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It was Saturday morning, and I was busy on the phone with Raya, explaining how much I regretted getting back with Jamie. I couldn't believe I'd let myself fall for him again. Raya was trying to comfort me, but it didn't help much.
"Kylie, I'm off! Be back in the evening. Take care of yourself," Hank called from the kitchen.
I ended the call with Raya and peeked out of my room just in time to see Hank heading out the door. I heard the sound of a car pulling up and spotted Cole arriving with a suit draped in a hanger. He greeted Hank outside.
"Don't tell me you're going to the date looking like this. You'll blow the plan if you go there like that," Cole said, shaking his head with mock disapproval.
I watched from the window as Hank shrugged, smirking. "It's not that bad," he said. But then he took the tuxedo from Cole and went back inside to change.
When he came out again, I barely recognized him. He looked so different, so polished—so... not Hank. If he wasn't my brother, I might've actually admired how good he looked.
Hank waved goodbye and drove off in Cole's car, leaving Cole standing at the door. That's when I realized I was still in my singlet and shorts. I wasn't wearing a bra, and the fabric clung to me in ways I didn't want Cole to see. My heart raced as I tried to make a quiet escape upstairs, but then Cole walked in, and I froze.
"Hi, Kylie," he said, smiling like he always did, effortlessly charming.
I stiffened, crossing my arms awkwardly. "Hank didn't say you were coming," I lied, pretending I hadn't just seen them talking outside.
Without giving him a chance to respond, I quickly bolted back to my room. Once I was safely inside, I let out the breath I'd been holding. Why did Cole have this effect on me? My body had reacted the second he walked in, and my mind couldn't stop replaying the way his eyes had lingered just a little too long.
I sat down on my bed, trying to distract myself from the flood of emotions surging through me. The conversation I overheard outside played over and over in my head. Why wasn't Cole the one going on the date? Was he seeing someone else?
The thought made my stomach drop, and I hated how much it affected me. I grabbed a book, hoping to distract myself, but an hour into reading, memories of the party came rushing back—especially the kiss.
Suddenly, everything came into focus. I remembered it all—Cole and I had kissed. I froze as the realization hit me, my heart pounding in my chest. Was that what he meant when he wrote, "We need to talk when I get back"? Did he want to discuss the kiss?
I couldn't take the suspense any longer. Without thinking, I ran downstairs, determined to confront him.
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw Cole lounging on the couch, casually flipping through the channels on the TV. He seemed so relaxed, so completely unaware of the storm swirling inside me. My heart raced as I stood there, suddenly unsure of how to even start this conversation.
But I had to know.
"Cole," I called, my voice shaky. He turned to look at me, his expression softening immediately when he saw my face.
"Kylie? What's wrong?" He sat up, concern in his eyes.
"I remember," I said, feeling the weight of the words settle in the air between us. "I remember everything from the party."
His eyes widened for just a second before he quickly tried to mask it. "What do you mean?"
"I remember the kiss," I continued, my voice growing stronger now that I'd started. "Was that what you wanted to talk about when you said, 'We need to talk when I get back'?"
He hesitated, glancing away for a second before meeting my gaze again. I could tell he was trying to choose his words carefully. "Kylie…"
"Don't," I interrupted. "I need you to be honest with me. I can't keep pretending like nothing happened between us. I need to know if you feel the same way I do."
There. I said it. The vulnerability of the moment hung between us, thick and suffocating.
Cole shifted on the couch, running a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. But I couldn't look away from his eyes, pleading silently for him to say something, anything.
"I… I've felt this way for a while," he finally admitted, his voice low, almost reluctant. "I didn't want to say anything because I knew it would complicate everything, especially with Hank. But, Kylie, I've fallen for you. I don't know how to stop."
My breath caught in my throat. Hearing him say it out loud made my heart skip a beat. He felt the same way. Relief and panic surged through me all at once.
"I knew it," I whispered. "I knew there was something between us, but I just… I didn't know if you felt the same."
He stop up from the couch and walked up to me lifting me gently from the ground.
It was like in the movies,his arms were wrapped around my waist as I curled my legs around him.
He looked into my eyes and my heart almost burst out of my chest as I stared at him his dazzling blue eyes.
Before I knew it his lips were on mine.
I froze for a second before reciprocating.
He was now using his tongue.
It was so wet that I could feel my panties damping.
I had never felt the this way my whole life .
My first kiss was with Jamie and in years to come it could never feel like this.
His lips were so soft I felt my mind melting.
I was kissing Cole ,I couldn't believe it.
He has kept running down my back until we found ourselves on the couch before we pulled away trying to catch our breaths.
This could not be happening ,was I dreaming ??
"I'm in love with you Kylie",he said as a smile crossed his lips.
Then we both burst into laughter.
Before either of us could say another word, the doorbell rang, startling us both. Cole jumped up, clearly as tense as I was. I saw his face shift into a look of confusion.
"I'll get it," he said quickly, heading for the door.
I stood there, frozen, wondering if Hank had come back early. My heart pounded at the thought, but when Cole returned, he was holding a pizza box.
"Pizza delivery," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Hank ordered this before he left."
Relief washed over me, and I exhaled deeply. Cole set the box on the kitchen counter, but the tension between us hadn't gone anywhere. I followed him into the kitchen, standing by the sink, trying to process everything that had just happened.
"He can't find out about us," I said quietly. "Not yet."
Cole nodded, stepping closer to me. "I know. But, Kylie, I'm not going to pretend that nothing's changed. We have to figure this out, together."
I nodded, feeling his presence close behind me. He gently wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. The contact made my heart race all over again, but this time, it wasn't out of panic. I closed my eyes, leaning into him, feeling the warmth of his embrace.
"Are we official".
I said turning to face him.
"Yes we are", he replied tightening his grip around my waist.
Cole and I sat down on the couch with the pizza between us. The tension had settled, but it wasn't completely gone. The smell of pepperoni and melted cheese was comforting, though, and I grabbed a slice, trying to focus on something other than how close Cole was sitting.
"Want to pick a movie?" he asked, leaning over to grab the remote. His arm brushed against mine, sending little sparks through my skin.
"Sure," I mumbled, trying to keep my focus on the pizza in my hands rather than how every small movement seemed to draw us closer.
Cole flipped through a few options before settling on some action movie. It didn't matter. I wasn't really watching, too distracted by the fact that we were now sitting so close together, legs barely an inch apart. My heart was still racing from everything that had happened earlier, and I couldn't concentrate.
As the movie played, we both ate in silence, occasionally stealing glances at each other. It was weird, knowing that we were more than just friends now but still unsure of how to act around each other. I didn't know if I should lean in closer or pull away.
Halfway through the movie, I felt his arm drape around the back of the couch, just behind my shoulders. My breath hitched, and I tensed for a moment, but then I let myself relax into the feeling. Slowly, without thinking much about it, I rested my head against his shoulder. It felt natural, like this was where I was supposed to be.
We stayed like that for a while, getting more comfortable as the movie went on, occasionally sharing comments about the film and laughing at the over-the-top action scenes. For a brief moment, it felt like nothing else mattered. No complications. No Hank. Just us.
But then I heard the sound of tires pulling up in the driveway.
My entire body stiffened, and Cole immediately paused the movie, his eyes wide. We both knew what that meant.
"Is that… Hank?" I whispered, my heart starting to race again, this time with panic.
Cole nodded, glancing toward the window. "Yeah, looks like he's back."
Without thinking, I shot up from the couch, my heart pounding in my chest. "I need to go upstairs. If he sees us like this…" I didn't even finish my sentence before I was already halfway to the stairs.
"Kylie, wait—" Cole called after me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.
I rushed up to my room, closing the door behind me as quietly as possible. My pulse was racing, and I leaned against the door, trying to calm myself down. I knew Hank didn't suspect anything, but the idea of him finding us like that on the couch made my stomach twist.
Peeking out from behind my curtains, I watched as Hank got out of Cole's car, looking as calm as ever. He had no idea. For now, at least.
I exhaled deeply, pressing my forehead to the cool wood of the door. We were playing a dangerous game, and I wasn't sure how long we could keep it up.