Page 184 of When We Fall: Part Two
“You promised me. You promised,” he choked out, his tears falling. “You don’t break a fucking promise to me. I love you. I fucking love you, Rosalie.” He pressed his lips against mine and loosened his hold on my throat, his tears mixing with mine and salty on my lips.
“I love you,” he repeated softly. “If you leave, I will make it my fucking life’s work to fuck everything up for you. I will kill any man who gets too close. Your happiness belongs to me. If you go to Anson, he’ll fucking die too. Do you understand me?”
“Cole—”
He tightened his hand on my throat again. “Do you understand me, Rosebud?”
“Y-Yes.”
He went to his knees in front of me and pressed his forehead to mine, both of us crying.
“I love you,” he repeated over and over. “I-I can’t… I can’t lose you. You’re my girl. You’re my Rosebud. Always. We-We can get through this. I-I can get through it. It’s my fault. You needed me, and I wasn’t there. You’re hurting, and I’m avoiding, trying to keep everything else together. I-I need to let it fall apart. It has to fall apart so I can keep you. Mine. My Rosebud.Fucking mine.Tell me. Tell me you’re mine. Please. I need tohear it. I’m going to lose my mind. Tell me that kiss didn’t mean anything. That nothing else happened. Please. Fucking tell me.”
“It didn’t mean anything,” I whispered. “Nothing else happened.”
He tugged me into his arms and held me tightly before pressing his lips fiercely to the top of my head.
“Promise me. Please. Keep that promise. You’re never going to let another man touch you. Say it. Tell me.”
“I’ll never let anyone touch me.”
His body shook as he cried. “I’m sorry. I pushed you away. I’m so fucking sorry, baby. I forgive you. I-I forgive you. Do you forgive me?”
“Yes,” I whispered, twisting my fingers in his shirt.
“OK.” He pulled away and stared down at me. “OK. We-We can start over. Fresh slate. None of this happened. OK?”
I nodded. “OK.”
He gave me a watery smile. “That’s my girl. Our old relationship is over. This is brand new. You’re my perfect girl, and I’m your guy. No blemishes on our records. Right?”
“Right,” I said thickly.
He let out a shaky breath. “I love you. I-I can do this.”
I knew he was telling himself this because he was still on the edge of losing it.
“I-It wasn’t Anson, right?”
“It wasn’t,” I said softly.
He nodded. “OK. I’m OK. We’re OK. Fresh start. T-Take off your dress and hang it. Get a nice warm shower. We-We can go out tonight. You and I. We’ll have dinner. See a movie. Our first date in our new relationship,” his voice shook. “W-Wear the lavender sundress for me. OK?”
“OK,” I murmured.
“OK. I’m OK. Everything is fine.” He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
I said nothing. I knew Cole loved me. This guilt was too much. He was the last person I wanted to hurt. He was the only one who made an effort with me. We’d been through so much, and I’d ruined it by kissing Sylar.
I wish I could go back in time. None of this would be happening.
“I’m going to go. I-I need to take a walk. I’ll, um, see you tonight, OK?”
“OK.”
He placed a soft, shaky kiss on my forehead before getting up and leaving me on the floor of my closet in my wedding dress, tears on my face.
FIFTY-SEVEN
