Page 86 of I Wish I Would've Warned You

“No.” My voice cuts through him. “You let me lose three years of my life. You made me sacrifice everything I had. And whenI asked you forone thing—Emily, after everything you did—you still couldn’t not be selfish for once in your life.”

His second swing lands hard—right across my jaw. I stumble, then shove him back across the room. He hits the wall but finds his footing fast, breathing hard.

And suddenly we’re back in the car, outside that bar.

Him begging me to take the fall.

Telling me he’d “handle it,” that he’d make it disappear. That he couldn’t afford a scandal. Not right now. Not him.

“Please help me, son… Please…”

I release my grip on his collar and let him slide to the floor.

“I won by not having to lie for you anymore,” I say. “That’s the only prize I’ve ever needed.”

“You’re so fucking inconsiderate.” He spits the words out. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?”

“You only do things for yourself.” My voice is steel. “There always had to be something in it for you, or you wouldn’t lift a finger.”

He rolls his eyes and stumbles forward to grab the bottle again—but I step in front of it.

“Miss O’Hara was just a convenient spouse for you,” I say. “You might’ve really liked her?—”

“Might’ve?” His voice spikes. “I married her.”

“But you didn’t love her.” I don’t blink. “Did you?”

Silence.

I glare at him. “Tell me. Did you?”

He stares at the floor.

“You loved Laurelin Hanes,” I say, quietly. “But you couldn’t be with a twice-divorced woman with three kids because it didn’t look good for your brand.”

“Stop talking.”

“Because people would’ve asked questions. People would’ve wondered what someone like you saw in someone like her.”

“I’m not going to tell you to shut the fuck up again?—”

“You’ve spent your entire life caring what everyone else thinks,” I say. “Everyone but the people closest to you. But don’t worry. You don’t have to anymore.”

“Yes, you’ve made sure of that.”

“Goodbye.”

I head for the door again. Another glass shatters behind me—closer this time.

But I don’t turn around.

There’s no point.

It’s long past time to leave him behind for good.

38

COLE

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