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“It’s a security system. Aden’s installing it,” Cole explained.
“You mean you are installing it,” I snapped, unbuckling my seatbelt and shoving the door open.
I stormed toward my apartment, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and something I couldn’t quite name—betrayal, maybe.
“Tori,” Cole called after me, his voice firm but calm. That only made me angrier.
I reached Aden just as he finished securing what looked like a camera above my door.
“What is this?” I demanded, gesturing at the equipment.
Aden glanced at Cole, clearly uncomfortable. “Uh, maybe I should?—”
“Go,” I cut in. “Leave.”
He looked at Cole again, who nodded.
“I’ll finish up later,” Aden said before grabbing his tools and walking off, leaving me and Cole alone in the hallway.
I turned to Cole, my arms crossed. “You had no right to do this.”
“I had every right,” he countered, his tone cool and measured. “Marcus is escalating, Tori—approaching you at the boutique, then leaving roses at your door. What’s next?”
I flinched, my anger momentarily giving way to a flicker of fear. But I quickly pushed it aside.
“You promised to finally be honest with me during the drive to the lake house, remember? I told you I didn’t want a bodyguard, and I definitely didn’t ask for a security system.”
“This isn’t about what you want,” he said, his voice rising just enough to make me take a step back.
He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair before continuing, softer this time. “This is about what you need.”
“What I need,” I repeated, laughing bitterly. “You think you know what’s best for me?”
“I think you’re underestimating how dangerous Marcus can be,” he shot back. “And I’m not willing to sit back and do nothing while he makes your life hell.”
“You think I don’t know how dangerous he is?” My voice cracked, and I hated the way it made me feel—weak, exposed. “I lived with him, Cole. I survived him. You don’t think I can handle myself?”
His eyes softened, and for a moment, I thought he might back down. But then he said, “I don’t think you should have to handle this alone.”
I shook my head, my chest tightening. “That’s not your call to make.”
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming but not unwelcome.
“It is when I care about you, Tori. Don’t you get that? I’m not trying to control you—I’m trying to protect you,” Cole said.
“Protect me from what? From Marcus? Or from myself?”
The words were out before I could stop them, and the look on his face made me instantly regret them.
“This isn’t about control,” he said quietly, his voice trembling with emotion. “This is about me not losing you.”
I froze, his words hanging heavy in the air between us. “What?”
He took another step closer, his hands reaching out but stopping just short of touching me.
“Do you have any idea what it felt like to know he was here, that he could have been watching you? I’ve been through a lot in my life, Tori, but the thought of something happening to you…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening as he fought to keep his composure. “I can’t let that happen.”
The vulnerability in his voice cut through my anger, but it didn’t erase it.