Twice in Two Lifetimes

Chapter VIII

The doorbell pulled them all out of the story rudely.

"Oh man, not now!" Paige exclaimed.

"Talk about bad timing! Alright, I will get it," Cole announced, as he got up.

"Are you sure?"

Cole gave Phoebe a slightly offended look.

"Hey, I was just asking…"

"Hum," he grumbled, as he walked away.

Unfortunately, the visitor happened to be Clay again.

"Clay," Cole uttered irritably, "I thought that you had left for good," he added with a sour smile.

"I thought that Phoebe might have come to her senses," Clay retorted seriously.

Phoebe, who had followed just in case of such an eventuality, called warningly:

"Cole…"

"I'm calm, I promise…"

"Hum," she said with a knowing smile, as she turned to Clay.

"Clay, I did not expect you back so soon, I thought that you understood."

"I could not stay away, I was worried about you."

Phoebe heard the deep sigh her husband uttered, but she ignored it and went on:

"I assure you that everything is fine."

Cole took her by the waist ostensibly, before adding:

"More than fine, thank you."

Phoebe frowned slightly, but did not move away.

"Yes, that's it…"

"You are sure?"

"Very sure."

Clay gave another meaningful look toward Cole but this time, Cole smiled widely.

"Alright then," Clay said reluctantly, "but if you ever have any problems…"

"I won't."

"Good night, Clay."

This one finally turned around, and walked out reluctantly, while Cole let go of Phoebe and closed the door in a hurry.

"Hum…"

"What," Cole answered, but without looking back, suddenly unsure.

"That is what you call being calm and reasonable?"

"Well," he said turning to her with a sheepish smile, "I did not hit him…"

His smile faded at her severe expression.

"That was not very nice… Clay was only concerned for my wellbeing."

Frowning, he replied:

"Maybe you would like to go after him…"

"I thought that you were ok with whatever I decided?"

"I lied."

Phoebe seemed to hesitate a moment, and he wondered if he had not gone too far this time.

Then, she suddenly moved toward him, and threw her arms around his neck.

"Good," she said with a bright smile.

"What? I thought that you said you did not like me to be jealous?"

"Well, jealous like before, I did not. But there is a limit at being too reasonable," she said, as she kissed him happily.

"You did that just to torture me, didn't you," he said afterward.

"I did not tell Clay to come back…But really, you deserved it…"

"Alright," he replied with an amused smile.

Paige called from the living room:

"Hey guys, I'm still waiting."

"In a moment," Phoebe called to her, while repressing a giggle, as Cole started nibbling playfully on her ear.

"Ok now, we got to go back," she said, although halfheartedly.

"Hum," he replied, while moving down her neck," are you sure that this could not wait?"

"Hey, I was dying in there, you could show some interest as to what happened."

"Honey," he answered, "I am much more interested in the here and now…"

"Hum, tempting…"

Paige came out of the living room then.

"So?"

Phoebe pushed herself off him reluctantly.

"We're coming…"

When Paige had reentered the living room, Cole took her waist again and whispered in her neck:

"We are?"

She sighed.

"Yes, we are…"

"I'm beginning to not like your sister…"

"Cole…" she replied warningly, although with a little smile.

He let go of her and followed, convincingly faking annoyance. However, Paige seemed oblivious to this, as she greeted them impatiently:

"Well, it's not too soon…"

Phoebe gave her a meaningful look, but still settled to continue the story.