7. Cole
SEVEN
COLE
“ A nything?” I demanded, settling in next to Enzo in the waiting room.
I returned from the bathroom stall after Rosalie sent me a picture of herself before going in for her test. I’d sent her a good luck photo back that was really me blowing her a kiss.
Fucking woman had me in a chokehold. I was barely holding on.
Needing to be alone with her was beginning to take over.
“Nothing,” Enzo muttered, darkening his screen.
He’d been texting Anson. Anson had already grown on Fox and E.
Clearly, he’d grown on Rosalie. If he took Enzo, I’d lose my fucking mind.
He was the only one I had left on my side regarding Anson, and I could feel him slipping, especially with this fucking bargain he’d made with the prick.
I grunted, hoping it stayed that way. While I wanted to help the kings and get Bianca home if she were alive, I’d rather we did it on our own without Ass Hat’s help. Because really, fuck him. Hard. With a knife. Twice.
“Vincent and Levin need a break,” Fox said, sipping a cup of coffee. “Those guys look dead on their feet. Hell, we’re dead on our feet.”
“I know,” Enzo mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
We were all exhausted off our asses. I got why we were here. Support. Strength in numbers. Loyalty and friendship. All that after-school positivity bullshit.
I needed a coffee. I got up and went over to the small room to the left of the waiting room where they housed the shitty coffee and stepped inside to see Levin adding a shit ton of cream to his cup.
“Hey,” I said, moving to grab a cup.
“You look like shit,” he grunted at me before taking a sip and pulling a face. “Fuck, I hate coffee.”
“I’m glad your coffee is bitter,” I muttered. “Not a nice way to greet someone helping you out.”
“I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m exhausted and…” his voice trailed off. “Lost.”
I put my coffee down and opened my arms.
“Bring it in,” I said.
“What?” He looked confused at my gesture.
Sighing, I moved forward and wrapped my arms around him. He was stiff in my hold, a wall of German muscle.
“Fucking relax,” I said into his ear. “It’s just a hug.”
“It’s weird.”
“I’m weird.” I hugged him tighter. “Hugging is what friends do.”
He sighed and relaxed against me, hugging me back. Moments later, he was sobbing softly into my neck, his hold on me tight.
“It’s OK,” I murmured. “Dom will be OK. He’s too tough to go out like this. You know that.”
He nodded against me.
I held him for a long time before someone cleared their throat. I lifted my head to see Vincent standing in the doorway.
Levin pulled away and quickly wiped at his eyes.
“Come here,” I said to Vincent, keeping my arms open.
Vincent didn’t hesitate. He came across the room in two short strides and fell into my arms, hugging me tightly.
“You don’t know what you guys being here means to us,” Vincent said into my ear, his voice shaky. “Everything you guys have done. Thank you.”
“Of course,” I said, squeezing him against me. “You’d do the same for us.”
“We would.” He broke away from me and wiped at his eyes.
“How is he?” I asked, lifting my coffee and taking a sip. The shit was bitter as fuck. I added creamer to it and tried again.
“He’s the same. Out. Cries out for her in his sleep,” Levin said softly.
“They have him heavily medicated. He doesn’t even know where he is right now.
When the meds were wearing off, he’d been a little crazy, so they loaded him up again to keep him resting so he doesn’t try to jump out a fucking window. Suicide watch, basically.”
I said nothing as I absorbed the information.
“They’re going to keep him here for a while,” Vincent added. “It’s not looking like he’ll be leaving. And if he does…”
“What?” I frowned at him.
Vincent glanced to Levin.
“They’re talking about a stay at a place called Chapel Crest.”
“Everett Church,” I said.
Levin nodded glumly. “Yep. They’d have to get Matteo’s permission, but I’m sure he’d throw Dom to the wolves without hesitation right now.”
“Everett is an enemy. I can’t imagine Matteo agreeing to that,” I said.
Vincent let out a sigh. “I wouldn’t put it past him. We need to get Dom better. Luckily, Matteo hasn’t bothered to show up here. Let’s count our blessings on that.”
We were all quiet for a long beat before I chucked my shitty coffee into the trash. “Well, we’re here for you guys. For whatever you need.”
“We do appreciate it,” Levin said, glancing at Vincent. “But you guys are exhausted. You have your girl you need to see. Classes. A life. We don’t want to hold you up.”
I waved him off. “We’re fine. I have a four-oh GPA and don’t even show up half the time. Imagine if I did. Enzo doesn’t give a shit about classes. Fox holds his own. E has been doing shit online on his phone. We’re good.”
“And your girl?” Vincent pressed. “Trust me, Cole. Cherish her. She could be ripped away in a heartbeat,” his voice cracked. “Like our B was.”
I reached out and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Have some faith, Vin. Maybe something good is just around the corner.”
“Do you believe that?” He looked at me with his big, brown eyes, so much desperation and hope in his voice that it broke my damn heart.
“I do,” I said solemnly. “Faith, man. OK?”
He nodded and forced a smile onto his face. “Right. Faith.”
I left the pair after that and returned to the lobby, really fucking hoping faith would keep us afloat. Or that Enzo would come through and produce a living Bianca.
That was the ultimate goal.
Just not at the expense of losing my Rosebud to that fuckhead Beyers.
I ground my teeth, knowing it was selfish of me to think that, but whatever. I knew what I wanted and would never let it go.