Cole & Jamie

Chapter 27

"Wakey, wakey, Sunshine."

Blinking against the morning light, I stared up at the guest room's ceiling. Jackson had put fresh sheets and pillows on the bed while I showered last night so when I was done all I had to do was crawl in and cry myself to sleep.  

Jackson stood over me with a broad smile. "Morning, Darlin, I made you some breakfast."

"Morning," I croaked. My face and eyes were still swollen from the night before. I was afraid to even look in the mirror. I sat up. "What time is it?"

"Nearly ten," he sat on the edge of the bed and set his tray across my lap. The spread was amazing, pancakes, fruit and yogurt, orange juice; it looked amazing, but my stomach turned at the thought of taking a single bite.

"I thought you might be hungry."

"Would you be mad if I said I wasn't?" Jackson made the best pancakes, his mother's recipe, but I couldn't stomach it today.

He chuckled. "I figured you wouldn't be, so now your breakfast is my breakfast." He waved his hand towards the glass of orange juice. "Still drink your juice."

The juice did help soothe my dry throat. I placed the cool glass against my forehead. "I feel like I've been hit by a bus. How awful do I look? Be honest."

Jackson tilted his head. Swallowing, he said, "I mean, I've seen you look worse."

"Sometimes I miss when you would still lie to me." 

He smirked. "That ship sailed long ago."

"It was nice the two days it lasted," I laughed. Out of habit, I checked my phone only to regret it. There were even more messages, most of them apologies. I couldn't stand to look at them. Setting the phone back down, I rested against the headboard.

"If it's not too much to ask, can you clear up some details about last night for me," Jackson asked, setting down his plate. "You caught Cole and this girl in the bathroom together?"

"No." I shook my head. "I was coming from the bathroom when I overheard them in the hallway." It was for the best that I heard it but I couldn't help but wish that I hadn't. That I could go back and live with my head in the sand. I laughed, humorlessly, "My first charity gala and I leave heartbroken. I'm sure that's the last thing Neil had planned."

"Who's Neil?"

"He hosted the gala. He and Cole are close friends, apparently." Who knows how true that is? He's so good at lying they might have just met that night for all I know.

Jackson put his plate down. "Are you talking about Neil Boyd like the real estate heir?"

I shrugged. "I think Cole said something about his family owning real estate."

He narrowed his eyes. "Jamie, what does Cole do for a living?"

"Uh," I hesitated. "He works in the music industry."

"Oh. My. God," he mouthed. Normally, I would get a little amusement from watching the pieces click together for him, but not this morning. 

No," he said quietly. "Jamie Nicole..."

"Don't freak out."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tell me you haven't been dating Cole Walters this entire time?"

"Does it really make that big of a difference? I mean, okay he's a little famous who cares!"

"You're only saying that because you are the one dating him. If I was dating Leonardo DiCaprio you would want to know."

"Ugh," I groaned. "That would never happen. You're over twenty-five and he's not your type."

"You know what I mean," he huffed. "This is insane."

"I'm sorry, I should have told you, but I thought it would be a fun surprise." He was going to meet him this week anyway.

"Cole Walters," he whispered under his breath. "This whole time I thought you were dating some random towny, but you're dating Cole fucking Walters." He shook his head. "Alright, new rule; if either of us ever start dating a celebrity we have to tell each other – immediately."

"Okay." I agreed, but I knew this was it for me. There would be no other celebrity, I was one and done. If this is what dating a celebrity is like, I don't want it, give me a private citizen.

Yet somehow the thought of being with anyone other than him made me sick. "Jackson, what am I going to do?"

"Today we will do nothing," he replied. "Scoot over."

"Don't you have to work today?" Jackson runs a tech start-up, that creates new social media apps. I'm not sure how the whole thing works but I know he works all day and all night sometimes, he doesn't need to take a day off on my account.

"Not today, this day is for mending broken hearts. Besides, I'm the boss, remember?" Grabbing the remote from the bedside table, he turned on the flat screen that was mounted on the opposite wall. Yet, another new addition to the apartment. When I lived here all I had was a desk and my laptop. "They'll survive without me for a day. Today, me and you are going to rot in this bed and watch movies all day."

I rested my head on his burly shoulder. "Thanks for being here for me."

"Don't mention it. You've seen me cry and rage over my fair share of assholes over the years. And you've always been there with open ears and a shoulder to cry on, it's time for me to return the favor."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "I love you."

He laid his head against mine. "And I love you, darlin."