my mind.
---
When I returned, it was close to noon, and my heart raced as I turned the key in the lock. I was nervous to face her, scared of what she might say. As soon as I stepped inside, I noticed the house was quieter than I expected. No sound of her moving around, no footsteps.
I walked toward the kitchen, half-expecting to find her still in bed. But then I saw it—my note was gone from the fridge. My stomach twisted. She must've seen it.
I took a deep breath, preparing myself to face whatever would come next. Would she be angry? Embarrassed? Or worse… would she act like nothing had happened at all? The thought of that stung more than I wanted to admit.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned. There she was, standing in the doorway, her eyes scanning the floor. She looked like she'd been crying again, and my heart sank.
"Kylie…" I started, but I didn't know how to finish.
She looked up at me, her expression a mix of confusion and sadness.
"What did I say last night?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I hesitated, trying to find the right words. How could I tell her without making this worse?
"You… You said some things." I tried to keep my voice steady. "But we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Her eyes flickered with something—regret, maybe?—but she didn't push me for details. Instead, she nodded and took a deep breath.
"Thanks for bringing me home," she said softly. "I don't remember much, but I… I'm sorry."
That's when I knew—she didn't remember the kiss.
I felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment, but I forced a smile anyway.
"No need to apologize," I said. "Just… take care of yourself, okay?"
I knew this conversation was far from over, but for now, I had to give her space. I needed to figure out what to do next, and she needed time to process whatever she was feeling.
But one thing was clear—nothing between us would ever be the same again.
It was Saturday, and I'd finally convinced Hank to go on that date. It hadn't been easy, but after some persistent nudging, he'd caved. Now, it was up to me to make sure he didn't blow it.
I picked out a sleek tuxedo for him—something that screamed class. If we were going to pull off this whole plan, he couldn't show up looking like he'd just rolled out of bed. As I pulled up to their house, I saw Hank stepping out, dressed in his usual casual attire: a white polo, grey hoodie, and black jeans.
"You've got to be kidding me," I groaned, stepping out of my car. "You can't leave looking like this. Will the son of the famous Diamond Enterprises really go on a date like this?"
Hank shrugged, smirking like it wasn't a big deal. "It's not that bad."
I sighed and handed him the suit. "Well, I got you a suit. Go dress up, and you're leaving in my car."
He raised an eyebrow at that. "Your car? Seriously?"
"Yes. Everything has to be perfect so she buys the lie. Now hurry up."
Hank looked at the tux I'd brought him and sighed, but didn't argue. He knew I was right. This date was important, even if it was a setup to keep things under control. While he headed back inside to change, I leaned against my car, running through all the details in my head. Everything had to go smoothly. If this didn't work, we'd be dealing with a bigger mess later on.
When Hank finally came back out, he looked the part—sharp and refined. I nodded in approval.
"See, now you look like you're ready for a date," I said. "Let's make sure she believes this whole thing."
Hank rolled his eyes but got into my car, ready to go through with it. As we pulled out of the driveway, I couldn't shake the feeling that this plan might cause more problems than we anticipated. But for now, all I could do was make sure the date went as smoothly as possible.
I walked inside, trying to relax and put the night behind me, but then I saw her-Kylie. She was in just a singlet and shorts, and the sight made my heart skip. Her nipples were visible, clearly pushing through the thin fabric, and memories of last night hit me hard. My body tensed as I recalled the kiss, the way she held onto me.
When she noticed me, she froze. There was a moment where neither of us moved. Knowing the effect I had on her, I forced a smile, trying to play it cool.
"Hey, Kylie. I' II be staying around today. How are you feeling now, by the way?"
She blinked, her eyes widening just slightly before she muttered, "Hank didn't say you were coming.
"I'm fine," she added quickly, and without another word, she turned and darted into her room.
As soon as she was gone, I let out a long breath I didn't even realize I' d been holding. My heart was still racing, the heat from that brief encounter lingering in the room. Disappointment crept in, flushing my cheeks. I wanted more than just that fleeting moment. I wanted to keep looking at her, to take in her petite figure and her beauty. She was undeniably sexy, and that thought alone was enough to drive me crazy.
"Snap out of it," I muttered, smacking the side of my head as I made my way over to the couch. I grabbed the remote, switching on the TV in a poor attempt to distract myself from thoughts I had no business entertaining.
An hour passed, and suddenly Kylie came back downstairs in tears.
"I remember, I remember everything now. Tell me the truth—let's settle this once and for all. Do you feel the same way about me?"
I stuttered, trying to find the words.
"Tell me now!" she demanded.
"I feel the same way," I finally admitted. "I've fallen for you, and it's been that way for a while."
Her eyes searched mine. "I remember the kiss. That was what you wanted to ask me about, but you changed it because you realized I didn't remember."
"Cole, I'm in love with you, and I can't keep hiding it anymore," she said, her voice trembling.
Hearing her say my name like that made my heart race.
My name sounded like honey in her mouth and the sight of her was irresistible,
I walked up to her gentle grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer wrapping her legs to my waist.
She looked so innocent,her my eyes were intoxicating.
I looked into eyes for a while before launching my lips unto her's
It was like dynamite.
Her lips were so soft,the thought of Hank wasn't even enough to make me pull away.
She reciprocated and in a blink of an eye we were on the couch.
I pulled back trying to gasp for breath.we
We're both breathing heavily and we suddenly realized we hadn't been breathing for a while.
I smiled , I'm in love with you Kylie,I confessed.
We both burst into laughter.
For a moment, we sat there, letting everything sink in, as if time had slowed down.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I saw her face widen, panic flashing in her eyes. Was that Hank? The thought sent a jolt of tension through me. I quickly adjusted my clothes and went to check the door.
To my relief, it wasn't Hank. It was the pizza delivery guy—Hank had ordered pizza for us. I sighed, feeling the tension melt away as I grabbed the box and headed back inside.
Kylie followed me into the kitchen, the fear in her eyes disappearing just as quickly as it had come. We exchanged a look, both aware of the close call. As I set the pizza down, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the moment.
She stood at the sink, her back to me. Without thinking, I moved toward her, wrapping my arms gently around her waist. I just couldn't resist being close to her. Her warmth, the comfort of knowing we were finally honest about our feelings—it was all so overwhelming in the best way.
"We can't let Hank find out," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I know," I replied, resting my chin on her shoulder. "But we'll figure it out. We're in this together now."
She turned her head slightly, her eyes locking with mine. "So, we're official?" she asked, a small, hopeful smile tugging at her lips.
I smiled back, tightening my grip around her. "Yeah, we're official."
The weight of those words settled in the air around us, but instead of fear, it felt like freedom. We stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, knowing that no matter what came next, we'd face it together.