Only With Me (With Me 2)

“But you got his confession on tape? Is this all over? Do I have to keep hiding?” Gabi asked.

“Yes. It’s over, Gabi. He’ll never be a threat to you again. Under Dante’s leadership the family has fallen apart and no one is loyal to him. Truth be told, they’ll probably be happy to see him sent to jail.”

She covered her mouth as a loud sob slipped out. “I can go back to being me? No more lies? No more running?”

I could see the devastation on Antonio’s face. He hated that his sister had been running scared for so long. “No more running, Angelo. It’s over.”

Gabi’s body melted into mine. It didn’t take her long before she broke down in another round of crying.

Glancing up, I looked at Cole. He lifted his brows and mouthed, holy shit.

I drew Gabi closer to my body and nodded. My attention then focused on her brother. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hit the asshole or shake his hand. Right now, I was leaning toward hitting him.

Charity walked out onto the balcony and handed me a cup of coffee.

“She still asleep?”

I nodded and took a drink. “Yeah. I’m sure she is emotionally exhausted.”

Chewing on her lip, she looked away from me. “It’s not really over, is it?”

Blowing out a deep breath, I replied, “No. She’ll have to testify.”

“So all that running, the lies, it was all for nothing?”

I smiled. “I wouldn’t say that. If she hadn’t gone on the run, we’d have never have had her come into our lives. Plus, like Antonio said, no one is loyal to Dante. Even if he tried to put a hit out on Gabi, he wouldn’t find anyone to do it.”

Charity sighed. “That’s true. She wouldn’t have been brought into our lives and I wouldn’t be debating on what baby blanket to knit in our Knitters are Purls club.”

With a laugh, I sat down next to her. “Crazy last few months, huh?”

She stared straight ahead. “Yeah. Crazy.”

“Cole handling the baby okay?”

Charity turned to me and winked. “You would know better than me, you’re his best friend.”

I smiled as she continued on.

“At first I think he was freaked. Then with everything that happened yesterday with Gabi, I noticed he never left my side. He stayed last night and it was probably the most amazing night yet.”

I lifted my hand. “Spare me the details or I may throw up in my mouth.”

She giggled. “No, it’s nothing like that. We stayed up most of the night talking.”

“Talking, huh? Doesn’t sound like the Cole I know and love.”

I got another chuckle from her. “I don’t know who else to say this to, so you’re the lucky one again.”

“Hit me,” I said.

She looked into her cup nervously. I already knew what was coming, but knew she needed to say it out loud to someone else before she even thought of saying it to Cole.

“I’m in love with Cole. And I’m so scared because what I feel for him is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I knew he was a player that day I hooked up with him. But something happened when we were together and maybe it was the baby. I don’t know. I don’t want to pressure him or scare him, but I feel like I need to be honest with him about how I feel.”

I reached for her hand. “I think if we learned anything over the last few days, it’s that honesty is the way to go.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “But it’s scary. If I tell Cole I love him, I may be pushing him away.”

“Or pulling me closer.”

Charity and I both turned to see Cole standing there. A huge smile was spread over his face. My heart never felt so happy as it did seeing my best friend standing there with that goofy-ass look on his face that said I’m head over heels in love.

“I thought you left!” Charity said as she stood up.

Cole walked up to her, took her coffee cup and handed it to me. Reaching down, he picked up Charity and headed back into the house and to her bedroom.

“Make sure you remember we’re here!” I shouted out to them.

Gabi walked around the corner grinning. “Well, I see those two are really bonding.”

I nodded. “Cole overheard Charity telling me she loved him.”

Stopping, Gabi’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

My eyes scanned her body from top to bottom. She was wearing a white flowing skirt and a yellow top. Her blonde hair was pulled up into two pigtails and she had not an ounce of makeup on.

She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on.

I stood. Cupping her face in my hands, I looked deep into her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, agapiméni. I should have trusted you.”

Her eyes glistened. “I should have trusted you with the truth. I was so scared and confused.”