Page 183 of When We Fall: Part Two

“I-I’m taking the dress to a donation center. I want someone else to be able to use it.”

He stiffened. “Why? You’re going to marry Enzo?—”

“Cole, he doesn’t want to. I’m not going to force him. Everything is falling apart. You know it is. I-I can’t do this?—”

“Marry me. Please.” He went to his knees in front of me. He fumbled in his pocket for a moment before cursing. “I-I have a ring. I bought you an actual diamond, baby. It’s in my damn room. Fuck. Marry me. Say yes. Please. Fucking please, Rosalie. I-I can be a good husband. We talked about this. I-I’ll be the best husband. Don’t get rid of the dress. Fuck.Marry me.I’ll do anything. Please. Please, baby. Say yes.”

“Cole.” I let out a soft cry. “Don’t do this. Please.”

“Don’t tell me no,” he choked out. “Don’t. Say yes.”

“Then what?”

“Then I marry you. I put beautiful babies in your belly just like we talked about. I’ll build you a castle from the ground up if it’s what you want. Say yes.”

“What about Ethan? Enzo?”

“I-I don’t care about that right now. Just tell me yes. We’ll figure it out.”

“Not like this,” I said. “We can’t?—”

“Wecan. Just tell me yes, Rosebud.”

My heart ached. Guilt was eating at me for what I’d done with Sylar. I’d told Jamie, and she said not to blame myself. That I deserved to be happy. That this wasn’t happiness, what I was going through right now. It was misery.

A deep ache that wouldn’t go away over what I’d done was eating me alive. I’d told Ethan, and it had nearly killed me—the look on his face.

I hated myself.

God, I hated myself.

“I-I can’t. I-I messed up, Cole. I messed up,” I burst out, unable to control the flood of tears. All I’d been doing was crying for weeks now.

“No.” He got to his feet and gripped my face. “No. You didn’t. Whatever it is, we can fix it.”

“We can’t. Enzo doesn’t want me. E-Ethan can’t. He’s hurting too much. Foxy…”

“Baby, I want you. I want you more than anything else in this world. You’re it for me. Please. Believe that. Tell me yes, Rosalie. I need you to.”

“I kissed someone else,” I said, the words pouring out. “The night I-I left. I kissed someone else. I-I made out with him. I went to his apartment. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He froze, his entire body going stiff.

“What?” he finally choked out.

“I kissed him,” I repeated, my words barely above a whisper. “Jamie told me about E-Enzo. I-I was so upset and hurt. He promised. It’s not an excuse. I know it’s not. And then, after, Enzo told me he was meeting with Celeste. He promised he wouldn’t, and he did. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Cole.”

“You-You cheated on me?” His voice came out hoarse. “You fucking cheated on me?” He shook me roughly. “WHY? Why the fuck would you do that to me? To us? What the fuck is the matter with you? Fox dies, and suddenly you don’t know how to fucking be my girl? What the fuck did I do to deserve this? And from you? Why would you fucking do this to me?” He was shouting while continuing to shake me.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say to make it better. There was nothing. I knew that. I’d messed up.

“Why?” he bellowed, the shaking painful. “I love you. I fucking love you, Rosalie! I-I haven’t been good lately, but it’s because I’m lost too! I’m fucking lost too! But I never cheated. I would never… Fuck!” He released me, and I fell to the floor in a heap, sobbing hard.

He stood over me, his handsome face not twisted in rage like I expected. It was pain. He was hurting. That made it so much worse.

“You are not leaving me,” he said, his chest heaving as he breathed. “You’re not fucking leaving me. I don’t care who this guy is. You belong to me. You willalwaysbelong to me. I will kill you before I let another man have you.” He leaned down and wrapped his fingers around my throat before hauling me to my knees. “Do you understand me? I will fucking kill you first before I let you go.”

I clawed at his wrist, my vision sparkling.