Page 55 of You, Me, and Lucky Number 13

She meets my gaze steadily, her emerald eyes filled with a quiet understanding that makes my throat tighten. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

I take a deep breath, the air catching in my lungs, the weight of the truth pressing down on me. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I do.”

The sun sets behind us, casting long shadows across the hillside as I turn to face her, my heart pounding against my ribs like a jackhammer.

"It was Chad, wasn't it?" Lola asks, her voice soft, but there's a steel beneath the gentleness, a strength that both emboldens and terrifies me.

I nod, unable to meet her gaze. "He's known about my father for years. Since high school."

"Knew what?" she asks, her brow furrowed, a hint of confusion clouding her emerald eyes.

The words catch in my throat, a tangled mess of shame and regret. "He knew… he had proof that my dad was fixing races. Some of his biggest wins, they weren't… legitimate."

Lola's breath hitches, a small gasp that echoes the shock, the disbelief, coursing through me. "But why would Chad…?"

"He wanted you," I say, the words a bitter truth that tastes like poison on my tongue. "He knew I was crazy about you, that we were… well, that we were us." I look at her then, needing tosee her reaction, bracing myself for the judgment and disgust that I deserve.

"He confronted me, laid it all out. Said he'd go public with the information, ruin my dad's legacy, destroy everything my family had built, unless… unless I walked away from you."

The silence hangs heavy between us, the weight of the past, the years of unspoken truths, crushing me.

"So you did," Lola says quietly, her voice barely a whisper.

"I had to," I say, the words a desperate plea for understanding. "My family, the team, everything my dad had worked for… it was all on the line. And you… you were young, untainted. I couldn't let him drag you into that mess."

"But you broke my heart, Cole," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion, the unspoken accusation hanging in the air between us.

"I know," I say, the words a ragged exhale. "God, Lola, I know. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. But I thought I was protecting you, protecting us both."

Lola looks away, her gaze fixed on the city lights, her silence a judgment more potent than any words. I reach for her hand, needing to touch her, to bridge the chasm that years of secrets and lies have created between us.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, my voice thick with remorse. "I was a coward. I should have trusted you, told you the truth. But I was afraid, afraid of losing you, afraid of losing everything."

She turns back to me then, her emerald eyes shining with a mixture of sadness and something that looks like… understanding?

"It's okay, Cole," she says softly, her hand squeezing mine, a gesture of forgiveness that sends a wave of relief washing over me. "I understand why you did it."

I stare at the amazing woman who’s stood by me through all of this. “I love you,” I confess, the words coming easily now. “You know that, right?”

She smiles, and it’s like the sun coming out. “I love you, too. The good, the bad, all of it.”

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding. This is it. The moment of truth.

“Lola,” I start, my voice rough. “There’s something else I need to tell you. About that night at the party.”

She turns to me, her eyes searching mine. “Okay.”

I swallow hard. “It wasn’t me who called the cops on you that night. It was Chad.”

Her eyes widen in shock. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “I was scared Chad would tell you about my family if I admitted it was him. I thought… I thought if you knew the truth about my family, about me, you’d…”

“That I’d what?” she prompts gently.

“That you’d see me differently. That you wouldn’t…” I trail off, unable to finish.

“Oh, Cole.” She sighs, reaching up to cup my face. “You’re an idiot. I’ve always loved you. Even when I thought you’d betrayed me. Even when I was angry. I never stopped loving you.”

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