Echoes of the Past

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I felt like the ground had just been ripped out from under me. My head was spinning, and I couldn't catch my breath. "Oh my God, Cole!" I cried. "How could you do this to your brother? I hate you, Cole! How could you?" My voice broke, thick with anger and hurt that I couldn't contain. I was trembling, my hands clenched into fists at my sides, and I could barely look at him. "And I can't believe you fell in love with me. How? We barely ever talked!"

Cole stood there, his eyes brimming with tears, his face twisted with pain. I could see how much this hurt him, but I was too angry and blindsided to care.

 "Ava, listen to me," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "Please, you have to hear me out. The truth is that it was Eric that took you away from me. I met you first."

I shook my head, the words not making sense, crashing against my anger like waves against a cliff. "And when was that? I can't believe what you're saying. Cole, this is—this is insane—"

"Ava, please." His voice was desperate now, full of a raw vulnerability I'd never seen from him. "Before you judge me, please listen to my story." He looked at me with those pleading eyes, and despite everything, something inside me wavered.

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my composure. "Fine," I said, my voice colder than I intended. "Go ahead."

Cole took a deep, shuddering breath, and I could see the turmoil in his eyes, the conflict of someone about to bare his soul. "The first time I saw you, I knew you were the one," he began, his voice shaky but filled with a determination that unnerved me.

I scoffed, disbelief tinged with bitterness. "And was this when your brother brought me home?"

"No." Cole shook his head, his gaze never leaving mine. "It was way before that."

I blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

He stared at me, his eyes softening. "The first time I saw you, you were dancing. It was at this crowded discotheque. The place was packed, bodies moving everywhere, but you... you were like a light in the dark. You were wearing this short blue dress, your hair loose around your face. You looked like... like something out of a dream, Ava."

His words took me back, and suddenly I was there again, in the middle of a crowd, lights flashing, music pounding in my chest. I could almost feel it, the exhilaration of that night, but I couldn't remember him. "So what happened then?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"There was this guy," Cole continued, his voice darkening at the memory. "He wouldn't leave you alone. He kept trying to touch you, and get close, and you were clearly uncomfortable. I could see it in your eyes—you wanted him to stop, but he wouldn't."

A knot tightened in my stomach. I remembered that guy, the way his hands had felt when they grabbed my arm, the sick twist of fear in my gut as I tried to pull away. And then... then someone had stepped in.

"I couldn't just watch," Cole said, his voice gaining strength as he relived that moment. "I pushed through the crowd, put my hand on his shoulder, and he turned around, ready to start a fight. But I wasn't going to let him touch you again. I told him to back off, and when he shoved me, I hit him."

My breath caught in my throat. I remembered now—the sudden surge of relief when a stranger had stepped in, had stood between me and that guy, shielding me without a second thought. I looked at Cole, seeing him in a new light. "Oh my God..." I whispered, feeling the pieces slowly falling into place.

Cole nodded, tears glistening in his eyes. "When he finally left, you smiled at me, and even though the music was deafening, I felt like I'd known you forever. We didn't say much after that. We just... danced."