Page 47 of When We Fall: Part Two
“I-I don’t understand. Ani is getting married?”
Cole nodded wordlessly.
“T-Towho?” I choked out. I didn’t even know he was dating anyone.
“I, uh, I don’t know. Just what I heard.”
“Cole,” I warned.
“Babe, let it go, OK? What does it matter anyway? Let’s go back to holding each other and talking about the cool new baby monitor I bought?—”
“Ugh.” I got up, grabbed my phone, and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I stared down at Anson’s number for a moment before calling him.
His phone rang three times before he answered.
“Hey,” his deep voice came over the line. “Is everything OK?”
“You’re getting married?” I choked out, ignoring his question.
Silence greeted me for a long moment. All I could hear was my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
“Yeah. I, uh, I am. I was going to tell you?—”
“When?” I whispered. “After I kissed you or fucked you?”
“LeeLee,” he said softly.
“No, it wasn’t all that long ago you were asking me for more, and suddenly you’regetting married?” My voice rose. “What the hell is going on?”
“What the hell is going on? For fuck’s sake, Rosalie. What do you want from me? You saidwewould never happen. When a girl says that to a guy, the assumption is she’s serious about it. I don’t understand what you want from me. I want to be happy. I want a family. I want to settle down. I can’t… it hurts too much not to have you,” his voice lowered. “It’s killing me, but I get it. You made your choice, and that choice wasn’t me. I-I figured I should try… I don’t know. I just… I couldn’t have you the way I want you, so I had to do this. I’m trying to live knowing you’re not mine.” He let out a breath. “I live in this world of make-believe, and it fucking sucks. I can do good, so I may as well.”
“Who is she?” I asked, my voice trembling. I felt like my heart had just been ripped from my chest. He was right. I did turn him down. We were never going to happen, but why did it hurt so much?
“Bianca,” he said, his voice low.
I blinked rapidly at the information. “B-Bianca? The kings’ Bianca?”
“Yes. Matteo arranged it?—”
“Matteo fucking kidnapped her, Anson! Your father, who promised me he’d do better, kidnapped her. He stole her from the kings, pregnant, and now you’re marrying her? You don’t see a problem with that?—”
“I see a fuck of a lot of problems with that,” he replied. “It’s why I’m marrying her. I’m going to keep her safe.”
“So you don’t love her?”
“Why do you care so much, Rosalie? If you don’t want me, then it doesn’t fucking matter what I do, right? Maybe I’ll join up with the kings or something. Tell me you fucking love me and want me, and I will go to you right now.”
A tear trickled down my cheek.
“Tell me you belong to me, and I’ll call it off,” he continued, his voice thick. “Fucking tell me, or this is the end, because I can’t do this shit anymore. It’s killing me inside. I deserve happiness. I do. I’m going to find it, LeeLee. Is it you or her? Tell me it’s you, and I will love you so fucking hard that everything else will feel like it was background noise. Say you want me, Rosalie, and I’ll show you what truth feels like. With my hands. My mouth. My heart. My whole fucking soul.You will own me.If you can’t say it, then fucking let me go. Set me free. Last chance.”
I said nothing, my hand trembling as I held the phone to my ear, tears streaming down my cheeks. He was right. I had to let him go. He was on the hook with me. I knew he was. It wasn’t fair.
It hurt so much.
“LeeLee,” he whispered. “Tell me.”
A soft knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Rosebud? Are you OK? Come on. I’m worried about you.”
