Chapter 21
ROSALIE
Iwoke up the next morning, sore as hell. A soft groan left my lips as I cracked my eyelids open.
The first thing I noticed was that my ankle was hurting.
The second thing I noticed was that I was naked. Very naked.
And the third thing I noticed was that I wasn’t alone in my bed.
I looked into Cole’s handsome face as he slept. He looked so sweet and content.
“What the fuck?” I whispered thickly, taking in his naked body.
Oh god. Oh god. Please. No.
Klaus. Evan. Ani.
No, no, NO.
Fuck.
Cole’s lashes fluttered, and a moment later, I was met with the pretty blue of his eyes.
He seemed confused as he stared back at me.
“Rosalie?” he mumbled.
“Wake up,” I rasped. “Please.”
“I’m awake… why…” He blinked his eyes before he grabbed his dick and frowned. “Why am I naked?” His eyes skirted over me. “Why are you naked?”
“I-I think we had sex,” I choked out, trying to cover myself.
He frowned at my words, but was quick to offer me a blanket. Gently, he covered me, the frown still on his face.
At least it seemed like he was confused by the entire thing.
His frown deepened as he stared at something on the floor.
“What the fuck?” he murmured.
I followed his gaze and saw the strap-on we used to use on the floor.
“Oh, god,” I choked out. “Cole?”
“I-It’s OK. We-We didn’t…”
“We did. I-I’m so sore.”
He winced. “Me too.”
“Cole?” My tears leaked down my cheeks.
“Oh, fuck. Rosalie. Baby. No. No, OK? I-I won’t fucking tell. I won’t. I know… I know you love Anson. I won’t tell. I know I’m a fucking asshole, but I-I don’t want to hurt you. I’m conflicted, but I won’t tell him this.”
I sobbed softly, and he hugged me to him, the blanket covering him from the waist down now.
“Don’t cry. Fuck.” He hugged me tighter.
“I’m a cheater,” I whispered. “Just like you told me I was. That I was disgusting.” I sobbed harder.
“Rosalie, I didn’t mean that shit back then.
I was pissed off and bitter. I was hurting.
I didn’t fucking mean it.” He gripped my face and forced me to look at him.
“I didn’t mean it. I swear I have never once thought of you that way.
I-I was an asshole. I’m sorry if my words hurt you.
This… this isn’t cheating. It’s just a fucked up mistake. Fuck. I’m sorry.”
I let his words sink in. I didn’t know if they were true, but the way he looked at me was so sincere that I didn’t want to doubt him.
“Please,” I wept. “Please, Cole. I-I have to tell you something.”
“Fuck, he doesn’t have herpes, does he?” he whispered.
“No.” I looked up at him, my heart aching.
He wiped at my tears gently. “Tell me. I can take it.”
“I-I have so much to tell you.”
“I’m right here. Tell me,” he murmured.
“I-I…” I couldn’t get the words out. His face. The way he held me.
God, he did love me.
“Rosalie, please,” he said. “Just tell me.”
“I-I have… I have new…guys.”
He blinked rapidly at my words.
“I don’t… I don’t understand. What does that mean? New guys?” I could hear the fear in his voice. “Did you… Did you fucking replace us?”
“No. No, I-I could never replace you—”
His hands shook as he continued to hold me.
“Is it your band? That Riley guy? Fabian? Who, Rosalie?”
“Anson,” I whispered. “Evan. K-Klaus.”
“Klaus? Klaus fucking Seeley?” His body shook as he snarled Klaus’s name.
“Please—”
He released me and got out of bed, pacing, his dick out.
“I-I… please,” I choked out.
He bent down and pulled his boxers on. “Please, what?”
I opened and closed my mouth.
“You don’t owe me shit, Rosalie. You don’t. You don’t need to beg me to give a damn. You don’t need my fucking approval. You don’t need shit from me, so don’t tell me please when it doesn’t fucking matter!”
“Cole…” I wept softly.
He stormed around the room for a moment before he went into the bathroom and slammed the door. I cried softly on the bed, knowing he’d done a number on my body last night.
God, I was due for my damn shot, too.
Son of a bitch.
I breathed out, my body shaking.
I heard the water turn on, and a moment later, Cole came back into the room.
Wordlessly, he stomped over to me and lifted me naked into his arms.
“Cole—”
“Shh,” he said, taking me into the bathroom and setting me on the sink counter. He went to his knees, undid the wrap around my ankle, and examined it.
He grunted, seemingly content with how it looked, before he lifted me again and took me to the bathtub. Gently, he placed me deep inside the warm water and bubbles before he pushed his boxers off and climbed in behind me.
“What are we—”
“No talking,” he said.
I snapped my mouth closed, and he pulled me tightly against his chest.
I lay back against him for a long time before he finally spoke.
“I know you don’t belong to me anymore. You have a new life.
New guys. You’re married. Our time is over.
I get it.” He breathed out. “I am not going to put you into a position where I ask you to choose them or me. I know I’ve already lost. I’m not stupid.
It’s also not fair for me to make you choose. ”
I cried softly at his words.
He wound his arms tightly around me and kissed my temple fiercely. We stayed that way for a long time before he started washing me. I let him.
He tenderly ran his fingers along my pussy before he kissed my shoulder.
“I can’t remember last night,” he whispered against my skin as he pulled his fingers away and trailed them along my thigh.
“But I know you, Rosebud. I’m sure it was perfection.
I will cherish it forever.” He kissed my cheek before he got out of the tub.
I watched him dry off and pull on a clean pair of boxers before he came back to me and helped me out of the tub.
With ease, he dried me before taking me back to the bedroom, where he got me clean panties and a new bra before dressing me like I was going to break.
And maybe I would.
“The sweatpants are a little big,” he said. “So is the shirt, but you look good.”
My cheeks heated at his words.
I watched as he rewrapped my ankle and propped it up on the pillow.
He covered me, grabbed some pain meds, and placed bottled water next to my bed before he went into the kitchen and made a sandwich for me.
I watched him slide it into a plastic bag before he placed it on the table next to the water and meds.
He cleaned the room quickly, took the strap-on to the bathroom, and washed it before returning without it.
“Cole?”
He looked at me, so much turmoil in his eyes, it broke my heart.
“I’m going to go,” he said, his voice shaking.
“Where? You’re leaving me?”
“I’m going to let you go. I just need to get some things in order. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone I had you. Just… tell them you needed time away or something.”
I nodded, my throat tight.
“I’ll be back in a few days—”
“A few days?” My heart pounded at his words.
“I’ll come in and check on you, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be too close, OK? Just let me get some stuff sorted so I can get you out of here. Then we’ll be done.”
“Done?”
“You have other men. I’m not one of them.
You fucked around on them with me. Not that it’s your fault.
We apparently got the wrong fucking strain of sugar, so that’s on me and probably E.
But I know when I’ve lost.” He came to me and pressed a tender kiss to my forehead before he walked to the door.
“Cole!” I called out, my voice shaking and my tears flowing.
He paused and looked over his shoulder at me.
“I love you,” he said softly. “I’m sorry for fucking up your happiness. Goodbye, Rosebud.”
And with those words, he left, the door clicking locked behind him.
And me?
I cried because I felt like it was officially over. I hadn’t even gotten to tell him about Ellis, but it seemed like he wasn’t interested and wanted peace.
He deserved peace.
And so, I’d give it to him somehow.