Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Taylor
S tanding at the foot of my bed, I laid the folded shirt inside my suitcase, staring aimlessly at the wall, lost in my own thoughts. I was so ready to go home. I'd tried to tell Cole the truth, and he didn't want to know. I had to accept the fact that he was always going to hate me and move on with my life. I just hoped he would at least read his brother's letter one day.
I flinched when something pounded against the door hard and fast, startling me out of my thoughts. The pounding didn't stop.
I knew who it was. I didn't know why, but I knew it was Cole.
I stormed forward, jerking the door open. My words died on my lips as I saw Cole's thunderous expression.
Cole's eyes blazed as he thrust the white sheet of paper in my face. "Is this true?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling slowly. "You're going to have to be a little more specific, Cole. Is what true?"
"This letter?" He pushed past me, his shoulder bumping me out of the way.
I clicked the door closed and twisted around, rolling my eyes. "Sure, Cole, why don't you come in... What letter?" Exasperation crept into my voice.
Cole's eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Let's not play stupid. The letter from Caleb."
My face dropped. "You read it?" I couldn't hide the surprise on my face or tone. I honestly didn't think he would ever read it.
He made a sound of irritation deep in his throat. "Is it true, Taylor?"
Sighing, I raised my shoulders. "I don't know, Cole. I don't know what it says." I didn't know what that letter said, but I knew Caleb had no reason to lie.
"I want to know the truth." He growled, dropping heavily into the chair in the corner of the room. "Now."
I huffed out a laugh. "Cole, I've been trying to tell you the truth."
"I'm listening now." There was a slight edge to his voice that I wasn't sure I'd ever heard before.
Blowing out a heavy sigh, I sank onto the edge of the bed. "What do you want to know?"
Cole leaned forward, his intense gaze boring into mine. "Everything. I want you to start from the beginning and tell me exactly how you became my brother's wife."
"Okay." I exhaled slowly, my gaze finally meeting his. My fingers twisted the hem of my shirt as I began, "The day after we decided to pack up everything we owned and move to Nashville, my dad had an appointment with his oncologist. We were expecting the news that he was in remission, and then I was going to take him out to lunch to tell him I was moving to Nashville, but that's not what happened." My gaze shifted to the floor as the memories flashed forward. "His doctor told us that the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs. He told us that we were out of options and that he should enjoy what time he had left."
"How much time?" Cole leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, eyes intense.
"Six months, maybe less." The words caught in my throat as I clasped my hands tightly, knuckles whitening. "I was devastated, but I knew that I couldn't leave him. I was all he had."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"That's where it gets kind of complicated," I said. "Once I got my dad home and settled, I saddled up Rodeo and rode him to your house. You weren't back from the stables yet, but Caleb was there. He saw I was upset and asked me what was wrong, and I lost it. I told him everything. I told him about my dad being sick and how his last wish was to be buried next to my mom on our family's land, but we were losing the land. We talked for a long time, and eventually, he told me that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. His doctors misdiagnosed him several times, and by the time they figured it out, it had already spread."
"So you knew he was sick?" I nodded. "But you didn't tell me."
"He didn't want anyone to know yet, especially your mom. He wanted to get all of his affairs in order, and he didn't want to be pushed into trying experimental treatments that the doctor said were unlikely to work. He wanted to enjoy the little bit of time he had left."
His gaze dropped to the letter in his hand, and I could see the storm raging in his eyes. "Why would he do that?" He'd asked the question out loud, but I knew it was rhetorical.
"He told me that if I told you about my dad and that I was staying, you would stay too and that it would ruin your chances of reaching your dreams. He told me that if you didn't leave now, you never would. You'd be stuck in this small town living a small town life." His deep blue eyes flicked up, meeting mine. His expression was filled with hurt. "That was when he came up with this wild plan."
I paused for a minute, a thoughtful frown forming as I thought back.
"Now, looking back, I realize that he needed you and Kylie to hate him. He needed you both to leave because he knew that if you knew he was sick, you wouldn't leave. He didn't want you stuck there watching him die."
"That wasn't his choice." His voice cracked. "It wasn't your choice."
I shrugged. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it wasn't, and the truth was I told him no. I didn't think you would ever believe that Caleb and I were so in love that we were getting married."
"Then what changed?"
"I told him no and walked down to the stables to find you, but you were out there with Morgan Bradley..."
"Taylor," he interjected, his voice softening slightly. "Nothing happened between Morgan and me."
I smiled softly. "I know." My stomach twisted with regret and sadness. "I heard you telling her about Nashville and how you were going to ask me to marry you. It was at that moment that I knew Caleb was right. I couldn't be responsible for holding you back from your dreams. I couldn't take the chance of you staying and resenting me for the rest of your life."
"Taylor." Cole slid to the edge of his chair, his voice softening. He held up his hands, gaze sweeping around the room. "None of this mattered to me."
"I know, which is why I had to do it. I knew you would give it all up for me." I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat. "I couldn't take the chance that someday you might resent me and this small-town life we'd end up living because you were always destined to do big things. That was your time to shine, and look at you now. You made it."
He pushed to his feet, and my gaze followed the letter as it fell to the floor. Anger radiated off him.
I wrung my hands, my voice barely above a whisper. "I know you're angry. But I didn't do this to hurt you..."
"Angry is not a strong enough word for what I feel right now." His jaw flexed, and his fist clenched at his side. "You two made a plan that involved Kylie and I's life and didn't include us." His tone was a loud growl. "You made decisions for us, and what's worse is you still don't get it."
"I do, Cole..."
He raised a hand, his eyes flashing. "Stop. Just stop talking."
My mouth snapped shut, and I nodded.
"I can't," he started, holding his hands up. "I need time to process all of this." He stormed out of the room without another word.
Tears filled my eyes, and my heart broke in half. I'd hurt him all over again, and it felt just as bad as the first time. I never should have come. The tears spilled over, streaming down my cheeks. It was too late to turn back now. What was done was done. I'd give him tonight, and tomorrow, I would talk to him again. Maybe tomorrow, he could see past his anger and hurt. Maybe.
The following morning, I was packed and waiting outside my hotel room door before the sun broke, hoping to catch Cole for a minute before we left. I don't know why, but I needed to know he was okay. It was almost time to leave, and there had been no movement behind his door, and I was starting to worry.
I shifted on my feet, my gaze flicking to the opposite direction. Wyatt strolled towards me, lifting a hand. "Hey, you ready?"
"Yep." I forced a smile. I waited for him to pass me to knock on Cole's door, but he didn't. He stopped in front of the elevator. "What about Cole?"
"He took an earlier flight back." My heart sank. "He said you two talked, and he needed some time."
"I guess it's a good thing I didn't tell him the truth before the tour was over," I half-heartedly joked to hide the hurt swirling through me.
Wyatt hit the arrow down button on the elevator, his expression softening. "You did the right thing. He's mad now, but the pain will ease, and he'll be able to move on with his life." The elevator chimed, and the door opened. He stepped on, and I followed. "And he'll stop dragging Kylie through the mud with him."
My gaze narrowed as the doors closed, and I realized telling Cole the truth was never about Cole or me. Not for Wyatt, anyway.
It was about Kylie.
I flicked a look at him, keeping my voice deliberately casual. "How long have you and Kylie been seeing each other?"
His smile faded, and his lips parted, his eyes widening as they met mine. "What?"
"Does Cole know?" I shook my head. "No, of course, he doesn't."
"It's not like that."
"You two brought me here hoping he would want me again."
"I know that's what it looks like, but I promise it's not."
"Then what is it?" I cocked a brow. The truth was it was none of my business except that they had used me.
"Yes, I'm with Kylie, but we brought you here because he needed to face the past so that he could move on. He doesn't want Kylie, but he holds on to her because she's the last link to his past."
"Or maybe it's because she's the mother of his daughter."
He shook his head. "There's no doubt he loves River, but for the last year, I've watched him drag her down with him. He's made it clear he doesn't want her, but he won't let her move on for some reason. I believe you are that reason."
I had no idea if Wyatt was right or not, but I knew that Wyatt believed he was, and if he was right, that wasn't fair to Kylie.
Exhaling, I nodded. "You're going to have to tell him."
"I know, and we will once this passes."
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. "Good luck."
He smiled. "You ready to go home?"
"I've never been so ready for anything in my life."
"You know," Wyatt smiled, "it's not too late to take the money and pay off your parents' land."
I shook my head. "It's time to move on."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out." I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew I desperately needed a change. I'd spent the last two years taking care of everyone else and trying desperately not to lose my parent's land, and truthfully, I didn't really want to let the land go, but it didn't feel right taking the money not to fix a mess that I caused.