Letting Go (Mitchell Family #1)(47)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“We need to figure out what we are doing Savanna. I can’t keep hiding this. I want you in my life. Not temporary either. I want you to come home with me. I will do whatever it takes, just say you will consider it.”

I leaned down and kissed him again. When I went to say something I heard something loud hitting the truck. I jumped off of Colt and tied my shirt before opening the door. Ty pulled me out of the truck by my hair and stood there staring at his shirtless cousin.

“You mother f**ker! How could you do this to me?” He yelled toward Colt.

Colt jumped out of the truck and threw his shirt back over his head. He didn’t back down to Ty though. He kept walking toward him.

I jumped up and tried to get between them. “Please don’t fight!” I screamed, but Ty pushed me out of the way.

“Shut up Van!”

Colt pulled me behind him. “Don’t you touch her like that.”

“You don’t tell me how to touch my girl.” Ty yelled back.

“Do you think she would have run to me if you were treatin’ her good before your accident? Do you think she deserves to be lied to?” Colt yelled. His chest was rising and falling and I really thought he was going to hurt his cousin.

“Oh is that how you got in her pants? You told her all of my dirty little secrets didn’t you? I looked up to you and you used all of my secrets to get into my girlfriend’s pants. You f**king ass**le. I wish you were dead, you common bastard.”

“I didn’t tell her shit!” Colt yelled.

“Bullshit! There is no way she would have f**ked you if she hadn’t found out how many girls I was sleeping with the whole time we were together. She told me a long time ago that it was the only reason she would ever leave me. I know you told her.” He screamed back.

This time I jumped in the middle of them. I was so shocked. All of this time Colt knew that Ty had cheated on me. I felt betrayed by both of them. “He never told me. ….. But, you just did.” I said as I walked away from both of them and leaned on the truck. I was so hurt and angry that I didn’t care if they beat the shit out of each other.

“I don’t understand. Van wait!” Ty called out.

I wouldn’t look at him.

I heard Colt clear his throat. “ Leave her alone! Look Ty, it started out just as friends. We didn’t mean for it to turn into more, but I never told her anything. I didn’t want her to love me because she hated you. I wanted her to choose me on her own. I am sorry. I know you think I am the worst cousin ever, but, I swear to you, I love her.”

I turned to look at them when it got too quiet. Ty took his crutch and threw it at the back of the truck. “All my life I wanted to be you. You could get any girl you wanted. Hell, they always wanted you. Why couldn’t you just tell her no? It takes two people, even I know that. Which one of you made the first move?”

When neither of us said anything he asked again. “Tell me who started this.” He screamed.

I walked toward them. “I did. Colt told me no, several times.”

Colt’s face was all scrunched up. Both of them were still breathing like they had just ran for their lives. I stood there looking at the pain on both of their faces. “After the accident everyone blamed me. Your friends and even your parents called me a murderer. Everyone on campus stopped being my friend. I had to see a shrink after I tried to kill myself. I spent every day in the hospital because I believed I put you in there. I felt so guilty that I couldn’t let myself live.”

I looked up at both of them and then continued my story. “When Colt came to town, he didn’t judge me like everyone else. After the party where I got jumped by Heather and her slutty friends, Colt took me back to the carriage house and stitched up my face. He took care of me for days so nobody would see what happened. He listened to me and let me cry over and over about you. He never judged me or asked for anything in return.”

Colt had his eyes locked on me. He was clenching his jaw, trying to control his temper. I looked back down to the ground. “He never hit on me. We were just friends Ty. He was just doing it for you. But, as the days past and I finally was able to be around someone that didn’t hate me, things changed. I can’t tell you exactly when, but I just wanted to feel wanted.” I walked over to Ty and grabbed his hand. I put the ring in his palm and closed it. He closed his eyes shut and when they opened they were full of tears. “I’m sorry Ty. When you woke up we tried to fight our feelings, but I can’t stop wanting him. I can’t marry you. I hope one day you can forgive me.” I started crying and walked away from both of them. Colt looked at me as I walked past him, but I was still angry.

“What am I supposed to say?” I heard him asking Colt. “So, you meant well. At some point you went too far man. Did you think about me when you were f**king her? Did you feel bad at all? Because, you don’t have to tell me you couldn’t stop yourself. She is hard to deny. I just can’t understand how you couldn’t stop yourself for me.”

Obviously, Colt had just had enough! He moved forward depleting the distance between them. “Just stop with your sob story Tyler! For years I have listened to you go on and on about all the girls you were sleeping with behind her back. As she lay there every night cryin’ to me about you, I kept the truth from her. I felt like an ass**le lyin’ to her. She felt horrible for sleeping with me, when all the while you had done it to her over and over. Oh and by the way, I really liked how you told her about the women, but made her think they were my conquests and not your own. What the f**k cuz? How could you make me out to be that guy? For someone that wants to be with her forever, you sure have a shitty way of showin’ it.”

At this point I had turned all the way around. My mouth hung open. Everything made sense now. My tears dried up and I felt so angry.

“Is it true? All of it?” I turned to face Ty.

He threw his hands up in the air. “You know what. I am tired of lying. Yes! It’s all true Van. I f**ked them all and they kept coming back for more too. You were always so caught up in yourself and school to notice I had needs. If you would have been there for me, it never would have happened.”

I ran toward him throwing my body at him. He fell down to the ground, but I continued to beat on his chest, until I felt strong hands pulling me off. “Get off me!” I screamed.

Colt didn’t let go. With one hand he held me back, and with the other he pulled his cousin back up to his feet.