Read Outbound Lane An Unspoken Truth Novella (Unspoken Truth Series) for Free Online

any siblings, my cousin Chase and I are pretty close. But Chase dresses more richly than I do. His parents are kind of stuffy, too. It’s hard to even believe we are related. His dad and my dad are brothers.”
    “It’s good you have each other, and I know you only transferred here to be closer if he needed you,” I tell him, taking another sip of my wine. “You must get your cooking skills from working in your Dad’s diner.”
    “I do. And maybe if you’re good, I’ll be cooking some more around here.”
    “Ha, ha,” I mock. I continue to watch Cole cook and plate the food and places the plates in front of us. I dig my fork into the fish and plop it in my mouth. “This. Is. So. Good,” I tell him in between chewing the fish.
    “See, I told you. You need to listen to me more often,” he says , smiling at me.
    “Fish this good hell, I might work up the courage to hug you later.” I laugh at such a silly comment, and he must think I’m some crazy child. I laugh nervously.
    “You can hug me anytime you like.” He winks.
    I swear he is going to grab onto my heart and never let go of it, and there won’t be a damn thing I can do about it, because it will be too late when I realize it. “In all seriousness, I really appreciate everything you have and are doing for me. It means more than I could even say,” I tell him.
    “I always here for you, Lexi. And stop thanking me. We’re friends right now. I hope we become something more, but only when you are ready and if you even feel the same way about me as I do you.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I barely feel his touch.
    “I do. And I hope we become something more than just friends. It just might take me longer to come around than most girls.”
    “I know, and it’s okay. Are you done?” he asks about the food. I nearly cleared my whole plate.
    “Ye s, thank you; it was delicious,” I tell him, as I help load the dishes in the dishwasher. Once it’s loaded, he flips the switch to turn it on. “I should probably grab a shower and get to bed, so I can do a few things in the morning.
    “Didn’t you say something about a hug a little bit ago?” He cocks his head to the side, and shows off his wicked smile, as he holds his arms out.
    “That might have been the wine talking. I’m just kidding.” I lean into his arms and let him wrap them around me. And I don’t feel totally grossed out by it. I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his shoulder. I can feel his chin resting on my head and I take this rare moment in and burn it into my brain. I’m the first one to break the embrace.
    “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
    “It was nice,” I say, flashing him a smile as I walk to my room.
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
    I wake to the blaring sound of my alarm. I blink my eyes a few times to adjust to the light beaming in the room. I groan loudly as I swing my legs over the side of the bed. Running my fingers through my hair, I move toward the dresser to change into a pair of capris and a tank top, and I slide my feet into flat sandals.
    I pass Cole’s room and his door is still shut, so I make my way to the coffee pot for my caffeine fix. Thank goodness Cole set the coffee up and it’s already done. I quickly fill up a mug and grab my keys and head out the door. I desperately need advice from my counselor and how I can overcome my fear of being touched, although I have made a slight improvement with Cole. I make my way to campus and find my counselor’s room, and I knock before entering.
    “Come in,” she shouts.
    “Alexis, it’s so nice to see you. Please, sit.” She motions toward the chair, while she sits at her desk.
    “I really hate to bother you when it’s not group time,” I say nervously, placing my bag on the floor next to my chair.
    “You can come anytime. And obviously something is on your mind. So why don’t you start?” She smiles, assuring me.
    “Well, you know my story, all of it, and the fact that being touched totally