The chains of the past that bond us

Prolouge:

You know that moment when your whole world shifts on its axis? Yeah, I'm about to tell you about mine. But first, let me paint you a picture of what I thought was my perfect life.

The birds chirp outside as sunlight creeps through the curtains, warming my face. I blink my eyes open to find my boyfriend, Cole, watching me with a soft smile.

"Good morning, princess—" he begins, but I cut him off with a pillow to the face.

"Oh, dear Cole, have you forgotten I'm not a morning person? Now you shall be punished!" I laugh, launching another pillow at him.

He quickly retaliates, and soon we're both laughing, surrounded by a flurry of feathers. After a few minutes of relentless pillow fighting, Cole wraps his arms around me from behind, pulling me close.

"Fine, you win!" he chuckles. "But as long as I can keep holding you like this, it's fine by me—even if you win every day." He kisses my shoulder, his lips trailing toward my neck as he intertwines his fingers with mine.

"Mmm... Cole?" I ask, catching a whiff of something burning from the kitchen.

"Yes, princess? Don't back out now. It's my turn to get you back for that pillow fight." He murmurs, still kissing my neck.

"Cole... are you cooking?" I smirk, knowing he always forgets how long to cook eggs and gets sidetracked.

"Oh no, not again!" he exclaims, leaping up and sprinting toward the kitchen. I laugh, shaking my head as I head to the bathroom to start the shower.

Let me give you a little background information. Cole and I have been living together for three years and have been a couple for eight. We met in high school, and somewhere along the way, I fell hopelessly in love with him. As I shower, I can hear him shuffling around in the kitchen, trying to clear the smoke.

Now, don't get the wrong idea. Even though he's clumsy in the kitchen, that doesn't mean he's like that all the time. Cole runs a multi-billion-dollar company and became a billionaire at twenty-three. I was there before all of that, and I've always told him I didn't care about the money. But Cole has always tried to go above and beyond for me, even when I told him not to. That's just who he is—a loving, kind man.

After showering and getting dressed, I walk into the kitchen to see perfectly cooked pancakes, bacon, and cinnamon rolls. But then I spot the burnt eggs on a plate in the corner.

"See, breakfast! Surprise, princess. Come and sit down." He pulls out a chair for me with a smirk.

"Where are they?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He tries to block the view of the eggs, his terrible lying skills on full display.

I chuckle and point behind him. "The eggs you so graciously cremated."

Quickly, he tosses them into the garbage while I laugh. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" he says, smiling.

"Nope, that's why you love me." I kiss him and take my seat.

As I start eating, his phone rings—and I already know it's Alice. Work, again. It's always work, and it's always her calling. Alice is in cahoots with his mother, both of whom seem to despise me, but that's a story for another day.

"Yes, Alice. Well, tell them I'm on my way now, and no one starts that meeting until I arrive." He hangs up and starts putting on his blue suit and black tie.

Every time he gets dressed; I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have him. Seriously, the man is ripped, with dark brown hair and tattoos that cover his arms and chest. It just makes me melt all over. I'm not with him just for that, but it would be impossible not to notice those things.