Page 48 of Love Unwritten
“You can’t seriously be thinking of going on a coffee date with him?” is the first thing I say.
The very first—and very wrong—thing to say.
I can’t help it, though. I’m a suspicious person by default, so even though Cole said he isn’t interested in Ellie, I don’t believe him, especially with the few articles I’ve seen making their rounds.
She spins around. “I’m not thinking about it. I am doing it.”
“He’s bad news.”
“I’m not the kind of person who believes everything that’s in the media.”
“Maybe you should.”
“Why?”
“He’s a cheater.”
She tucks her arms against her chest. “So? Not that it’s any of your business, but I plan on grabbing coffee, not falling into bed with him.”
An unwelcome image of the two of them doing just that makes my stomach churn. I do my best to banish the thought, but not before I picture Ellie smiling up at him, blushing the same way she did a few minutes ago when he smiled at her.
Being jealous of Ellie’s relationship with my son is one thing, but feeling that same burning sensation in my gut at the idea of her with another man?
Concerning, to say the least.
I’m supposed to be thinking about Ellie as Nico’s nanny, not a single woman who has every right to smile, blush, and laugh at another man.
I wipe my face with a frustrated huff.
“What do you really want to talk about, Rafael?” Ellie’s tone snaps me out of my funk.
“I need you.” The comment slips out before I have a chance to consider how it sounds.
Fuck.
Uncertainty flickers in her eyes. “You need me?”
“Nico and I,” I amend. “If I thought things were bad between us before, nothing compares to the way he is now that you’re gone.”
Her shield of bravado drops. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too. For a few things actually.”
“You are?”
“Yeah. Your comment earlier got me thinking.”
“What comment?”
“About not valuing you or your time.”
“Oh.” She doesn’t say anything else, so I take it as a sign to continue.
“It made me realize that you’ve never complained about your job. Not even when I threw last-minute plans at you or acted like a dick when you didn’t deserve it.”
She makes a half-snort, half-scoff sound, and I shoot her a look, but keep going.
“Even though I was upset about the secret and Nico’s accident, I should have treated you better after everything you’ve done for my family. You helped bring my son back, and for that, you deserved far more than what I did… You deserved a second chance.”