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He nuzzled my neck and then whispered against my ear, “I’ll keep that in mind.” Cole took a step back and nodded to the vodka. “It’s good you don’t deal with hangovers often. From the looks of the nearly empty bottle, you and Zoe should both have one, but I think she took the hit for you.”
I glanced at the vodka and barked out a laugh. “Oh, shit, that was a new bottle, and we left you a few drops.” I hid my face in his chest, loving the closeness of him.
He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head. “Shae?”
I peeked up at him. “Does this conversation involve a Starbucks run?”
His chuckle rumbled through him. “I wasn’t sure you were awake yet, and I really had to see your expression get all twisted up when you tasted the shit I made this morning. I’ll be right back.”
My brow rose as I watched him walk to the front door, open it, then bend over to pick something up from the front walkway. “Oh. My. God. You’re the best thing ever.” I giggled as he carried in two large Starbucks cups and a small brown paper bag.
He strolled across the room and set them on the counter. “One white chocolate mocha and a slice of banana bread.”
“My favorite.” I nearly bounced around the kitchen like a little kid on too much sugar.
“Yup.” He shot me a knowing look from the corner of his eye. “I figure you can wake up first, then we can talk.”
I grabbed the coffee and removed the sticker that covered the drinking hole of the lid. “Hmm. It’s still hot. How? I assume you drove your bike there and back.”
Cole removed two slices of bread and took a bite. “I have a bag that keeps food hot or cold. It’s easy to store everything on the back of my bike. I just have to be careful, so I don’t dump drinks everywhere.” He winked at me, clearly proud of himself.
I took several sips of my coffee, careful not to burn my tongue.
“I had some time to think this morning while you were sleeping.” He finished off his food in a few bites, then rinsed the sticky goodness off his hands.
“Yeah? Is thinking a good or bad thing?” I helped myself to my breakfast, making a big production of how good it was. I wanted Cole to be crystal clear that him buying coffee and breakfast scored big with me.
He shoved his fingers through his hair. “Depends on how you look at it. I chatted with Mom, too.”
“I’m glad you two can talk. Daddy and I are the same.” I nibbled on my bread, waiting for him to continue while I stuffed my face.
“You asked me about my dad last night.”
I froze mid-bite and stared at him. This time, I kept my mouth shut instead of asking questions.
Cole tugged on the collar of his black Harley Davidson T-shirt, his expression grim. “I told Mom that I was going to tell you everything, Shae. It might take a few conversations, but you’re the one girl I’ve wanted a relationship with, and even though you might walk out that door and never speak to me again, I have to tell you the truth.”
ChapterTwenty-Two
My muscles twitched as a feeling of restlessness consumed me. I set the last few bites of my breakfast on the brown bag and wrapped my fingers around my coffee cup. I had a feeling I was going to need something to hold onto.
“We should sit on the couch.” Cole placed his hand on my lower back and guided me to the living room. I sat down, still not uttering a word. Any time I had in the past, it broke the spell, and apparently what was about to spill out of Cole was so big, it had the ability to send me running, and that scared the shit out of me. For the first time, I’d allowed someone behind the walls I’d built to protect myself. I’d given Cole my body. He’d touched my soul after Ibrahim’s assault and held my heart in his hand until it beat again on its own. I sucked in a breath, realizing what I was about to admit to myself. But I couldn’t. Not until I knew the truth.
“Mom told me about her and Samuel’s conversation with you after I moved out.” Cole sat on the edge of the cushion, steepling his fingers as he appeared deep in thought. He cleared his throat, then pinned me with his intense gaze. “So, you know she’s strongly urging me to talk to you. Plus, she and Samuel were aware of how I felt about you before I was ready to admit it myself.”
I nodded, willing him to get to the point, since my nerves were standing on tiptoes.
His eyes studied me as if absorbing every fiber of my being. “I’ll start from the beginning.” He massaged the back of his neck, clearly stressed. “You asked about the scars on my back.” He gave me a pained look. “The first one was when I was ten. Dad had told me to be home for dinner by six. I was at a friend’s house down the street. Like most kids, I lost track of time and arrived fifteen minutes late. Mom was working like she usually was … and Dad was waiting for me. He was a big man. Not fat, but tall, broad shoulders, and he worked out, so he was strong. But I’ll never forget the look on his face. Mean isn’t the right word for it. Cruel maybe.” He gulped as his fingers tightened into fists. “He was a smoker, and I razzed him about smoking in the house and stinking it up. That was a really stupid thing to do when he was already pissed, but there were times shit just shot out of my mouth before I could think it through.” Cole shook his head. “I never saw his fist coming. He didn’t only get my attention, he hit me so hard I flew through the kitchen. My own father broke my jaw.”
His words hit me in the chest, cracking me open. “Cole,” I whispered, unable to keep my mouth shut. If he thought I would leave him over an abusive father, he was wrong.
“Save your pity and apologies, Shae. I had plenty of those from Mom.” Cole’s lips pursed together. “I laid on the kitchen floor, moaning and crying in pain, unable to move my mouth or talk. Dad laughed, lifted my shirt, then put his cigarette out on my back.”
I gasped, tears welling in my eyes.
“Then he lit it again and put it out on my back. He did it again and again and again in the same few places as I cried, unable to fight back or defend myself. Not that it would have mattered. I was ten. At some point, he got bored and left me there. I was terrified to move, afraid that he would come back. I wasn’t sure when Mom got home, but she found me on the floor and called an ambulance. Dad told her I’d come home a few minutes earlier all busted up. He said he suspected I got jumped by some older kids. Since I couldn’t argue with him, she bought into his bullshit.”
“Once you were treated, were you able to write it down for her?” I wanted to comfort Cole and kiss his pain away.
