“Well, I read one of his messages over your shoulder, but I also heard how he spoke to you on the phone that first night.”
“What?”I gasped.
“I didn’t look on purpose.I came over to you with a drink and saw it.”
I couldn’t get angry.It wasn’t like he’d gone snooping.
We both grew quiet.As much as I didn’t want to lean on someone, I knew I needed to, and while maybe he wasn’t the smartest choice, he was here.I was about to say something when I felt Colton’s hand on my leg, this time his touch tender, unlike earlier.I looked down at his hand and then over at him.
I could already feel the tears building as we sat there staring at one another.
“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath.“Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.”
I blew out a shaky breath as a tear finally slipped down my cheek.
“You’re probably going to hate me even more than you already do, but I lied to you when I first arrived.”I sniffled.
“About?”
“My happy relationship,” I said, lifting my eyes to his.
“Well, I may just be some dumb hockey player in your eyes, but I do know what a happy relationship sounds like, and I hate to break it to you but?—”
“You don’t need to.I already know.We split about three weeks ago, right when I got assigned to your case.”
“And you want him back?”Colton asked quietly.
I shrugged.“When I think about all the good times we shared, yes, of course, I want them back.I’d love to have my happily ever after.However, with Mark, sadly the bad times outweigh all the good.”
I did not know why I was telling him this.I’d never even told Chantal these things.It had to be the alcohol.Then it was as if something released inside of me and the tears fell, my entire body shaking as I sat there, my face in my hands, and cried.
I felt him shift on the couch, moving closer, pulling me against him.When the tears finally stopped and I lifted my head, I felt him place his fingers under my chin, lifting my head so he could look me in the eye.
“Emma, if all you can remember are the bad times, and you must search for the good, then it’s not worth it.I’ve heard his voice through the phone, the things he says… You don’t deserve to be treated that way.”
“He didn’t always treat me like that,” I whispered.
The moment I stopped speaking, he leaned forward and placed his mouth on mine.The moment our lips touched, I closed my eyes and felt my body weaken, the same way it used to when we were younger.The moment he pulled away, all I wanted was to feel his lips on mine again.
“He should never treat you the way.You’d see the difference if you were mine.I’d treat you like gold.”
He leaned forward and kissed me again, and when I felt him rub his thumb against my cheek, I opened my eyes.I had to look away from those glass-blue eyes, because if I continued to look into them, I’d be his forever, and I wasn’t here to be his.I was here to help him fix things.
“I know, but I’m not yours,” I whispered.“We tried that once upon a time.”
The moment the words left my mouth, and I saw the look in his eyes, I wanted to take them back.I hadn’t said them for any other reason than to remind myself that we weren’t together.
I brought my hand to his cheek, leaning in and bringing my lips to his one last time.When I broke away from him, his eyes lingered on me.
“We have an early morning, so I think I’m going to go to bed,” I said.
I got up from where I was sitting, leaving him in the dark, and began making my way down the hall, trying to figure out what had just happened.It was as if I wanted the punishment of tasting him one last time.I was halfway down the hall when I heard him clear his throat.
“Emma?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you get yourself a room for next week?”
