Heavy Secrets - Elle Aycart Page 0,23
to get him back. Men do not like clingy women.”
For Christ’s sake. Was Martha even listening to her?
“Really, Martha? You, of all people, are giving me lectures about men and clinginess? I’ve dealt with your crazy shit all my life, and it has cost me dearly. I won’t let you contaminate my relationship with Cole. You’ve fed that voice inside my head all the time, making me feel small and inadequate. Enough is enough.”
“Don’t be dramatic. I don’t understand what—”
“Exactly. You never understood, and you never will. From now on, anything related to Cole is off-limits. Any comments about my body or my clothes too. I love you, Mother, but butt the fuck out.”
For once, her mom seemed speechless. Christy took advantage of it.
“Now, we’re going to your room, and I’m going to do something I should have done the very same day you came.”
* * * *
“Cole, you okay, my man?” Mike asked, eyeing him warily, his expression worried.
Cole grunted in response, never stopping in his beating of the punching bag at Haddican’s.
His arms were hurting. His legs too. Tough shit. He wasn’t going to let it bother him or slow him down.
“You should get home. It’s almost ten.”
Cole didn’t answer. Didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to continue doing what he was doing—punishing the sack.
Thank fuck Mike seemed to understand that. “Keys are on the front desk. Whenever you’re ready to leave, close the gym up for me.”
Cole threw a glance his friend’s way. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. You know, after all I went through with Kyra, if I learned one thing, it’s that being here, working myself to death, was a very lonely place to be.”
Mike was probably right, but Cole couldn’t do things differently. Didn’t know how to.
He felt trapped, and hated feeling that way. Backed into a corner. Forced to do something he didn’t want to. He might have been shocked at the beginning, but now he was fucking furious. His mind reeling out of control. In free fall.
It had taken him twelve years of blowing things up and risking his neck in the marines to work through his shit, and now he was back at square one. As angry.
In another lifetime, he would have taken care of his frustration and itchiness by nailing some chick to the wall, again and again, until his body and mind gave up out of sheer exhaustion. Now that wasn’t even an option. Not only didn’t he have the slightest interest in anyone who wasn’t Christy, but his cock would fall to pieces before going up for another woman. He was hurting for Christy, badly. He needed her so much. Her warmth, her support. Her love. But he couldn’t be around her, not when he was so full of rage and aggression.
He hadn’t spoken with his brothers about the locker yet. Max was already in Florida and now that Tate was doing better, James was so happy. Cole didn’t want to bring all that shit on them right now. Maybe after Valentine’s Day. If he could manage to hold his shit together long enough to get the words out.
It was good they weren’t around, because there was no way they would have butted out. They would have been at the gym, bugging him to death. Poking and prodding. Wanting to know what was wrong.
At least like this he could run himself to the ground without pesky witnesses.
Cole wasn’t sure how long he’d been at it when he noticed a familiar smell. Vanilla and cherries. His chest clenched so fucking tight it hurt.
Christy was standing near him. God. She was so beautiful, and he loved her so much. It terrified him.
“You shouldn’t be here.” He grunted as he hit the punching bag.
“You forgot your phone at home.” She studied him and then added, “Who’s Vanessa?”
That stopped him midpunch. “What?”
“Vanessa called. Something about service and payment. You blowing her out? Bad connection. Couldn’t get the specifics.”
“I can’t fucking believe you’re asking me this. You think I’m cheating? That’s why you’re here?”
She crossed her arms and gave him the you’re-being-silly look. “Of course not. If I thought you were cheating, you’d have a black eye already. At the very least. Mike dropped by the house. Told me where to find you. Now, are you going to clue me in on what’s the matter, or are we going to keep playing this game for much longer?”
“What game?”
“The game where you pull away and I look the other way and pretend everything is okay.”
She