Nicola Taylor
“Where are we going?” I asked, following him through his gigantic house. “You know it's already 11 PM. Arabella shouldn’t be up so late.” “She’s with Ms. Kinsley, who tucks her in bed and stays there till she falls asleep,” he replied. I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to ask why he didn’t do it himself. Who am I to judge a person’s parenting style? “Are we in your bedroom? This is highly inappropriate. I need to leave,” I said, but he just shut the door behind us. “Relax, I just need to talk to you,” he said, gesturing to the bed. I shook my head, my eyes falling on the pictures of his late wife. Her jewelry, clothes, all her belongings were still in the room. This man is heartbroken. “Alright,” I said, sitting on the bed. For some reason, I felt comfortable. I looked him in the eyes as he stood two feet away from me. “Marry me.” I choked on my spit, coughing as soon as I heard the words come out of his mouth. “Is this… (cough cough)… a joke?” I said as he patted my back to help me. “No. My parents have been forcing me to get married again for Arabella’s sake, and I didn’t want to because what if I picked the wrong woman and she doesn’t treat Arabella well? For the first time, my daughter finished her food, spoke the way a child should, and had fun. You make her happy, and she might actually grow up to have a good childhood with you in the picture,” he explained. I stood up, staring at him with wide eyes as if he had gone crazy. “Cole, I still hate you. I was being professional for the sake of my job and your daughter’s well-being. I would die before I marry the man who tormented me my whole life. Secondly, I want to get married for love, not because you need someone for your daughter,” I yelled at him angrily, expecting him to get angry too, but he remained calm. “Married for love? You’re thirty years old. Are you dating anyone?” he asked, making my anger rise. “I’m asking you to consider it for Arabella’s sake. She needs someone like you in her life.” I took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions inside me. “Cole, this is insane. You can’t just propose marriage out of nowhere because of your daughter. There are other ways to support her without dragging me into your life.” He nodded slowly, absorbing my words. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I don’t expect you to say yes immediately. But please, think about it. I have never seen her so comfortable around someone.” “What’s my first name? Do you remember?” I asked him. He closed his eyes, clearly knowing he was going to mess this up. “Cole, it’s sweet that you care so much about your daughter, but I refuse to marry a man who is still in love with his late wife. I feel for you, I really do. But you will find a good woman who will love Arabella. This isn’t the way,” I told him as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “What do you want? I will do anything. I need you to marry me,” he said in despair, making me huff sadly as I rubbed his back, trying to make him feel better. “Cole, I don’t think you are the person you used to be, but I still don’t want to marry you, and I am never going to say yes. If you need my help with Bella, I am here for you. But I can’t do anything more than that. Also, my name is Nicola,” I told him as I sat next to him, not knowing how to help a widower. “I didn’t want a child, but I loved Courtney, and she really wanted children, so I agreed because why wouldn’t I love something that’s half her? But I told her I didn’t know how to raise a child, and she told me she would take care of everything. She was around for Arabella for barely a year before she passed away in an accident. Now I love Arabella more than life itself, but I don’t know how to raise her. She is always so unhappy. I don’t know what to do,” he said, his voice turning hoarse, making my heart clench. This is so sad. I sighed, feeling the weight of his words. “Cole, I can see you’re trying your best. And I can help with advice and guidance, but marriage isn’t the answer here.” He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of desperation and hope. “If it wasn’t for Arabella, I wouldn’t really have a reason to live you know.” “Then start by spending more time with her. Show her that she matters to you. Let her see that she’s your priority,” I said gently. “You don’t need to be perfect, Cole. You just need to be there.” He nodded, absorbing my words. “You’re right, and I need you to tell me where I go wrong. Please marry me.” “Okay, you’ve gone insane,” I said with a huff, smacking his arm hard in anger. “Nicola.” My heart stopped as I stared into his green eyes. “I am sorry for everything I ever did to you, and I will do anything to make up for it.” Electricity coursed through my veins as I felt him envelop my small hand in his big one on my lap. The heat of his hand seeped into my thigh, making it hard to breathe. “Please take me home,” I said, my voice deep as I tried to shake off the lightheadedness I felt. “Will you consider my offer?” he asked, and for some reason, I couldn’t say no. I nodded, a huge grin spreading across his face. He stood up from the bed and pulled me up swiftly. His touch was firm yet gentle, sending shivers down my spine. “Come on, I’ll drop you home,” he said, his hand resting on the small of my back, leading me out. The drive home was filled with an electric silence. I could feel the tension between us, thick and undeniable. His hand occasionally brushed against mine, sending jolts of electricity through my body each time. When we reached my place, he turned off the engine and looked at me. “Thank you for today. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said softly, his eyes locking with mine. I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. “Goodnight, Cole,” I said, opening the door to step out. “Goodnight, Nicola,” he replied, his voice a deep, husky whisper that sent another shiver down my spine. As I walked to my front door, I could feel his eyes on me, the tension still palpable even with the distance between us. I closed the door behind me, leaning against it as I tried to steady my racing heart. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.Nicola TaylorAs I wrapped up my last class, I started packing up after the assistant teacher took the students out for drop-off. A knock on my classroom door made me look up to see James, one of my fellow teachers, standing there.“Oh, hello! What are you doing here?” I greeted him happily as he entered the room.“Wow, Nicola, you look nice. What's the occasion?” he asked, making me blush at the compliment.“Just felt like it,” I answered shyly, remembering how I stopped dressing up two years ago after my last and final breakup. I had dated a man for seven years, supporting him through medical school on my kindergarten teacher’s salary, only for him to leave me once he got placed.But even though I wasn’t going to marry Cole, I did feel the urge to get back out there. For the first time in years, I felt like dressing up and looking nice, and it did pay off. James noticed.I wore a long black bodycon dress with my winter boots, and I had done my makeup too. I let my hair down for the
Nicola TaylorI slipped into the white ballerina dress for the fifth time, questioning if it was too much. Simple yet undeniably sexy, it revealed just enough cleavage and thigh to captivate a man's attention. Despite my attempts to deny it, I knew deep down I was dressing to impress Cole. I couldn't help but feel attracted to him, a fact that frustrated me to no end.As I applied a touch of light lipstick, I glanced at myself in the mirror. Brown waves cascaded over my shoulders, my makeup was subtle yet enhancing, and the dress hugged my curves in all the right places. "Oh god, this is too much," I muttered to myself, contemplating whether to change yet again.Just then, the doorbell rang. I cursed under my breath. Heat rushed to my face as I headed to the door, hoping Cole would appreciate the effort and not think I was overdressed.My breath caught in my chest as he stood there, the pink and red flowers contrasting beautifully against his navy suit. I smiled nervously, cheeks flu
Nicola Taylor It had been a month since I last saw Cole. I was grateful he respected my wishes and didn’t keep pushing because, deep down, I knew I would have eventually said yes. Arabella had been wonderfully behaved but unusually quiet. Despite my attempts to engage her with games and conversation, her heart just didn’t seem in it. Tonight was my college reunion, an event I dreaded. College wasn't as bad as high school, but I had been voted "most likely to be single," and here I was, still single. The rough predictions had turned out to be surprisingly accurate. The worst thing was that my ex, Finn, was going to be there with his girlfriend I am guessing. But I had to go, I wanted to meet everyone, my teachers and my friends. I was curious as to what everyone is doing in their life. As I got ready, an absurd idea entered my head. Without a second thought, I picked up my phone and called the number I would have avoided if I'd paused to reconsider. “Hey, you said you wanted to ma
Nicola Taylor“How drunk are you?” Cole asks as I try to find a comfortable spot in his lap.“I have a very low tolerance for alcohol. So, I didn’t really drink a lot, but I am drunk,” I confess, playing with his tie before resting my feet up to get more comfortable. Cole’s eyes linger over my legs as he attempts to adjust my flowy dress to cover my thighs, although unsuccessfully.“Can I ask you something?” I poke his cheek, finally drawing his gaze from my legs to my face. “What is it like to have sex with you? In high school, I heard a lot of rumors. But I’m very curious.”His eyes darken, and I see an expression on his face that I can’t quite decipher. “We should get you home,” he says, attempting to lift me up bridal style.“Oh no. Did I cross a line? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I just—” I start, feeling on the brink of tears, but Cole chuckles.“You didn’t offend me. I’m worried about you. I don’t want you to say things you’ll regret,” he replies, settling back ag
Nicola TaylorI grunted silently, praying for the almighty to end my suffering as the students' loud chattering echoed in my throbbing head. What was I thinking getting drunk on a work night? The hangover was so bad it felt like someone was hammering a nail into my brain.“Oh, hello, I thought this might help.” Steph appeared with a bottle of Advil in her hand, making me sigh in relief as the children continued playing during break time.“Oh my god, you are an angel. I really needed this, you’ve no idea.” I quickly took two pills, knowing I had to teach in fifteen minutes.“Well, your eyes are red, and you look very tired, so I could tell. What happened? You don’t usually drink,” she asked, grabbing a chair and sitting beside me.“I saw Finn. He was there with that girl. They’re still going strong,” I mumbled sarcastically, and she gave me a look of pity.“It’s not going to work out. Bad people always suffer,” she tried to comfort me, but I shook my head.“No, somehow I help a man bec
Nicola TaylorI snuggled into my bed, pressing the pillow against my ears to drown out the incessant ringing of the alarm. I was exhausted, mentally and physically drained from constantly thinking about Cole and the confusing mix of emotions our recent encounters had stirred up. How did I go from hating this guy who bullied me throughout high school to feeling sorry for him and getting tangled up in his life?With a groan, I sat up and reached for my phone. Without a second thought, I called Steph. “Hey, Nicola, what’s up? You need a ride?” she asked in her usual cheery voice. How on earth could she be so peppy in the morning?“No, I was wondering if you could cover for me. I think I’m coming down with something,” I lied, my voice still thick with sleep. I could hear the concern in her silence before she spoke.“Wow, first day off in years? Of course, I’ll cover for you. Take care, honey! It’s Friday anyway, enjoy the three days off. But you better be back on Monday,” she teased, maki
Nicola TaylorI hummed softly as the hot water cascaded over my tired muscles, the steam enveloping me in a soothing embrace. The sweet scent of my strawberry body wash filled the air as I lathered it onto my skin, followed by the familiar fragrance of my strawberry shampoo. Yes, I was obsessed with strawberries. Quickly brushing my teeth and taking some Advil for my headache, I threw on a basic tee and shorts, added a touch of makeup to look somewhat human, and tidied up the house a bit. I wondered if he had left, considering how quiet it had been.“You’re still here,” I said, genuinely surprised to find him standing exactly where he was when I had slammed the door shut.“This is nothing. I’ve waited hours for people,” he bragged as he walked past me into the house.People? He means his wife.“Well, as you can see, I’m completely fine. Now you can leave. Thank you for checking up on me,” I said, standing near the door, holding it open.“Close the door, Nicola,” he said, making hims
Nicola TaylorWhen I returned to school on Monday, I was immensely grateful to my students for providing a welcome distraction from thoughts of Finn and his new fiancée. My good mood was further maintained by how incredibly well-behaved the kids were that day.As the final bell rang, Steph rushed over and enveloped me in a tight hug. “Oh my god, we missed you so much! Friday was a nightmare. Apparently, your students only behave for you. I told them if they want you back, they’d better be on their best behavior,” she said, making me laugh.“That explains why they were little angels today. I guess things will go back to normal soon,” I replied, packing my handbag.“So, how was your week off?” she asked, wandering around the classroom.“It had its moments,” I said, not eager to dive into the details.“Is something going on with you?” She tilted her head, scrutinizing my expression.“Finn got engaged,” I murmured, fidgeting with my bag's zipper.“Oh honey, it’s for the best that you didn