Cole woke up early the next morning, groaning and wincing as he sat up. He felt his head throb, a headache starting. He rubbed his eyes, his vision blurry for a second. His eyes were bloodshot and his throat was dry, his body feeling tired and achy. He immediately remembered last night and what happened. How could he have been so stupid? Why did he think smoking would've been a good idea?

"Coley, you're awake! That's good."

Cole looks up to see Hollyn coming out of the bathroom, her hair damp from her shower and she was already dressed and ready for the day. Her skin was glistening and she smelled like roses. He felt himself blush as he took in her appearance. He had forgotten that she had taken him to her house. "Morning." He mumbles, clearing his throat. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than you probably." She responds, sending him a sympathetic look. She comes over to the bed and sits next to him. She brushes his hair back, kissing his forehead. "How are you feeling? Need a Tylenol or something?"

Cole nods, leaning into her touch, his heart skipping a beat at how thoughtful and sweet she was. "Yeah, a Tylenol would be great. My head is pounding." He looks up at her with a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude. "I'm really sorry about last night. I shouldn't have done that."

She shakes her head, her expression softening as she gently touches his arm. "Don't apologize," She says with a reassuring smile. "You were in pain, and sometimes we all act impulsively when we're hurting. It's okay."

Cole furrows his eyebrows, shaking his head. "Still, I shouldn't have let it get that far. I should've known better. I don't want to hurt you, Hollyn." His voice trembled slightly, his guilt still weighing on him.

Hollyn sits beside him, brushing her hand over his hair again. "Cole, I know you didn't mean to hurt me. And yeah, it's frustrating, but you've already shown that you understand what went wrong. I need you to focus on taking care of yourself, okay? That's the most important thing right now."

"Okay." Cole nods, relaxing under her touch. He leans his head against her shoulder, letting out a sigh. "Really, though, I am sorry. For everything. Holls, I didn't plan on smoking...And I should've said no, I know that now. I was just so angry and frustrated with everything, and it felt like a good idea at the time. But I shouldn't have put you through all of this."

"I understand." She wraps an arm around him, hugging him close. "Just remember, you can always talk to me. I'm here for you, Cole."

He nuzzles against her, relishing her embrace. "Thanks, Hollyn. I appreciate that. I promise, I won't do something like this again."

Hollyn squeezes him, her hand gently stroking his back. "I'm just glad you're okay. That's all that matters to me. This could've ended a lot worse, and I'm thankful it didn't."

"Me too," Cole whispers, closing his eyes and focusing on her soothing touch. He buries his face in her shoulder, letting the weight of her arms calm him down. "You're the best, Hollyn. Thank you."

"I am pretty great." She chuckles, earning a small laugh from him. Her heart flutters when she felt his lips press a soft kiss against her neck, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. She pulls back, her eyes searching his. "You really are amazing, Cole. Don't forget that, okay? I know you've been struggling lately, but Coley, you're an incredible person."

"You make me want to believe that." Cole confesses, his hand finding hers and lacing their fingers together. He brings her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "But thank you. I'm so f***ing lucky to have you in my life."

Butterflies erupt in Hollyn's stomach at his words, and she can't help but feel a surge of affection for him. She felt giddy as he kissed her hand, her heart racing. How was it possible to feel this happy and content just from a simple gesture? It was crazy, but she loved he could make her feel this way. "Same here." She said softly, gaining a loving look from Cole. Her face heats up at the look and a fond smile forms on her lips. "I'll go get you some Tylenol, you can go get ready to take a shower, if you want."

"Thank you, baby." He says, leaning over and pressing his lips against her cheek. He then reluctantly gets up, his bones and muscles aching. "I'll be quick, then we can go out for breakfast. Is that okay?"

Hollyn smiles and nods. "Sounds good."

After she gets the Tylenol and leaves him to his devices, Hollyn makes her way downstairs, smiling when she sees her parents sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast and talking. Ace and Goldie were playing with their toys in the living room and she was about to ask where Kiwi was before she felt a gentle rub against her leg. She looked down and saw her cat, the feline purring happily.

"Hey, girl." Hollyn coos, picking up the sweet cat and nuzzling her. She pets her and then puts her down, giving her a gentle pat on the head before walking further into the kitchen to wash her hands and find some tylenol. "Morning, guys."

"Morning, honey." Her dad greets with with a small smile. "How's Cole?"

Hollyn grimaces when she bumps her head on the cabinet door she opens, startled by the sudden question. She rubs her forehead and looks at them. "What? Why would you assume he's with me?"

Her mom raises an eyebrow and laughs. "Honey, we're not idiots. We know he came back with you last night we figured he stayed the night." Her mom chuckled, exchanging a knowing look with Hollyn's dad.

Hollyn blushes, feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "Yeah, he stayed, but it's not like you think. He just...Had a rough night." She sighs, shaking her head. "He smoked and it didn't end well. I had to take care of him."

Her dad raises an eyebrow, sharing a look with his wife. "Smoking? Hollyn, you know how dangerous that stuff can be." He sounds a bit concerned but tries to keep his voice level. "Part of me is surprised he would do that, but..."

"I know, dad." Hollyn cuts him off, not wanting him to get worked up. "But he knows what he did was stupid and he regrets it. I talked to him about it and now he understands. Plus, I'm pretty sure his hangover is punishment enough. His head must be killing him."

Her dad relaxes and nods, his expression softening. "As long as he's not gonna make a habit out of it, then okay. Just know, if you ever need us, we're here."

"I know, and thank you. I appreciate it. Can you not tell his parents? He probably wouldn't want them to know about this, at least not yet. And I'm sure he'll want to tell them himself...Maybe. I'll talk to him about it." Hollyn nodded, her voice soft but firm. She understood her dad's concerns, but she also knew that Cole needed to take responsibility for his actions in his own time. Hollyn didn't want to make him feel worse by involving his parents just yet, especially with how fragile he seemed.

Her dad nods in understanding. "Alright, we'll keep it between us. But you know, Hollyn, you don't have to carry this all by yourself. If you ever need to talk, we're here for you too."

She smiles at him, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks, dad. I know I can always count on you."

Hollyn's mom, who had been quietly watching the exchange, chimed in with a warm smile. "Just make sure you take care of yourself, too, sweetheart. You're always looking out for others, but don't forget to check in on your own well-being."

Hollyn chuckles softly, feeling a sense of comfort in her parents' care. "I will, mom. I promise. We're going to Katherine's event tonight, right?" She pauses when they both exchange a glance, the mood turning awkward and tense. "What? What's wrong? Mom, are you feeling okay?" She asked worriedly. She still couldn't believe her mom had recently been diagnosed with cancer. She had been doing chemotherapy lately and it's been tough, but her mom was strong and she had a good chance of beating this. Still, her mother's illness was a constant worry.

Her mom gives her a reassuring smile, though there's a slight tiredness in her eyes. "I'm fine, honey. Just a little more tired than usual, but nothing to worry about. We'll be at Katherine's event tonight, don't worry about me."

Hollyn doesn't look entirely convinced, but she chooses not to press the issue. Her mom has always been strong, and Hollyn wants to respect her wishes. Instead, she moves toward the counter to grab the Tylenol she had been looking for earlier.

Her dad, noticing the shift in mood, adds, "Your mom's right, Holly Berry. She's doing well with the treatments, we'l still go to the event tonight. We wouldn't miss something as important as that. It'll be good for all of us." He looks over at his wife, his expression filled with love and concern as he squeezes Carolyn's hand. "Everything will be fine. It'll be a great night." He added, glancing back at his daughter with a smile.

Hollyn nods, feeling a small weight lift off her chest at her dad's reassuring words. She knew her parents were trying to keep things light for her, and she appreciated their efforts. Still, the worry in her heart didn't disappear entirely. Her mom's strength was inspiring, but Hollyn couldn't help but feel the underlying fear that came with the cancer diagnosis. She takes a deep breath and pushes those thoughts aside for now.

"Yeah, it'll be a great night," Hollyn agrees with a soft smile, trying to sound more confident than she feels. "And thanks for being cool about the whole Cole situation."

"He's family, we look out for family." Was her dad's simple response.

She grins, feeling a surge of gratitude. "Speaking of, I'm gonna go take care of my boy." She felt giddy just saying he was hers as she finished grabbing Tylenol and a cup of water. She hugged her parents and pets Kiwi one more time before heading back upstairs.

Cole was just coming out of the bathroom when she reached her room. His hair was wet and messy, and he was only wearing a towel around his waist. She stood frozen in her spot in the doorway, eyes wide, face turning red, and her mouth slightly agape as she stared at him.

"You're staring." Cole smirks, his eyes twinkling as he looks at her with a smug expression. His heart was pounding and butterflies erupted in his stomach as he watched her cheeks turn crimson. He always loved being able to get her to blush. He walks over to her, gripping her chin gently with his thumb and index finger, closing her mouth. smiling down at her. "You're cute when you're flustered, you know that?" He teased, his voice low and playful. Hollyn tried to recover from her sudden shyness, but her heart raced at his closeness. She swallowed hard, her hands feeling a little clammy as she holds out the Tylenol and water to him.

"I—uh—I got this for you," She stammers, her voice a little higher than usual as she forces herself to focus on the task at hand. "I thought you might need it after..." She trails off, unsure how to finish the sentence without making it awkward. "So, yeah, here. I'm gonna go get ready." She muttered, handing him the water and the pills before she walked to her closet.

Cole watches her with amusement and fondness. He takes the pils with the water, setting the glass down. Before the now shy girl could escape to the bathroom, he grabs her hand, startling her by pulling her close. He leaned down, closing the gap between them and presses a firm kiss on her lips. Hollyn froze, her brain short-circuiting. She was about to pull away, but he cupped her cheek and pulled her even closer. Her body relaxed and her arms wrapped around his torso, her hands pressed against his back. The kiss was tender, slow, and passionate, sending sparks through her veins. She could feel his warmth radiating through her, her body tingling as they melted into each other. They didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but eventually, they both needed air. They broke apart, gasping for breath.

Cole's forehead rests against hers, their noses brushing together as he stares into her eyes. "Thank you for taking care of me last night." He whispers, his breath warm against her skin. "I know I don't deserve it, don't deserve you either, but-"

"Don't." She cuts him off, her hand resting against his chest, her thumb gently rubbing the area over his fast beating heart. "You deserve it, Cole. You deserve the world. Please, stop being so hard on yourself. I hate it when you talk like that."

He pulls her into a tight embrace, his head resting on her shoulder as he tries to calm his emotions. He doesn't deserve her. Not in the slightest. He had caused her so much pain and stress, but yet she stayed. She forgave him and she took care of him. And it was more than he could've ever hoped for. He takes a deep breath, feeling his nerves ease at her presence. He pulls back, cupping her cheek and pressing a tender kiss on her forehead. "I love you so much, Hollyn," he whispers, his voice full of raw emotion. "You have no idea how much you mean to me."

Hollyn's heart skips a beat at his words, her feelings for him swelling even more. She looks up at him, her eyes soft but filled with unwavering affection. "I love you too, Cole," she replies, her voice steady but full of love. "More than you'll ever know." The moment lingers between them, a quiet understanding passing through the space. Cole's arms tighten around her once more, pulling her close, as if afraid to let go. Hollyn rested her head against his chest, her heart beating in sync with his.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." He mumbled, his breath soft against her hair.

Hollyn smiles softly, feeling the weight of his gratitude and the depth of their bond. "You never have to worry about that. I'll always be here for you."

As they stand there, wrapped in each other's arms, the world outside fades away. It's just the two of them, in this quiet moment of connection, love, and healing. Hollyn knows that there will be challenges ahead, but with Cole by her side, she feels stronger than ever.