Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

I turned away, fixing my eyes firmly on the window. "You're infuriating," I muttered, instead, my voice shaky despite my best efforts. My heartbeat was deafening.

"And you like this part of me," he said, his confidence almost unbearable.

"Who said that?" I scoffed, though my voice lacked bite.

"The kiss certainly said a lot," he countered smoothly.

"Just shut up and drive," I snapped, though I knew I was losing this argument—and the worst part? He knew it too.

For a while, the car was silent again. I thought maybe he'd let the topic drop, but of course, Cole wasn't the type to leave anything unfinished.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"You don't need to go to blind dates or mixers anymore," he said suddenly, breaking the quiet.

I whipped my head around to glare at him. "And who are you to tell me what I

do

or

don't Read exclusive content at empire

need to do?"

"It's a waste of time," he said simply.

"A waste of time?" My voice rose, incredulous. "What gives you the right to decide that for me?"

"I'm the one who's in love with you," he said, his voice firm and with an edge.

The atmosphere in the car changed in an instant. My breath hitched as his words settled in, striking me with more intensity than I anticipated. It wasn't the first time he'd said them, but every time he did, it felt as though I was hearing them for the very first time.

"And believe me," he continued, his voice softening yet firm, "it's a waste of time, because no one will ever love you the way I do. No one else ever could. No one."

His words were so full of confidence and finality that I couldn't find it in myself to argue back. My eyes stayed fixed on the window, heart pounding so loudly that I was sure he could hear it.

Cole wasn't just being overbearing—he was being honest. And that honesty left me completely speechless.

=== 🤍 ===

[ZEN]

Zen's punishment was both a test of his loyalty and a ridiculous blow to his pride.

Once the easy-going, ever-reliable bodyguard to Cole Fay, Zen now found himself reduced to nothing more than an errand boy in the mansion, a fate that was both ironic and maddening for someone who'd spent years in top-tier training.

The whole fiasco started over a mere ten minutes. Ten. Minutes.

It had all begun innocently enough. Cole, secretly drugged, had finally decided to get

very

close to Eve in a way that made Zen question his duties (and his sanity) for the first time.

He'd even found a cozy corner to discreetly pretend he wasn't aware of what was about to happen, when—

Bam. The blockade to the cave flew open.

Zen, bless his heart, had arrived a

little

too early. He'd meant to wait just a few more minutes—enough time for the young master to get his "

business

" out of the way—but alas, fate had conspired against him.

Instead of being the silent protector he was trained to be, Zen had unintentionally halted what would have surely been one of the most dramatic, if not intense, moments in Cole and Eve's

almost

love making scene.

Eve had practically turned to stone, while Cole . . . well, Cole had turned a shade of red from anger Zen had never imagined possible for someone so stoic.

As for Zen, he stood there, blinking, just doing his job—nothing more, nothing less.

But in Cole's eyes, Zen had committed the unforgivable sin: he'd interrupted the

moment

. It didn't matter that Zen had been trying to protect him—Cole had his own brand of logic.

And that logic had led to the decision that Zen was going to spend an entire month doing nothing but running errands. It was

so

not Zen's fault.

His new duties? Fetching coffee, holding bags of groceries, delivering messages, cleaning the house, and being sent to fetch things like "the right shade of beige" from the nearby department store.

On top of that, Cole had made it his personal mission to watch Zen squirm, giving him tasks like polishing the silverware in the most

ridiculously

tedious way possible.

Zen's days now consisted of wandering the mansion carrying endless trays of food, cleaning out closets, and organizing Cole's extensive shoe collection—half of which Cole insisted on wearing for "just a few minutes" before deciding he hated them.

In the first few days alone, Zen had spent hours running around to various high-end shops, buying everything from expensive colognes to gourmet truffles, all while silently mourning the loss of his former dignity.

But the worst part? He had to listen to Cole and Eve banter about

the

incident—often while Zen was carting around packages of unnecessary luxury items for Eve, gifts from Cole, of course.

"Zen," Cole would call, his face emotionless, "Do you think Eve would like this shade of lipstick?"

Zen would glance over at him, though his eyes screamed

Please let me be free

. He didn't dare argue. It wasn't worth it.

After all, Zen had learned one thing through all this: Cole had a

very

unique way of showing affection, and a

very

strange sense of humor.

And like usual, Zen answered with her most enthusiastic voice, "Of course, young master! I'm sure that Eve will like anything you gift her for sure!"

"Good. I want all shades of this brand . . . and buy two of each," Cole said without batting an eyelid.

Zen wanted to scream at Cole.

Even if Eve replaced her lipstick every hour,

he thought with exasperation,

she still wouldn't be able to finish all these.

Love really could make a person lose their mind.

One time, Zen stood in front of the bathroom mirror, scrubbing away with a level of intensity that would put even the most meticulous housekeeper to shame.

His hands worked with precise, almost robotic movements as he wiped down every surface, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He muttered curses under his breath, each one a little more creative than the last.