Chapter 4 Distance

The knock came just as Nancy was pulling her hair into a bun, preparing to drown herself in Netflix and forget about reality.

She frowned, surprised. She wasn't expecting anyone.

Opening the door, she was met with Nathasha's familiar grin - wild curls bouncing, arms filled with a chaotic mix of snacks: Pringles, Oreos, chocolate bars, and a family-size pizza box barely balancing on top.

"Don't just stare," Nathasha huffed dramatically. "Take the pizza before it burns through my soul."

Nancy blinked, grabbed the box quickly, and stepped aside. "What are you doing here?"

"Having a meltdown, what else?" Nathasha plopped herself onto the couch like she owned it, tossing a packet of cookies to Nancy.

"You brought a sugar war," Nancy said, amused despite herself.

"I brought a distraction," Nathasha corrected. "I need one. Badly."

Nancy shut the door, returned to the couch, and opened the pizza box.

"What happened?"

Nathasha groaned and stuffed a Pringle into her mouth. "I'm traveling tomorrow. With him."

Nancy looked confused. "With who?"

"My darling, emotionally constipated brother."

Nancy paused mid-bite. "Cole?"

Nathasha flung herself back against the couch cushions like the world had betrayed her. "Yes. To see our parents. And before you ask - no, I'm not excited. In fact, I'm praying to every god available that Dad cancels."

Nancy blinked again. "Wait... Cole's traveling?"

"Mhm," Nathasha grunted, rummaging through the bag of sweets. "Two days. Private house meeting. Family business drama. Dad thinks we're still a picture-perfect dynasty. But Cole and him can't spend ten minutes together without nearly killing each other."

Nancy sat up straighter, something inside her twisting.

Cole was leaving?

He didn't say anything.

Not a single word.

She went through his schedule just yesterday - and there was nothing about a trip. No meetings canceled. No notifications sent. No change in his appointments.

Why hadn't he told her?

She tried to shake the thought.

Why were you expecting him to?

Nathasha clearly didn't notice the shift in Nancy's energy as she rambled on.

"You know how hard it is sitting between them while they argue about who ruined the family legacy more?" she groaned. "It's like chess, but with live grenades. I love my dad, but God, I need earplugs and possibly a therapist after each visit."

Nancy tried to smile, but her thoughts were already far away - with him.

Two days without seeing him?

That was ridiculous. It wasn't like he was her boyfriend. Or her family. Or anything she had a right to miss.

And yet...

It felt like someone had slowly turned off a light in her chest.

"You okay?" Nathasha asked, pausing in her cookie massacre.

"Hm?" Nancy looked up too quickly. "Yeah. Just... surprised. He didn't mention he was going."

"Well, we're not exactly throwing a party about it," Nathasha muttered. "You know how he gets. Quiet. Broody. It's always worse after seeing Dad. I swear, their conversations are just formal insults wrapped in suits and generational trauma."

Nancy gave a small laugh, but her heart wasn't in it.

She looked away, chewing slowly.

Cole didn't tell her.

Maybe it wasn't important. Maybe it was just a personal family thing - none of her business.

Still...

She had gotten so used to seeing him every day. To hearing his voice, to catching his gaze when he thought she wasn't looking. She memorized the way his sleeves rolled up just past his elbows and the way he ran his hand through his hair when he was frustrated.

Now, two whole days without that?

Why did it feel like she'd miss something vital?

"You know," Nathasha added casually, biting into a chocolate bar, "you and my brother are the weirdest non-couple I've ever seen."

Nancy nearly choked. "What?"

"I said what I said." Nathasha winked. "The tension between you two is practically a fire hazard."

Nancy flushed. "There's nothing going on."

"Exactly," Nathasha said, chewing thoughtfully. "And that's the problem."

Nancy rolled her eyes and leaned back, trying not to let the ache in her chest show. "Let's just eat before you say something worse."

"Fine," Nathasha grinned. "But if he comes back looking like a haunted Victorian ghost, just know I warned you."

DAY ONE

Cole & Nathasha | The Woods Family Estate

The Woods family estate was as cold as the silence in the car.

Tall iron gates, perfectly sculpted lawns, glass windows that gleamed like polished armor - it all looked impressive on the outside.

But inside?

It was a warzone dressed in velvet.

Cole stepped out first, jaw tight, sunglasses shielding the simmering frustration already rising in his chest. Nathasha walked beside him, arms crossed like a defiant teenager going to detention.

"I swear," she muttered under her breath, "if he starts with the 'you should take more responsibility' speech, I will flip this entire estate."

Cole didn't respond. His focus was already on the tall man waiting at the door.

Edward Woods - their father. Sharp suit. Sharper eyes. Not a hair out of place. He looked like power incarnate - and he knew it.

"Cole," Edward said with a nod, voice clipped. "You're late."

"Traffic," Cole said shortly.

Edward turned without another word and walked inside.

And just like that, the battle began.

Back in the City | Nancy's Apartment

Nancy sat at her tiny dining table, her laptop open and untouched. She had been staring at the same spreadsheet for 45 minutes, trying to force herself to care about numbers that suddenly meant nothing.

No messages from Cole. Not even a forwarded email.

She kept checking without meaning to.

Just... hoping.

She picked up her phone, opened their old message thread, then shut it quickly. This is stupid, she told herself.

She stood up, grabbed a glass of water, and scolded herself under her breath.

"You're not his girlfriend, Nancy. He's not yours to miss."

And yet - the hollow feeling in her stomach wouldn't leave

Later That Evening | The Woods Family Estate

The dining room was grand - long mahogany table, chandelier above like a cluster of stars frozen in crystal. The food was gourmet, untouched.

The tension, however, was unmistakably homemade.

Cole sat on one end, back straight, jaw clenched. Nathasha toyed with her fork, already sensing the storm brewing. Jackson - the ever-smiling, ever-agreeable younger brother - sat across from Cole, sipping wine casually.

At the head of the table sat Edward Woods, the patriarch.

And beside him, in quiet observation, sat Susan - Cole's stepmother, and Jackson and Nathasha's biological mother. Always graceful. Always watching.

Edward finally broke the silence.

"I reviewed the portfolio you submitted, Cole," he said, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "Disappointing. A far cry from what the Woods name represents."

Cole didn't flinch. "It's not a Woods company, Dad. It's mine. Cole Industries doesn't need to reflect your legacy."

Edward's brows lifted slightly. "No, it doesn't. That's precisely the problem."

"I built something on my own," Cole said, voice low but steady. "Not everyone wants to be a puppet in your empire."

"You mean unlike your brother?" Edward gestured toward Jackson with a proud nod. "At least one of my sons understands loyalty. Structure. Legacy."

Jackson gave a half-smile, clearly uncomfortable but not willing to contradict their father.

"Jackson has vision," Edward continued. "He works with purpose. He understands what it means to carry this family forward."

Cole set his fork down with a slow, deliberate clink. "What he understands is how to be exactly what you want."

"Is that a bad thing?" Jackson asked, voice too calm. "Or do you just enjoy being difficult for the sake of it?"

Cole's eyes narrowed. "You want to talk about difficult? Try building something without a dime from this family and still being told you're a disappointment."

"You are difficult," Edward snapped. "Reckless. Arrogant. You refuse to follow tradition. You walk around acting like you invented ambition. You're not special, Cole - you're just rebellious."

Cole stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor.

"I'd rather be rebellious than spineless."

"Enough!" Susan finally said, rising to her feet, eyes flashing.

Everyone stilled.

Susan's voice was calm but firm, the authority in it undeniable - the voice of a woman used to settling tension between powerful men.

"This is a dinner, not a battleground," she said. "If you want to settle your issues, do it like men - not spoiled children throwing knives across the table."

Cole's hands were clenched at his sides. He glanced toward her, jaw tight - and then, to everyone's surprise, his expression softened slightly.

"I'm sorry, Susan," he said, voice low but sincere. "You didn't deserve that."

Her eyes flickered - surprised, but deeply moved.

Then Cole turned and walked out of the room without looking back.

Jackson sighed, leaning into his seat.

Nathasha gave Edward a sharp look. "You wonder why he doesn't come around? You're the reason."

Edward calmly poured more wine, unfazed. "When Cole finally grows up, we'll talk. Until then, the company needs stability - not rebellion."

Susan slowly sat down, exhaling quietly.

"This family will be the end of me."

That Night | Nancy's Apartment

She curled into the couch, blanket draped around her shoulders, TV playing something she wasn't really watching.

She reached for her phone. Opened his contact.

Hovered over it.

And then, to her surprise, her phone lit up.

COLE CALLING.

Her heart jumped.

She hesitated - then picked up.

"Hello?" her voice came out too soft.

There was silence on the line - heavy, quiet.

Then finally, "I didn't know who else to call."

She sat up straighter, instantly alert. "What's wrong?"

A pause. His voice was lower this time. "I just needed to hear your voice."

Her breath caught.

"Are you okay?"

"No," he admitted, and it broke something in her.

He didn't say more.

And she didn't ask.

She just stayed on the line with him, breathing in sync, saying everything without saying anything at all.

And when the silence between them finally softened, he whispered, "I miss your face."

She closed her eyes.

Good night Nancy, he finally said disconnecting the call.

Later That Night | The Woods Estate – Guest Room

Cole sat on the edge of the guest bed, dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves still rolled. The storm outside hadn't started, but the air carried the weight of it.

The argument at dinner still echoed in his ears.

He ran a hand through his hair and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. Everything about coming home made him feel like a kid again - not in the nostalgic, warm way. In the suffocating way. The kind that reminded you you'd never been enough.

A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

He didn't respond at first.

The knock came again, followed by a familiar voice.

"It's me."

Susan.

Cole exhaled slowly. "It's open."

The door creaked gently and Susan stepped in, her satin robe flowing behind her. She looked more like a movie star than a mother of three, but the softness in her eyes was pure and maternal.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "Mind if I sit?"

He gave a faint shrug. "Suit yourself."

She crossed the room and sat beside him on the edge of the bed - not too close, but close enough to say I'm here.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"I haven't seen you in months," she said softly. "You don't return my messages."

"I've been busy."

"I know," she said. "But you're always busy. You don't visit. You don't call. You don't even yell at Jackson anymore."

A ghost of a smirk tugged at Cole's lips. "That's because yelling doesn't work on him. He thrives on the attention."

Susan smiled gently, then turned more serious. "I miss you."

He didn't respond right away. Then, in a low voice, he said, "I miss you too."

She blinked. That was more than she expected.

"And I'm sorry," he added, glancing at her. "For what I said earlier. For walking out."

Her expression softened even more. "You didn't say anything wrong. You walked away, yes, but sometimes walking away is the only sane choice."

He nodded, looking down at his hands.

"I hate coming back here," he admitted.

"I know," she whispered. "But not everyone here wants to fight you, Cole."

He glanced at her, and for the first time in a long while, the defenses in his eyes cracked just a little.

She took that moment to shift the conversation, her tone lighter. "So... Nathasha tells me there's a woman."

Cole groaned instantly, dragging a hand over his face. "Of course she did."

"She may be dramatic, but she's not wrong," Susan teased. "She said you're acting... not like yourself."

Cole leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "There's someone. Her name's Nancy."

Susan waited, giving him space.

"She's... my assistant."

"Ah," Susan said, voice playfully scandalous.

"It's not like that," Cole said quickly, then paused. "At least... I don't think it is. I don't know."

Susan turned her body slightly to face him. "You don't know if you like her?"

"No. I do like her," he said quietly. "Too much. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do about it."

She raised a brow. "You're a grown man, Cole. You've had women before."

"This is different."

"How?"

"She doesn't want anything from me," he said, staring off into the distance. "Not my name. Not my money. Not a photo for her Instagram. She just wants to do her job. And somehow... I think that's what makes her so hard to get over."

Susan smiled faintly, nodding. "Sounds like she's already gotten under your skin."

Cole didn't answer that.

After a moment, he added, "She's guarded. Like she's been through something. And I don't want to push her."

"Maybe she's waiting to see if you'll stay," Susan said softly.

He turned to look at her.

"Women don't always ask for what they need out loud," she continued. "Sometimes, silence is a test. One you're not supposed to rush through."

Cole looked down again, jaw working. "I don't even know if I'm ready for something serious. Or if she'd ever want to be serious with someone like me."

Susan reached out and gently rested her hand on his.

"You don't have to know yet. You just have to be honest - with her, and with yourself."

He gave a short nod, then added in a whisper, "I miss her."

Susan's smile widened just slightly. "Then maybe, when you get back... tell her that."