“Don’t do this. You’re happy now, right? You have Anson. He’s who you wanted, wasn’t he?”
I looked to Ani, who was still watching TV far from us in the living room. He said something to Cole, who snorted and shook his head. Judging by the sound of it, Cole had changed the channel to some game show, and they were competing with one another over the answers.
“Please. Tell me,” I said softly.
“It was a long time ago. Don’t do this to yourself. What good will come from it? You and I have a past. We don’t have a future. Anything that is said now could potentially ruin things between you and Cole, and he’s the one you stayed behind for, right? Because of your daughter.” He breathed out.
My hands shook as I continued to work on the lasagna.
“I don’t want to fight with you. I-I’ve moved on, Rosalie. I let you go. My intention in doing so wasn’t to hurt you. I have no animosity toward you. I just… fell out of love. That’s it. I-I shouldhave handled it a different way and told you sooner, but now you know.” His voice shook.
“H-How long? Did you love me when you proposed?” I was doing all I could to keep myself from screaming at him for the shit he’d done to my heart.
“Yes. I loved you when I proposed,” he murmured, his voice thick.
“Then when?”
“Why does it matter? You’re happy now.”
I looked at him, deciding to be honest, even though he was breaking my heart all over again.
“Because I am in love with that man sitting in your living room. I want to keep him. My daughter loves him. I have two more guys waiting for me back home. They’re my family. I want to not make the same mistakes with them that I made with you. I-I don’t want to lose them. I love them.”
Enzo stared down at me, a look on his face I didn’t recognize. I knew he’d been drinking. I could smell it on him. Not in a gross way, but in a way that let me know he lived a troubled life.
“They’d be fucking stupid to leave you, Sunshine,” Enzo said softly. He reached out and tucked a rogue curl behind my ear. “You’re their queen. Your husband loves you very much. Klaus. Anson…” his voice trailed off. “Stop worrying about what I’m doing or how I’m feeling or how I felt. It doesn’t matter. I don’t want you anymore. I haven’t for a long time. I have options that fit better into my world. You aren’t the answer for me. You don’t even meet the criteria for my cheat sheet.”
His words shattered what tiny place in my heart I’d reserved for him.
“You’re a hypocrite,” I whispered, my voice shaking as much as my hands. “You led me on. Hurt Fox. Lied. Cheated. Made promises you never meant… Enzo, what happened to you?” A tear slid down my cheek.
“You,” he said, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Youhappened, and you keep happening. If you’re going to take Cole, do it and get it over with. Stop leading him on. Stop torturing him the way you are. If it’s because you want to hurt him, then fucking stop because he has spent the last five years aching for you, Rosalie. He left with me, not to fuck my new wife. He did it because he was trying to saveus.” He breathed out. “Cole never cheated on you. He’s not been with a single woman since you. You are it for him. Don’t let your hatred of me stop you from loving him. If you want me to make it easier for you, then I will.”
“How?” I asked, my throat tight.
He exhaled a shaky breath, and his eyes wavered. “You still disgust me, Rosalie. The thought of fucking Sylar De Santis’s mouth on yours? His hands on you? You fucking moaning for him?” He shook his head. “It’s disgusting. Everything that ever was between us is broken, right down to every promise I ever made to you. Gone. I do not want you. I willneverwant you.”
His words were a slap to the face.
“You really are a hypocrite,” I choked out. “You were cheating and making a whole other human while with me, and what I did was wrong? You’d already left me in your mind. So did I even cheat?” I wiped angrily at my tears. “Go fuck yourself, Enzo.”
I made to walk away, but he grabbed my arm. I winced at how tight he held me. I didn’t want to make a scene and have Cole and Anson notice.
“Put the lasagna into the oven,” I said softly. “Bread is out in twenty minutes. I’m sure you remember how to do the rest.”
His bottom lip trembled, and his dark eyes wavered as he stared at me.
“I’m feeling a little tired anyway.” I tugged my arm away from him. “Have a good night.”
I walked out of the kitchen. Anson’s attention immediately snapped to me, and he sat forward.
“LeeLee?”
“I’m going to go check on Ellis,” I said, forcing a smile onto my face so he wouldn’t end up punching Enzo in the face. “And get a shower. The timer is on for the food.”
Anson’s blue eyes moved to look behind me at Enzo, who was still in the kitchen where I’d left him.
“Call the guys,” Anson murmured, finally looking back at me.
