Page 28 of Wasted

I shifted on my feet, my gaze flicking to the opposite direction. Wyatt strolled towards me, lifting a hand. "Hey, you ready?"

"Yep." I forced a smile. I waited for him to pass me to knock on Cole's door, but he didn't. He stopped in front of the elevator. "What about Cole?"

"He took an earlier flight back." My heart sank. "He said you two talked, and he needed some time."

"I guess it's a good thing I didn't tell him the truth before the tour was over," I half-heartedly joked to hide the hurt swirling through me.

Wyatt hit the arrow down button on the elevator, his expression softening. "You did the right thing. He's mad now, but the pain will ease, and he'll be able to move on with his life." The elevator chimed, and the door opened. He stepped on, and I followed. "And he'll stop dragging Kylie through the mud with him."

My gaze narrowed as the doors closed, and I realized telling Cole the truth was never about Cole or me. Not for Wyatt, anyway.

It was about Kylie.

I flicked a look at him, keeping my voice deliberately casual. "How long have you and Kylie been seeing each other?"

His smile faded, and his lips parted, his eyes widening as they met mine. "What?"

"Does Cole know?" I shook my head. "No, of course, he doesn't."

"It's not like that."

"You two brought me here hoping he would want me again."

"I know that's what it looks like, but I promise it's not."

"Then what is it?" I cocked a brow. The truth was it was none of my business except that they had used me.

"Yes, I'm with Kylie, but we brought you here because he needed to face the past so that he could move on. He doesn't want Kylie, but he holds on to her because she's the last link to his past."

"Or maybe it's because she's the mother of his daughter."

He shook his head. "There's no doubt he loves River, but for the last year, I've watched him drag her down with him. He's made it clear he doesn't want her, but he won't let her move on for some reason. I believe you are that reason."

I had no idea if Wyatt was right or not, but I knew that Wyatt believed he was, and if he was right, that wasn't fair to Kylie.

Exhaling, I nodded. "You're going to have to tell him."

"I know, and we will once this passes."

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. "Good luck."

He smiled. "You ready to go home?"

"I've never been so ready for anything in my life."

"You know," Wyatt smiled, "it's not too late to take the money and pay off your parents' land."

I shook my head. "It's time to move on."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out." I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew I desperately needed a change. I'd spent the last two years taking care of everyone else and trying desperately not to lose my parent's land, and truthfully, I didn't really want to let the land go, but it didn't feel right taking the money not to fix a mess that I caused.

Chapter Sixteen

Cole

It was the calm before the storm. Sucking in a deep breath of the humid air, I stood at the edge of my parents’ porch staring into the sky as the dark clouds rolled in. I hadn't been home in two years, but it looked exactly the same as the day I left, and I wasn't sure why that surprised me. I'd expected something to change, but my parent's old wood frame house was still a faded pale yellow and decorated in horrendous chicken decor, the porch was still overcrowded with plants, and a grayish blue porch swing and the stables still had the loft full of hay where I'd kissed Taylor for the first time.

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