Page 46 of Only Ever His

To make me feel like I owed him everything. Even after all this time, he still believed he had that power over me.

I closed the phone with shaking hands, my stomach churning.

What was I supposed to do? Ignore it? Call him back and tell him to never contact me again?

I sat down on the edge of the couch, staring at the phone, a rush of conflicting emotions swirling inside me. Fear. Guilt. Anger.

After all these years, why couldn’t he just leave me alone?

Why couldn’t he let me make my own choices without thinking I still belonged to him?

I was still caught in that whirlwind of thoughts when my phone buzzed again. A second message from Marcus.

Marcus:I know you think you’ve found something better, Tori, but he’s not the one who has your back. You’ll learn that soon enough. Everyone leaves. You can’t run from me forever.

My hands trembledas I read the words. The familiar, cold wave of fear washed over me, but this time, it didn’t feel as suffocating.

His words were cruel, calculating.

It was clear he was trying to break me, to make me doubt myself, to convince me that leaving him was a mistake. But why now?

What really hurt the most was how much I’d let him affect me in the past.

I wasn’t the same person I had been when we were together.

I had moved on, I reminded myself. I’d built a life for myself. I didn’t him anymore.

But I couldn’t help but feel a pang of doubt. What if he was right?

What if Cole left once he really got to know me—and all the flaws I came with?

A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.I stood up quickly, still trying to steady my breathing, and opened it.

To my surprise, it wasn’t Cole standing on the other side—it was Candy. A glance at my watch showed me how late it was.

Candy had probably closed the boutique and come right here. I let her in.

“Everything okay at the store, Candy?” I asked.

“Hey, Tori. Yeah, no problem with the store. I just thought I’d check in on you,” she said. “You okay?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah, just fine. Thanks for watching the store. Cole and I had a great time.”

Candy’s eyes narrowed a little, and she studied me for a moment. “Looks like you could use some company, though.”

I didn’t have the energy to argue with her.

“Yeah, I guess I could use a little distraction,” I said quietly, walking back to the couch.

Candy followed me, but before she could settle in, I glanced at the phone one more time.

The text from Marcus still lingered in my mind, but I was trying so hard not to let it consume me.

"So, I have some ideas for the boutique’s next seasonal display," Candy began.

I realized she probably sensed something was up but decided to bring up work to distract me. She really was a good friend.

I nodded. "I have some ideas as well. Let’s brainstorm together," I said.

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