Page 46 of Acting Merry
The hot tub is full of laughter and ridiculous stories—many of them about past years’ shenanigans—but after twenty minutes, people start to get out.
Thank the heavens. If I have to watch Brady kiss the spot beneath Megan’s ear one more time, I’ll lose it.
I push myself up to beat Megan and Brady out of the tub, but Cole’s grip on my fingers tightens.
Wait, his eyes say.
I relent, and Megan and Brady get out.
“You guys staying in?” Brady asks.
“Just a little longer,” Cole says.
“It’s not good for you to stay in a sauna for longer than fifteen minutes.”
“They’re fine, babe,” Megan says, shooting me a smile that says,Sorry, as she pulls him toward the door.
“I’m just trying to be helpful,” he says as they head inside and the door shuts.
I turn to Cole.
“You know what I think it’s time for?” he says.
“No clue.”
“Drastic measures.”
I give a scoffing laugh. “I’m not spiraling.”
He puts his finger in the water, his eyes fixed on me ashe swirls it around and around and around. In a spiral. Complete with a taunting half-smile.
I grab his hand to stop it. “You’re seeing things.”
“Andyou’reonly seeing Megan and Brady.”
I blow out a bigpfft.
“Are you still in love with him?” The question is softer, sincere.
I meet his gaze. I almost wish I could tell him that Iamstill in love with Brady. I almost wish Iwas. Then I wouldn’t be falling for Cole. “No.”
“Then what is it?” His eyes scan my face. “What makes you look like that when you watch them?”
I swallow. I can’t tell him the truth—that I want him to hold me like Brady was holding Megan. That I want him to whisper in my ear with a smile on his lips. That I want him to kiss me again like he did under that mistletoe.
That I want it to be real this time.
“I don’t want Brady,” I say. “I just…envy what they have, I guess. And yeah, I’m a little hurt about how they got together. But not because I have feelings for Brady.”
Cole watches me for a second, and I meet his gaze, wondering if there’s any tiny part of him that wants something like that too. Is there any sliver of his heart that wasn’t satisfied with one perfect kiss under the mistletoe?
I can’t stand it, so I get up. “It’s freezing out here.”
Cole follows suit, and we both get out of the hot tub.
I glance at him, noting the pensive look on his face. Idon’t want him to think I’m pouting over Brady and Megan—over anything, really.
What happened to my plan to have fun this weekend?
