He Said I Was Cruel To Her But His Mind Cried For My Attention Chapter 02
I didn’t think Cole would go there.
He’d never used my family against me before, no matter how bad our fights got.
He knew the truth. My mom killed herself after his mistress—Cynthia Price—leaked those photos. Then my dad brought Cynthia and Sierra into our house and forced me to call her my sister.
That wound had never closed.
Cole was watching my face carefully.
I was about to snap—when his thoughts hit me again: [Fight back now.]
[Her eyes are getting red… I’m such a piece of shit.]
[I brought out the big guns. She has to give me something.]
[Sorry, babe. I’m going crazy. I just want to make up. I want to talk to you. I want you to tell me about the last three days.]
[Please. Give me something. Prove you still give a damn.]
All my anger died in my throat.
Cole saw me hesitate, saw me almost speak. A flash of hope crossed his face before he quickly covered it with contempt.
I paused.
And swallowed everything I was going to say.
Looked away. “You’re right.”
The car went silent.
[She said WHAT?]
[How can she say that?]
[She should be throwing my car’s interior at my head. Calling me an asshole. Going off about how I let Sierra sit in the passenger seat with the stuff she bought me.]
[Does she really not care anymore? Is nothing I do going to get a reaction from her?]
[Babe… please…]
I pulled out my phone and started answering work emails.
Cole got nothing.
He gritted his teeth and gripped the wheel. “Buckle up. We’re leaving.”
Sierra did her belt and shot me a suspicious glance.
The car rolled onto Interstate 87.
Nobody spoke.
Finally Sierra broke the silence. “Hey, Tessa… I’m really sorry about what happened to your mom, you know.”
My thumb stopped scrolling.
“My mom just wanted your mom to divorce your dad. Nobody thought she’d actually kill herself over a few private photos.”
She sighed dramatically. “Honestly, my mom and I have felt terrible about it for years. We always wanted to make it up to you. We just never found a way.”
“You have a way,” I said, setting my phone down.
“Really? What?”
“You and your mom can go kill yourselves too.”
Sierra’s eyes instantly reddened. “Tessa… what did you just say?”
“I said,” I stared at her coldly, “go kill yourselves. Stop pretending to feel bad.”
The car lurched forward.
Cole slammed the brakes.
“Tessa. Get out.”
I blinked.
Sierra was covering her mouth, shoulders shaking with fake sobs.
“What did you say?”
“I said,” Cole’s voice came from the rearview mirror, ice cold, “get out of my car. I don’t give rides to people like you.”
“She started it!” I finally snapped, chest heaving.
[Finally…]
[Babe’s showing some emotion again…]
[I knew this would work.]
I gritted my teeth. “Cole, this isn’t funny.”
“I’m not joking.” He turned around, a confident smile playing on his lips. “Either you get out, or you apologize to Sierra.”
My fists clenched. “Did you hear what she said to me?”
Cole stayed silent.
“She brought up my mother’s suicide. And you want ME to apologize?”
Sierra’s crying got louder. “Tessa, I was genuinely trying to say sorry…”
That just made Cole’s face harden with impatience. “I’m gonna count to three, Tessa. Either get out, or tell her you’re sorry.”
“Cole, we’re on the interstate—”
“Then say it.”
I stared at him. My ears were ringing.
His thoughts cut through: [Don’t cry, babe. Don’t look at me like that. I can’t keep this act up much longer.]
[Seeing you like this is killing me.]
[Please. Just give in. Just once. I’ll throw Sierra out the second you do. I’ll get on my knees and apologize to you.]
[Please. I can’t take this anymore.]
“Say it,” he said out loud.
His low, cold voice didn’t match the frantic thoughts at all.
“Three… two…”
He narrowed his eyes.
Click.
The door swung open.
His breath hitched.
I got out of the car.
“TESSA!”