1
COLE
She was a wild animal.
I didn’t remember her being this way when we were together, but now, she didn’t hesitate to throw everything she could get her hands on at me.
I ducked as a dictionary flew at me.
“Rosebud, stop—” I ducked a flying romance novel. It hit the wall behind me. It had been three days since I showed myself to her, and she was still throwing shit at me. Giving me the silent treatment. Scowling. Silently hating me.
Well, except when she called me colorful names.
“Fucking asshole!” she shrieked, throwing another book at me.
“I came here to talk?—”
“Fuck you!” she screamed, going to the fridge. I frowned as she pulled out half a gallon of milk.
“Rosalie, don’t—” The milk jug hit me in the shoulder, sending an ache through my back.
Fuck, she had a hell of an arm on her.
Honestly, I was surprised at how well-trained she seemed to be. Apparently, Ass Hat made it one of his priorities.
Dick.
This would have been so much easier if she were the girl I remembered. But she seemed to have grown into quite a force to be reckoned with.
I couldn’t lie.
That turned me on a hell of a lot.
It had been a long time since I’d had a kink unlocked.
Cha-Ching!
“I’ll let you punch me in the face as hard as you can if you just let me talk,” I said, holding my hands up. “I’m serious. I’ll stand here and let you do it. Free hit. If you knock me out, you can leave.”
She paused, a jar of pickles in her hand.
“Deal?” I asked cautiously.
She grunted.
“OK. OK. Come. Sit on the couch.” I gestured to the couch in the room. I’d spent weeks turning this place into the perfect sanctuary for her. I’d taken E’s old sugar room and had it converted into a small apartment for her. I even painted the room her favorite shade of lavender.
She came and sat on the couch, and I breathed out. I tried to sit next to her, but she shook her head at me and pointed to the chair.
Sighing, I took the seat and stared into her pretty face. I loved the blonde in her hair now. She wasn’t wearing makeup, but she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
She was a natural beauty.
The sweatpants and tops I’d left for her were too big because she was smaller than she used to be, so they hung off her a bit. I made a mental note to get smaller sizes for her. I wanted her to have dresses, but I figured this was better. For now.
I wasn’t sure how to say what I wanted to talk to her about, so I just stared at her, entranced by the fact that she was sitting in front of me.
“Speak, Scott,” she snapped at me.
