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So broken.
And I don’t know how to reach him anymore. But maybe if I share my deepest, darkest secret with him, he’ll understand. He’ll see that we’re the same.
“I need to do this, Cole. Not just for you, but for me too. It’s time.”
My body trembles as I pluck up the courage to tell him what I’ve never told another. “Tim was my first boyfriend, my first love. But he was older, so he insisted on taking things slow. Where I come from, things are different. Gravestone County is steeped in history and tradition. Tim was born to follow in his father’s footsteps, to graduate high school and go to Gravestone University.
“Our families are good friends. Two of the five founding families of Gravestone. We spent a lot of time together growing up. I always thought that one day he’d be mine. But then I found out his father had already handpicked the girl he would marry.”
“What the fuck?” Cole grates out, and I lift my eyes to his, nodding.
“I told you, things in Gravestone are... different. Anyway, he tried to break it off. He knew that if our families found out, shit would hit the fan. But I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t...” Memories wash over me.
“We slept together. I gave him my virginity, thinking that it would bind us together.” Bitter laughter spills from my lips. “But afterward, he completely changed. I was devastated. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep... my parents banned me from seeing him. Said I’d jeopardized everything. But I didn’t care about their stupid traditions. I loved Tim. I wanted to be with him.
“Then, I found out I was pregnant. I remember it so clearly. Our driver was taking me to school, and I puked all over the pristine leather seats. I’d assumed it was all the stress, but two weeks later, when it hadn’t stopped, my mom finally dragged me to our family doctor, and he confirmed it.”
Cole begins to shake, but he doesn’t say a word. He just sits there, watching me, his eyes as dark as the night.
“My father was beside himself. I’ve never been so scared. He practically locked me in my room while he said he would handle it.” Little did I know, his version of handling it was very different to mine.
“I thought he was going to speak with the Davenports and insist Tim did the right thing by me...” I swallow the lump in my throat, dragging in a shaky breath.
Cole watches me, his eyes drilling into the side of my face. Silent tears track down my cheeks, and I’m not sure I can say the next words.
But then Cole is there, sliding his fingers under my jaw and looking at me with so much love, I want to fall headfirst into the darkness with him.
“It’s okay, Dove. You can trust me.”
My eyes flutter shut as I say the words.
Words I’ve kept locked away for two and a half years.
“They forced me to have an abortion, Cole.” I look at him, shame burning into every inch of me. “T-they made me kill my baby.”
Chapter Twelve
Cole
Fuck.
Her tear-filled eyes bounce between mine as she waits to see how I’m going to react.
“Dove,” I breathe, watching as she sucks her bottom lip into her mouth.
I don’t have any words. What the hell is anyone meant to say when someone tells you something so heartbreaking? I could hear her shattering apart as she said the words, I felt her pain as she relived what happened to her before she was shipped here.
Our gaze holds until all I can think about is trying to take her pain away, to do anything to give her the escape she must be so desperate for.
Before I even know I’ve done it, I move forward, and my lips are brushing against hers.
“Cole?”
“Shhhh,” I soothe against her lips. My hand cups her jaw, my thumb caressing her cheek as I sweep my tongue past her lips.
She moans when I find hers, and eagerly returns my kiss.
As gently as I can, I push Hadley back so she has no choice but to lie down. Resting on my elbow, I continue to kiss her as tears continue to run down her cheeks. “Hadley,” I murmur, refusing to pull my lips from hers. She must be feeling the same, because her fist curls into my shirt and tries to pull me on top of her, but I know I can’t.
