Floating On Air (Cole’s POV) blurb
*Important to know!*
This blurb takes place a few days after Gwen and Richie’s father Wentworth passed away. So it’s before Gwen reunites with the adult Losers a few months later.
Warning: There is smut in this blurb. Not really explicit but it is there. So don’t read if you are underage. Seriously go away. There is also angst, as to be expected.
There’s an Easter egg in the blurb that you might miss from another story of mine. See if you can find it ;)
Cole Foster was almost positive he would never meet another woman as enthralling as Gwen Tozier. He didn’t know the exact moment when he started to think this way, hell maybe he thought this way since the moment he laid eyes on her.
Gwen appeared in Cole’s life at the age of twenty-two, when at the last second he decided to get some late night coffee. That’s where he heard Gwen sing for the first time. Cole was used to seeing people perform at coffee shops and all over the UC Berkeley campus but the moment he heard her voice he was done for.
Cole was determined to know the beautiful woman who was up on stage singing so melancholic. Much to his luck he did get to talk to her, and he did get to know her. Although it was more physical than emotional. As it turned out Gwen Tozier wasn’t so emotionally open with him, just as he wasn’t so open with others.
For Cole that was fine, at the beginning. They both were in their twenties, young and not looking for anything too serious. Gwen and him were more focused on starting their careers. So the casual hookups here and there simply had to do. But somewhere along the way things changed, at least for Cole. What they had was more than no strings attached.
Unlike before when Gwen would leave after every sexual encounter they had, she now sometimes would sleepover. She’d cuddle with him, shower together in the morning, and even eat breakfast. Cole knew for a fact Gwen never did that with any of the other guys she hooked up with, only him.
Gwen and him started going on real dates where they would have actual conversations. He even taught her how to defend herself after a crazy fan went after her. Then later on, the most unexpected thing happened. Cole introduced her to his family, and Gwen eventually did the same with her own.
All of that was truly nice, except Cole wasn’t a fool. He knew about Gwen’s drinking, and how emotionally distant she can be…even with her own family.
Gwen wasn’t perfect by any means, but neither was he. No one in the world was fuckin’ perfect. Anyone who claimed to be was a liar. The truth was some people had more shit to deal with in their life than others, and Gwen was one of them.
Despite not knowing the full extent of what Gwen had been through, Cole had a feeling it must have been serious because of the scar he’d seen on her right shoulder. He never got the full story, just that she got it sometime during her childhood.
That’s why Cole didn’t judge her the way others did.
Even when she was at her lowest, Cole thought Gwen was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. According to her brother Richie, Cole was one of the few people who’d see Gwen at her most vulnerable.
Cole had seen Gwen cry, and not just cry, but really cry. He’d also seen her when she was angry, cursing at paparazzi and flipping them. Even after years of being ‘together’, Gwen expected him to leave for good after seeing her like that.
Cole hadn’t. He acknowledged that Gwen had a lot of issues but they weren’t enough to make him run off. He wanted to stay and help her. Maybe it was the so-called hero complex his father would give him shit for, but something within Cole made him stay.
He’d remind himself just as he’d seen Gwen at her lowest, so had she with him. He wished after all these years that she’d finally open up to him the way he gradually did. Cole had told Gwen so much about his life.
She was very much aware of the strained relationship Cole had with his father. In a way it was somewhat similar to the complicated relationship Gwen had with her mother, which he learned more about from Richie than from her.
Gwen listened when Cole needed to vent, and often comforted Cole in the best way she could whenever his emotional side slipped through the cracks. She’d seen him cry, something not a lot of people could say they have.
Gwen had been there for him on his bad days. Today, however, happened to be a bad day for Gwen according to the phone call they had earlier. And she had every reason to feel terrible. It had only been a few days since her father Wentworth passed away.
So when Cole heard loud knocking from his front door, he wasn’t the least bit surprised that Gwen kissed him the second he let her in. Cole eagerly kissed her back, only breaking apart when they reached his bedroom.
It was then Cole composed himself enough to ask what was wrong knowing she often got like this when something was bothering her. As expected Gwen answered by saying she didn’t want to talk, that she instead wanted to feel something.
After asking her if she was sure, and getting a yes from her, Cole returned to eagerly kissing her.
Clothes were taken off, thrown carelessly around Cole’s bedroom. He laid her on his bed, their bodies lost between his sheets.
Sex with Gwen was phenomenal, always had been. Cole remembered their first time having sex perfectly. It was on their third date. Gwen had finished a performance at the coffee shop she sang at. Cole went to see her perform, wanting to take her out to eat afterwards. However plans changed the moment she fell into his arms, kissing the air out of him.
Gwen had so much left over energy buzzing within her because of her performance. Cole was surprised they even made it back to his apartment because of how frenzy they’d been in his car.
Cole liked that Gwen wasn’t shy when it came to sex. She knew exactly what she wanted, and went for it. He let her take control when she wanted, happy to do so. Like tonight. After the first round he let Gwen take charge, with her on top, straddling him as he leaned against the headboard.
The second time wasn’t as fast and hard but it was just as intense. Her movements were languid but deep enough that Cole closed his eyes from the pleasure. He laid his face against her breasts, groans escaping him.
Cole did his best to hold on, not wanting to finish first. He was worried he wasn’t going to last because of how wonderful Gwen felt. After all the times they’d been intimate she still felt incredible. The sound of her moans were weakening his determination. Thankfully Gwen started to go faster, harder like before and she came with her hands in his dark blond hair, keeping his face onto her breasts.
Hearing her moan so loudly, knowing she finished, was all Cole needed to finally let go. He opened his eyes the exact moment he emptied himself inside her. He breathed heavily against Gwen, feeling her run her fingers through his hair. He hummed. She continued to do this until Cole found the strength to look at her. Sex with Gwen always made him a bit lightheaded afterwards.
His mind was still working though, and so were his eyes. Cole thought she looked absolutely mesmerizing with her dewy complexion, and tousled hair. Her cheeks were so rosy she looked as if she’d ran a mile instead of just fucking him. It was enough to make him say something without thinking it thoroughly.
Cole licked his bottom lip. “Gwen.” His green eyes were soft as they stared up at her seemingly blissed out face. “I….” He was still trying to get his breathing steady after everything they’d just done.
Gwen quickly shut him by pressing her lips to his. It was like she knew what he was trying to say, and she desperately didn’t want to have that conversation after the mindblowing sex they had just.
“I need to go to the bathroom.” Gwen whispered, pulling away. She hastily got off him, trying to ignore how empty she felt now.
Cole ran a hand through his disheveled hair, watching her pick up his disregarded shirt. She put it on as she entered his bathroom. He huffed when she shut the door. He knew what Gwen was doing. She was using sex as a distraction. Cole couldn’t be angry even if he wanted to because he was no stranger when it came to replacing his troubles with the feeling of euphoria instead.
It was a solution but not a permanent one.
Whatever aching feelings that were buried always came back. Hence the repetition of their carnal activities. He wasn’t naive to think Gwen went only to him whenever she was looking for a distraction. There were other men she went to, like there were other women he went to.
What Gwen didn’t know was that for a while now Cole hadn’t been seeing other women. Just Gwen. She still thought he was out there having his fill.
And perhaps it was better she thought this way. Commitment freaked Gwen out, enough to make her end things. She’d done so with the other guys she’d been with, at least with the ones he knew about.
She didn’t really like talking about her flings or any past relationships. Not that she had many according to what she did tell him. Cole didn’t know the names of her exes except for one, and it wasn’t a full name. Cole only knew the guy’s first name. Steve.
After all this time, Gwen was still so closed off with him.
They were in their forties and not getting any younger. Cole was at the age where he was finally ready to settle down and have that apple pie family life. When he was younger he never wanted that sort of life. He saw his own parents' marriage end horribly. Why would he ever want a life like that?
But as it turned out he wasn’t so much against the idea of marriage after all. Just because his parents' marriage was terrible doesn’t mean his own would be. He thought the main reason why his parents' marriage didn’t work out was because they married young and fell out of love with each other.
That certainly wouldn’t be the case for Gwen and him. They weren’t careless nineteen years old, they were in their forties. Cole could see himself married to Gwen, living in a house, with children if she wanted. Even with all her flaws and his own, Cole thought it was possible. The possibility of any of that stuffing happening was fragile, and he was an idiot with what he almost said to her. He needed to wait to say it despite how impatient he was.
His little fantasy was interrupted by the sound of Gwen’s cellphone vibrating. Cole looked over at his nightstand and saw the screen picture of the person who was calling her. It was her brother Richie, smiling as he held a plate of spaghetti from inside the restaurant The Old Spaghetti Factory.
Cole was never one to answer another person’s cellphone. Over the years though Gwen and him had become used to answering each others cellphones if they saw it was someone they both knew who was calling.
Richie happened to fall under that category. Except Cole thought it would be incredibly awkward to answer Richie’s call after having sex with his sister. So he did right by letting Richie’s call go to voicemail. He shuddered to think if he answered.
There was probably a good reason why Richie was calling so late. It more than likely had to do with the passing of their father Wentworth. Richie was being a concerned brother.
That wasn’t a shock to Cole. In fact it was to be expected. Richie was a comedian, on and off the stage. So being a jokester was a guarantee but not when it came to his family, especially his sister. Cole recalled the way Richie threatened him with a joke if he ever hurt Gwen. It was amusing as it was impressive. Cole really came to admire Richie for that.
So that’s why when Gwen exited the bathroom, Cole immediately told her about the missed phone call.
“Your brother was calling you right now.”
Cole didn’t miss the way her dark brown eyes widened a bit. Her eyes flickered to where her cellphone was. She fidgeted with the shirt she wore. Since it was Cole’s it was big on her, reaching the top of her thighs. “Oh.” She didn’t move to reach for the cellphone. Instead she got under the covers. “I’ll call him later.”
Gwen only stared at him as he gently pushed aside the hair that fell on her face. “I think he’s calling to see if you’re okay about…you know.” Cole was being supportive while trying not to push too much. He couldn’t help that his helpful side was trying to take over. That’s who he was. He helped people everyday because of his career as a cop.
Cole wanted to help Gwen, had for a long time now. “Gwen…” He tried again.
Gwen caught his hand that was caressing her face. “Can you just hold me?” She asked, voice low, practically shaking from the emotion. “Please.”
All it took for Cole to agree was to see her shining dark brown eyes. Those eyes were so easy to give into. He felt disappointed that she decided to turn away from him. Cole wanted to hold her face to his chest but he felt better when she nestled closer to him after wrapping his arms from behind her.
So when Gwen began to cry, body trembling, Cole just held her tighter. He wanted to say so much more but knowing Gwen comforting words wouldn’t do at the moment.
Besides what Cole really wanted to tell Gwen wouldn’t help at all.
He’d tell her he was in love with her when the time was right and she felt better.
If ever she ever does get better.
Cole quickly pushed aside that nasty thought. He silently held on to Gwen as she continued to cry.