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“You can’t just make decisions for me, Cole. That’s not how this works,” I reminded him.
He nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the floor.
“I know. And I’m sorry if it feels like I overstepped. But I’d rather you be pissed at me and safe than…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to.
I looked away, my emotions swirling into a chaotic mess.
Part of me wanted to scream at him, to push him away for daring to think he knew what was best for me.
But another part of me—the part that was tired, scared, and utterly exhausted—wanted to collapse into his arms and let him take care of everything.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He stepped closer, his hands finally resting on my arms, grounding me. “Do what?”
“This.” I gestured between us, my throat tightening. “You. Me. Us. I don’t know if I can carry all this baggage into a relationship.”
His grip on my arms tightened just slightly, his warmth seeping into me.
“You don’t have to carry it alone, Tori. That’s the whole point,” Cole said.
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me.
“I need some air,” I said, stepping back.
He let me go, his hands falling to his sides.
“Take all the time you need,” he said, his voice steady but tinged with sadness.
I nodded, turning and walking away, my mind racing. I didn’t know if I was running from him or from myself.
I pacedthe small confines of my apartment, my hands trembling as I replayed the argument with Cole in my head.
His words, his tone—cool and measured, but beneath it, a raw protectiveness that terrified me.
It wasn’t the same as Marcus’s control. I knew that.
Deep down, I knew Cole’s actions came from a place of care, not dominance. But it didn’t matter. Not right now.
My chest felt tight, suffocating, and the walls of the apartment seemed to close in around me.
I perched on the edge of my couch, staring at the blank wall in front of me.
Could I really do this? Could I genuinely let someone in after everything I’d been through?
Marcus had been the master of manipulation, chipping away at my independence bit by bit until I wasn’t even sure who I was anymore.
And now, here I was, questioning if I had the strength to hold my ground with Cole—or if I even wanted to.
Cole wasn’t Marcus.
I repeated the mantra in my head, over and over, but my heart didn’t seem to believe it.
Marcus’s shadow loomed large, a ghost I couldn’t quite exorcise.
And as much as I hated to admit it, Cole’s protective gestures—hiring Aden, installing the security system without my consent—brought back old wounds I thought had healed.
I let out a shaky breath and grabbed my phone, staring at the message thread with Cole. We had plans tonight.