Overtime with my Ex's Best Friend

I opened the front door and stepped outside. The rain hit my face immediately. Cold and sharp. It woke me up.

Cole stood there in the middle of my driveway. Soaked to the bone. His hair was plastered to his forehead. His jersey clung to his chest. He looked like he had been standing there for a while.

"Mia." His voice cracked. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything. For the fight. For Lucas. For making you feel like you had to choose." I stepped closer. "Cole..."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just..." He ran his hand through his wet hair. "I couldn't keep watching you. I couldn't keep pretending I didn't care."

My heart started pounding. "Why do you care so much?"

He looked at me. His grey eyes were red. Like he had been crying. Or like he hadn't slept in days.

"Because I've been in love with you since sophomore year."

The words hit me like a slap.

"What?"

"I know. It's crazy. It's stupid. You were with my brother. I had no right. But I couldn't help it. I watched you skate. I watched you laugh. I watched you work harder than anyone I've ever known. And I fell for you. Hard."

I couldn't breathe. "You never said anything."

"Because he was my brother. You were his girl. I couldn't do that to either of you." "But you paid for my skating fees."

His face tightened. "Yeah."

"How? How did you even do that?"

"There was a scholarship. You applied for it last year when your dad couldn't afford your training. You didn't get it. The committee turned you down."

"I know."

"I went to them. I told them I had a donor who wanted to fund it anonymously." My eyes widened. "That was you?"

"I had savings. My dad gave me money for graduation. I didn't need it. You needed it more." "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would have said no. You would have been too proud. Too stubborn. You would have refused help from Kingston."

He was right. I would have.

I stepped closer to him. The rain kept falling. Neither of us moved to get out of it. "You watched me from afar," I said. "For years."

"Every day. Every practice. Every competition. I was always there. Just in the background." "And you never said anything."

"I was scared. Scared you would reject me. Scared you would hate me for going behind Lucas's back. Scared of what it would do to our family."

"But you're saying it now."

He nodded. "I'm tired of being the guy who stays quiet. I'm tired of watching you hurt. I'm tired of pretending I don't want you."

The words hung in the air between us.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't have words. All I had was this feeling. This overwhelming feeling that had been building for weeks. Months. Years.

And then I grabbed his face.

I pulled him toward me and kissed him.

It wasn't gentle. It wasn't soft. It was years of tension breaking loose. Years of stolen glances and secret feelings. Years of wanting something I thought I couldn't have.

He kissed me back. His hands found my waist. He pulled me closer. The rain was falling all around us. Neither of us cared.

He tasted like rain. Like desperation. Like everything I had been too scared to feel. When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathing hard.

His forehead rested against mine. "That was..."

"Yeah."

"I've wanted to do that for so long."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because you were with him. And I thought you would never see me that way." "Cole..." I touched his cheek. "I see you. I see you now."

He closed his eyes. Let out a shaky breath.

Then he pulled back. His face changed. His jaw tightened.

"Mia, I need you to know something."

"What?"

"Lucas is sabotaging me."

I blinked. "What?"

"He's been calling coaches. Sending emails. Spreading rumours." Cole's voice was low. Angry. "He's trying to get my hockey offers pulled. He's trying to make sure I don't get scouted."

I stepped back. "That's insane. He's your brother."

"I know."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he's jealous. Because he's scared. Because he knows you're choosing me and he can't handle it."

My heart started racing. "Cole. That's serious. That could ruin your future." "I know."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." He looked at me. "I don't know what to do. I've worked my whole life for this. And he's just... taking it away. One call at a time."

I grabbed his hand. "We'll figure this out."

"We?"

I looked up at him. "We. I'm not walking away. Not now."

He stared at me like he couldn't believe what I was saying.

"Mia..."

"I mean it." I squeezed his hand. "You came for me. You paid for my skating fees. You watched over me when I didn't even know it. Now it's my turn."

"You don't have to do this."

"I know. I want to."

He pulled me into a hug. Wrapped his arms around me. Hold me tight.

I felt the rain soak through my clothes. I didn't care.

I felt his heartbeat against my chest. Steady and strong.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

He closed his eyes. Let out a shaky breath.

Then he pulled back. His face changed. His jaw tightened.

"Mia, I need you to know something."

"What?"

"Lucas is sabotaging me."

I blinked. "What?"

"He's been calling coaches. Sending emails. Spreading rumours." Cole's voice was low. Angry. "He's trying to get my hockey offers pulled. He's trying to make sure I don't get scouted."

I stepped back. "That's insane. He's your brother."

"I know."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he's jealous. Because he's scared. Because he knows you're choosing me and he can't handle it."

My heart started racing. "Cole. That's serious. That could ruin your future."

"I know."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." He looked at me. "I don't know what to do. I've worked my whole life for this. And he's just... taking it away. One call at a time."

I grabbed his hand. "We'll figure this out."

"We?"

I looked up at him. "We. I'm not walking away. Not now."

He stared at me. Like he couldn't believe what I was saying.

"Mia..."

"I mean it." I squeezed his hand. "You came for me. You paid for my skating fees. You watched over me when I didn't even know it. Now it's my turn."

"You don't have to do this."

"I know. I want to."

He pulled me into a hug. Wrapped his arms around me. Hold me tight.

I felt the rain soak through my clothes. I didn't care.

I felt his heartbeat against my chest. Steady and strong.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I don't know how long we stood there. Minutes. Maybe longer. The rain kept falling. Neither of us moved.

Finally, he pulled back and looked at me.

"Your parents are going to see us," he said.

"Probably."

"You don't care?"

"Not really."

He smiled. That small, crooked smile I was starting to love.

"Same time tomorrow?" he asked.

I laughed. "You always ask that."

"Because I always want to see you."

My heart melted. "Yeah. Same time tomorrow."

He kissed my forehead. Then he let go and walked back to his truck. He was soaked. He looked tired. But he also looked happy.

I watched him drive away. The rain was still falling. I was still standing in it. I didn't care. I walked back inside. Sophie was waiting on the couch. She had a huge grin on her face.

"So?" she said.

"So what?"

"I saw the kiss. Through the window."

My face turned red. "You were watching?"

"Of course I was watching." She jumped up. "Tell me everything."

I sat down next to her. "He confessed. He said he's been in love with me since sophomore year."

"I knew it."

"He also paid for my skating fees. All of them."

Sophie's jaw dropped. "What?"

"He set up a fake scholarship. Used his own money."

"Wow. That's..."

"I know."

She grabbed my arm. "So what happens now?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Lucas is sabotaging him. Trying to get his hockey offers pulled."

Sophie's face went serious. "That's really bad."

"I know."

"What are you going to do?"

I looked at her. "I'm going to help him. Whatever it takes."

Sophie nodded. "That's the Mia I know."

I leaned back on the couch. My mind was spinning. But for the first time in a year, I felt hope.

Cole was worth fighting for.

And I wasn't going to let Lucas take that away from him.