Guilt strikes my chest.
“I was working at that old run-down diner on Mustang Way when I met Jacob. I was looking for a way out of here and I jumped at the first opportunity.”
My nostrils flare at the thought of her being that young and meeting him. “How old was he?”
“Twenty-eight.”
My blood boils. She was so vulnerable and looking for someone, anyone to help her feel seen... and that's who swooped in. A man who needed a younger, broken woman to feed his ego.
“Things were good with him at first, but it all moved so quickly. We got engaged less than a year after being together and married about a year after that. Jacob was charming and he made me feel loved. He made me feel like I was the most amazing person. It was everything I thought I needed at that time in my life, but I wish I hadn't been so ignorant to the red flags I saw from the start.” She pauses, shaking her head assadness washes over her irises. “I didn’t realize that everything he was feeding me, he was also feeding to other women.”
My jaw tightens to the point that it feels like my teeth are going to crumble from the pressure.
“I was stuck in a loveless marriage with a serial cheater. The first time I found out was right before we got married. I didn’t want to go through with the wedding, but he convinced me that it would never happen again.” She pauses, shaking her head. “But it happened again, not long after the wedding.”
“I'm sorry, Ella,” I breathe, my nostrils flaring as I conceal my anger. There's nothing either of us can do about it now. “I’m so goddamn sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” she says, giving me a small smile. “He worked all the time and was constantly away on business trips. I know now that a lot of those trips weren’t only for business. He was sleeping with multiple different women wherever he went. Every once and awhile he would take me on a trip with him, but even then, he’d still find a way to sneak off, only to come back smelling like perfume and alcohol, claiming I was making something out of nothing.”
“The one that was the final blow was the woman he’s marrying now. The one who he seemingly turned it all around for.” She pauses, letting out a ragged breath. “Wyatt was the one who caught them together. He was leaving the hospital one night and found them on a park bench on his walk home, making out. When he questioned Jacob about it, the woman went frantic and Jacob told her to go to the car while he explained everything to Wyatt.”
“It was devastating,” she says quietly. “And even after it all, he still begged me to stay. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too.” She purses her lips. “I think he was afraid I would take him for everything, but honestly, I didn’t want a single thing from him.”
“Ella…”
She shakes her head at me. “I found out I was pregnant the day we buried our parents. I refused to raise a child in a loveless home like that. So, I left. Wy, Remi and Iris were all waiting for me when the plane landed”
Pride lifts my heart in my chest. I can't help but feel sad for her that she was stuck with him for years before she finally left, but I'm so glad she was able to get out. I'm glad she was able to see things for what they really were, rather than choosing to stay. “That took a lot of courage, El. I'm endlessly proud of you for making that choice.”
“It was a really scary time,” she admits, her voice barely audible as guilt washes over her expression. “I wanted out of the marriage and for a moment, it felt like something that could make me feel stuck instead.” She tilts her head back, closing her eyes as she takes a deep breath and looks at me again. “The opposite happened. Jacob swore I cheated and claimed the baby wasn’t his. He wanted no involvement, whatsoever.”
She pauses, tears filling her eyes. “I don’t know where I would have been without my brother, Remi and Iris. They saved me.”
“You saved yourself, Ella.” I reach forward, wiping her tears away before pulling her into my arms. “They helped to guide you, but you did it. You got out and stayed strong. I am so fucking proud of you.”
She pulls away, her eyes searching mine. “I love you, Cole. I'm sorry it took me this long to finally say it. With everything with Jacob and finding out there was an error in the divorce paperwork, I wanted to make sure that was completely behind me so there's nothing that can get in our way.”
“I love you,” I murmur, cupping the sides of her face as my heart grows ten sizes inside my chest. “God, I love you. I have since the moment I first laid eyes on you.”
“I tried to resist you at first because I was scared. I was scared to ever let someone in again. Once I started to fall for you, I never stood a chance. I fell fast and hard and it terrified me.” She pauses, laughing softly. “The feelings I have for you still kind of scare me.”
“I don't want you to ever be afraid,” I breathe, stroking her cheeks with the pads of my thumbs. “You will always be safe with me. Always.”
“I know.” Tears shimmer in her eyes and the smile on her lips consumes her entire face. “We're safe and we’re loved.”
“And you always will be.”
EPILOGUE
COLE
ONE YEAR LATER
“Chloe, leave the fish in the water!”
She whips her head to the side, her eyes wide as she realizes she's been caught. A slow smile lifts the corners of her lips and she pushes away from the small pond, straightening her body as she wipes her wet hands on her pants. “Sorry,” she says sweetly with her little smile that always gets her her way. “I just wanted to see if it was heavy.”
I stare at the little girl for a moment, attempting to make sense of the logic behind her thinking it was a good idea to try to lift one of the koi from the small pond. I mean, I can understand why she would want to see how much it weighs, considering the damn things are huge, but at the same time, what the hell? It's a fish... in a pond.
