Page 81 of Fall at Once

“Wait.” Anguish, like water to drown in, filled my heart. “What do you mean, you’ll remember you and me? This doesn’t have to be over between us, we can?—”

“But it is over.” She was resigned. “It has to be, at least for the time being. You said it yourself: you can’t do this right now, and that’s okay. I even understand why, and I’m not angry with you. But since it’s all I want, I have to protect my heart.”

Stay.

The word was right there. Waiting for me to say it, but I couldn’t.

I didn’t.

I turned and let myself out.

And I let her go.

Chapter 26

Cole

Isat with my feet kicked up on the railing of my porch, rambling on about what an idiot I had been to Tate and Quinn as we split a six-pack of beer and kept an eye on the neighborhood.

I hated how I left Madi. All I wanted to do was go back and make sure she was okay. But how could I when I was the one to hurt her?

“Colton James Sutter, I have a bone to pick with you.”

“Shit,” I muttered and sat straight.

Gigi came stomping across the street with Basil, his leash in one hand and a covered casserole dish in the other.

She’d spoken to Madi. That much was obvious.

“You’re in for it now.” Tate took a swig of his beer and watched me from the corner of his eye. “You’ve pissed her off.”

Quinn shook his head, eyebrows raised as he passed me another beer. “You’re probably gonna need this.”

“Thanks, man.” I took it, used the edge of my chair to pop off the cap, and took a healthy slug.

Whatever Gigi had to say, I deserved it and was ready to listen.

The sun had just started to set behind the Rocky Mountains in the distance, and usually, the sight of this familiar view was a comfort. But tonight, it felt wrong. My home didn’t quite feel like home anymore. I had the nagging sensation that I’d destroyed everything when I let Madi get away from me.

She glared at me pointedly as she let Basil take a dump in the middle of my lawn. I didn’t have it in me to protest.

Her glare turned into a hearty sigh of disappointment before her face softened, and she smiled at me. “I made you a chicken pot pie because I love you. But I’m letting Basil poo in your yard because you have made me mad. I decided to be passive-aggressive about this because I don’t want to yell at you. I understand what you’re going through, even if I don’t like it.”

“I—thank you?” I stood to grab the dish and help her out with Basil, but she shook her head.

“Sit back down.” Her voice rang with command. She was back to being mad at me. “We’re going to talk. Or rather, I will talk, and you’ll listen to what I have to say.”

Tate set his beer on the porch rail, eyes wide in alarm. Throughout our lives, we’d rarely seen Gigi get angry. “I don’t know if I should stay or go,” he whispered.

“You keep your behind in that chair, Tatum Jefferson Sutter.Do not even think of leaving that porch. You too Quinn. Don’t even think about it.”

“No worries, I wasn’t planning on thinking, Gigi,” Quinn assured her as he sent her a shit-eating grin.

“No sassing me either, Quinton. I’m in no mood for any funny business. Do not try to make me laugh.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” His smile slid to the side as he apologized.

“Okay, Miss Gigi,” Tate said, reverting to what we used to call her. “What exactly did we do?”

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