Page 58 of Acting Merry
He smiles, and I can almost see Megan reflected in his eyes. Strangely, it doesn’t hurt.
“I think so too,” he says. “And, despite the fact that I was sort of a jerk the past couple days, Cole is awesome. I’m really, really happy for you two. It’s obvious you guys have something special.”
I smile, torn between pleasure that he’s noticed and a twisting feeling because I have no idea if any of it has been real for Cole.
“Are we good?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.
I smile and nod. “We’re good.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure, Brady. We’re all good.” And I mean it. Much as I’m grateful he said something, my most overwhelming feeling is the need to talk to Cole and figure out why he’s acting differently.
“Don’t leave Meg waiting,” I say.
He laughs, then turns and walks away.
I watch him for a second, then head to the bedroomwith quick steps, my heartbeat quickening as I get closer. Closer to Cole.
I suddenly don’t know how to fake things anymore. It was so easy before, but now it’s like my body won’t cooperate.
I stop in the doorway. The bed we slept in is made. The air mattress is gone—put away, I guess.
“Hey,” Cole says, standing in the middle of the room with an unreadable expression, his thumbnail worrying a cuticle. “I’m…uh…gonna head out.”
My heart plummets. “Oh…”
“The temperature’s a lot warmer today.”
“But it’s still icy out there,” I say, grasping. “It’s dangerous.”
His lips press together. Lips that were soft and sure on mine just yesterday. Lips I’ve been dying to feel on mine again ever since.
“I’ll be careful,” he promises. “I just think it’s…time.”
“I’ll come with you,” I say. “Just gimme five minutes to?—”
“No.”
The word isn’t harsh or loud. But it feels like a slap.
“You should stay,” he says with a little smile. “You’re having so much fun. It’s not fair to make you leave just because I need to. Tess said they’ll make sure you get home.”
I feel sick, and the amount of bacon I ate isn’t even why.
It’s Cole leaving. It’s him arranging another way for me to get home so he doesn’t have to take me himself. It’s what this means about us.
I stare at him, my heart pounding so hard and painfully that I can barely hear the buzz of my jumbled thoughts.
All I want to say is,don’t go.
But how can I?
Iasked him to fake this whole cabin thing with me.Iasked him to come for just a few hours, and here we are, days later.
I’ve asked so much of him, and now he’s done. He wants to go home.
Of course he does. That part makes perfect sense. Whatdoesn’tmake sense is my being so hurt over it—it’s being in love with him after so little time together.
