Nicola Taylor“Alright, your car is fixed. No need to take it to a mechanic.” I sigh in relief as soon as I hear Cole’s words, knowing the car repairman would have charged me a lot.I turn around to see Cole entering my house all sweaty and greasy, making my cheeks heat up as my gaze betrays me as it traces the grease stains on his arms and chest, then moves up to his handsome, rugged face. “Do you want to take a shower? I have some spare clothes that might fit you,” I offer, trying to keep my eyes from lingering on Cole’s white tank undershirt that reveals his sculpted biceps and chiseled back. God, kill me now.“I’m not wearing your ex’s clothes, Nicola,” he grumbles, clearly unhappy. “Why do you even have them?” He asks, pulling out his phone and texting someone.“Really? You’re asking me that question?” I snort, feeling the hypocrisy in his statement.“He cheated on you and left. I think my situation is a tad bit different,” he says sarcastically, and I instantly regret bringing

Nicola Taylor"Miss Taylor," a small, timid voice broke through the quiet hum of conversation, prompting me to set my tea down. I smiled warmly as Arabella hurried over and enveloped me in a gentle hug. Her sweetness never failed to touch my heart, though I couldn't quite fathom why she held me in such high regard. Still, her affection was something I cherished deeply."Hello, honey. How are you holding up?" I asked gently, guiding her back to where we were sitting. She took my hand and pulled me down into my seat again before climbing onto my lap."Miss Taylor always has us sit on her lap and sings whenever we cry or get hurt," Arabella explained with a bright smile to her grandparents, who beamed in response. To be honest, I've known Arabella practically since she could remember. I first met her when she was three years old, and I've been her teacher ever since. She was a quite kid when I met her, often spending more time near my desk than at her own. Over the past couple of years

Nicola Taylor“Daddy!” I hear a loud scream, jolting me awake from my deep slumber. Cole and I sit up with a start, our eyes wide as we recognize the source of the scream.Oh god, no. Why didn’t we lock the door?There stands Arabella, her eyes as wide as saucers, clutching a stuffed bunny in her hand, wearing her hello kitty night wear. Thank god I was fully clothed, but Cole wasn’t. He slept shirtless against my better judgment. I told him to put on a t-shirt.“Oh god. What do I do?” Cole mutters, scrambling out of bed and pulling on a t-shirt. I want the ground to open up and swallow me; I can't deal with this embarrassment. What if Bella tells her friends that their teacher slept in the same bed as her dad?Oh no.“Bella, please don’t scream again. Come in, and we will answer all of your questions,” I say, trying to sound calm as I slowly step out of the bed, fixing my dress and hair as I walk towards her.Cole closes the door behind Bella as I bring her to the edge of the bed w

Nicola Taylor“Oh my god. I cannot believe this is happening.” Bella hadn’t stopped jumping since the moment I confirmed I was going to marry her father. Her joy was infectious, and it felt good to see her so happy. She deserves all the happiness in the world.“Bella, I’ll put on Peppa Pig. Go and eat your lunch. Come on, darling,” Cole said as he scooped her up and carried her out of the room. I looked around at the room that would be my new home. It was larger than my entire apartment, and I knew it would take me at least a day to arrange my clothes in the enormous walk-in closet. While I knew Cole was wealthy, living in a place like this was a bit overwhelming.On the brighter side, when I told my boss, the principal, about my upcoming marriage, I expected her to be upset about me getting involved with a parent. Instead, she was thrilled. My family reacted similarly; they had been praying for me to find a good man, and now that I’d landed a 'handsome billionaire,' they were all con

Cole HarringtonI just got married again, something I never thought would happen after my first marriage. I felt a pang of guilt for feeling happy. Maybe because I was trying to convince myself that I was doing this only for Arabella and that the only woman I would ever love was Courtney. But now, that felt like a lie I kept telling myself.I obviously liked Nicola and cared for her deeply.We got married in the morning, so everything wrapped up by the afternoon. Now, at night, we were sitting comfortably at home, just the three of us in the living room. Arabella hadn't left Nicola alone even for a second. Thankfully, Nicola didn't seem to mind as they colored together.Whenever I got a little too happy, I felt guilty, like I was cheating on Courtney. But seeing Bella interact with Nicola, I didn't know how she would do without her."Okay, baby, its ten o'clock now. Come on, you have to sleep," Nicola told Bella as she picked her up, but Arabella protested a little. "Tomorrow I'll mak