Page 32 of Love Me Again

I bite the inside of my cheek hard. "I never meant to hurt you, either of you. You have to knowthat." I express, moving closer to her, and she shakes her head, still avoiding looking at me. Shayla doesn't say anything, so I continue. "I was angry and frustrated, and I took it out on you. I know I shouldn't have. You didn't deserve any ofthat, Shayla, you've stood by me through all of this mess, and Ijustcouldn't stand disappointing you any longer."

Shayla closes her eyes, "You did a hell of a job of not disappointing me, Cole. It no longer matters. You said what you said, and no amount of words or apologies will ever changethat. I won't forgive you. You've made your choice, so you can go and live with it." She sniffles, wiping away her tears. "I no longer want you in my life. There's only one thing I care about, andthat'smy baby, who I almost lost today because of you. So, you can take your guilt and apologies and get lost because they're worthless to me." I reach for her hand, and she jerks it away as if my touch burned her. She wouldn'tevenlook at me, and it killed me. "I'll pick up my things from the house tomorrow, and I'll appreciate it if you weren't there." She adds frostily.

"Shayla, please, you don't—"

Shayla sighs. "Thathouse, our marriage, it all means nothing anymore." She cries and finally turns her gaze to me, and the pain she had in the depth of her eyes made me ache terribly.

"You asked me to marry you, and I said yes. You asked me to have your baby, and I got pregnant, only to have you scream in my facethatyou don't love me, nor want our baby or me, and I stood there, I watched you walk away to be with your ex-fiancé again." She sobs, shaking her head. "I've given you everything I am and all I have, so please,justgo." She whimpers, dropping her gaze from mine and presses her lips together, "You've managed to do the impossible--you've made me hate you." She whispers woefully. "So, go back to the girl you stood there and said you couldn't imagine loving anyone else over and leave my baby and me in peace."

"Shayla, she's my baby—"

"Don't you dare! You don't get to say those words to me and come in here acting like you suddenly give a shit! She's mine, and one day when she asks me where her father is, I'm going to tell herthathe died in a plane crash because he did. The man I love, the father of this baby, diedthatday inthataccident." Shayla utters, lifting her distraught gaze to me again. "I don'tevenknow you, and I don't want my baby to either. As far as I'm concerned, you can go to hell and takethatbitch with you."

I stood still watching her and felt my heart snap and fall to my feet at her words.

"Shayla..."

"You know where the door is.”

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