Page 58 of Colt

“I’m really glad you never changed anything,” he commented.

“You spent a lot of time here, didn’t you?” she asked.

“Yes. Walt and I would either talk in here or go to his office.”

“Please, take a seat.”

“After you,” he replied politely.

Chelsea sighed and sat on the sofa, gazing up at him expectantly. Colt settled into a recliner across from her, unsure of where to begin.

“Colt?” she prompted.

“I’m just trying to figure out where to start,” he admitted.

“Okay,” she said simply.

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly, he looked directly at her. “Chelsea, I know I hurt your feelings by not telling you about the money, but you have to understand that it takes me a long time to trust anyone. Even Walt and Tricia. So even though we knew each other years ago, it’s been a while. I have a hard time letting people in. It wasn’t personal, but what I don’t understand is why you got so upset when you obviously didn’t trust me enough to tell me about your own money.”

“I told you; I don’t have that kind of money. I work for my earnings. Yes, my parents gave me money to buy this place, but I didn’t want to go to the bank when I already have a business loan with them. I knew they would never approve me for such a large amount on top of the one for the coffee shop. Eli also works for his money. We don’t live off our parents. And honestly, I never thought to tell you because it didn’t seem important.”

“But it seemed important to you that I didn’t tell you about what Walt left me,” he pointed out.

Chelsea nodded. “You’re right. I just thought that as a couple, we should share everything—”

“Yet you didn’t,” he interjected.

She let out a frustrated breath and sat back on the sofa, crossing her arms and fixing him with an intense stare.

“It’s not okay for either of us to keep secrets, but like I said, it didn’t occur to me at the time.”

Colt stood up abruptly. “Well, when that thought crossed your mind, shouldn’t it have reminded you that you weren’t being completely honest either?”

She shook her head. “I still didn’t think about it.”

“I didn’t intentionally keep it from you. It’s just...”

“That you don’t trust me,” she finished for him.

“You just don’t understand.” He let out a heavy sigh and resumed his seat. His voice was filled with pain and anger. “When I was seventeen, the foster family I lived with were cruel beyond measure. They treated us like worthless objects, only caring about the money they received for housing us. Most days, we were lucky to get a single meal. I worked tirelessly in the hot summer sun, cutting grass for our neighbors and saving every penny I earned. I had almost a thousand dollars saved up, and my plan was to leave that hellhole as soon as possible.” His eyes hardened with memories of betrayal. “But they stole it all from me. I knew it was them, but they denied it vehemently. I couldn’t bear to continue working for nothing, knowing they would take it again. So, I stopped, and for that act of self-preservation, I was beaten. Despite their abuse, I stayed there for two more months before finally mustering the courage to leave and ended up here.” He paused as he thought back. “At first, I didn’t even trust the Cottons, but eventually came to realize they were good people. Walt even went so far as to open a checking account for me, making sure no one else could access it except for him and myself. He understood what I had gone through and wanted to show me that there are still good and trustworthy people in this world.”

Chelsea sat forward. “But, Colt, we’re in a relationship and I still think you should have shared that with me.”

“We’re going in circles here,” he replied, frustration evident in his voice.

Chelsea let out a deep sigh, her eyes meeting his. “You’re right. I should have shared that with you. I see where you’re coming from. I should have told you about it. I’m sorry.” She shrugged.

“I am too,” he said softly.

They sat in silence for a moment before Chelsea spoke up again. “So, what do we do now?”

Colt ran a hand through his hair, thinking for a moment before speaking. “Take our time getting to know each other, if that’s what you want.”

“Do you?” Chelsea asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” she said with a small smile.

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