likely swollen and bruised from getting it stuck in the gate—my mind still boggled at how he’d managed to get himself in that situation—and I hoped it wouldn’t swell enough to affect his breathing in any way.
Sudden bitterness rose inside me. I shouldn’t be worrying about him right now. He should be here, taking care of me. I hated how selfish his addiction to drink had made him. He didn’t even know I had taken a fall, never mind actually care if I was hurt. If it wasn’t for him and his stupidity, I would never have slipped in the first place.
Anger filled me. Next time, I’d leave him out there. I’d let the neighbors see, and I’d call the emergency services.
I was done protecting him.
Chapter Fourteen
Cole - Eleven Years Earlier
I approached the garage where The First and Last practiced, muffled rock music already thumping from behind the closed door. I frowned and broke into a jog.
They’d started without me.
I guessed Ryan was trying to make a point that I hadn’t been around much lately. I was only ten minutes late, but I hadn’t seen the guys as much as normal. Since the night I’d found Gabi wandering the streets in the rain, I’d done my best to spend time with her, ‘accidentally’ bumping into her in the mall, and sitting with her at lunch. She treated me with the kind of tolerance someone might have at finding a stray but cute dog suddenly following them around everywhere, but I was desperate for her to see me as something more.
I was still annoyed with myself for making a mess of things on that first night when I’d invited her to band practice. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking, strutting around like a god-damned peacock, trying to get Gabi’s attention by flirting with her friend. I’d totally misjudged her, thinking she’d be like other girls—just happy to be in my company. What an idiot I’d been. I felt especially bad as I was now the cause of her falling out with her friend, though I couldn’t help thinking Taylor wasn’t much of a friend if that was all it took to ruin their friendship. Maybe I didn’t understand the fairer sex at all.
Gabriella was constantly on my mind lately, her wide smile and big eyes always willing to jump into my head. I hoped I was wearing her down. Breaking down those defenses she’d built so high around her. I could still feel the imprint of her lips against my skin, how I’d caught a waft of her perfume—something sweet and citrus—as she’d leaned over and kissed me after I’d driven her home. I knew she was hiding something, but I didn’t know what. The thought her dad might be hurting her bothered me, though I’d never seen any unusual bruises on her, and she didn’t dress to hide her skin. It wouldn’t be unusual for a guy like him to be easy with his fists—a power thing—not that I was one to talk, though I’d never laid my hands on a woman. I wondered if that might have been the reason Gabi’s mom had taken off when she was small. Though I knew it wasn’t a good thing to have in common, I liked that Gabi understood how it felt to not be wanted. Selfish, I knew, but I’d always been a selfish son-of-a-bitch.
How could I be anything else when I’d never had anyone to care about other than myself?
But now, for some reason I couldn’t explain, I cared about Gabi. Our relationship was currently as innocent as a newborn baby, but she’d somehow woven herself into my heart. I took hope in the fact she’d kissed me on the cheek the other night. I needed to get her alone, take her on a real date, but nothing I came up with felt good enough for her. I didn’t have much money, and the thought of taking her to the movies or just to the diner for something to eat didn’t feel adequate. For some reason, getting Gabriella Weston to notice me felt like the most important thing in the world.
We were just kids and I was dreaming to think we might have something together—we barely knew each
Sudden bitterness rose inside me. I shouldn’t be worrying about him right now. He should be here, taking care of me. I hated how selfish his addiction to drink had made him. He didn’t even know I had taken a fall, never mind actually care if I was hurt. If it wasn’t for him and his stupidity, I would never have slipped in the first place.
Anger filled me. Next time, I’d leave him out there. I’d let the neighbors see, and I’d call the emergency services.
I was done protecting him.
Chapter Fourteen
Cole - Eleven Years Earlier
I approached the garage where The First and Last practiced, muffled rock music already thumping from behind the closed door. I frowned and broke into a jog.
They’d started without me.
I guessed Ryan was trying to make a point that I hadn’t been around much lately. I was only ten minutes late, but I hadn’t seen the guys as much as normal. Since the night I’d found Gabi wandering the streets in the rain, I’d done my best to spend time with her, ‘accidentally’ bumping into her in the mall, and sitting with her at lunch. She treated me with the kind of tolerance someone might have at finding a stray but cute dog suddenly following them around everywhere, but I was desperate for her to see me as something more.
I was still annoyed with myself for making a mess of things on that first night when I’d invited her to band practice. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking, strutting around like a god-damned peacock, trying to get Gabi’s attention by flirting with her friend. I’d totally misjudged her, thinking she’d be like other girls—just happy to be in my company. What an idiot I’d been. I felt especially bad as I was now the cause of her falling out with her friend, though I couldn’t help thinking Taylor wasn’t much of a friend if that was all it took to ruin their friendship. Maybe I didn’t understand the fairer sex at all.
Gabriella was constantly on my mind lately, her wide smile and big eyes always willing to jump into my head. I hoped I was wearing her down. Breaking down those defenses she’d built so high around her. I could still feel the imprint of her lips against my skin, how I’d caught a waft of her perfume—something sweet and citrus—as she’d leaned over and kissed me after I’d driven her home. I knew she was hiding something, but I didn’t know what. The thought her dad might be hurting her bothered me, though I’d never seen any unusual bruises on her, and she didn’t dress to hide her skin. It wouldn’t be unusual for a guy like him to be easy with his fists—a power thing—not that I was one to talk, though I’d never laid my hands on a woman. I wondered if that might have been the reason Gabi’s mom had taken off when she was small. Though I knew it wasn’t a good thing to have in common, I liked that Gabi understood how it felt to not be wanted. Selfish, I knew, but I’d always been a selfish son-of-a-bitch.
How could I be anything else when I’d never had anyone to care about other than myself?
But now, for some reason I couldn’t explain, I cared about Gabi. Our relationship was currently as innocent as a newborn baby, but she’d somehow woven herself into my heart. I took hope in the fact she’d kissed me on the cheek the other night. I needed to get her alone, take her on a real date, but nothing I came up with felt good enough for her. I didn’t have much money, and the thought of taking her to the movies or just to the diner for something to eat didn’t feel adequate. For some reason, getting Gabriella Weston to notice me felt like the most important thing in the world.
We were just kids and I was dreaming to think we might have something together—we barely knew each
Similar Books
