Page 3 of Wasted

Cole was always front-page news. I had seen and read the stories about him and his wild nights and the rumors about himdrinking so much last month that he'd ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning after wrapping his truck around a pole. Then there was the video evidence of him throwing a chair through the window of a bar in downtown Nashville, sucker punching a man because he pissed him off, and pissing from the second-floor VIP lounge. That was all in one night.

"And why would you think that?"

"I heard you were the only person he might listen to."

I choked out a laugh. "Uh, no, trust me, I'm the last person he would listen to."

Cole Montgomery was my first love. My only love, and at one point in time, I was his, but that time had passed. Cole hated me now, and I couldn't blame him. He thought I'd betrayed him, and I guess in some ways I did, but I did what I thought I had to do at the time. What I thought was best for everyone.

"Couldn't hurt to try."

"Oh," My lips formed the shape of an O as I huffed out a humorless laugh, "yes, it could."

"Hey, Tay." My jaw clenched at the sound of her sweet, southern twang. "It's been a while."

Sucking in a deep breath, I forced a smile. "Hey, Kylie." Kylie Morgan was this small town's sweetheart and homecoming queen all four years of high school. She was even more beautiful now. Kylie was tall and thin with blonde hair and big brown eyes. I'd never disliked her, and she'd never given me a second thought until everything went down two years ago. I hadn't seen Kylie since the day she'd left Bridgewater with Cole.

She was also the mother of Cole's daughter—the woman he ran to after me. Or maybe they ran to each other. She'd had her heart broken the same day I'd broken his. It didn't matter now. That was a long time ago. "What are you doing here?"

"Wyatt thought he might need some help convincing you, so he asked me to come."

Mr. Hayes shoved out of the bar stool. "I'll let you two catch up."

We both watched as Mr. Hayes found a table in the back of the bar.

"Kylie, you know how things ended between us. He won't want my help," I said once he was out of earshot.

"We're desperate, Taylor." She slid into the stool. "And honestly, if anyone can reach him, it's you."

"No." I shook my head. "He loves River. He'll do it for her." River Montgomery was Kylie and Cole's daughter.

"I'm taking River away from him," she said, her tone laced with sadness. "I'm moving back here with her. He's too unpredictable right now, and I don't want her to see him like this."

"I get it, but you're the one he proposed to..."

"With your ring," her voice rose sharply. "He never wanted to marry me, Taylor. He wanted to marry you, and everything he's done since the day he left this town has been to rub in your face what you walked away from."

I knew he was going to ask me to marry him, and I knew he had the ring already. I found it one day when I was looking for something in his room, but Cole was so talented, and he had big dreams. My dad was sick, and we were losing the ranch. Cole was packed and ready to leave for Nashville, and I couldn't abandon my dad. I knew he wouldn't follow his dreams if he knew I wasn't going with him. He'd want to stay, and I couldn't let him do that. I had to make him leave without me.

"Why do you think he's acting like this?"

"Me?" I scowled, shaking my head and touching my finger to my chest. She nodded. "Oh, give me a break, Ky. It's been two years. He's moved on."

"Has he?" She shrugged. "Because I don't think he has."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes briefly. I didn't believe I had anything to do with Cole's behavior, but if there was even the smallest chance, I did. I should probably try to fix it. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Don't you think it's time to come clean with him?"

My lips parted, and my eyes widened. What did Kylie know about the truth? She rarely came back to this town except occasionally to bring River to see her grandparents, and I'd never told a soul. Well, except Bailey, Cole's baby sister, but that was in a moment of weakness after Cole released his newest single, Heartless, that was clearly written for me. Hearing that song, plus the loss of my dad and caring for Cole’s very ill brother, took its toll on me. She was the only person I had to lean on, but I doubted she would be the one to tell Kylie. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kylie."

Her gaze softened before dropping to her fidgeting hand resting on the bar. "You know it was me he loved." Her voice was so soft I had to strain to hear her. We weren't talking about Cole anymore. We were talking about Caleb Montgomery, Cole's older deceased brother, Kylie's first love, and my husband.

She reached behind her, pulled out a grey envelope with the Montgomery family logo on it, and slid it across the bar. Swallowing hard, my gaze flashed up, meeting hers. "I guess you recognize this?" I nodded. It was the same envelope Caleb left with his attorney to be distributed after his death. "He came clean before he died, Taylor. He tried to come clean to Cole, too, but Cole refused to talk to him."

"You never told Cole?"

She shook her head. "I didn't agree with what you two did or the decisions you made, but I understood it. Well," she smirked, "After I got over being really angry. I respect that you both thought you were doing what was best for the people you loved. I think Cole deserves to hear the truth from you."

---