The Break Up Plan

39: TO LOVE AND ADORE

A/n: Yupppp, its a double update on a weekday and guess why?
Today's my birthdaaayyyyyyy!!!
I now solemnly swear that this is the last birthday I'll celebrate writing this book because damn.
Anyways, enjoy my gift to you guys and once again, thank you for sticking with this story and loving it so much💕💕

***

The sound of the key turning in the lock and the door opening and closing stirs Cole and I awake.

I blink groggily and sit up from my spot on the couch, I frown when I see Cole on the carpet, I vaguely remember we were both on the carpet when I dozed off.

After we got back to Cole’s house, he told me the rest of the story, how his father was carted off to jail, how he was made to testify and hear his father say his only mistake was that he didn’t get Cole too. He told me about his sister’s funeral and about the hole in his heart. He told me about his nightmares, his insomnia, and his therapists. He told me about his deepest fear.

Then we both cried.

Somewhere along the line, we must have fallen asleep and Cole must have placed me on the couch.

“Cole?” Gabby calls from the foyer and he stirs awake.

“Bella!” Riley throws herself into my arms and I hug her tightly, “hi sweetie, how’ve you been?”

She grins widely, “good! I played with Emma and Joshie and Aiden and we ate ice-cream!”

“Pumpkin?” Cole’s groggy, sexy as hell voice asks.

Riley turns and promptly throws herself in her brother’s arms, “Cowl!”

He chuckles and hugs her back. I stand as Gabby walks in, carrying groceries. “Bella sweetie, it’s so good to see you”

I smile, “thank you Gabby, you too. Let me help you with those”

“I’ll do it” Cole cuts me off and when I turn to him, I see what he wants: to speak to his mother alone.

I nod and turn to Riley, “come on sweetie, let’s change out of your outside clothes and freshen up”

She nods and willingly leads me upstairs. I turn in time to see the moment Gabby sees the letter in Cole’s hand. She stumbles backward in shock and he reaches forward in time to steady her.

I follow Riley into her room. My mind is preoccupied as I help her change into her pajamas. I can’t imagine being in Gabby’s position, to have the love of your life turn into a monster and destroy the family you both created.

“It’s about the bad man, isn’t it?”

I blink and focus back on Riley. She’s looking at me, waiting for an answer, “what?”

She sighs, “The bad man that killed my sister. Cowl’s daddy”

“How-?” I clear my throat, “sweetie, how much do you know?” She shrugs and she suddenly looks decades older, “he took my big sister away, he hurt Cowl, he hurt mummy”

I feel my eyes water, “you know Olivia?” I ask stupidly.

Riley nods, “Cowl tells me stories about her. He said she was pretty and nice and funny and he says I’m like her”

“I want to meet her”

I pull her tiny body to mine and hold her, more for me than her, this family is filled with the strongest people I’ve ever known. “You know” Riley mumbles against my shoulder, “you’re exactly like Cowl said she was so it’s like I met her already”