The hairs on the back of my neck rise in awareness and I feel his eyes on me even before I turn around.
“Cole,” I breath out when I turn around, pushing the veil over my head. My heart soars and tears of joy burn my eyes. I can’t believe he is here. He’s wearing a gray T-shirt that hugs his tight chest, framing the lean muscles he’s obviously earned in prison. He looks ridiculously hot and dangerous at the same time.
Thank God, he is safe and sound.
He eyes me up and down, as confusion enters his face. “What’s going on, Nor?”
I blink, puzzled by his question. Didn’t his parents explain to him in the car what was going on?
I crane my neck to look over his shoulder, but I can’t see Benjamin and Maggie anywhere.
“Nor?” he says my name again.
“Your parents. . .”
Cole’s gaze abandons mine and raises over my head. “Josh?” His eyes dart between me and his brother, as the pieces of the puzzle move around inside his head.
I watch as disbelief fills his features as the pieces click in place.
I watch as anger, then hurt form a path of destruction on his face.
“Nor!” He says my name and signs it at the same time.
I’m sorry. I whisper the words in my thoughts. “I’m sorry,” I say them a little louder. “I’m so, so sorry, Cole. I thought your mom and dad told you by now.” I say his name on a broken sob.
His eyes move to Josh, and then to me. Cole shakes his head, his eyes narrowed.
“Talk to me, Nor.” Torment crowds his face.
Anguish splits me in two. I wish I could give him more than my tears. I wish I could give him words that will make him understand, as much as this decision is wrong on so many levels, it’s also the right choice.
His hands curl into fists and a muscle twitches in his jaw. Ten steps forward and he’s standing in front of me, begging me with his eyes. “Why, Nor?”
“Is there a problem here?” My dad drawls in a bored voice, reminding me he is standing beside me.
His gaze bores into mine, a smug look on his face. He’s enjoying this. He’s absorbing the scene with greediness, it makes me nauseous. He looks at Cole, and then me.
I ignore him and focus on Cole. I need five seconds to talk to him and explain what is happening. Five seconds to crush his world, along with mine to save him. To save my family. To save me, because if anything ever happens to him, I will cease to exist. I would rather have Cole safe and him hating me, than dead.
“Can I talk to you?” I finally manage to sign with shaking fingers.
Cole shoots me a hard look I’ve never seen before on his handsome face and nods. He starts to move toward me, past me. I exhale in relief, but the sickening sound of bone connecting with bone robs air from my lungs. I spin around and the sight before me stops my heart from beating, freezing me on the spot.
I’ve never seen Cole like this. Rage is splashed across his face, dispatched into Josh with every punch that connects with his ribs.
Punch after punch. He doesn’t defend himself. He lets his brother hurt him. Josh is on his knees.
Then I’m running forward, I grab Cole’s shirt from the back and yank hard. He whirls around, his eyes black with fury.
“Please stop!”
He doesn’t. He jerks away, ready to unleash his wrath on Josh. This time, Josh’s hand shoots up and grasps Cole’s. Blood runs down the side of his face but he doesn’t let him go.
“Go!” Josh yells. “Get out of here, Cole!”
His orders don’t make sense until I hear sirens piercing the air. I look around, searching for my father and see him pacing at the church doors with a phone stuck on his ear.
The bastard called the police.
Recognition hits me hard. This was a trap and some sort of revenge rolled up into one. Megs was right. Josh and I are just pawns in my father’s twisted game. The ultimate prize is getting rid of Cole completely.
I grab Cole’s shirt again, pummel my fists on his back until he whirls around and glares at me.
“You need to leave. The police are coming.”
His chest heaves with heavy breaths. Fury rolls across his coiled muscles. He glances around, then back at me. Understanding dawns on his face.
“I hate you.” His words punch me in my chest, tearing a hole in my heart. “I wish I never met you.” He turns to face Josh. “And you. . .my brother.” He sneers. “I hate both of you.”
The sirens are closer.
“Please leave. Now!”
The fire in his eyes dies, replaced by a dreary gray.
I did this to him.
I broke him.
I watch as he turns and sprints down the aisle and through the door that leads to the pastor’s chambers.
I straighten, collecting the slips of dignity and confidence I have left and inhale deeply.
I need him as far away from my father’s hands as possible. For now.
His parents arrive fifteen minutes later, panic written all over their faces. When they arrived at the prison, an officer told him that Cole hitched a lift in a delivery truck.