Saddle up

Chapter Eleven : The Fight

I moved quickly, making my way toward the driveway, my heart pounding in my chest. I silently prayed the two boys in the barn wouldn't notice Cole had shown up.

He hopped out of the truck and headed straight for me. His face was a mess—fat lip, black eye, bruises already swelling. Before I could stop him, his arms were around me, pulling me into a tight hug, his grip desperate.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, his breath warm in my ear. I struggled against his hold, trying to break free.

"Cole, what the hell are you doing here? This is my workplace! You can't just show up whenever you feel like it, especially after everything that happened last night!" I snapped, pushing him away.

He leaned back, surprised at my reaction, and met my gaze, anger flashing in his eyes. "The hell I can't. I'm here because I'm concerned! You think I wouldn't be after what your psycho boss did to me last night?"

"What?" My mind raced, memories of the night before surfacing in fragments. The alcohol, the confusion, the overwhelming feeling of being out of control. "I... I don't remember exactly what happened, but I know I was drunk. And I thought you were just trying to get me home safely. I'm sorry for that. It was my fault, Cole."

His expression softened, and he stepped toward me again, but this time I didn't push him away. "No. It's not your fault. I should've known better than to make a move while you were drunk. I'm sorry," he said quietly.

But before I could respond, Brant's voice thundered from behind us. "Like hell you are! Get your hands off her!"

My heart lurched as I turned to see Brant storming toward us, his eyes wild with fury. His fists were clenched, veins pulsing in his arms as he locked eyes with Cole. "What the hell are you doing here? You have no right to be on my property after what you tried to do to her last night!"

Cole's jaw tightened, and he sneered at Brant. "Oh, I get it now. You're the new protector. The new 'man of the house.' What, are you screwing her now, Brant? You think she's your girl?"

The insult hit hard, but I wasn't going to let Cole get away with it. I stepped between them, standing tall despite the pounding in my chest. "I'm not your girlfriend, Cole. You don't get to act like you care about me now. Not after what you did. Your call to break up with me after you cheated. That ended any chance we had. I don't owe you anything anymore."

His face twisted, but there was no denying the shift in his demeanor. The cocky, charming façade he had worn was slipping away. He was angry now, and I knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Tell him, Jess," Cole's voice dripped with sarcasm as he looked at me. "Tell him you agreed to everything. You wanted it, just like I did."

Brant's fists clenched tighter, the muscles in his forearms bulging as he waited for my response. I took a deep breath, the weight of my words heavy on my tongue.

"I already told you, Cole. I had no idea what you were asking. I thought you were just trying to help me. But you—" I looked him in the eye. "—you don't get to talk about me like that. After you cheated, you had no right to ever call me your girlfriend again."

Cole's eyes darkened, his lips curling into a sneer. "So that's it then... you are screwing your boss now, huh? That's what this is all about? Slutty move..."

The venom in his words was too much, and before I could react, Brant lunged at him, fury blinding him. "Brant, no!" I screamed, but it was too late. Brant was already on Cole, throwing a punch that landed with a sickening crack against his jaw.

Cole stumbled back, hitting the ground hard, but Brant wasn't stopping. He grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up to his feet, the fabric of his shirt tearing under the force.

"Shit! Chase! Help!" I yelled, looking over at the barn, hoping someone would hear me.

Chase came running, sprinting from the barn and toward us. He grabbed Brant, trying to pull him away from Cole, but Brant fought him off, pushing him aside. Cole wiped the blood from his split lip, his eyes never leaving Brant.

"Cole, just get out of here!" I pleaded, desperate.

Cole spat blood onto the ground, eyes fixed on Brant. "I'm not going anywhere. Not until you come with me."

"I'm not going with you, Cole," I shot back, shaking my head. "This is my job. I'm not leaving here, not even if I wanted to."

Chase, still holding Brant back, cut in, his voice low and threatening. "Get outta here, man, before you get your ass kicked."

Cole sneered, his voice laced with mockery. "You don't care about her. I heard all about you, Brant. You think you're so special just because you've been through some shit. My buddies said you're using Jess as a replacement for your dead girl—what was her name? Kelsey? Yeah, Kelsey. Striking resemblance to Jess. I thought it was crazy at first, until I saw a picture. Pretty pathetic, man."

I watched as Chase's face went white, and he exchanged a look with Brant—understanding passing between them. The tension in the air was suffocating. He slowly released his grip on Brant.

"No!" I cried, trying to throw myself between them again. "Stop it! Don't fight!"

"Chase, get her away from here," Brant said through gritted teeth, his eyes cold with determination.

But before I could react, Chase's arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from the chaos. I struggled against him, panic surging, but he wouldn't let me go. I could do nothing but watch as Brant and Cole collided again, fists flying.

Brant's punch landed, sending Cole to the ground. Cole didn't move. Brant wasn't stopping. His fists hammered down, relentless.

"Brant, please! Stop! You're going to kill him!" I cried, my voice breaking. But the words didn't reach him. He was lost to his rage. Each hit seemed harder, more vicious.

Cole stopped trying to fight back, his body going limp under Brant's fury. His eyes rolled back in his head, blood staining his mouth. I could see it—the life draining out of him.

"Brant! Please!" I shouted again, but he didn't hear me.

Finally, Chase had enough. He released me and pulled Brant away as I bolted toward Cole. I knelt beside him, my hands trembling as I checked for a pulse, looking for signs of life.

"Call 911!" I screamed, my voice raw.

Chase grabbed his phone, dialing as Brant hesitated, guilt flashing across his face. "Jess, I..." He started, but I didn't let him finish.

"Get away from us!" I screamed, my voice shaking with fury and fear.

Brant stopped, standing there, silent. He knew he'd gone too far.

The ambulance and police arrived moments later, their sirens blaring, their lights flashing. I answered questions as best as I could, but I was barely holding it together. The EMTs quickly assessed Cole, strapping him into a neck brace and loading him onto a backboard.

The police officer spoke to Chase and Brant, taking notes, but I couldn't focus on that. My hands were shaking as I tried to calm myself, still crying uncontrollably. I could hear Brant's voice in the distance, trying to apologize, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

The doors of the ambulance slammed shut, and I felt the vehicle lurch as we sped off toward the hospital. I turned to Cole, his bloodied face a blur as I held his hand. I whispered prayers under my breath, praying for him to pull through.

But as we pulled away, I glanced out the back window one last time, catching a glimpse of Brant watching me as the police spoke to him. The shame in his eyes was unmistakable, but it didn't matter now. All that mattered was Cole.

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