Chapter 12
ENZO
Ethan burst into the house, his eyes swollen. I sat up on the couch where I’d been since I’d gotten back from the office an hour before. I’d been staring at the wall, trying to forget my existence.
“E? What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately worrying that he had news on Rosalie.
He shook his head and stormed past me. I heard his soft sob as he went upstairs. Riot wasn’t home yet. Ann and Harold took him out for pizza and to see the Turtles movie again.
Cole wasn’t home, and more boxes had arrived for him.
Deciding I needed to know what the hell was going on, I went upstairs and knocked on E’s door.
“Go away,” he called out, definitely crying.
This wasn’t like him. He wasn’t this guy. He hadn’t cried in ages, so to hear him distraught had me worried.
I opened his door and went in. Carefully, I sat on the edge of his bed as he lay curled up into a tight ball, crying softly.
“E?” I asked gently. “Hey, man. Talk to me. I’m worried.”
“I-I’m fine. I just had a bad day.”
I said nothing for a moment before I stood and left his room.
Quickly, I went to mine, changed out of my suit into a pair of sweatpants, and took off my shirt.
I sent a quick text to Ann and asked if Riot could stay with her tonight.
She replied yes, so I went back to E’s room and crawled into bed with him.
I faced him, raking my fingers through his soft hair.
I was still struggling with trying to remember the night I’d gotten high and woken up naked in my bed. I knew I’d had a bad reaction to E’s new strain. The guys said they handled it, but I just had a feeling I’d done some fucked up shit.
I had a feeling I’d done it with Cole, and he didn’t want to talk about it.
I really fucking wished he would, though, because I’d like to remember.
“E?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Please. Talk to me. Did-Did you relapse?”
It took him a moment, but he finally got himself together before looking at me through tear-soaked lashes.
“No, brother. I didn’t relapse,” he whispered. “I just had a bad day.”
“Is Rosalie OK?” I asked, my voice wavering.
“No news,” he answered.
“Was it Emily?” I ventured.
He breathed out. “Yeah, man. It was Emily.”
“You broke up?”
He tried to suppress a cry, but he nodded.
“I-I guess. I don’t know. I just want to sleep and wake up and things to be better.”
“I know the feeling,” I murmured, dragging him to my chest and holding him tightly.
He held me back, crying softly.
“It’s OK, man. I’m here. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He said nothing. He just continued to cry.
I hadn’t realized he’d been so serious with her. It made my stomach sick. It wasn’t the time to ask if he’d fucked her, but god, I hope he didn’t.
Finally, his cries quieted, and his breathing grew deeper.
He’d fallen asleep.
I kissed his forehead and eased away from him. Gently, I covered him with a blanket before I left his room, closing the door behind him.
I went downstairs, grabbed my phone, and called Cole.
He answered on the fifth ring.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“I’m building a tunnel system for the cats—”
“Can you forget the fucking cats and come home?”
“What’s going on?”
“E… he needs us. Please. He’s sleeping now, but I expect he may wake in the night. So please. Come home.”
“You’re scaring me. What’s going on?” he demanded.
“Just.. come home. I’ll tell you when you get here.”
He sighed but said he was on his way before he hung up. I went back upstairs and poked my head in on E to see that he was still asleep.
Sighing, I went back downstairs and ordered in some Chinese takeout. It arrived before Cole did, so I sorted it in the kitchen. Cole wandered in a few minutes later, looking like hell.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I asked, taking in the bruise he had on his cheek.
“Tripped on a cat,” he muttered. “Hit my face.”
I shook my head and pushed his dinner to him. “Here.”
“You called me here to eat Chinese?” He raised a brow at me.
“I called you here to talk about E.”
“What about him?” he asked, grabbing his fork and doling food into his mouth.
“He came home sobbing tonight.”
Cole frowned. “Why?”
“Remember Emily?”
“Yes.” Cole’s expression darkened. “Don’t fucking tell me if it’s going to piss me off, man.”
“They broke up,” I finished. “He’s devastated. He really liked her.”
Cole cursed softly. “I fucking told him she had a bitch ass name and was a cunt. He should have listened!”
“Man, don’t start. He needs our support right now, not you ranting at him and shouting you told him so.”
“I did tell him so,” he muttered. “What else? He must have fucked her, or he wouldn’t be so upset.”
I sighed. “I don’t know. I assume he did.”
“Fucking idiot.” Cole pushed his food away. “Dumb motherfucker. I told him—”
“Cole,” I warned.
He drew in a deep breath. “Fine. I will do my best to console him during his heartbreak, but I am going to remind him to fucking listen to me next time so this shit doesn’t happen.”
I nodded. I’d accept that.
“He didn’t… relapse, did he?” Cole’s words were soft.
“No. He was sober. He was just upset.”
Cole nodded and let out a breath of relief. “OK. Good. That’s good. I don’t want that shit to happen. He’s come too far.”
“I agree.”
We were both quiet.
“You’re barely home anymore,” I commented.
“I came home long enough to suck your dick.” He smirked at me. “Don’t worry, baby. You were high as fuck. Don’t remember, huh?”
I grimaced at his words. “Did you really?”
He nodded. “For a minute. We were really going at it until you came and couldn’t stop. How are your balls?”
“Still sore,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat.
He chuckled softly. “You tried to fuck me.”
“What?”
“You put your dick to my asshole. We decided we’d wait to do anything like that until we got Rosalie back.”
I frowned.
“You don’t remember that promise?” he asked.
“Man, I don’t remember shit from that night. It’s completely blank. All I know is I woke with a headache and my cock and balls aching.”
“Well, you promised. So now we have to bring her here and make her ours again.”
I shook my head. “Don’t start with that shit. We’re not going to do that—”
“You promised—”
“I was fucking high and tripping out, Cole. I let you suck my dick or whatever, and I was going to fuck your ass. Do you really fucking think I was in my right mind?”
He stared at me with a stricken look on his face.
I breathed out. “I’m sorry. I just… please. One problem at a time.”
“I didn’t know that bringing our girl home was a fucking problem.” He got up and shoved his food away.
“Cole, come on. Don’t—”
“I get time heals all wounds,” he said, staring me down.
“I get it, man, and maybe it healed yours. Maybe it healed E’s.
But I’m not either of you, and all time did was make me realize how much I love Rosalie and how there’s no way in hell I can live without her.
So you’re either going to join me in getting her back, or you can fuck off. ”
I stared at him, taking in the way his chest heaved with his words.
“I talked to Church. About the contract.”
His breathing picked up as he stared at me.
“E has agreed to take your place on the contract. We’d renegotiate the terms so E and I would forfeit her forever, and you’d be free to pursue her.”
He stared at me, his mouth opening and closing.
“Say something,” I said.
“Are you fucking nuts?” he roared. “Are you crazy? Have you lost your fucking mind?”
“You love her, Cole. You need her. You’re going nuts living without her. E and I decided this was what was best—”
“What’s fucking best is we all love her!
All of us, Enzo. Not just me! What the fuck?
How dare you two pricks go behind my back and do this shit!
That’s not what I want at all! I want my fucking family back, man!
All of us. If I could bring Foxy back from the dead to join us, I’d do that too!
Can’t you see this shit is killing me? What the fuck?
Fuck you, man.” He stormed to the front door.
“Where are you going?” I demanded, following him.
“I’m going back to my fucking house. The one you parted with.
I’m going to fucking work all night on fixing shit.
If you’re not with me, then you’re against me.
If that’s the case, call up one of your club whores and fuck them if you’re over Rosalie.
See how that makes you feel, you fucking chump.
” He pulled the door open and left, slamming it hard behind him.
I tugged at my hair, feeling insanely frustrated.
But one thing rang true.
Maybe I did need to just fuck someone new. Maybe that would help me get over all the shit in my head.
If not, maybe it would put things into perspective. Maybe it would end my fucking pain.
I flopped onto the couch with a fifth of whiskey and groaned.
I really needed a break from everything.
I drank down a good amount in very little time before my phone buzzed. I opened it to see a message from Jade.
Jade: We’re all out! You should come with!
Another selfie of her looking damn good came through.
Short black dress. Tits pushed up. I knew the message was meant for someone else, but fuck it.
I hadn’t said anything about the last message, but I’d heard her talking to another girl in the office about Eric not coming out and how she’d text him.
She must have drunk messaged me instead and hadn’t even realized it yet.
I sent her a text back, my vision blurry.
Enzo: You’re messaging the wrong person. You do look nice, though.
Her text came back quickly.
Jade: Omg. I’m so sorry! I meant to text Eric. You should come out, too, though! You’re always working so hard. You deserve a night off :)
I stared down at the message.
Enzo: I can’t. My friend just broke up with his girl. I need to be here in case he wakes.
Jade: I could come to you if you want. Bring the party there.
Enzo: Only if it’s a party of one.
Jade: If that’s what you want.
I stared down at what the fuck I was doing before forcing my thumbs to move on the screen again.
Enzo: You know where I live.
Jade: I’ll see you soon.