I still hadn't seen Hero as Cole and I made our way to his Mustang. I frowned as I thought about how we had left things. 

He had seemed like he was afraid of losing me. If I really meant that much to him, wouldn't he have been waiting in reception for me? 

I didn't want to start drama between Cole and him, but what could I do? 

"I'll go ahead and heat your seat," Cole said as he revved his engine. I noticed his black hair that was now in disarray in several directions. 

"Thanks." I smiled, already feeling the hot air blow on my skin.

"We have a few minutes until we reach the motel," Cole began, giving me a quick glance, "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, regarding your job?"

This made my stomach flip. Crap. Wasn't I clocked out? Wasn't I exempt from answering any questions?

I just wanted to relax. 

"Sure," I bit out, feeling on edge. 

He took a long, deep breath.

"In a year or two, where do you see yourself within the company?"

Well, I didn't know much about the enterprise itself, so how could I answer that? 

"I only got a free trial for a year," I said. 

Cole raised a brow. "Whose to say we won't keep you on?"

I shook my head, feeling embarrassed.

"You have a point, I suppose. I mean... my parents...they always wanted me to go into finances..."

"What do you want to do?" Cole asked. "There are about a million possibilities. Why do you have to do what they say?"

I turned in my seat.

"I'm not really sure if the cops want me talking about it, but my parents aren't who I thought- though I'm sure you overheard that. But they are the only family I've known. They were always overbearing, expecting me to sit up straight, keep all distractions out of my life, and to focus on my schooling which was vital to my success-"

Before I could go on, Cole yanked the steering wheel, turning on a side street. He then shut off the car. 

"Kristina, this is off the record, okay. My parents... they were important members of congress. People expected a lot from them, believing the apple didn't fall far from the tree. They preferred a good image. There wasn't anything wrong with that until they began separating me from any friends and became abusive. They tried to make me someone I wasn't."

I raised my eyebrows at this. "My parents were the same... It seems we're more alike than I thought."

Cole took a moment to process this.

"They pushed me into politics," he went on, "But as you can see, that's not where I ended up. I got to a point where I started realizing how trapped I was and knew I had to stand up for myself. I left them, with nothing but ten cents in my pocket, never looking back."

I nodded. "Your story really is inspiring."

Cole simply tipped his head. "I just want to make sure you're making the right choices."

I huffed. "Are... are you still talking about Hero?"

This was definitely not what I thought me and Cole would be discussing. Ever.
 
"I've known him for a long time," Cole said, "He's always been a bit abrasive and is always dragging others into his drama. I'm not sure he has your best interest at heart."

"I'd have to disagree," I shrugged, "Sure, he's done some questionable things, but I love him and he loves me. It's like he and I were meant to be. Have you ever seen a person, and known, in the depths of your soul, that you were endgame? When I look at him, I see the rest of my life. I see sparks and it never dies."

Cole frowned. "Yes, I experienced that once in my life, with my first love. I thought she was everything and the sun rose with her, but that's the thing about first loves; they're exuberant and in the spur of the moment. They're not meant to last forever."

I nearly cried at this. 

"I don't think that's true," I argued, "I tried breaking things off with him and it nearly broke me. Sure, it felt like I was doing the right thing, but is it really supposed to hurt like a million stakes going through your chest? Is it meant to make you think about it every minute until you break down? I know for a fact, he would do anything for me. I know it sounds silly, but he's different with me. That man would die to make me happy."

Cole started up his mustang.

"Perhaps it was an oversight. Then again, I haven't seen him in some time. Hero-Fiennes-Tiffin has never been able to settle down or commit, though I will admit I envy him. You're certainly a one-in-a-million girl and he's managed to win you twice."

It was silent the entire ride to the motel.

This was a sweet chapter 💔💗

Oh, where has Hero gone 🙇‍♀️