His favorite cologne wafted over to me, assailing my nostrils. Unbelievable.
“I know I fucked up on Halloween,” Cole began. “But I was jealous because we’d just gotten back together, and what we had was fragile. I was afraid of losing it. When that guy started hitting on you—”
“Talking to me,” I cut in sharply. “He was onlytalkingto me.”
For once he actually nodded in agreement. “Yes, well… I mean, I just went overboard. I know that now. I didn’t mean to, and from there things just snowballed.”
He paused awkwardly, searching for just the right words. As if there were some magical combination that might win me back.
“I promise you, that if you just give me a second chance…”
I held up a finger. Shockingly, he actually stopped talking.
“Cole, listen carefully. You need to undo whatever you did. Call whoever it is that you called, and tell them to back off.”
He winced. “Hayden, it’s not that easy.”
“Itisthat easy,” I pressed. “Have them rescind the restrictions. Tear up whatever citations they’ve given, to shut down the bar.”
“But—”
“Youpromisedme, Cole,” I cut him off, “that if I left the guys, you would leave them alone. Well, I have. I’m done with them. I did exactly what you asked.”
Feeling bold, I stepped forward again and pushed two fingers into his thick, beefy chest.
“Now it’s time foryouto hold up your end of the bargain.”
Immediately I regretted touching him, but I needed to drive my point home. Cole took the physical contact as a sign that I was finally relenting. The change in his expression showed me he was reveling in the little victory, no matter how small. It only made me sicker.
“Hayden…”
“No, no Hayden,” I shook my head. “Callthem, Cole. Do what I asked. And don’t ever talk to me again, until you have.”
With that I spun on my heel and stomped back into my car, praying I wouldn’t feel a giant hand close over my arm. If that happened, I don’t know what the hell I would do. We were in the middle of nowhere. There was no one to even hear me scream.
Luckily, Cole kept himself in check. For once in his big, stupid life, he swallowed his medicine.
He was still standing there stupidly, as he disappeared in my rear-view mirror.
~ 41 ~
HAYDEN
Amy answered the door on the third knock. She had her hair up in a bun, and her gold-flecked UGG slippers on her feet. Somewhere in the background, a television played.
“I know, I could’ve called,” I apologized quickly. “Ishould’vecalled. But…”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” my friend smiled gently. Her arms spread open, and I flung myself into them. “Hayden, what’s wrong?”
The tears fell again, this time unchecked. I’d fought them back for so long tonight, I just couldn’t anymore.
Besides, if I could cry in front of anyone, it would be Amy.
“Everything is wrong,” I muttered into her ample chest. Amy certainly had a good amount of assets, but this was her best one. “I left the guys. And… and Cole…”
“Cole?”
“I just saw him. I just talked to him.” I swallowed hard, peering over her shoulder at the cozy, well-lit living room. “Can I—“
