Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
CORD
Itook the steps up to my apartment at a full run, going two at a time, keeping my heartrate up.
I usually tried to be at Rory’s as early as possible, typically leaving straight from work, but in the past week and a half, I’d been so consumed with her and Zach that I’d let my workouts go to hell.
So when I got off today, I’d hit the weight room in my complex hard, then went for a run.
I still wasn’t in the same shape I’d been in before being shot, but I was getting close, and I didn’t want to risk back sliding.
I hit the landing to the second level and finally began to slow, my thoughts pulling to the fact that all I had left to do was shower, dress, and pack a bag to stay the night before I was finally back where I wanted to be. That being on the ranch with Zach and Rory.
I reached the third story and turned toward my apartment as I pulled the earbuds from my ears after silencing Zeppelin’s “Ramble On” that had been playing on my phone. I was only a few feet from my front door when I looked up and came to a dead stop.
“No,” I clipped, the heat suffusing my veins having nothing to do with the workout I’d just put myself through. “No fuckin’ way. We’re not doing this.”
“I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks,” Laurie said, her tone snide and her face pinched in an unhappy scowl.
“I’m aware, Laurie. I’m also aware that you should’ve taken my failure to answer or return your countless messages as the hint it was meant to be.”
Her hands landed on her hips as her scowl intensified. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Jesus. I knew she was smart; that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that when she wanted something, she ignored everything else in her pursuit of getting that something, even the obvious. “It means I have absolutely no desire to speak to you. Now you need to go. I’ve got shit to do.”
“By ‘shit to do,’ I take it you mean you’re going to see her?”
At that snarky question, I felt the heat in my veins grow hotter. “That’s none of your business. Now I said we’re not doing this, and I meant it. Go home.”
I moved to step around her, but she cut right back into my space. “We need to talk, Cord.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I gave you that time a couple weeks ago at Alpha Omega, and you didn’t bother to use it wisely.”
“You barely gave me a chance to get a word in edgewise!” she cried, throwing her arms out. “And with all those people watching… I didn’t know what to say. Please, Cord. There’s so much we need to discuss. If you’d just give me a second—”
I reached up to pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting to keep my anger in check as I spoke in an even voice. “Laurie. There’s nothin’ to talk about ’cause we’re done. If you’re here to explain your reasons for bailing for seven fuckin’ months after I got shot, I don’t want to hear them.”
Her eyes turned sad, and I could see the tears starting to gather at her lower lids. “I get that you’re mad, Cord. You have every right to be—”
“I’m not mad,” I corrected. “I was at first, but that was months ago. I don’t want to hear it because I honestly don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me, Laurie, because we’re done. I don’t care why you left or why you came back.”
“I came back because I’m in love with you!
” she exclaimed. “I made a mistake, sweetie. A huge, huge mistake, and I’m so sorry.
But we can get through this.” She came close and tried to place her palms on my chest, but I grabbed her wrists before she found purchase, using the hold to move her back a step.
“I don’t care about that either,” I said.
“What we had, Laurie, it’s in the past. You need to move on.
I don’t want this to end bad between us.
I’d like to think back on that time when we were kids and cherish those memories.
For a long time, you were all I had. Those memories are important to me.
I don’t want to lose them, so I’m askin’, please, let this go so they don’t turn sour. ”
The sadness on her pretty face dissolved and an ugly bitterness took its place. “This is all because of her,” she spat. “Your precious Rory.”
“Don’t,” I warned on a deep rumble as I began to lose grip on my patience. “This isn’t about her. It’s about us not fitting together anymore.”
“We could fit if you’d just give us a chance! I broke through once. It took work, but I did it. I got you to trust me, and that turned into something so incredible, Cord. I can break through again. I know I can. I can make you love me again.”
“Laurie, stop,” I grunted. “Christ. Just stop.”
“Do you have any idea how it feels? All these weeks trying to get ahold of you, trying to reach you so I could apologize and start mending this breach between us, and you’ve been running around with her. It’s humiliating! I know you took her to the Groves, Cord.”
My chin jerked back and my body locked tight. “What the fuck?”
“Yeah.” She sneered. “Sue Ellen told me everything.”
Sue Ellen Mayfield. Christ, I should have known.
There were red flags going up left and right that I shouldn’t have gotten back with Laurie when she moved to Hope Valley, and the biggest, brightest flag was that she was the kind of woman who’d become friends with a person like Sue Ellen Mayfield.
That woman thrived on gossip and drama to the point that she’d actually stir shit up herself just to be entertained.
And Laurie had fallen into a fast friendship with her.
“I also know you’ve been playing house with her and that kid.”
“You need to stop now,” I warned as red coated over my vision. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t heed my advice.
“What you feel for her, it isn’t real.”
“Last time I’ll say it, Laurie. Quit now before you really piss me off.”
“You’re blinded by her because she’s taken that boy in when you didn’t have anyone to do that for you. That’s all!”
“That’s it,” I growled, taking a step closer and getting in her personal space.
“I warned you, but you didn’t fuckin’ listen.
As usual, you want somethin’, you go all out to get it, even if that means actin’ like a self-centered brat.
I told you not to spoil those memories, but you just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, and now they’re ruined.
And that’s all on you. You and I were done before.
But now I mean it in a way that, when I look back on that time, I won’t feel anything but annoyed that the sweet girl I used to know grew up to be what you are.
You broke through once, but now you can leave this town in your rearview mirror knowing you’ll never, ever break through again.
There isn’t a breach between us, Laurie, it’s a goddamn shark-infested ocean you’ll never be able to cross.
“What I have with Rory and Zach doesn’t have a goddamn thing to do with you, and I better never hear you so much as mention them ever again.
For a year and a half, I put up with your games and your temper tantrums because I remembered the girl you used to be, the girl I once loved.
But I don’t like a single thing about the woman you’ve become.
You’re manipulative and jealous and insecure.
You always treated Rory like shit because you felt threatened.
You never wanted to get to know the guys I work with because you couldn’t stand the fact that I didn’t give you my attention every hour of every goddamn day.
You would’ve been lucky to have women like Rory and her friends in your circle, had you bothered to give them a shot.
But you didn’t. And that’s your loss.” I pointed my finger in her face, her tears having no effect on me whatsoever.
“We. Are. Done. And when I say that, I mean we’re done in the sense that you no longer exist for me.
If I see you on the street or in a restaurant, I’ll keep on going without it even registering it’s you sittin’ there.
And again, this is how it is because you made it that way. ”
“Cord,” she whispered, her voice and chin trembling as tears spilled down her cheeks. “You don’t mean that.”
My lips parted to tell her I absolutely meant every single word I’d just said, but before I got the chance, my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of the pocket of my athletic shorts, seeing Rory’s name on the screen, and put it to my ear. “Dollface, now’s not really—”
“I know you’re probably busy, Cord, and I’m so sorry, but do you think you could come over here?”
Her voice was a discomforting mixture of worry and anger, and I immediately went on edge. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone gave Zach a bloody nose and a black eye!”
That red covering my vision turned so dark it was nearly maroon. “I’ll be right there.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper, the relief stark in her words as she said, “Thank you, honey.”
I hung up the phone and shoved it back into my pocket as I headed to my front door.
“Cord, we’re not—” Laurie tried, but I stopped her with one last look over my shoulder.
“You’re not even here.”
Then I unlocked my front door and pushed inside. The only thought in my head was getting to my boy and my woman so I could figure out what the hell went wrong and set about making it right.