Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

HAYDEN

The next week went by like a whirlwind. I felt like my whole world had been flipped on its axis. Colt, of course, didn’t let our date night go and ended up cooking my favorite meal of all time. I couldn’t believe he remembered and it warmed my heart to know that he didn’t push me away completely.

Was I ready to trust him again? I didn’t know. I was glad he was taking it slow and allowing me that time to let him back into my life.

For the past few days, we had been grabbing content, taking pictures, and working on gathering as much information for this article as I could possibly get. Colt didn’t bring up the situation from prom again, and we fell into this routine.

Today we were at the thrift store dropping off donations after cleaning out both of our closets. I smiled as he unloaded the last bit of bags and handed them off to the attendant when a not-so-familiar voice spoke up out of nowhere.

“Wow. Well, this is a surprise.”

Daisy strutted forward in her short-shorts, sparkly tank top, and cowboy boots. I could have sworn she just dropped out of Nashville with that get-up. Just a trashier version of Daisy Duke, in my opinion.

“What do you want, Daisy?” Colt asked with irritation written all over his face.

She had the audacity to look offended by placing a hand over her heart. “Is that any way to treat an old classmate?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call you a classmate. Pain in our asses sounds more accurate.”

“What are you talking about?”

Is she fucking serious right now? “You ruined our friendship back in high school, that’s what we’re talking about.”

Confused, she tilted her head to the side and tapped on her chin like she was thinking. Was she really that dense? Or did someone have to spell it out for her?

“Oh, right. That. Well, unfortunately for you, Colt, I married a wonderful man right out of high school and I have a fabulous career so you missed out that night. Besides, you look like you’re together now, so does it matter anymore?”

I wanted to walk over and punch her in the face to the point where she was unrecognizable. Thoughts of messing up her plastic surgery-enhanced face ran like an Oscar-worthy movie in my head and I smiled, loving the visual. Seriously, early twenties and already getting plastic surgery? Who does that?

“We almost weren’t together thanks to you. Now why don’t you crawl back under the hole you crawled out of and leave us alone.”

She scoffed, turned away, and stomped off into the shop next door. A candle shop. Not surprising. Rolling my eyes, I turned to Colt when what he said finally clicked.

“We’re together, huh?”

He blushed, and it was actually pretty adorable. “Well, um, no. Not if you don’t want to be. I know I have some time before I can earn your trust back, but I just wanted to say something to get her to go away.”

This week has been pretty amazing. The article was just about written, I had more than enough content to promote this article and get my name into Marsha’s mind for the assistant editor position, and Colt and I were on our way to finding each other again. I’d say life was pretty damn good right now.

So why not take a chance on a happily ever after?

“And if I said I wanted to try and make things work out between us?”

He grinned a boyish grin and it melted another cold chunk of my heart. Bending down, he whooped and picked me up, spinning me around in a circle. Then he took me by surprise, backing me up against the truck and crushing his lips to mine. I gasped as his mouth claimed mine, and he kissed me so passionately, my toes curled in my shoes. Arching my back, I pressed my body further against his trying to get as close as possible. Kissing Colt felt like coming home. I couldn’t believe I missed out on this when we were younger.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him to me, not wanting him to let go, and wanting to keep him close.

This was the kiss younger me dreamed about every night. I moaned softly when he nibbled on my bottom lip, and the roughness of his kiss, mixed with the gentleness of his hands as he roamed every inch of my body, made my insides melt. I never wanted it to end. As if he realized what he had done, he broke the kiss and jerked back, but kept me pressed against the side of his truck. Our breaths were heavy in the air between us.

“Hay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

I stopped him from that line of talk with a hand over his mouth. He was a gentleman first, and I didn’t want that to override his want for me. “Yes, you should have. Please do it again.”

He grinned, and the hint of boyish charm he had once shown was replaced by a man who wanted to do so many other wicked things to the woman he wanted.

And I was perfectly okay with that because Colt and I had found our way back to one another.

It was the perfect ending to the most perfect week ever.

I looked forward to many more in the future.