Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I heard a couple of gasps, and a guy scream “cat fight” somewhere, but they all sounded far away. Sasha’s grin widened as she put her hand on Cole’s forearm and I saw him shrug her off angrily before I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep myself composed.
I turned to Aubry once I opened my eyes again. “Aub, let’s go. We came, we saw,” I said, glaring at Cole. “We conquered,” I finished, lifting Bobby’s arm as if we’d won a race.
Aubry hesitated but stood beside me—and thankfully, took my side. “Alright. Guys, it’s been real. Thanks for everything. Cole, can I talk to you?” Aubry asked quietly.
Cole agreed with a nod, never taking his eyes off of me. He was looking at me the way he did when he left Maggie’s house a month and a half ago. Tears prickled my eyes at the memory, but I held them at bay. It’d been a month and a half since I felt his lips on mine. A month and a half of sleepless nights, wondering if he’d been thinking of me as much as I thought of him. A month and a half of wondering what could have been. A month and a half of kicking myself for being insecure about a long distance relationship.
By the time Aubry and Cole walked back to us, Bobby had given me his number, and I apologized to the guys for the scene I had caused. They all laughed it off and told me it had been fun. I was much more sober though, and quite frankly, very embarrassed. Sasha didn’t say anything as she stood in the corner. She didn’t have to. She had accomplished what she wanted and would forever be known as “that skank”—to me at least...and to Becky, of course.
“Blake, please talk to me,” Cole pleaded before I left the party.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I replied quietly. “I’m sorry I came here.”
He grabbed my elbow when I tried to walk away. “Please don’t. Please don’t be sorry you came here. I wish you would’ve told me you were coming,” he said sadly as he dropped my arm from his hold.
I glared at him. “Why? So you wouldn’t have fucked Sasha tonight? You would’ve waited until tomorrow night instead?” I spat. I knew I had no right, he wasn’t mine anymore.
He cringed. “Blake-” he said as he grabbed my arm again.
I pulled my arm roughly away from him. “No. Just. Don’t. I’m glad you’re doing well. I really am. I won’t be back—ever.”
He gaped at me. “Baby, please don’t say that. I don’t want you to not come back. I’m sorry,” he pleaded quickly.
“Don’t call me that,” I said through gritted teeth. “And I don’t want you to be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
I walked away and got into the waiting cab to find Aubry already passed out inside. Cole was still standing in the street with his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans. He was looking somberly at me, his broken eyes matching my heart. As we started to drive away, I lowered my window.
“Have fun with your skank!” I said loudly. His eyes were glistening as he shook his head in defeat.
The next morning Aubry and I headed back to the airport, and I was glad to leave the sad memories behind me. I knew they would haunt me for a while—if not, forever. Her hand on his ass. Her teeth on his neck. Him wrapping her in his arms as he kissed her neck. The sounds they were making as they had sex. I shuddered at the memory and brushed myself off disgustedly. The worst part was that out of all of the memories I wished I could erase, the most prominent one was the pain in his eyes as I left him. Fucking Cole...
The night we got back home Aubry told me that Cole had given him a letter to give me. I told him to rip it up and throw it away. I didn’t want to read it now—or ever. Months later I wondered whatever happened to that letter, but I never asked Aubry.
Chapter 17
Present
It’s been a couple of months since our meeting with Mark, and Cole still hasn’t met his parents or even let them know that he’s alive. He and Aimee are taking time to get to know each other better, which has been great for them. If anybody were to see them in the street, they would never know that they hadn’t seen each other in so many years. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re siblings, or the fact that they’re twins that makes their bond so unique. It’s almost like they picked up where they left off twenty-one years ago, it’s an incredible thing to witness.