Page 125 of The Accidental Wife

“She did both.” I exhale and look up at him as he stands up and folds up his chair. “You’re leaving?”

He nods with a small smile, “Yes, son, I’ve given you all the advice I have, the rest is up to you. I hope for both your sakes you’ll one day find your way back to one another, but right now, I have no doubt you’ll do the right thing.” He says, leaning over, he pats my cheek, and I look up into his blue eyes. “Good luck son.” He smiles and turns to walk away.

“Hey, what’s your name?” I ask, and he turns and looks at me once more.

“Joe.” He says with a smile and waves before he walks off, disappearing out of sight. I watch his retreating back and sob, pressing my hand against my grandfather’s headstone.

“Thank you, Grandpop,” I whisper before I get up and walk back to my car.

* * *

I couldn’t face anyone,so I disappeared for a few days. No phone, no contact with anyone, just me in a log cabin by a beautiful lake far away from everything and alone with my thoughts and a couple of bottles of scotch to help ease the pain. Utterly oblivious to the chaos, I left behind me when I disappeared. When I walked into my apartment on the third day, I came face to face with my parents, Sophie and Josh, each looking more wrecked than the other.

“Tristan!” My mother shrieks sobbing when she sees me, and comes running at me. I groan and wrap my arms around my mother, who sobs hysterically. “Oh, thank heavens, you’re okay. We’ve been out of our minds with worry.” She cries, pulling back and looking me over. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

I sigh, “I’m fine, Mum. I just wanted to clear my head for a few days.” I assure her, and she sighs in relief.

“Where have you been son, your phones been off for days. No one has heard from you? We thought something terrible happened to you.” He says, pulling me in for a hug. “When Josh called me, we thought..” I look over at Josh and see he’s on the phone with someone.

“I’m fine guys. I’m sorry you all worried. I should have said something, but I just needed some time alone,” I say and look at Sophie, who shakes her head, her eyes glimmering with tears. “I’m really sorry.” I apologise, and she gets up and runs over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“I was so worried, Tristan. Why didn’t you say something to me? I woke up in the middle of the night, and you were gone.” She cries, and I sigh, shrugging.

“I had no right making you all worry, but I’ve just been overwhelmed with everything, and I needed to escape,” I tell them and wrap my arm around Sophie and kiss her forehead. “But I’m fine now, and I just want to shower and get back to work.”

“Son, if you need to talk—”

I shake my head. “I’m fine Dad, honestly. I’m okay now.” I smile assuringly, and he nods with a sigh.

“Very well, we’ll get out of your hair and let you get back to work. Don’t disappear like that again.” He says, slapping my back affectionately, and I nod.

“Sophie, can you leave Josh and me alone. I’ll come and see you later.” I tell her, and she looks between Josh and me but doesn’t argue and picks up her things and leaves the apartment. I walk over to the window and look out at the gloomy city before me.

“Bro, I’m thrilled you’re okay, but what the fuck were you thinking going off on Shayla like that man?” Josh snaps angrily, and I clench my jaw tight. “Do you have the slightest clue what the fuck you’ve gone and put her through the past few days?” He yells hotly. “She thinks you went off to die, Cole!”

“I did!” I bellow, fisting my hands at my sides as I turn to look at him. Josh shakes his head, looking at me dumbfounded.

“What?”

“I did. But I couldn’t do it because all I saw was her devastated face every time I tried,” I tell him, dropping my gaze to the floor.

“Cole, what the fuck are you doing, bro? She was screaming on the phone. The girls couldn’t calm her down. She’s fucking devastated!” He screams, shoving me.

“SO AM I!” I roar, shoving him back. “I’m devastated that my best friend, the guy I consider a brother, would even contemplate going after the girl I’m out of my mind in love with!”

“Is this what you fucking do to the girl you’re in love with?! If so, you don’t fucking deserve her!” Josh yells his blue eyes were glaring into mine. I couldn’t contain my anger. I lash out and punch him hard. Josh shakes off the blow and rubs his cheek biting his lip. “Yeah, that’s right, hit me, hit me because you know it’s fucking true. You’ve done nothing but turn that poor girl’s life upside down from the moment you met her.”

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” I growl, and Josh chuckles bitterly wiping the blood off his lip.

“Don’t I? The girls have told me what state she’s been in since she met you and watching her fall apart after she thought you were fucking dead— I think I have a fairly good idea what I’m talking about.” He states stormily. “Cole, I was going to talk to you, but you fucking disappeared.”

“Oh, you mean after you already asked her out?” I question hotly, and he sighs. “How could you even consider going after Shayla? Huh? How Josh?! Can you not fucking see how I feel about her? How we feel about each other?”

“She’s fucking single, Cole,” Josh retorts, and I fist my hands tight when I feel hot rage bubble up inside me. “She wants to move on and put whatever you two had behind her. I genuinely like her, and I think she deserves a real chance at happiness after all the shit you’ve put her through. I can make her happy.”

“She’s in love with me!” I growl, grabbing him by the collars of his shirt and glaring at him menacingly.

“Not for long!” Josh hisses back, and I headbutt him in the nose, and he falls to the floor. “Fuck!” He shoots up to his feet and punches me in the jaw, and I groan, shaking it off. “If you love her so fucking much, why don’t you go be with her? Huh?” Josh goads me spitting out blood on the floor. “I’ll gladly step out of your way, go on, go be with her, bro!” He shouts, pointing at the door.

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it, brother. You can’t be with her because you’re getting married and having a baby with your ex, that same ex you were using Shayla to get back at.” He laughs sardonically. “You can be fucked off with me all you want, but YOU fucked this one up all on your own, bro.”

“And you think you have what it takes to make her happy, do you?!”

Josh narrows his eyes, “Cole, she would have been mine right now if you hadn’t swooped in that night. She would have been MY girl! She would have been in love with me! And yes, I fucking do.” He hollers, squaring up to me. “She deserves better.”

“You should have worked up the courage and asked her out then, you fucking dick!” I roar, fisting his shirt and bringing his face close to mine. “Shayla’s off-limits to you!”

“ENOUGH!” I lift my gaze from Josh’s and see a livid Shayla standing in the living room glaring at both of us.

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