The Princess and The Jester - A.D. McCammon Page 0,77

bar where he was playing a gig. Brody had beaten him so severely, it had to be a closed casket funeral. My dad had walked out of our house that night whistling, promising to take me fishing over the weekend.

I never saw him again.

My mom’s eyes fill with panic as I stand. “Cole?”

“Thank you for telling me,” I manage, running my antsy hands through my hair. “But I…I’ve got to go.”

“Go?” she screeches, chasing after me as I head for the door. “It isn’t good to drive when you’re upset, sweetheart. Please don’t go. I wouldn’t survive losing you too.”

Her words stop me in my tracks, and I turn to give her a quick kiss on the head. “It’s going to be okay,” I try to reassure her. “I’m fine. I just need to clear my head. To process all this. I’ll check in with you later.”

She opens her mouth to protest again, but I’m out the door before she can stop me.

Chapter Thirty-Six

15 years old

COLE

It’s like a thousand bees are swarming in my head, a fire in my lungs from the lack of oxygen. This can’t be happening. I couldn’t have heard her correctly.

For keeps. She promised.

“Cole?” she tries, her voice shaky and unsure. “Did you hear me?”

I sit at the end of my bed and shake my head, refusing to trust my senses over my heart.

It was obvious something was bothering her. She’d been acting funny all week. But she wouldn’t do this to me. To us. She loves me. I know she does.

She sighs, placing a hand over her stomach. “It’s not a good idea for us to keep seeing each other. Not right now. We just need to cool it for a while.”

“No,” I bark out, and she cringes at my tone. “That’s not happening.”

“Cole…”

I run my hands through my hair, holding her gaze with mine as fury heats my veins. “What the hell are you even talking about? Is this some kind of joke? Because it’s not fucking funny.”

Tears roll down her face, but it only makes me angrier. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh, no?” I grit. “But you would stomp on my heart by breaking up with me?”

She swallows, taking a deep breath before responding. “I know you can’t see it right now, but this is for the best.”

For the best? How can she say that?

This room is where we shared our first kiss and had sex for the first time. It holds so many good memories, and she’s tainting them all right now.

“You’re right. I don’t see that.” I chuckle through my grinding teeth.

She chews on her bottom lip, fear etched into her features. She’s freaking out about something. Maybe I just need to reassure her everything is going to be okay.

I come to my feet again, ignoring the way her body stiffens when I pull her into my arms. “Are you still worrying about your parents finding out and my mom losing her job? I told you, I’ve got it all worked out. Give me a little more time.”

“I can’t,” she breathes.

I loosen my hold and glare down at her, my temper flaring again. “Can’t, or won’t?”

Her hazel eyes are pleading as they peer into mine, but I’m not sure what she’s begging for. For understanding? For me to let her go? She won’t be getting either of those things from me.

Gwen steps out of my hold, wiping her face dry with the backs of her hands. “You’re a bully,” she declares. “You’re a bully, and I don’t want to date a bully.”

Her words feel like a blow to the gut, and I puff out a breath. “Okay, now I know this is a fucking joke. I’m a bully? Me?” I stab my aching chest with my pointer finger, my voice growing louder with each syllable spoken. “Why? Because I started standing up for myself and others? Because I’m making Westbrook a better place by taking down all the assholes who’ve been making it hell for everyone?”

She crosses her arms, her eyes falling to the floor. “You can dress it up however you want to, Cole. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re acting exactly like them now. You think I don’t hear the rumors about the things you’re doing with Thatcher and Arwen?”

It all started with Brandi and the rest of the girls who abused Thatcher. We found their secrets and used them to blackmail and blacklist them. They’re no longer able to attend school events and stopped getting invites to parties,