Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Taylor
T he arena was sold out. Thousands of fans packed into this massive stadium all to see Cole perform live. Sucking in a deep breath, I took it all in, realizing this was why I had to let him go, and I was a little excited to see him perform live. I'd never been to a concert, much less watched from backstage.
Shoving my hands into the pockets of my black jeans, I watched Kelly Mitchell, the opening band, belt out the lyrics to 'You're Gone' with 5,000 fans singing along with her. Kelly was new to the industry, but it wouldn't take her long to take off because she was a talented singer/songwriter, and she was beautiful—tall and thin, with long legs and big boobs. She had long blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was the kind of woman I thought Cole would end up with. Someone with as much talent as him. Someone as beautiful as him.
I froze; every nerve in my body suddenly electrified. The familiar heat of his body radiated against my back, a bittersweet reminder of what we once were. My heart thundered in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of the fight between us. His hand slid around my waist, his palm pressing against my stomach. I sucked in a sharp breath, holding it until my lungs burned, terrified that the slightest movement might shatter this moment – or worse, make it real. Every cell in my body screamed in recognition of his touch, a cruel juxtaposition to the anger and hurt that now defined us.
He dropped his mouth to my ear, and my eyes closed as the heat of his mouth feathered across my skin. A rush of memories flooded back, taking me back to when he was mine.
He leaned in close, his breath hot on my ear. "When you were fucking him, were you thinking about me?"
Anger coiled through me, and I shoved at his hand, but his grip only tightened, pulling me tighter against him. "You have no idea what you're talking about," I snarled.
"Was it me that was making you crazy?" His free hand slid around my throat, gripping my jaw and holding me in place. "When you closed your eyes, was it me you saw?"
"Cole," I growled.
"Don't worry, darlin', I've never given you a second thought."
I tugged at his hands again, fighting against his grip, and this time, he released me, and I whipped around. I decided at that moment that he didn't want to know the truth. He needed to hate me to make himself feel better. "Tell yourself whatever you need to so you can sleep at night, Cole."
He stepped forward, a menacing glint darkened his eyes, and I fought the urge to step back. "What do you tell yourself so that you can sleep at night?
Nothing .
I hated that I hurt him, but if I hadn't, he would still be stuck in Bridgewater and not doing what he was born to do. So, I slept fine most nights.
"Look, I get it," I said. "You hate me, but are you going to punish me every day for the next two weeks? Or can we move past this?"
His expression was flat, void of emotion, as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans. "Maybe I can bring you out on stage tonight for Heartless. Show the fans exactly who that song was meant for."
I rolled my eyes. "I guess I'll take that as a no."
His jaw tightened, a muscle twitching visibly. "Take it however you want, Taylor." He shrugged. "You want to stay on this tour, fine, but know that everyone will know what a dirty whore you are."
His words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. 'whore.' The phrase echoed in my head, each repetition a fresh wound. A hot, prickling sensation spread across my skin, shame and anger warring for dominance. Tears pricked at my eyes, blurring my vision, and I blinked furiously to hold them back. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
Swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, I forced out words that tasted like ashes. "Yeah. You do what you need to." My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears, a pale echo of the strength I was desperately trying to project.
For a brief moment, remorse flickered in his eyes, but then it was gone. His lips parted, and I decided I was done torturing myself. I had to be here because, for some stupid reason, I felt like I owed it to him, but this conversation was over. Brushing past him, I stormed off, not letting the tears flow until I was alone in the bathroom.
The moment the bathroom door clicked shut behind me, my carefully constructed facade crumbled. My legs gave way, and I slid down the cold tile wall, landing in a heap on the floor. The first sob tore from my throat, raw and primal. Tears I'd been holding back for what felt like an eternity finally broke free, scalding trails down my cheeks. Each gasping breath brought with it the taste of regret and the bitter sting of Cole's hatred.
I wrapped my arms around my knees, making myself as small as possible, as if I could somehow disappear into the cracks between the tiles and escape the crushing weight of my choices.
Maybe I should just go home and let him clean up his own mess. Maybe it was time to sell my parent's land. Maybe it was time for me to leave Bridgewater and start new somewhere else where I was free of the memories and a past I couldn't change.
But then I remembered what Kylie said. He needed to be honest to move on, and if he wasn't, he was going to lose everything, and all of this would have been for nothing.
The walls rattled from the bass, and I pushed to my feet, moving to the sink. "You can do this," I said to my reflection as I flicked on the water. Leaning forward, I splashed the cold water over my face. "You're going to walk out of this bathroom and hold your head high." The water dripped down my face. "And you're going to enjoy the concert like he didn't write a song about what a horrible person you are."
Sucking in a deep breath, I exhaled slowly before turning and jerking open the bathroom door.
Cole's deep Southern voice boomed from the speakers.
Wyatt's concerned face appeared as the bathroom door swung shut. He leaned in close, raising his voice over the pulsing music. "You okay?"
I tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear, avoiding his gaze. "Uh, yeah. I just needed a minute."
Wyatt's eyes softened with sympathy. He gestured towards the exit. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off? The buses are out back. Go relax."
My eyes darted towards the stage, a knot forming in my stomach. "What about Cole tonight?"
Wyatt waved a dismissive hand, his expression reassuring. "Don't worry about him tonight. I can handle getting him on his bus."
I nodded. "O...kay..."
"Come on, I'll walk you out." I nodded and followed him towards the exit.
"You heard what he said to me, didn't you?"
"Yeah." He sighed after several long seconds.
I waited for the questioning glare or even the question: 'Was it true?' but it didn't come. Realization dawned, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Kylie told you, didn't she?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, a guilty look crossing his face. "Yeah."
I groaned. "I guess it isn't much of a secret anymore."
Wyatt's lips quirked up in a reassuring smile, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "Your secret will die with me."He smiled as he shoved open the back exit. "If it's any consolation, I think what you did was admirable. Not many people could put someone else's wants and needs above their own and then, on top of that, take care of his dying brother."
"Yeah, I'm not sure Cole would see it that way." I continued to follow him through the back alley towards the busses.
"Honestly," he sighed, stopping in front of the doors to the first bus in the line, "I can't say how Cole would take finding out the truth."
I forced a smile, gesturing towards the nearest vehicle in an attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Is this my bus?"
Wyatt's expression turned apologetic as he nodded towards the bus. "Yes. You will share with Cole..."
My eyes widened in panic, and I took an involuntary step backward. "Oh... No... I can't..."
"Cole's bus is the only one with available bunks. He used to travel with River and Kylie, but they stopped touring with us a while ago, and he prefers to be alone, so..."
I dragged a hand down my face, muttering under my breath. "Fuck my life." I was getting paid back for every bad thing I'd ever done. Being stuck in close quarters with Cole for days at a time was definitely going to be torture.
Wyatt glanced at his watch, his brow furrowing as he calculated the timing. "I'll bring Cole out around 11:30. Plenty of time for you to shower, eat, enjoy the peace and quiet, and tuck yourself away before he comes in."
Forcing a smile, I nodded.
"I gotta get back. Good night, Taylor."
"Night."