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When she’d gotten the picture she wanted, she went back to her table.
“I’m sorry about that, guys,” Lauren said.
I waved her off. “It’s no big deal.”
“Babe, you know that’s gonna hit social media within the next ten minutes.”
I shrugged as I looked at the love of my life. “It’ll be fine.”
After we finished eating the most delicious burger in Portland, we got in the car and made the short drive to the holding yard. This wasn’t going to go like it had last time. We’d already taken the sting out of the pain that came with seeing it.
When Cole pulled up to the office, he got out and went in as I pulled the fob from my pocket. He returned quickly and got inside.
“The insurance company wants it this afternoon. Good thing we came now.”
He shifted into Reverse, then made the drive around the hundreds of parked cars, back to the building it was being stored in. Cole parked, and we got out. I reached into the back to grab a box to put everything in.
Cole held the door open as we entered the metal building that held the remains of his car. I took his hand, and we approached the mangled heap of dark blue steel.
We walked around it, looking at all the indentations and broken glass. I pushed the button for the trunk and it popped open.
“I didn’t expect it to open.”
I didn’t say anything, causing him to look at me. “You okay?”
Memories from the accident began to resurface and caused pain in my head. “I remember the impact. But it’s okay.”
Cole put his arm around my waist.
“I remember thinking you were going to be mad at me for wrecking your car, and how thankful I was that you weren’t with me.”
He wrapped me in his arms, but as I looked at the heap of metal, I realized how it had saved my life. Instead of seeing the damage, I chose to see the protection. The metal bent around my body when it easily could have ended my life. It kept me from dying and gave us another chance to work things out.
“Let me grab my things, and we can go.”
Cole took the box and cleaned out the trunk, then gathered what he could from the glove box and center console. And when he was finished, I took his hand, and we turned off the lights on that part of our life.
We were ready for a new one.
CHAPTER 27
COLE
“What are you doing out here?” Patrick murmured into my ear as he kissed my neck.
I breathed in the smell of his designer cologne mixed with his natural body chemistry while the sensations created by his beard distracted me from my work.
“Writing and getting some late afternoon sun. Did you know vitamin D is not really a vitamin?”
I felt Patrick’s grin against my skin. “You’re just full of all kinds of information, aren’t you? Is that what your song is about? Because if it is, you better call it vitamin dick. We could design the t-shirts with dicks spelling out the words. How cool would that be?”
I loved my unfiltered Patrick and all the dirty things he doesn’t even think twice about saying anymore.
“We better leave the t-shirt design to the professionals. Don’t know how that would go over with the fans, or how I would explain it to my parents.”
“Good point.”
Patrick moved from behind me, allowing me an up-close view of his designer clothing. “How did it go?”
