Heartbroken and lonely, Lola is forced to spend her nights cuddling her cold, squished pillow. With the help of her best friend, Annalise, she finds a service offering the thing she needs most, cuddles. Upon obtaining the service, Lola is in for mor...
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Chapter Twenty-Two
The smell of coffee is a strong toxic blend that often reminds me of hard work. It's a meeting drink that is shared over a broad section of topics – greetings, gossip, what's new, and goodbyes.
I stare at the freshly made coffee, then look up at Natalie. She easily commands the coffee machine like a goddess turned ninja with the speed she can put together a large order of exquisite drinks together.
"I don't know what to do," I explain. "Should I call him again?" I know I said I'd give Kol space – a week is enough, right?
"Yeah, I think you should call." Natalie nods her head.
"What about his sister?" I'm afraid she'll answer his phone, or I'll get into serious trouble. I just want to work things out. If Kol really wants to call this quits, at least we could leave on a better note. I feel torn up inside and my work is being affected by it.
"You should see what Kol wants, it is his life." Natalie pours the frothy milk into a takeaway cup. "His sister had no right to make those kind of decisions."
"That's true," I agree with her. "What if his sister answers the phone again?"
"Put your foot down and tell her you're going to keep calling until you talk with him."
"That sounds . . ."
"Like an amazing plan?" She laughs.
"Risky, but determined." I smile.
"You should call him now," encourages Natalie.
"What about Darla?" I look over my shoulder and towards her office. The door is closed, but I can hear her music seeping through the cracks. Since my mini melt down with the paparazzi, Darla and I have moved to good terms. She scares me less and I have a lot more respect for her. I don't want to slip into the bad list – that wouldn't be good.
"We both know she won't be moving anywhere for another three hours."
"True."
Natalie places her lid on the takeaway cup before walking around the machine to give it to the waiting customer. When they leave, the shop returns to its quiet state. I take out my phone and find there are no new messages. My heart slightly sinks. I'm getting used to the idea of not talking to Kol.
What's even worse, is the fact I still roll over in bed and expect to find Kol snuggled up. Instead, I'm greeted with a flat strip of bed and an aching heart.
When Natalie returns, she takes a sip from her bottle and slouches against the counter. She folds her arms across her chest and grimaces.
"If it's too much, you can always wait until later," offers Natalie.
