I wish I could take it all away from her.
That I could destroy that part of her and erase it from its very existence.
Because no amount of searching and digging was worth what I discovered.
This beautiful, funny girl was completely wrecked by someone who didn’t deserve her.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
It only makes her cry harder. I don’t know what to say or do to make things better, but I won’t give up. Not now. Not ever.
We sit here for minutes, maybe hours, I don’t even care. I will be right here by her side for as long as she needs me. Until the stars fade and the moon falls from the sky. I’ll suck up the pain and sorrow until the memories grow dim, and the gaps in my heart are filled with the shards she’s discarded from hers.
Chapter 28
Cole
When she’s stopped crying, I pick her up from the ground and cradle her in my arms. She’s exhausted from the struggle, and her eyes can barely stay open. If I hadn’t gotten up, she probably would’ve fallen asleep right there in the woods against my chest.
But after what she’s been through, I can’t let her give up. If she can’t walk, then I will do the walking for her.
I carry her all the way back through the woods toward my home and walk up the steps. All the guests outside are staring at me. Guests I didn’t fucking invite and didn’t want to be here. Somehow word got around … thanks to that fucknut Michael. I knew telling them I was home alone was a mistake. But that’s what you get for wanting a good time. Stares and whispers behind your back from people who thought this would be an amazing party.
Well, I have some bad news for them.
“Party’s over,” I growl right at them as I walk inside.
The music is still blaring from the speakers, so I march toward it and snarl at someone standing next to it. “Turn it off.”
He glares at me for a second as if to dare me to act, but he can see the bruises on my face. I don’t fucking mess around.
The music is turned off, and everyone turns to look.
Tristan comes toward me with a confused look on his face. “Cole? What the …?” he mutters when he sees Monica in my arms.
I clutch her closer, feeling fiercely protective over her. “The party is over. Done. Finished,” I say. “Go home.”
Benjamin joins in from behind Tristan. “Dude, you’re covered in bruises. What the fuck.”
Tristan frowns. “What happened?” He pulls out his phone. “Michael messaged me, told me you kicked him out of the band.”
“Not now,” I growl, and I look over at the people staring at us. “Did you hear me? The party is over.”
Everyone tapers off with disappointed looks on their faces, but I don’t give a fuck.
I never asked for this party to begin with, and somehow, it got started anyway. Once the people began to flood in, there was no stopping it. I went along with it for the sake of it even though there were too much booze and drugs, and some girls were all up in my face trying to get my attention despite me telling them I wasn’t interested.
And I let it happen because Tristan asked me to enjoy the evening.
No more.
“Dude, why?” Benjamin asks.
“This is why,” I growl, gazing down at Monica and the frightened look on her face.
Tristan tries to take a closer look, but I shield her from him. “It’s done. Go home,” I say. “I’ll clean up this fucking mess in the morning.”
Tristan swallows and steps back. “Sorry, dude. I didn’t know shit was gonna happen.”
I ignore him and pass by all the people leaving the house, so I can go up the stairs. Tristan’s and Benjamin’s stares penetrate my back like laser beams, but I pay no attention to them.
Right now, all I care about is keeping her safe.
Here, with me.
The noise downstairs is growing weaker and weaker, but I no longer care as I walk into my room and shut the door behind us with my foot. I place her down on my bed and sit down beside her, watching her breathe slowly through her nose. She sinks into my pillow, and within seconds, she’s out, exhausted as she was. She looks so calm while she’s sleeping. Such a stark contrast to how she looked when she was sobbing in my arms.
I lie down beside her and stare at her for a moment, just to center myself. A loose strand of hair has stuck to her face from all the crying, and I gently nudge it aside. The dark of night can’t hide the beauty of her face … nor the fragility hiding underneath.
I saw something today that wasn’t meant to happen, something that scarred her more than it scarred me, but it still left a mark on my soul. I can’t fathom the effects it had on her. She didn’t deserve any of that, yet it happened to her anyway.