Never Lonely Again

After the meal, Jaycie and her friends parted ways, and Cole offered to drive both her and Eileen home. Perhaps remembering the earlier incident with the front seat, Cole had learned his lesson. This time, he brought out the family’s limousine, complete with a chauffeur, eliminating any need for a front-seat debate.

The car glided smoothly toward the Wises’ residence, the ride uneventful. No one could have predicted what would happen next. Out of nowhere, a speeding, out-of-control truck barreled toward them from the opposite direction.

The driver instinctively swerved, but with a deafening crash, the two vehicles collided.

As the windows shattered and the force of the impact threw Jaycie to the side, she caught a glimpse of Cole shielding Eileen in his arms, protecting her from harm. He was gently patting her back and soothing her, his focus entirely on her.

Jaycie’s consciousness began to fade, and at that moment, she remembered the accident her friends had mentioned earlier. It had been during their fourth year together, when his love for her was still at its peak.

It had been at an intersection just like this, with a truck speeding toward them. Her side of the car had been in the direct path of the collision. In a split second, realizing they couldn’t avoid the truck, Cole had forcefully turned the wheel, putting himself in harm’s way instead.

The front of the car had crumpled, trapping him in the driver’s seat. It had taken firefighters and doctors working together to free him. He had nearly died that day, but even when he woke up, his first words had been to ask if she was okay.

Now, in a similar accident, the person he instinctively protected was no longer her.

The rear of the car was a mangled mess. Once everyone had gotten out of the car, Cole, who had been comforting Eileen, finally noticed Jaycie.

She was standing silently, holding a hand to her bleeding forehead. Fortunately, her injuries weren’t severe, and after being treated at the hospital, she was declared fine. However, because the injury was to her head, the doctor recommended she stay for observation for a couple of days.

Cole looked at the bandage on her head, his face filled with guilt. "Jaycie, I’m so sorry. Eileen and I have an upcoming collaboration, and we have to attend some events together, so her face couldn’t be injured. That was why I protected her. You can hit me, yell at me—I’ll take it all. Just don’t shut me out, okay?"

His apology seemed sincere, and his reasoning almost made sense—if Jaycie hadn’t known the wedding was less than two weeks away. The event he mentioned was likely the wedding.

She kept her eyes down, neither accepting nor rejecting his apology. Her expression remained unreadable, calm and detached.

Cole continued to apologize, his words tumbling out in a rush. Suddenly, as if he was struck by an idea, his eyes lit up with hope. "Your birthday is coming up in a few days. Let me give you your gift early, okay? What do you want? I’ll buy you anything."

At this, she finally looked up at him, her gaze steady and emotionless. "Then buy me a plane ticket to Housleton, three days from now."

"Housleton? What for?" He was surprised but quickly supplied his own answer. "Do you want to go on a trip?"

Jaycie didn’t explain. She simply nodded and said, "Yeah."

Cole didn’t press further. Right there in front of her, he pulled out his phone and booked a ticket to Housleton. After completing the purchase, he added, "I’ve been really busy lately, so I can’t go with you. But you go ahead and enjoy Housleton. When I have time, I’ll join you. A plane ticket is too small for a birthday gift. I’ll make it up to you with a bigger surprise later."

Jaycie shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "It’s not small. Not at all."

After all, this plane ticket was her ticket home.

She wanted to thank Cole for the gift—for sending her home with his own hands.