1. He's Back

I think time will never be a factor in my feelings for you. They might grow bigger and larger but never lessen. ~ A. Gupta

.

VIOLET

He is back and I have no idea how to process that. The man with sherry eyes and soft touches, the man who had been nothing but kind and patient with me until he wasn’t. Until he decided to be the cruellest of them all when he left me without any explanation. The man I decided to hate after I recklessly fell for him and decided to never forgive for what he did to me. He mended my broken pieces only to shatter them part, leaving a wreckage behind without a backward glance.

Now he stood in the driveway of Maddox’s new home, facing my dad- Jared Carter and my champion of a brother- Maddox Carter.

I stood in the kitchen as I watched the three of them. I should’ve been prepared for this, Alex had already given me one of his vague remarks about how he had to do something before I decided to let Kevin force me into a relationship that I didn’t actually want— What the hell he knows, he was in love with someone who he didn’t even know the whereabouts of, don’t ask me how I know I just know. But I had ignored him. I shouldn’t have. Alex was like an annoying best friend who did things he thought were the best, and sometimes they were but this time I think he went beyond.

I had only cried once and that was too because I was so drunk- courtesy of none other than the one and only Alex Carter, and he had taunted me ever since for that because in my drunken state I had told him that I would like to make the man with sherry eyes suffer for how he left me. And now I was sure it was Alex’s doing that he was here. Annoying arsehole, like I said.

I watched the man who broke my heart against my better judgement. He wore a black t-shirt and a blue denim jeans with white canvas shoes, looking like one of those sculpted, handsome models that Daisy gushed over all the time. I didn’t want to accept it but it has been more than two years since I saw him and those months had changed him for the better. The sunlight bathed him like he was god’s favourite subject and he was throwing spotlight to make everyone notice that.

He tilted his head and his eyes came in my direction, even though there was a window blocking him from seeing me I still felt like he could see me standing there. Thinking about him. I just wished that Dad turns him around and tells him to fuck off to wherever he had disappeared to. I no longer wanted him. Liar. Shut up, we only talked because my therapist suggested it, not for you to point out my flaws. She said about self love, there was no mention of criticising me, I berated myself.

“Are you okay, Vi?”

Startled, I turned around to face Bree, my sister and best friend for all purposes other than Alex and Daisy. I pursed my lips and shrugged, “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked.

I shook my head. “There is nothing to talk about.” I answered her, thankfully after that heartbreak I hadn’t totally relapsed, I might carry a new set of scars but I still managed to talk to my favourite people without thinking much about it, providing that I wasn’t much upset and my mind and heart were doing well instead of slipping into the hell filed with monsters who wanted to quiet me.

“Are you sure?” She came closer, stood beside me and looked through the window to where they were still standing, she said, “How about the fact that you hate him so much?” I met her gaze when she turned to look at me. She smiled. “Don’t hide, Vi. You didn’t do anything wrong. He did. He should be the one unable to meet your gaze, not you. You know what you should do, you should let him know how much you’ve changed and moved on.”

It was true, I have changed. But moved on... I wasn’t so sure about that even though I’d like to think that I have. Especially, when now he was here.

.

COLE

The moment I decided to come back here I was prepared for Jared Carter and his sons to toss me out on my arse without listening to a word I had to say but I wasn’t prepared for the way they regarded me like I was a stranger they didn’t trust anymore. Maddox was the one who really hated me, I could see it in his eyes the way he glared at me. I didn’t think a simple apology would cut it, I left in the middle of the night without saying goodbye to my best friend and I deserved his hate.

But they were the men who have something I wanted, loved and no matter how much I tried I couldn’t live without. My princess. And these men were her guardians and I was fucking treasure seeker at their door.

“Why the fuck are you here?” Maddox demanded, his whole body vibrating with his anger. If it wasn’t for his father standing with us I was sure he’d have liked nothing else but to punch me to a pulp.

Because your arsehole of a brother sent me pictures after pictures until I couldn’t take it anymore. I answered, “Because, I realised I shouldn’t have left in the first place.”

Maddox laughed without humor. “And now you think coming back will make everything perfect? Sorry to burst your bubble but it won’t. Go fuck yourself, Cole. My bad, it’s Nicholas, right?”

“Mad—”

He cut me off with a harsh, "You don’t get to call me Mad anymore’.”

Now I know what Bree went through, furious Maddox was fucking scary. The fucker was going to make me work for it, but then I can’t say I didn’t deserve it. “I really am sorry, Maddox, but there was something that I had to attend to.”

“And it took you more than two years to get it done. Don’t bullshit me.” He turned around like he could bare to look at me anymore and directed his next words to his father, “Dad, I hope you are not thinking about welcoming him back with open arms. That fucker betrayed Violet and left her heartbroken, the girl we put back together doesn’t deserve for us to forgive him.”

My heart clenched in pain, the fucker knew how to hurt in the meanest of ways and he did just that with his parting words. I met Jared Carter’s green eyes and even before he said a word, I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Mr Carter...”

He held up his hand and looked at me like he couldn’t find the words. I felt worse for it because he always had something to say to his sons when they made mistakes. “I am going to ask you only one thing. Why?”

I licked my lips nervously as I searched for words but to his simple question there was just one answer. “Because I love her. And I can’t stay away any more. I am going to marry her.” He arched a dark brow in my direction. I quickly said, “I am going to apologise to her and tell her everything. I will let her decide.”

“Don’t you think you could've done all that before you ran off?”

I swallowed. “You already know the reason why I left?”

“Abd now? What happened to that reason now? Are you going to stay here for another few months and then run back to your reason after making more promise that you won’t keep.”

Every word he said was a jab against me and I knew I deserved it. “I won't leave until she accepts my apology and forgive me. I’ll do anything for both of them, for her.

“I don't think it’d be that easy. The girl you left has changed, Cole.”

I nodded. “It doesn’t matter. I am here and I won’t leave until I get what I want.”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips as he said, “You can try. But I hope you’re ready for the battle ahead. Because this time around none of us are going to help you, and I won’t make it easier for you. I love that girl like my own, I won’t let you hurt her again and because you’re like a son to me too, I can’t just turn you away too which means I will have to let this one play out. Let her decide what she wants.”

His eyes went over my head and he smirked the way I had seen Alex do and when his gaze turned back to me, he said, “I hope you’re really ready to fight, because it’s going to be one.”

I turned around to follow his gaze and my jaw tightened as I saw the man who had been in more than a few pictures with Violet that Alex had sent me. Kevin stepped out of his car in a white button down and black slacks like a preppy douche bag and made his way to where we were standing in the driveway. He totally ignored me as he greeted Mr Carter.

Removing his sunglasses he finally turned to face me. “Hey, Cole, right? How are you man?”

Fûcking ecstatic to see your face so I could pummel it into the ground. I opened my mouth to answer but then the front door opened and she stepped out. And, I forgot everything, even my own existence as I saw her after so many months.

.

A. Gupta