Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

I squinted at him suspiciously. "How long have you been standing there?"

Sinclair raised a brow, taking a slow sip of his drink. "Long enough."@@novelbin@@

Of course. The old man had far too much time on his hands, and lately, snooping around seemed to be his favorite pastime. If eavesdropping were a competitive sport, Sinclair would have an entire trophy shelf.

I shrugged, deciding it wasn't worth getting into. "Yeah, Victor and I had a little chat. I thought he was avoiding me because he liked Cole, but don't worry, I already drew the line. Very firmly."

Sinclair froze mid-sip, then lowered the glass with a sigh so heavy it felt like it carried the weight of a thousand disappointments. He shook his head, muttering under his breath before fixing me with a look that was equal parts disbelief and exasperation.

"You two are impossible," he declared, like a teacher scolding the naughty class.

I blinked, confused. "Huh? What? What did I do?"

Sinclair pinched the bridge of his nose, like he was trying to ward off an impending headache. "It's a wonder how you manage to create drama out of absolutely nothing."

"Hey!" I protested, crossing my arms. "I wasn't the one acting all mysterious and avoid-y! I was just connecting the dots. And let's be real, they were crazy dots to connect. Cole is beautiful. Anyone could fall for him!"

Sinclair looked at me like I'd just grown a second head. "That's what you're taking away from this?"

"Well, yeah," I said defensively. "And for your information, I handled it very gracefully. No one's falling for anyone on my watch."

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He sighed again, a long, suffering sound that made it clear he thought I was hopeless. "You're like a soap opera that writes itself."

"And yet," I shot back with a cheeky grin, "you're clearly enjoying the show."

Sinclair chuckled despite himself, shaking his head as he walked away, champagne in hand. "I need a stronger drink if I'm going to keep up with the two of you."

"Hey!" I called after him. "Don't act like you're not invested!"

He waved me off, but I caught the faintest hint of a smile as he disappeared down the hall. Whatever. If Sinclair wanted to keep pretending he didn't secretly enjoy every second of our so-called drama, that was his business.

As for me, I was just proud I'd handled the whole thing with Victor like the mature, rational adult that I absolutely was.

Probably.

Come to think of it, I wonder how Cole's meeting with Elena went. Not that I was jealous or anything—I had complete faith in Cole. It was Elena I didn't trust.

Still, for some inexplicable reason, my heart started to thud like a drumroll before a bad punchline, and a wave of worry washed over me. Did something happen?

The thought gnawed at me until I could no longer ignore it. Maybe it was nothing, just my imagination running wild. Or maybe it was intuition—the kind that women in drama movies always have right before they walk in on something they shouldn't.

I should've gone with him. Not to hover, of course, but to, you know, casually supervise.

Sinclair's house suddenly felt stifling, his ridiculous chandelier sparkling above me as if mocking my overthinking. "Don't be that girlfriend," it seemed to say. But as much as I tried to push the thought away, something just didn't sit right with me.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my things and headed out. Sinclair, who'd been lounging by the staircase like some smug fashion model, raised an eyebrow. "Where are you rushing off to?"

"To fetch my boyfriend," I called over my shoulder, refusing to let him poke holes in my resolve.

I wasn't trying to be the overly protective, jealous girlfriend—honestly, I wasn't. But come on, this was Elena. If the universe had a Department of Temptation, she'd be the poster girl.

The restaurant wasn't far, but every second drive felt like an eternity. My imagination ran wild, conjuring scenarios I'd probably laugh at later. Cole charmingly deflecting Elena's advances while she dramatically threw herself at him. Or worse—Elena pulling out all her tricks while Cole . . . sat there oblivious, like a deer caught in headlights.

I quickened my drive. Was I overreacting? Maybe. But better safe than sorry, right? Besides, it wasn't like I was barging in or anything. I was just . . . checking in. Casually. Very casually.

At least, that's what I told myself as I rounded the corner toward the restaurant.

=== 🤍 ===

[COLE]

It had been years since Cole last saw Elena Dane. She was the daughter of a powerful businessman, someone Cole had crossed paths with occasionally during his younger days. Back then, she had been nothing more than a kid—a pretty, innocent face who always looked like she belonged in a fairy tale.

As they sat in the restaurant, Elena Dane looked every bit the woman she'd grown into. Her presence was undeniable, the way her auburn hair framed her face and the deep brown of her eyes shimmering under the soft glow of the chandeliers.

And yet, as he took a seat across from her, Cole felt nothing.

No butterflies. No racing heartbeat. No flicker of excitement that used to stir in him whenever he was around someone like Elena when they were younger.

Her beauty had grown, yes. It was undeniable. But something inside him didn't move at all. His mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of Eve, of the woman who consumed his every waking moment.

He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair, the cool indifference that had come to define him settling back into place.

Elena smiled, and Cole couldn't help but notice the way her eyes lingered on him—studying, admiring, as if she were waiting for him to react, for him to show some spark of recognition, some flash of old affection. But that didn't come.

"You look . . . different," Elena began, her voice smooth, like silk wrapping around every word. She was trying—Cole could see that. "More mature, of course. You've grown into yourself. You've always had this . . . edge to you, though."