Page 11 of Wasted

My forehead creased with confusion. Was this Cole's way of starting a conversation about what happened? I didn't want to talk about the past. I wanted to forget it, but if he was ready to talk, so was I. This had to be a step in the right direction.

I reached for the shot glass and tossed it back, wincing at the burn before setting it down. "Of course. I wish I'd done a lot of things differently, but hindsight is 20/20, and I can't change the past."

"I wish..." Cole's voice trailed off, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass. "I wish I could go back to before I knew your name, before your smile meant anything to me. But I can't, can I?" His laugh was hollow, tinged with a bitterness that hadn't been there years ago.

His words fell like lead weights, each syllable pressing against my ribcage until I struggled to draw breath. "I guess I deserve that."

"You deserve nothing," he mumbled. "Uncuff me. I want to get a shower and go to bed."

"Cole..." I began, but he silenced me with a cutting glare.

"I get it. I will get my shit together as long as I never have to see you again." My heart pounded painfully as he continued to cut through me. "Uncuff me. I'm going to shower, and when I get out, I want you to be gone. In return, I will stay sober and out of the bar."

I bit down on my bottom lip, tasting copper. "Um... I can't leave." The words felt like ash in my mouth.

Cole's eyebrows shot up, his gaze boring into me. "Why not?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Because your record label decided that if I leave before the end of the tour, they are dropping you."

Cole's fists clenched at his sides, knuckles turning white. "What the fuck?"

I plowed ahead, the words tumbling out. "And Kylie said she will be filing for full custody." I didn't actually believe any of them. They were giving me as much leverage as they could. "But I promise to stay out of your way as long as you stay out of the bar and keep your name out of the papers and off the news. Wyatt said I will have my own room after Nashville, so you won't have to see me."

Cole's Southern drawl thickened with frustration, his words coming out in a near-growl. "Fine. You stick to your corner; I'll stick to mine. Let's not pretend this is anything but a business arrangement."

I forced my lips into a half-smile and nodded, feeling the strain in my cheeks. "Got it."

"So, can you uncuff me so we can end this miserable reunion?" He made sure every single word he said cut deep, but I held my head high because I deserved it all. I'd betrayed him, or at least that's what he thought.

I nodded and pushed to my feet, strolling over to my bag. Unzipping the front pocket, I dug inside before pulling out both the key and Cole's letter from Caleb. It definitely wasn't the right time, so I shoved the envelope back into the bag.

"Here's the key," I said, holding it up. "But I feel like I should say this before I give it to you." He nodded for me to continue. "You're not hurting me by breaking this deal. After this ends, I go back to Bridgewater and continue my life. It hurts you and your family. It hurts River. So, if your plan is to go back to your old ways to hurt me, just know you won't."

"I don't want to hurt you. I don't even want to know you. I want to forget you ever existed."

I jerked my chin in a stilted nod, my throat constricting around a knot of unspoken words that threatened to choke me.Even though I felt like I deserved every hurtful word, I didn't feel like I could take anymore tonight. So I tossed the key on the bed beside him and turned away while he released himself. Moments later, I flinched when the bathroom door slammed shut.

This was going to be the longest two weeks of my life.

Chapter Six

Taylor

Standing in the shadows backstage, trying to stay invisible, I watched the chaos of the stage crew working to get everything ready for tonight's show.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I felt completely out of my element. My job was to babysit Cole. Make sure he showed up on time and sober to all his shows. Thankfully, he'd done it for me this time, and so far, he'd stayed sober.

Last night, I agreed to stay out of his way, and so far, I was keeping my end of the deal.

A deep voice cut through the backstage noise. "Hey. You must be new." I turned, taking in the tall figure before me.

"Yeah, I'm Taylor."

"I'm Jacob, the stage manager." He extended a hand, his firm handshake matching my tentative smile. He was tall with dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes, and he looked like he had no problem lifting the heavy equipment. "Are you with the band?"

"No, I'm..."

Cole brushed past, his shoulder bumping mine. He threw a cold glance over his shoulder. "Watch that one, man. She'll fuck your brother while she's still fucking you."

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