Chapter 56
COLE
Enzo finished making dinner because Rosalie didn’t come back. I assumed shit went south with him in the kitchen, and that was why she left.
I didn’t ask.
Instead, I ate my dinner, my heart happy because I hadn’t tasted this kind of meal in forever. Enzo rarely cooked. I think it was because it reminded him of Rosalie.
Anson had gone upstairs not long after Rosalie had, so it was just me and Enzo downstairs.
I watched as he picked at his food.
“Eat, man. It’s amazing,” I said, chowing down.
“I think I’m tired. I’m going to go to bed.”
I sighed. “Come on, man—”
He got up and patted me on the back. “Have a good night.”
And that was it. He left me sitting alone at the table. I finished before putting everything away.
I wandered upstairs, wondering if maybe I should offer Anson a blanket for the couch because there was no way in hell he’d be able to fit in bed with Rosalie and Ellis.
Deciding maybe I’d be the good guy, I went into my bedroom to grab an extra pillow and blanket for him, only to find him and Rosalie waiting for me on my bed.
“Hey,” I said, confused. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Rosalie said, getting to her feet and coming to me. I swallowed as she stopped and stared up at me.
“Cole?”
“Yeah?” I choked out.
“Do you love me?”
Did I love her? How do I tell her I yearn for her without sounding like a complete chump? I wasn’t sure, but when I considered it, I realized I just didn’t give a damn how I sounded. The only thing that mattered was the truth about my feelings.
“You ask if I love you like the last few years didn’t just crawl across my skin and carve your name into my soul.
” I stared down at her for a moment like I couldn’t believe she was real and standing in front of me instead of out of reach behind a TV screen.
The entire time she’d been with me, from the hotel to now, seemed surreal.
“Do you know what my mornings have looked like without you?” I asked quietly.
“Coffee cold as I sat mesmerized by you on screen. Award shows on, so I could catch a glimpse of your smile as your dreams came true. Buying out all the magazines when I saw your face on their covers because it was the closest thing I had to touching you again.”
I swallowed, completely entranced by her beauty as she stared up at me, lips parted, and brows crinkled.
“I knew when you cut your hair. I knew when you took off Blossom’s ring and your thumb went bare.
I knew you were lying in your interviews because you’d twirl one of your curls to try to avoid the reality of the question.
” I let out a bitter laugh. “Five years apart and I still knew you better than anyone standing beside you.” I took a step closer, completely invading her space.
“And every single night, I replayed the moment I walked away because I deserved to live that pain on repeat for being so stupid.”
I closed my eyes to compose myself. I’d been keeping all this shit locked inside me for far too long. I didn’t give a shit if Ass Hat was sitting on my bed, hearing it all. Maybe he’d finally get it through his damn head that she would always be my girl.
“I thought leaving was the right thing. Thought maybe I was protecting you from me, from our life, from all the ugly things in our fucked-up world.” I scoffed.
“Turns out all I did was spend five years ripping my own heart out with my bare hands while the world got the pieces of you that were once mine.”
I reached out and cradled her face.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to love someone in silence while millions of people scream their name?
I sat in my dark room, watching men interview you, who didn’t know what I knew.
They didn’t know your fake laugh from your real one.
They didn’t know you bite your bottom lip when you’re tired.
They got the Rosalie who lived in the spotlight.
” I lowered my voice. “But me? I was the one who knew your soul. So don’t ask me if I love you.
” My voice shook. “I’ve loved you so long it stopped feeling human.
It became part of my being. Part of every regret. Every prayer. Every goddamn thing.”
I paused. Tears glimmered in her pretty green eyes.
“You were gone for five years, Rosebud.” My voice cracked.
“And I never survived a single day of it. Parts of my soul died each passing minute. Do I love you? I love you so fucking much that the stars would weep for the hole in my chest that losing you left me. If there is only one thing I do in this life, it is to prove to you that I am worth it, Rosalie. We are worth it. So yes, I love you. I adore you. I will fucking worship you on my knees for eternity because you are my goddess. Whether you’re mine or not, this kind of love will not die. Only I will if I never have you.”
She surged forward and crushed her lips against mine.
I didn’t hesitate. I dragged her into my arms, my tongue tangling with hers. I didn’t give a shit that Ass Hat was watching. I wanted the girl, and if it meant I had to play nice with him, so be it.
Rosalie was worth it.
Ellis was worth it.
They were everything I’d always wanted. There was no goddamn way I’d ever throw it away. I would give up everything for them.
In that moment, I knew I would. I’d walk away from it all.
I slowed the kiss, my heart soaring. Ass Hat hadn’t punched me, so that was a good sign.
I rested my forehead against hers.
“Anson?” I called out, my voice rough.
“Yeah?” he answered.
“I really want to fuck your girl, man.” I looked at him, my heart in my throat. “If I go get us some wine and sweet-talk you, would you be open to something like that?”
Anson narrowed his eyes at me. “What kind of wine?”
I let out a soft huff of laughter. “I don’t know, man. Some rich bitch bullshit Enzo keeps collecting.”
“Wow me. Then we’ll talk,” he said, smirking.
I couldn’t believe he wasn’t giving me shit. I’d have punched someone if they’d asked me what I was asking him.
“Really?” I asked.
“Get the wine, Cole,” he said. “You’ll need to liquor me up to get me into bed with you.”
I snorted. “Same, bitch.”
I kissed Rosalie once more before releasing her. I rushed downstairs, grabbed three wine glasses and three different bottles of chilled wine in case one of them sucked. I raced back upstairs, praying silently that this worked out.
I had to get Anson wasted in case I came early. I hadn’t fucked a woman in half a goddamn decade. Or at least, not that I remembered, since I didn’t recall Rosalie and my night together. If I blew my load too early, I knew that fuck would never let me live it down.
Rosalie was sitting on the edge of my bed with Anson when I returned.
Immediately, I put the wine and glasses onto the small glass coffee table in my bedroom in the sitting area near the electric fireplace.
I never turned that damn thing on, but I did in that moment. I wanted this to be perfect and cozy.
Anson and Rosalie said nothing as I went into my walk-in closet, brought out an armload of blankets and pillows, and set everything up.
“There,” I said, gesturing to the soft mounds of blankets and pillows in front of the fire. “I made us a cozy spot.”
Anson stood and took Rosalie’s hand. He led her over, and she took a seat on the blankets. I sat beside her and poured some wine as Anson took the spot on her other side.
I gave him a glass of wine.
“Here’s to hoping,” I said, offering my glass for a toast.
Anson chuckled, and Rosalie smiled as our glasses clinked.
“Not bad,” Anson murmured, taking a sip of the wine. “LeeLee, what does it remind you of?”
“Mm, Italy. The night on the water.”
I sat watching them relive a night I hadn’t been privy to.
“The night on the water.” Anson laughed softly. “To one of the best nights of my life.”
“Hate to tell you this,” I broke in. “But I’m about to give you the best night of your life.”
Anson snorted. “Scott, you really think you can keep up with me?”
“Yes. I know her body, man.”
“You knew her body. Her body has belonged to me for the last five years. I assure you that I’ve molded it to my will.”
Prick.
He liked trying to take the wind out of my sails.
“We’ll see,” was all I said as I finished off my wine and poured more.
“Tell me about work,” Rosalie said after we’d gone through another glass of wine each.
“Eh, I like it,” I said. “I’m working in neurology right now. I finished my emergency rotation.”
“How much longer do you have left?” Anson asked.
“About a year. I’ve considered just paying the fucks off so I can be done, but I told myself I could force myself through this. I have an easy enough rotation and hours. I already pay to not have shitty hours.”
Anson chuckled. “Of course you paid for that.”
I shrugged. “I’m good at what I do. I don’t give a fuck if I miss out on the bullshit.”
Anson nodded. “I get it.”
“How about you?” I asked, looking directly at Rosalie. “How’s work?”
She laughed softly. “You know how work is. I can’t make a move without it televised.”
“I’m sure there are things that happen behind the scenes the world doesn’t know about. Tell me about those things,” I said.
“Uh, well, here’s something. I wrote a new song recently while I was getting my nails done. Well, some of a new song. I’ll likely finish it this week. Then I started a new one.”
“That’s my girl.” Anson grinned at her and squeezed her hand.
“Yeah? What’s it called?” I asked.
Her cheeks darkened. “Um, Hypocrite.”
I raised my brows at that. “Are you blasting my ass again in it?”
“Cole—” She gave me a pained look.
I held my hands up. “It’s fine. I deserve your wrath, but come on, Rosalie. Write something where I’m your epic second chance, and it’s better than the first chance. Because I promise it will be.”
She smiled at that. “Second Chance. I like that. I could write it.”
I smirked smugly at Anson. “See that? I’m getting a song written about me. Where’s your song?”
“Ever heard of the song called Fuck Me Better?” Anson asked.
I frowned. I knew all of Rosalie’s songs, and I’d never heard of that one.