The Bad Boy's Heart (Bad Boy Series #2)

Chapter Twenty-Five: If Denial Was An Academy Award, I'd be Meryl Streep

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Chapter Twenty-Five: If Denial Was an Academy Award, I'd be Meryl Streep

My first instinct is to run away, run to the safety of my bedroom and cocoon myself in my cosy blankets whilst pretending that the last ten minutes never happened. But that's not the best option here, not when Cole looks like he's about to murder someone and the woman directly under attack is the closest thing he has to a mother. I need to fix this and fix this immediately because Cassandra's words refuse to leave my head. Maybe they've lodged themselves there permanently because whether she meant it or not, Cassandra has managed to shift something crucial inside of me. If her intention was to make me question my entire life then she's done it. There's a whirlwind of emotion swirling inside of me but I know that I can't be rash. Whatever I'm thinking, whatever survival instinct I have right now needs to be crushed because I cannot and will not ruin Cole's relationship with his mother.

Standing up from the table and ignoring a crestfallen and fatigued Cassandra, I cross on over to Cole who seems to be studying me for physical proof of the damage that's been done. I wonder, if the soul could reflect on the outside the amount of hurt it has experienced. Because it is ironic that surface wounds that you probably forget about after a day or two leave you with scars for a lifetime but the actual pain, the terrible kind that haunts you forever can't be seen by anyone, not even yourself. If I try and picture what my inside looked like right now, well judging by the hurt that I'm experiencing I'd say someone just doused me with gasoline and set me on fire.

"It's okay, we were just talking." I take his hands in mine and he shoots me a disbelieving look, like how could I dare lie to him.

"You're crying," he tells me gruffly. Tears I didn't realise were there wet my skin as he uses his thumb to wipe them off.

"I don't think you'll blame me for not believing you when you tell me that you were just talking." He glares at Cassandra and I cup his cheek, forcing him to look at me.

"Don't be upset, we weren't..."

"Maybe you and Tessa should talk privately." Cassandra walks over to us and gives me a sympathetic look. I realise that she's not a bad person and that her problem isn't with me as a person. She's just a parent looking out for her child and seems to think that Cole and I aren't a good fit. She's being protective of her family and I understand that but what stings is how easily she's removed me from the equation. Maybe I'm being overly presumptuous, but the Stones have always made me like family and to be told that I'm part of the reason why the family is struggling and that I need to distance myself in order for them to retain their ties.

Jesus, homemaker I am not.

"Tell me what you said to her."

It's a testament of how firmly Cassandra believes in her stance that she doesn't even flinch at the bone chilling tone of Cole's voice.

"I told her what I told you yesterday. I don't think the two of you are at a place in your lives right now where you need to be so invested in another person. Maybe you can't see it but the rest of us can. No one is happy here and I'd like to see my son happy, you too Tessa whether or not you believe me. I won't get anything out of being the bad person here but I want what's best for both of you and sometimes it is best to step away when the time is right rather than regret your choices when it's too late."

With that cryptic prophecy she leaves us, shutting the door to the patio firmly behind her, letting us know that she wants us to talk it out.

I drop Cole's hands and move away, wrapping my arms around myself because suddenly I'm shivering.