Back To You

Chapter 19

Her iPad dinged letting her know that she had a new email. She tapped the link and felt her world turn upside down.

Delilah's stomach dropped as she stared at the iPad. "He's not getting lonely tonight. Cole Swindell was spotted kissing woman in a Nashville bar  almost a week ago not news right? Well here's the kicker... the woman he was getting cozy with is NOT his girlfriend of almost a year, Luke Bryan's baby sister! The woman that was seen sitting in the up and coming country singers lap is blonde. Not the pretty brunette that the hunk has been seeing nearly 2 years . The woman that he was swapping spit with is none other than his ex, Katie Jones we are told. Delilah Bryan was nowhere to be seen in the bar on this night. We are told she was out of town working on her new fashion line expected to launch this summer. This has to come a shock to the gorgeous young woman...."

The words ran together as tears filled Delilah's eyes. This wasn't happening. There had to be a mistake. Cole wouldn't do this. He would never cheat on her. The pictures were grainy. There was no way of knowing if it was him for sure. Her stomach pitched. Deep down she knew it was true. Her phone went off for the tenth time since the news broke.

"Be there in ten minutes...." It was from Cole.

She swallowed back the nausea that rose in her throat. She went to the fridge for a bottle of water and twisted off the top. She had just taken a drink when the door opened. Cole stepped through the doorway.

He knew by looking at her she had read the article. He started towards her but she put up her hand. "Don't."

She slid the iPad across the counter. "Tell me these are not of you. That it's mistaken identity. That that's not you shoving your tongue down her throat..."

His head dropped and the fear came true. Her boyfriend had been making out with his ex while she was out of town. "I can't." He said softly. He looked up at her to see tears pooling in her eyes.

"Wow." She shook her head. "I don't know what's worse... the fact that you kissed her or the fact that there are pictures of you doing it...Did you sleep with her?"

"Lila..."

"Answer the question, Cole. Did you sleep with her?"

"Yes..."

Before she knew what she was doing her hand snaked out and slapped him across the face. Shock registered in his blue eyes. Blue eyes that she had fallen head over heels in love with.

"I deserved that. But I can explain...."

"I don't want your explanation, Cole! I want this to not have happened. I want this to be a bad dream."

"I was drunk... we were fighting. You had just left. It didn't mean anything. It was a mistake."

"Oh because we were arguing that makes it ok? I'm supposed to let this go because you were drunk and we weren't getting along? That makes it ok for you to screw someone else? Your ex at that? Nothin you could ever say would make this ok, Cole. Nothing." Fire was shooting from her eyes. Eyes he drowned in every time he looked at her.

"Baby..." He reached for her but she took a step back. "You don't get to touch me. You lost that right when you put your mouth on hers."

"That's not fair, Lila."

"Fair?!" Delilah's eyes darkened. "You wanna talk about what's fair? You get caught cheating and I'm the one who's not being fair?"

"That's not..."

"Get out." She pointed at the door. "Get out. I don't want you here."

"You don't mean that." He crossed the room as tears spilled down her face.

"Yes, I do." Her voice cracked. Cole pulled her into his arms as she cried against him. "I love you." He said against her hair.

"Then why did you do this?" She looked up at him with tear soaked eyes.

"Because I'm an idiot. Because I was drunk...." He cupped her face and pressed his mouth to hers. "I love you so damn much, Delilah. I can't lose you."

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "I can't do this, Cole.... I can't do this anymore..."

He eyed her. "What are you talkin about?"

"This... you and me... you're right. All we have done lately is fight. You're workin, I'm working. You're gone more than you are home...it used to be easy but somewhere along the way.... we stopped bein us and became something else."

"What are you sayin?"

"It's over, Cole...whatever this is or was.... It's done." She wiped her eyes and stepped from his arms.

Cole stared at her for a moment. "So this is how it ends.... After  nearly two years together, the plans we were makin... you're endin it?"

Fresh tears filled her eyes. "Yes." She whispered.

"Are you sure that you want to do this? End us?"

She nodded. "Yes. It was bound to happen eventually so it's better this way. End it now before either of us gets more hurt...."

He licked his lips. "Fine. If this is what you really want."

"It is."

Cole felt his heart shatter right then and there. He saw the look on her face and knew he needed to give her space. Hoping and praying she would forgive him, he did the only thing he could.

He dropped a kiss onto her head. "Bye, Lila." He breathed her in one more time before he walked out of the house and away from the best thing that had ever happened to him.