“Will you be mad at me if I don’t talk anymore? I don’t like to talk.”
“Laz, I will love you no matter what. I love talking to you and would be sad if you stopped talking. I’m a safe space, OK? You can always talk to me.”
“Will you be mad?”
I sighed. “No. I won’t be mad at you. I just really don’t want you to think you shouldn’t talk. The world needs to hear your voice.”
“I don’t want to talk.” He went quiet and kicked his feet.
Fucking little assholes at that school…
Maybe I would pay the parents a visit.
“Come on.” I held my hand out to him, and he took it. We went back to my car, and I got him settled inside.
We drove back to the hotel in silence. He only stared at me through the rearview mirror as I asked questions. Finally, I gave up and told myself I’d just let him have the day. He’d always been quiet around others, but now he was doing it to me too. I didn’t like it.
Once at our destination, we got out and went inside. I ordered up room service, and he settled on the couch in the suite with nuggets, fries, and some Turtle episodes.
Deciding he seemed content, I went to my bedroom and called Enzo.
“Hey,” he greeted me on the second ring.
“How is everything?”
He sighed. “Hell.”
“What do you mean?” I took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“Rosalie and I don’t get along. We had an argument last night. She threw her crutches at me.” He paused.
I winced at this information. She likely did hate him. She thought he cheated on her and got someone pregnant. He’d married someone else.
“I’m sorry, man,” I mumbled. “This shit is all my fault. I need to come clean on it?—”
“No. Stay the course,” Enzo said. “We need to focus on Cole right now. He’s just so… happy.”
I smiled at that.
“I knew he would be. Is that going OK?”
“Yeah. He bought Ellis a new doll. He fought with Rosalie, too, and missed out on an evening of cookie baking with her and Ellis. He was upset that she kept her from him. Words got a little heated, and Rosalie called it a night. Cole paced the living room half the night. Cried. I found him on his knees in his bedroom, praying, man. He slept outside Rosalie’s door on the floor thatnight. That was two days ago. We got things sorted. I’ve just been hanging out late at the office to give them space.”
“You can come here,” I offered. “We can get dinner.”
“Yeah, I probably will,” he said, blowing out a breath.
“And Jade?” I prompted. We hadn’t spoken about her, but Cole made his feelings clear. Enzo had dodged me on the subject when I’d asked earlier.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “She makes sense.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s the right choice.” I didn’t like her, but I blamed it on my paranoia.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re just talking. Cole scared her, but I smoothed it over. Besides, if Cole leaves…” his voice trailed off before he cleared his throat. “Jade might be interested in you and me?—”
“I’m good, man. Thanks for looking out for me, but I’d rather not. This one is all yours.”
“It would be weird alone,” he said.
