35. Cole
THIRTY-FIVE
COLE
I didn’t say anything as we drove back from the club. The night had been fucked, and what was fucked, couldn’t be unfucked.
We pulled into the garage, and Enzo cut the engine, staring at the wall in front of us.
We sat in silence for a long beat before I broke in.
“What are we doing, Enzo?”
He let out a sigh, not looking at me. “I don’t know anymore.”
“Tonight wasn’t what I signed on for.”
“Me either,” he murmured.
“I don’t fuck around on my girl, man. We can’t be put into these situations anymore.
E lost his shit. Fox is pissed. We just fucking got over a bad spell.
I don’t want to do that shit again. And Celeste…
” I scrubbed my hand down my face, pissed off at that bitch.
She’d come back, tears on her cheeks. She’d pulled Enzo aside to complain about Fox.
I had no idea what happened past that because Enzo disappeared with her to what I assume was to calm her down and to avoid her seeing her dad get his dick sucked at our table.
He was gone for nearly a half hour.
It made my guts twist.
“Nothing happened,” he whispered. “If that’s what you’re asking me. I didn’t touch her.”
“Did she touch you?” I ventured softly.
He said nothing and continued to stare ahead.
“Enzo, man, tell me?—”
“Nothing fucking happened, Cole. I’d never let it happen. I hate her just as much as E does.” He finally looked over at me, his voice shaking. “I’d never . Rosalie is my future. Forever. Always. She’s endgame. Nothing will ever change that.”
I stared him down, not one hundred percent sure he was telling me everything. I really fucking hoped he was, though. Anything less would get his dick kicked in. He may be one of my best friends, but I’d punched E before, and I’d not hesitate to give it to Enzo.
“Then I guess it’s time to face the music.
I’m sure Rosalie knows tonight was a shit show,” I grumbled, looking to the door to the house.
We’d just gotten back to normal. No Ass Hat.
We were all getting along. And now this shit.
We’d take a step forward and two steps back. I was tired of going backward.
Enzo didn’t say anything. Instead, he pushed the door to the Escalade open and got out. I followed him into the house, really fucking hoping Fox had gotten E past Rosalie without her knowing. I didn’t like keeping secrets from her, but I also didn’t want to deal with this shit right now.
Any thoughts on this going smoothly were squashed as we walked into the living room to see Rosalie on the couch with Fox’s arm around her. She looked like she’d been crying.
Her green eyes met mine, and it broke my damn heart.
“What happened?” I called out thickly. “Is E OK?”
“He’s asleep,” Fox said before pressing a kiss to the side of Rosalie’s head.
Enzo said nothing and went to his knees before Rosalie as I watched.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this tonight.”
Rosalie visibly swallowed, not saying a word. It was rare for Enzo to ever apologize for anything.
Enzo continued. “I didn’t know…”
“You knew, Enzo,” she whispered. “You’re not stupid. The excuses won’t work anymore.”
I moved forward and went to my knees next to Enzo, noting how his body trembled.
“You’re right,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“Tell me what happened in your words.” Rosalie’s eyes moved from Enzo to me and then back again.
“E was upset that Celeste was there. It was business as usual, though. He used too much as a way to cope. Fox took him home,” Enzo murmured.
Rosalie stared us both down. I swear she had ice running through her veins and not blood because her next words twisted my guts.
“If you’re going to lie to me, at least make a fucking effort,” she said, sitting forward. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears.
I glanced at Fox and then Enzo before I cleared my throat.
“Fox pushed Celeste. She fell,” I filled in. “It pissed her off, so she came back to us to complain.”
“Cole, man. Tell her everything,” Fox said. “Or I’ll fill in the blanks.”
I swallowed thickly and glanced to Enzo. This was definitely fucked.
“Vander Veer brought women for us,” Enzo finally said, breaking the silence.
I looked from him to Rosalie.
She hadn’t moved an inch. Instead, she simply continued to stare us down.
“Nothing happened,” Enzo said. “ Nothing. I swear to you. E got up and ran. Fox went after him. Fox pushed Celeste. She came back. Because it made me feel uncomfortable, I got up and took her aside since I thought her seeing her dad get his dick sucked under a table was something a daughter shouldn’t see.
We went into the office space. I talked to her.
I explained that she wasn’t welcome at our meetings and asked her to keep her distance.
She agreed. That’s it. We came home soon after. ”
Rosalie looked at me. “What about you, Cole? What were you doing while all this was happening?”
I blinked quickly. “Uh, I got up, went to the balcony, and then just people-watched. Waited for Enzo. That’s it.”
She nodded for a moment before reaching out to Enzo and tilting his chin up so he was looking at her.
“There’s a problem with your story,” she said, her voice soft.
He crinkled his brows. “What?”
“The discomfort should have happened before Vander Veer was getting his dick sucked. Celeste should never have been the focus of you finally getting off your ass from that table. It should have been Ethan. Your priorities are fucked, Enzo.”
And with those words, she got to her feet and stepped past us. Enzo and I turned to stare after her. She stopped and shook her head before stepping back.
I watched with my heart in my throat as she took Enzo’s hand in hers and put something into it.
“Get your shit together,” she said. “Get your priorities sorted. Then, we’ll talk.”
She walked away and went upstairs. None of us moved until the click of her bedroom door echoed through the downstairs.
I finally looked at Enzo and saw him open his hand to display her engagement ring.
Stunned, I looked from his hand to Fox, whose eyes were wide, then back to Enzo.
“Fix this,” I snarled at Enzo. “I don’t care what you have to do, fucking fix it. She’s going to leave us.”
Enzo’s bottom lip wobbled for a moment before he nodded his head tightly and got to his feet. Without a word, he left the room, the office door slamming closed behind him.
I finally got up and slid onto the couch before scrubbing my hand down my face while sighing with frustration.
“She’s going to leave. I’ll never be able to have my garden,” I whispered to Fox.
“I think maybe it’s time you start planning for her departure, not your future with her,” he answered softly. “Rosie will only take so much before she stops giving a shit. You saw it tonight. She’s starting to get fed up. Once she is, it’ll be over. I know her,” he finished.
I looked over at him, my heart aching at the possibility. “What will that mean to you? Should I prepare to lose you, too, Fox?”
He focused his blue eyes on me and let out a soft, humorless laugh. “I’m already gone, brother.”
And with those words, he got to his feet, leaving me alone on the couch with nothing but his words cutting through my mind repeatedly, the fear of what they meant becoming increasingly more terrifying.