The Bridesmaid's Best Man - Page 46

She lifted her head. “No.”

“Two girls, not yet teenagers.” It had been a jarring discovery when he met his half sisters. He had been devastated. “My mom and stepfather take good care of them and are very involved parents.”

And if their desertion had been the wound, seeing his parents transform into good parents had been the twist of the knife. It was as if they wanted to start from scratch instead of a do-over. They were able to give those girls a secure and stable home life. Why couldn’t they have done it for him when he needed it the most?

“Oh, my God.” Angie’s eyes held of sheen of tears. “What did your mom say when you found her? Was she ashamed of what she did?”

“No.” By the time he had realized that, he had been numb. “She had to make a decision between my stepfather and me. She picked him and she doesn’t regret it. And she made it very clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

* * *

ANGIE DIDN’T KNOW how long she sat with Cole as they held each other. She wished she could do something to take the pain away. She wanted him to know that he was loved, but she knew he wouldn’t believe her.

She gave him a light punch on his shoulder. “You should have told me.”

He reached up and covered his hand over hers. “It’s difficult to talk about it. My friends’ parents would let me stay for a while but they were suspicious. People looked at me differently when they learned the truth. They wanted to know what horrible thing I did to cause my parents to leave. I was a lot of trouble. I wasn’t an easy child to love.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re still taking the blame for what they did?” What kind of mind games did they play on Cole? The anger boiled inside her. “You should have taken me with you. We had been partners. We were in this together.”

He squeezed her hands. “I didn’t know what I was going to face.”

“So you went alone to protect me?” That shouldn’t surprise her. He made decisions, dealt with problems and took actions by himself. “Don’t do that again.”

“Again?” he asked in a teasing tone. “I thought you were done with me.”

“Stop throwing my words back at me,” she said in a grumble. “I can’t believe they left you alone to fend for yourself. That is not acceptable. It’s a good thing I didn’t meet them or I would have kicked their asses.” She glared at Cole when he smiled. “What? This isn’t a laughing matter.”

“I love seeing this side of you. It’s sweet.”

“Sweet?” She didn’t feel sweet. She was enraged and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t shield Cole from the hurt his family had caused him. “You should have told me.”

“It’s not easy to share. I was ashamed. I still feel like there’s something wrong with me. Something...”

Unloveable. She pressed a kiss on his cheek. “You shouldn’t be.”

He looked away. “You don’t know my mom’s side of this.”

She cupped his face and looked into his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I know who you are. I know what kind of man you’ve become. I will always be on your side.” She touched her lips to his. “Thank you for telling me. It explains a couple of things.”

Cole winced. “Like what?”

“Your interest in finding missing persons, the pictures in this office.” His inability to commit, she added silently. He wanted to, but there was no way he would overcome his family’s desertion.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Cole said.

Angie realized that he was feeling exposed. He was a loner who felt more comfortable in the shadows. She awkwardly patted his shoulder and moved to get up. “I should go now.”

“Stay.” The one word sounded more like a plea than a command. His hands were still on her back but she could easily leave.

She wanted to stay. She loved him—always had, always would—but it wasn’t right. She should get up and go before she got too attached again.

“Please,” he whispered as he brushed his mouth against hers.

She’d stay, Angie decided as she leaned into him and kissed him. She wanted him for one night. She wanted everything and was willing to take the risk. Starting now.

As she kissed him softly, Angie felt an overwhelming need to touch him. Caress his chest and hug him. Hold his hand and take away his pain. She wanted to protect him and show him love. But a part of her knew that kind of slow intimacy would scare off Cole.

Tags: Susanna Carr Billionaire Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net
readsnovelonline.net Copyright 2016 - 2024