Ruthless knight

Sawyer

“He just needs a little breathing room,” Bianca says as we walk through the door of Christian’s. “Space is good for a relationship.” 

She might be right, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. 

It’s been almost a month since his meltdown, and things haven’t been too great. 

We’re still together, but there’s a distance. 

It’s like the harder I love him…the harder he pushes me away. 

Given I’m leaving for the airport tomorrow to fly down for my sister’s wedding, I was really hoping we could patch things up before then. 

However, he said he had plans to hang out with Oakley for a boys’ night. I’d be upset about being snubbed, but honestly? If Oakley can help Cole pull his head out of his ass, I’m all for it. 

I was pla

“Besides I don’t think it’s your fault,” she continues as we walk to the table lined with alcohol. “He’s taking the fallout with Jace pretty hard.” 

That is true. 

Cole decided to come clean about the conversation he had with Liam before he passed. 

Let’s just say Jace wasn’t as understanding as I was. 

He told Cole he needed a break from being his brother. 

Cole won’t say it of course, but I know he’s hurting. 

However, I know with a little more time, Jace will come around. 

And if he doesn’t? I’ll be paying him a visit.

“How do you feel about what happened?”

It’s probably wrong to bring it up in the middle of a party, but since we’re on the subject. 

Bianca ponders this as she fills her red Solo cup up with liquor she won’t bother drinking. “I wish he stopped him. But I don’t think Cole could see past his own selfishness back then, so he had no idea Liam would…you know.” She clears the emotion out of her throat. “I could spend the rest of my life hating Cole for it, but then I’d lose two brothers.” 

Just when you think Bianca is nothing but a manipulating spoiled troublemaker…she shows you a side to her that grips your heart.

I look around. “You know, we can always ditch the party and go somewhere to talk…if you want.” 

I don’t want her to feel like she’s all alone or has no one to go to. 

She scrunches her face. “Sorry, church girl. Thanks for the offer, but I’m over my whole lesbo phase—” Her gaze snags on something across the room. “On second thought.” She hands me her drink. “I’ll be back in a bit.” 

 “What—” I start to say, but she’s already making her way across the living room to the makeshift dance floor. 

Where Morgan and Hayley are dancing. 

Yeah, I’m not even going to involve myself with that mess. 

Instead I walk out to the patio for some fresh air. 

It’s so weird not seeing Cole in the hot tub, but I’m proud of him for not turning to drinking and partying to work through his issues. 

“Let me guess,” Cortland says behind me. “He dumped your ass.” Before I can tell him to fuck off, he’s standing beside me. “It was only a matter of time.” 

You’d think he’d stop talking smack after Cole gave him a million-dollar car, but nope. The asshole is determined to spread misery around. 

“Who hurt you, Cortland?” 

He laughs, taking a swig from his beer bottle. “I’d ask you the same thing, but it’s painfully obvious who did. Unless he’s here.” He looks around mockingly. “Nope. he’s not.” He leers at me. “Although, that’s shaping up to be a big mistake on his part, because you’re looking less like a beached whale and more like a hottie these days.” He clicks his bottle against the cup I’m still holding. “Good for you.” 

He’s such an asshole it makes my skin crawl. 

“Cole didn’t break up with me. We’re doing just fine, dipshit.” 

I hope. 

“For how long?” Cortland muses, echoing my thoughts. 

I won’t take the bait. “Will you just go away?” 

“Fine.” He leans in close. Too close. “But when he decides you don’t do it for him anymore and dumps your fat ass without so much as a goodbye…don’t say you weren’t warned.” He flashes me a smile. “Have a nice night.”

His cruel words make me flinch. 

Cole isn’t like that…what we have isn’t perfect or sunshine and rainbows twenty-four seven. But it’s real. 

I suck in a breath as he stalks off…until Casey walks up to me. 

“Hard being the girl at the top…isn’t it?” 

I narrow my eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Not yet, you don’t,” she whispers. “But you will, and trust me, sweetheart. It will hurt like hell.” 

Her words reek of foreshadowing, but I know better than to trust a snake like her. “Thanks for the warn—”

She cackles. “It’s not a warning, Sawyer. It’s inevitable. Cole Covington is going to break your heart into a thousand pieces. And the fact that you’re here tonight and he’s not? Means it’s happening sooner than you think.” 

My heart knocks against my chest. “What makes you—”

“Because I was the girl before you, remember?” She frowns. “Guys like him aren’t capable of love. They’re only capable of giving you their dick temporarily before moving on to their next pretty conquest.” 

Despite the pain squeezing my heart, I utter, “That’s not true.” 

Cole and I haven’t even had sex yet. 

Truth be told, we haven’t had much of anything lately, but that’s because he’s going through stuff. 

“God, for someone so smart, you’re awfully stupid.” She turns to face me. “Cole will never be into you half as much as you’re into him.” Disgust crosses over her expression as she looks me up and down. “Sure, you’re dropping some weight, but you’re still fat and ugly. You’ll never be the kind of girl he’s physically attracted to, Sawyer.” She places her hand on her chest. “I’m not telling you this to be a bitch. I’m just trying to give you a friendly head’s up so you can dump him and end your bullshit relationship with some dignity before he rips that away too.” 

With that, she stalks off.

And I’m left wondering if the little nagging voice in my head—the one I’ve been trying so hard to shove down and ignore—might be right.