“Here, motherfucker,” Cole said, coming into the room and slapping a check down over the pictures Enzo had spread across the table.
“What’s this?” Enzo asked.
“You want to list the house for sale. I want to buy it. Accept my offer or I’ll kick your fucking ass,” Cole said.
I looked from Cole to Enzo.
“Cole, man, come on. What could you possibly do with the house? Huh? You going to move into it?” Enzo asked.
“Maybe,” Cole said defensively. “I’ve always hated the fucking basement. I’ll remodel it and put in a fucking cat rescue or some shit. Who knows. Doesn’t matter since it’ll be my house and I can do whatever the piss I want to it.”
Enzo sighed. “Fine. You want it? It’s yours.” Enzo pocketed the check. “I’ll get the paperwork set up and you can sign. It’s yours.”
“Fuck yeah.”
I watched Cole pull his phone out. I chanced a look over his shoulder to see him looking for contractors. It would appear he might actually put a cat rescue center into the basement.
I raised my brows at Enzo, who only shook his head.
If building a cat rescue in the basement of our old house kept Cole from losing his mind, so be it. I’d bring him the first cat.
Two weeksafter Cole’s meltdown over seeing Rosalie kissing Riley Parker on stage, he seemed normal again.
Almost happy.
He’d been looking at things for the house, which Enzo had officially signed over to him. We didn’t really think he’d move into it, but he definitely had a remodel going on and said we weren’t allowed to see it until it was done, so we didn’t push the subject. I did know he’d been in touch with shelters around the area, though, so I was sure the cat thing was coming into fruition.
It was like I was looking at the man I knew from five years ago. He was smiling. He was moving around our placelike everything in the world was going perfectly, and he wasn’t mourning the love of his life.
In fact, he was happy even as we hung out at Fox’s grave earlier that morning. He recounted in great detail how great Rosalie was doing and how Fox would be proud of her. Enzo had shot me a quick look, concern on his face at Cole’s sudden shift.
We agreed to let it happen. That maybe he was letting go and moving on, especially if he were OK with remodeling the house.
But that shift ended abruptly as we walked down the street after Enzo left us for a meeting, Laz between us.
We’d gone out to Twisty Cone to get Laz some ice cream after seeing a new Ninja Turtle movie. Cole had a day off from the hospital, so we were in no rush. I was well ahead of schedule with my sugar, so today worked out perfectly for turtles and ice cream.
“Dad, look!” Laz squealed, breaking away from us and running to a newspaper stand. He pointed excitedly at a kids’ magazine that had photos of the new Ninja Turtle movie on the cover.
“Can we get it?” he asked.
I smiled, grabbed the magazine, and handed the guy selling them some cash. Laz was doing great at learning to read, so I was in the mindset that this magazine might push him even more.
“What the fuck?” Cole murmured.
I turned to see what had him and stopped in my tracks. He was surrounded by tabloids with images of Rosalie and Anson kissing on the cover.
Cole grabbed one and stared down at the cover as I held Laz’s hand and stared over his shoulder at it.
Bishop Cheats on Riley Parker with Her Manager
Bishop Spotted with Anson Beyers
Longtime Manager of Rock Princess Bishop Seen Smooching the Star
Riley Parker and Bishop Call It Quits After Only Weeks
Cole’s hands shook as he grabbed all the magazines and shoved a fifty at the man with them.
