Chapter 88: I Was Either In Love With You Or Was A Pathological Liar-2

He grimaces, "That isn't going to be fun but I don't want to talk about it. I want you to go take a hot bath that I've already started running for you and then come back her for lamb chops that I haven't managed to burn yet." I laugh because the man's a great cook, he just doesn't have the time to treat me like this every day. "Sounds like a plan but what's the occasion? We could've just ordered take out." He makes a growly sound in his throat, "Romance isn't dead yet Tessie and if I want to make you a nice romantic meal once in a while then I damn well will." I raise my hands, "Just asking a question and I will never say no to your cooking so while you're at it feel free to make dinner." "There's two pack of those molten lava cakes you love so much in the fridge. I'll put them in the oven once the chops are done." I salivate at the thought of dessert and right now I'm so thankful for him. There were many nights back in New York when I would come back from a hard day at work and just feel so incredibly lonely and miss Cole. I'd gotten used to living with him in college so living alone had been a huge change and moments like this remind me why I uprooted my life for this guy. Mostly because when he's not being a possessive jerk, he's literally perfect and the one person I love the most in the world. "I'm on to you. You're up to something and I am definitely on to you." He sighs dramatically, "You're making me feel like I'm a shitty boyfriend Tessa. I don't just do nice things for you when I'm planning or plotting or whatever you think I do in my spare time." "Hey, that was just the one time and only because I really did think you were going to kill Jay. I had to salvage your family somehow." "You told the guy he might want to start looking into getting a restraining order against me." He points the spatula towards him, getting sauce on my favourite apron which says, 'All I Care About Is Chocolate And Maybe Three People' which is true for the most part. "I was doing it for both of your sakes. He can't help but shoot himself in the foot when he's around you and you always feel the need to react." "He crossed a line and you know it." "It was New Years, he was drunk and Leila had just dumped him for the fifth time running so it's understandable that…" "He felt the need to remind me of the one time he'd walked in on you in a towel?" "It was a genuine mistake though and he shouldn't have brought it up. You know how he gets when he's fighting with Leila." Cole takes a deep breath. "You know what I wanted this to be a nice relaxing evening for you before we're thrust into a lot of sleepless nights and I'm not going to spoil it by taking about that idiot. So take your bath, get your hot little body in that pink robe you love so much and let's eat this gourmet meal I'm making so very lovingly for you, okay?" I smile because it really does seem like he's made an effort for us to have a great evening and who am I to resist being wooed by Cole Stone? *** After an extremely delicious meal that I licked off the plate, Cole and I take our desserts and move to the couch, snuggling close so that we can continue binge watching The Office. Cole plays with my hair with his free hand and I sense that he wants to say something but I wont push him. Usually when you do that with him it has the opposite effect so I attempt to broach the topic with some tact. "Remember Dad's coming on Friday?" "Yeah, it's in the calendar. You still want to pick him up?" "I do, I feel like he's coming over here to ask me something important and I want him to know I'm there for him." "You think he's planning on proposing to Danielle?" I nod against his chest, "I do and I'm so happy for him." He hums in the back of his throat as though agreeing and we go silent again. I'm not sure what else to talk about, to bring up so that he fesses up already. "Hey shortcake," I close my eyes mentally fist pumping and so proud of Cole for not having to need that push. "Yeah?" "I was planning for this to be a big surprise but the more I sit here and the more your scent gets to me, the more I realise that I'm a sucker when it comes to you so why don't you grab that magazine on the coffee table." "Huh? That one?" He's pointing towards Venus which I've of course gotten a subscription for out of pure loyalty and I have to say, Leila is kicking ass at work and thriving solo when Amy decided to not hire a replacement for me and give Leila the responsibility she always wanted to secretly kill me for. But that's not what this is about, curious and with a thumping heart I pick it up and flick through the pages I'd already gone through earlier this month. I'm not sure what I missed but… I gasp, loudly. "You didn't!" "I did." He grins and is smart enough to put both out plates on the table because I lunge for him and wrap myself around him like a koala bear. "How did you even know?" "You know you leave all your social media accounts open and that your birthday isn't the best password for your laptop." I hit his shoulder playfully, "What'd you do? Stalk me online?" "I just went through the Pinterest board that said 'Dream Vacation Spots'. I mean I may have completely looked in the wrong place but by the twentieth photo from Bora Bora I thought I lucked out." "So you just went ahead and booked us a trip?" "I sure did, one full week of nothing but the sand, the sun, blue skies and ocean and you in very little clothing." I cup his face in my hands and kiss him soundly because I am buzzing right now. We've been on city trips and skiing several times over but never to a destination like this. I'd pinned all the photos with the hopes of maybe heading there this summer but the fact that he did this just blows my mind and I never did realise how much we needed a break until right now.