Page 121 of Caught in the Axe
“Moved on?” He scoffed, crossing his arms. “With who?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, reining in my annoyance. I could get up, leave this house, and never look back. But growth was uncomfortable and sometimes painful. If I had any hope of settling into a real, adult relationship with Owen, then I had to push past this discomfort.
“I’m dating Owen,” I said, keeping my head held high.
“The fuck you are.” Cole whipped around, his face a mask of fury. “Owen is a pretentious asshole. And you work at the diner, for fuck’s sake.”
I balled my fists. I wasn’t sure which part of that statement made me want to punch him more. The part where he called Owen an asshole or the part where he looked down on me because I worked as a waitress.
It took me a moment and a few deep breaths to realize that his goal here was to provoke a response.
“I don’t owe you any explanation. We’re dating. It’s new, and so far, we’ve kept it to ourselves. I wanted to tell you first, out of respect for the years we shared.” With that, I stood and smoothed out my shirt, ready to get the hell out of here.
“He’s using you,” he said, putting his hands behind his head and reclining on the couch like he didn’t have a care in the world. “You’re just a piece of ass to him.”
It would be so easy to punch him in his smug face right now.
Instead, I took the high road. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get your shit together.”
His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in response.
I’d never spoken to him like that. But he needed to hear this. “I’m going to say this once,” I continued. “You are not okay. There are a lot of people, me included, who care about you and are willing to help you get better.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Maybe you don’t, but I’m offering it anyway. And I’m not the only one. You have so many gifts to share with the world.”
He regarded me with a frown before he sank lower into the couch. “You’re wrong,” he said softly. “I’m nothing. I was good at one thing, hockey, but I fucked that up. Now I’m almost thirty and have no degree, no skills, and I’m sleeping in Debbie’s guest room because my actual mother wants nothing to do with me.
“I’ve been working with my brothers a little, but the company’s being sold, so it’s not like I could even be a part of the family business someday. What the hell am I going to do?” He slid his hand down his face. “And how the hell can I even figure that out when I’ve got probation and hundreds of hours of community service to deal with?”
My first instinct was to rail at him and remind him that he’d dug this hole for himself. Instead, I remained silent. I’d been in a similar position before, feeling scared and reactive and worried that there was nothing more out there for me.
He didn’t continue, so I headed toward the door, aware that this conversation was going nowhere. “Sorry I bothered you,” I said. “I’ll be here to help when you’re ready. But until then, stop lashing out and acting like an entitled asshole.”
He grunted. “Easy for you to say.”
“Yes.” I turned and raised a brow. “Shockingly, it is easy for me to refrain from getting drunk and high and committing petty crimes, then verbally abusing the people who care about me.” I was both shocked and a little proud of myself for my retort. Usually, I placated him and kept my true thoughts to myself. But he needed to hear the truth as much as I needed to speak it.
“Spare me the sarcasm.” He waved a dismissive hand. “I have to go. Gus summoned me to the woods. Maybe I’ll get hit by a falling log and be put out of my misery.”
Ignoring him, I walked to the front door. With my hand on the knob, I gave him one last look, taking in his slumped posture and the defeat in his expression. Then I opened the door.
“Goodbye, Cole.”
I headed straight to the office to start tackling the pre-closing to-do list Sara had emailed in the middle of the night. That woman was hardcore.
I was stewing and frustrated and all bent out of shape when I arrived. For a few minutes, I sat in my van, breathing deeply to calm my nerves. I had no interest in encountering anyone here while I was this fired up.
Just as I pushed my door open, a Hebert Timber truck parked beside me.
“Lila.” Owen jumped out of the cab and jogged to me. “I’m so happy to see you.”
I blinked, still out of sorts. “You’re already back?”
“Yeah. We’ve got a lot to get done here. Gus is getting everything organized, and then we’ll head out for a couple of days to get things moving.” He pulled me in for a hug and kissed the top of my head. “I hated leaving you all peaceful and asleep this morning.”
I closed my eyes and took a moment to absorb his warmth and affection. Owen gave the best hugs. He used his whole body and didn’t hesitate to squeeze when necessary. The simple act alone was the reset my nervous system needed.
