Where We Began

chapter thirty-five

Cole's POV

Kurt got out of his car and opened the back door to get Atlas out as I looked up at his house. It was a brick two story house with an attached garage and roses bushes along the sidewalk to the front steps. His house was everything I hoped to give Brooke one day but with a bigger yard and neighbors not so close. Atlas came over to me sniffing my pants then sat down beside me, I looked at Kurt concerned about his trained attack dog.

"I don't think I even want to know," Kurt said, saying something in Latin that made Atlas get up and follow him toward the door.

"My dad smokes for medicine," I said, feeling like I owed him an explanation since he had told me so much and saved me from a night in jail, "he had skin cancer and heart problems."

"Is he okay now?," Kurt asked as he unlocked the door and we went inside.

"He's better," I answered as we walked inside and I started to look around for Brooke as a lady came out to greet Kurt with a kiss and Atlas with a pet and treat.

"I'm so glad my boys made it home safe!" the lady, who I assumed was Kella, said as she caught sight of me behind Kurt, "and you must be Cole! I figured this would happen tonight."

"He's a minor hun," Kurt said as he unlaced his boots and let Atlas off his leash so he could go eat, "I couldn't let them book and transfer him out. Plus we have the room."

"I'm glad you brought him," she smiled at me as she took my hand and drug me further into the house, "are you hungry dear? Brooke is in the shower."

"I, um, I could eat," I said as she motioned to a seat along the bar in the kitchen where she had different snacks laid out.

"Eat whatever you want!" she said moving around the kitchen in a way that almost seemed like dancing, "tell me about you and my little Brooke. She's told me some over the years but I want to know about you from you."

"Well my name is Colton but everyone calls me Cole," I started as I poured some of the Doritos from a bag Kella had on the counter onto a plate beside the things I had heard my mom call pinwheels, "I've known Brooke since 9th grade when I accidentally got put into a civics class that was way too smart for me."

I laughed at the memory of the green eyed girl walking up and sitting across from Zane making me forget what I was even telling him. Luckily he caught on quickly and picked up my slack with a joke. Hey I'm Cole, I had said to her as she blushed and introduced herself as Brooke before looking down at her blank notebook. Zane carried on about something but all I could focus on was her. The way she brushed her stray hair and tucked it behind her ear to keep it out of her beautiful eyes made me wonder how I had never noticed her before. She must have been wondering the same thing because she asked if I was new, making me smirk since I had been here since kindergarten. Zane made some joke about her being stuck up causing her to not only hit him but call him a man whore which just made me like her more. Zane was my best friend but he was also a huge man whore. Zane made another remark causing Brooke to throw a pencil at him. I smiled looking at the angel in front of me and silently thanking God I had been put in the wrong class.

"Up until tonight I was looking forward to graduation and having an amazing summer before Brooke goes off to college," I knew she was leaving for school this Fall, she hadn't told me yet but I knew I wouldn't be holding her back, "I work at Ally's with my friends Zane and Eli who are some of the best guys I know and in my free time, which isn't much, I help my dad work on his many project cars and motorcycles."

"You said Brooke is going off to college but you didn't say anything about yourself," Kella was standing in front of me now as Kurt came in and stood beside her, making himself a plate of food like I had, "are you not planning on college?"

"I've thought about it but I doubt I'll go," I answered, swallowing a pinwheel thing that was actually pretty good, "no one in my family has ever gone and I'm not sure what I would even go for."

"It's okay to not know," Kurt chimed in with a mouth full of food earning him a light slap on the arm from his wife making him swallow before continuing, "what? You didn't settle on a career until you were almost thirty!"

"I decided to stay home with our boys," Kella shot back at him with a glare, daring him to test her, "but Kurt is right: it is okay to spend a little time just figuring things out."

"What was dad right about?" a guy came in the kitchen and sat on the barstool beside me holding his hand out to me, "I'm Kacen, it's nice to finally meet you."

"I'm Cole," I said, shaking his hand as I looked around him for Brooke when I felt her behind me as she covered my eyes.

"Guess who!" she laughed as I turned around and grabbed her by the waist to pull her into a hug making her giggle, "you didn't guess!"

"I'm sorry," I said, letting her go so she could sit down between Kacen and I. Her hair was wet from her shower and she had on his clothes which hung loosely on her short frame. Even with all her makeup gone and baggy clothes she was the most extravagant being I had ever laid eyes on.

"Close your mouth Cole," she blushed, turning her attention to search out the Lay's chips and put them on her plate, "you'll drool on Kella's counter."

"I'm sorry," I apologized again, making everyone laugh.

"Jesus Brooke," Kacen laughed, stealing a chip off her plate and popping it in his mouth, "you done got this boy whipped! Out here beating up asshats and drooling on momma's counter when he catches sight of you."

"Kacen language," Kella warned her son before taking Kurts arm, "us old people are off to bed. Brooke, the guest rooms have been made up for the two of you. I trust you will show Cole to his after you eat."

"Yes ma'am," Brooke said, glancing at me with a smile.

"Behave yourself children," Kurt laughed following his wife's lead out of the kitchen toward the stairs, "remember what I told you Cole."

"Yessir," I said, tipping my glass of tea toward him, " I remember."

"Ew gross," Kacen said, wrinkling his nose like Brooke does when she dislikes something. "Did he give you the dad talk? I'm sorry bro."

"No," I laughed at his expression, "well kind of but it was more like advice."

"Either way I don't think I want to know," Kacen said, making his eyes wide as he raised an eyebrow, "I'm about to head off to bed too. College starts at 8 in the morning and I don't want to be late. I know mom said 'guest rooms' as in both of them but I know you my little cousin so I'll let you know she doesn't care if you share a room just don't be making too much noise."

"Kace!" Brooke hissed blushing as she slapped him on the arm, "we don't, er, we haven't-"

"Brooke it was a joke," he laughed as he stood up and headed to the stairs like his parents, "it was nice to meet you Cole. I look forward to seeing you around more now."

"It was nice to meet you too man," I smiled as he disappeared up the staircase then I turned my attention to Brooke, "so he's your cousin?"

"Oh yeah!," she said as she folded up chip bags, "Kella and my mom are cousins. Wow that must have looked bad; me being in another guy's clothes fresh out of the shower."

"Nah," I laughed, pulling her close to me between my legs and kissing her forehead, "I figured it was something like cousins or close family friends."

"Good," she smiled at me, making my heart beat a little faster as she leaned up on her tippy toes to kiss me. Her lips were soft against mine as she laced her hands behind my neck and I pulled her into my lap before she broke our kiss, "I was so worried about you."

"I know, baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose my shit like that," I apologized again as she rested her head on my chest, "I've fucked so much up and caused a mess."

"No it's my fault," she sighed against my chest as she sat up to meet my eyes, "Cole we need to talk. I have some things I haven't told you."