- 08.
Cole Hawthorne was my only friend, if you could even call him that.
The first time we met was on the night I collapsed from a fever, after Tristan had left the country to chase after his first love.
I had fainted on the hospital floor, and the people around me reacted like I was contagious, stepping away as if I were a disease.
The world around me was spinning, but I could still hear their whispers.
“What happened? She just collapsed out of nowhere? Stay
y away from her–don’t get involved.
“Poor thing Where’s her family? Her boyfriend? Why’s she here all alone?”
Boyfriend?
I let out a bitter laugh in my mind.
At that very moment, Tristan was probably overseas, looking for his Rachel Whitmore.
I shut my eyes, not wanting to hear any more of
comments.
Then, through the haze, I felt a pair of warm hands gently lift me up.
It was Cole.
Even though we were strangers then, there was something familiar about him–something comforting.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into his.
He had a kind smile on his face, and he mumbled something softly: “Your eyes are beautiful, Lana Brooks…
That was the first time I met Cole.
Yet somehow, he knew my name. The way he said it felt so familiar, like he had said it a thousand times before.
Later, I asked him how he knew my nan
name.
He just smiled at me, saying nothing.
But I could see the deep affection in his eyes.
That night, Cole helped me through the entire hospital process–registering, getting checked, picking up medication–and then he brought me
home.
I could feel how tense he was, his hands trembling as he held me, veins bulging under his skin.
Before leaving, Cole asked me one question at the door.
“Where’s your boyfriend?”
I was at a loss for words.
Tristan.. had gone to find his first love.
Cole looked into my eyes for a long moment before finally saying:
“Maybe you should look elsewhere.”
I understood what he meant.
But my mission in this world was to win over Tristan. If I failed, I would die.
I didn’t have a choice.
Looking back now, maybe Cole was the one who was truly right for me.
Since that day, Cole and I had exchanged phone numbers.
I knew he harbored deep feelings for me.
But I couldn’t return them.
I could only keep him
arm’s length, as a friend.
Through Cole, I helped Tristan secure many business partnerships.
In fact, Tristan wouldn’t have been able to rise from a penniless young man to a multi–millionaire without Cole’s help.
Cole supported me, silently watching as I stayed with Tristan.
The day before my wedding to Tristan, I called Cole and invited him to attend.
He was silent for a long time.
A long time….
In the end, he just said:
“Lana, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Oh, and your eyes are beautiful.”
“You should smile, not cry.”
After that, Cole left town and went overseas.
I thought he had decided never to see me again. But the moment I reached out to him, he came right back.
If I could turn back time, I would choose to be with Cole.
Forget the mission. Forget the system.
But its okay. I still have two days left.
As another wave of pain gripped my chest, I held back a cough and smiled, wrapping my arms around Cole, who was covered in snow.
“Cole, Treally wanted to see you…
Cole didn’t say anything.
He just held m
me tighter.
I felt a warmth on my neck.
Those were Cole’s tears.
Cole Hawthorne held me tightly as I cried in his arms, soaking his expensive coat with my tears and snot. He let me cry my voice hoarse and throat raw, Only then did he gently rub my head and whisper softly into my ear:
“Lana, come on, I’m taking you somewhere.”
I was too numb to resist as he guided me into the car. We drove out of Gull Cove and toward the nearby beach.
I was exhausted,
The beach was less than an hour’s drive away from the cove. I loved the ocean, its deep blue vastness, and the wide, open sky above it.
For years, when Tristan and I lived in Gull Cove, I told him how much I wanted to go see the ocean.
It was only an hour away, but Tristan always found excuses: he was busy with work, he had meetings, or he’d say, “What’s so special about the ocean, anyway?”
