Broken Hearts : New-Adult Angsty College Romance (Silverbrook University Book 2) by R.G. Angel

Author:R.G. Angel [Angel, R.G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-03-12T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Cole

Stumbling through the front door, I’m a mess of emotions, my shirt stained with blood. The serene ambience of the living room contrasts starkly with my internal turmoil. Mom’s there, her artist overalls a canvas of paint splatters, her feet bare, and the quirky sight of paint brushes in her hair. She’s sitting on my father’s lap, who is still dressed in his suit. They could not be more different, and yet they love each other with a passion that I used to find gross growing up but that I envy now. It’s the kind of love I know we can have, Evan and I. We are so different, too, but we complete each other the way my parents do.

My father says something in my mom’s ear, and she giggles, burying her face in his neck. They look like teenagers in love more than people about to celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary.

Finally, I take the step to make myself seen, and I notice my father tense immediately.

He sits straighter, wrapping his arm around her waist to prevent her from falling off.

Mom’s soft voice cuts through the tension. “It’s not his blood, sweetheart,” she reassures him, getting off his lap.

Mom, the only woman I know who studied at Harvard, majoring in art with a minor in forensic science—just in case, she always joked. Her unique blend of creativity and analytical thinking has always fascinated me.

She walks toward me with a little smile and stands on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek with a warmth that momentarily eases my distress.

“Everything will be alright, my boy,” she says, even though I know it’s completely irrational because she has no idea what’s happening. Yet I believe her.

My father stands up. All the softness has disappeared from his face now that my mother has left the room. The air between us grows thick with tension. He’s the first to break the silence.

“Office, now!”

We walk in, and he pours himself a drink.

His eyes narrow, taking in the bloodstained shirt and split knuckles. “I thought college would change you,” he says, his voice heavy with disappointment. He sits down with a sigh. “Who do I need to pay this time?” I think I would prefer him shouting at me instead of sounding so weary. Like he doesn’t expect anything more than disappointment from his volatile son.

Eva always saw more; she always made me believe I was more. For her, I used to be more.

My hands tremble as my gaze drops to my clenched fists. “Eva… she lost Julliard. Her hand, her music…” My voice breaks, the words trailing off. I can’t even bear to complete the thought.

“You caused her injuries?” he asks, leaning on his desk, and this time there’s barely veiled disgust.

“You know about her—” I stop. It doesn’t matter. Of course he knows; my father knows everything. “Involuntarily, yes.”

He leans back in his chair, his gaze sharp and calculating. “Involuntary or not, Cole, did you admit liability to anyone?”

His words hit me like a slap in the face.

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