"Cole, please, just listen!" Able begged, managing to jump off the floor at the very same time Cole did. He had no idea what he wanted Cole to hear but he felt like he had to try to explain, just the same.
What the hell could he say, though? The truth was bad, real bad. Not only had he lied and fucked his best friend’s girl, but he had gone and fallen completely in love with her, as well. Cole didn’t give him too much time to think on it, before he was screaming out, once again, giving the entire convention center a show.
That was the fucked up part. Able could tell, Cole, didn’t even see the people around him. He didn’t see the fans or the press. His vision was locked on Able. This was an old west standoff at high noon.
The crowd watched on, as the juicy celeb drama unfolded. A million cameras were now aimed at them. The press had never been more interested in the pair. All of a sudden, the entire world was tuned in and watching on as, two men, known for their love of one another, proceeded to beat the ever-loving shit out of each other.
"I can't believe you would do that, to me! I can't believe you fucked her! And those pics; that’s how you fucking tell me?! What the fuck is that shit?!" Cole yelled, spit flying from his mouth as he ran up to Able, catching him in the gut with a hard fist. It instantly had him doubling over as he coughed and hacked, trying to suck in air. "You looked me, right in the eyes, and fucking lied to, me, of all fucking people!" Cole hissed, grabbing a handful of Able’s locks, trying to pull him into a standing position.
The greasy haired, little fuck, surprised himthough by landing a face rocker to the side of Cole’s head. Cole had to give it to him, Able had a pretty solid fist for a guy, he knew, hadn't been in a fight since high school.
"I didn't mean to; you have to believe me! I know I fucked up but I swear to God, I didn't mean for this to happen!" Able tried to explain, his eyes pleading.
"Fuck you, you didn't! You knew she was mine!” Cole reminded with a hard shove to Able’s chest, sending him flying backward. He caught his balance, just before he ate cement.
“I know, but,” he tried to defend as he stepped back up to Cole. It was a stupid move on his part, but he had to explain.
“But, nothing! You knew, exactly, how much she meant to me and you fucked her anyway!" Cole screamed out, tackling Able through the back wall of his booth. The stand in walls, where junk, quickly folding down, all around them.
The crowd, stood on tiptoes, shock in awe filling their features. The Brothers in Murder boys, were beating the hell out of each other and they hadn’t even had to buy a ticket to watch. It was a sight to be seen, to say the least.
The boys both rolled, throwing wild punches, as they tried to be heard, over one another. Cole, trying to make sure, Able knew, that he was the Devil himself, all while Able, was trying his best to apologize for being, just that.
"It’s about fucking time; get in there!" Clark yelled out, as he saw, what looked like an entire swat team of security guards, cops, and non-uniformed men, rushing their way.
"I'm so sorry man, I'm so fucking sorry!" Able cried out, trying to pull away from the guards as Cole continued to put up, one hell of a fight against the five large men who were trying their best, to hold him at bay. His face was bright red, his veins popping out, as blood trickled down from his brow.
Able himself, was ten times worse. His lip was busted, along with his brow. Not to mention, a large gash set on his cheek, where knuckle, had met bone, way too hard. He was winded, wishing he didn't smoke so much. The one eye, that wasn’t already starting to swell shut, was pleading with Cole for forgiveness. Forgiveness, he knew he didn't deserve.
"I'll fucking kill you, you hear me Able! I swear to God, if you ever fucking touch her again, I'll kill you!"
Cole screamed the threat, as he fought to get the, much larger men, off from him. He had no idea, how they had gotten there so fast, but he knew that Able should be counting it as blessing, that they, had.
"Cole, I’m in love with..!" Able started but stilled, his eyes going wide, as he watched Cole turn, straight Ninja on steroids. He was fast and deadly as he landed, punch after kick. All while twisting and spinning. It was the craziest thing Able had ever seen. To the point, he glanced over at Clark, to see if he was seeing it as well. He must have been, because his mouth, was dropped open wide and his eyes were as big as saucers.
Cole had tried to take back some control by allowing security to separate them. He even allowed them to get, a good ten feet between him and Able but when Able, dared to say, the fucking words, he had no business saying, Cole lost all semblance of control.
Once free, he took off on a dead run, ready to end the traitor known as Able, once and for all. Six running steps, was how far he made it before he dropped to his knees. It had felt like, nothing more, than a double bee sting but it had dropped the powerful man faster than lightening strikes.
Cole couldn't move a muscle, as the electricity shot through, his body. It left him curled up on his side, his entire muscled frame, twitching, as he tried his best not to swallow his own tongue. Just barely, he could make out shouting. It was Able, he was pretty sure of that, and he was screaming something about ‘leave him alone, you're gonna fucking kill him!’. Cole’s sight was more than a little blurry, but he could make out Able, trying to make a move on the man, holding the taser. He didn’t get anywhere, though, well, besides being tackled by two other guards, that is.
They both came to lay on their stomachs, almost side by side. Cole, glaring at Able as his body finally stopped twitching, long enough, for a knee to be placed in his spine, before a pair of cuffs were being slapped on his wrists. He was, pretty sure, they dislocated his shoulder but he wasn’t positive. He had, way too much adrenaline, pumping through his body to feel anything. Except, for hate, that is. Hate for the asshole lying next to him. The guy who was a bleeding mess all over the floor, the same prick,
whose eyes, dared to beg him for something he would never give. Forgiveness.
Over twenty-five, security personnel formed a wall around the two cuffed celebrities as they made their way out of the convention center. Clark, hot on their heels, already calling their lawyers.
Chapter 25
T he former friends, sat on opposite sides of their
cells, with nothing more than a row of bars separating them. Able was sitting with his elbows on his knees, his head hung low. He didn't have to look up, to know that Cole was still, mean mugging him. He could feel the pissed off man's eyes burning into his skin.
Every breath he took, hurt. His ribs were killing him, right alongside the rest of his body. His face had the most damage but he would survive. They had taken them to the infirmary when they arrived. A few stitches, and some band aids, where all they had to offer, though. No cure, for a fractured friendship.
Over thirty years on this planet and Able had never seen the inside of a jail, before today. What a fucking mess this was, and the worst part of it was that, he, had been the cause of it all. Sitting here now, all the lies Able had told himself to make what he did, seem okay at the time, escaped him.
For the life of him, he couldn't figure out how he had let this happen. Twisting his fingers around one another, he thought back, on all the bad choices that had led him here.
He cursed himself, for each and every one of them. He deserved to go straight to hell. His skin was already burning, from Cole’s vicious glare. Every second that ticked by, Able became more and more convinced that you really could kill someone with just, one, look.
Cole had that look, down pat. He was steady heading toward a murder charge if he kept it up. He sat, stone-faced, on his metal bunk, leaning back against the cement of the wall. His legs bent at the knee, hands flexing, his knuckles cracking. He eyed Able with a look of disgust and utter contempt.
The little bastard was lucky that there were bars keeping them separated or Cole would have already finished off what he had started, back at the convention center.
&nbs
p; Able hadn’t looked his way, since they had been placed in their separate cells, across from one another. He just kept his head, hanging low, like the sulking, little mutt that he was. His face looked fucked. Looking it over, had Cole, smirking. He had, definitely, left his mark. Fuck him, though, the little prick was lucky, he even still had a face left, after the shit he had pulled.
The list of his wrongs was long. He had lied, straight-faced to Cole, fucked his girl, betrayed their friendship, and even went so far as to rub it in his face,with those damn pictures, of his. Sure, no one, else, would know who Penny was by looking at them but Cole did and that's all that mattered. He couldn't believe the set of balls, his mousy little friend turned out to have, scratch that, enemy.
As for Penny, he was twisted up with her part in all this, as well. How she had kept it a secret, was beyond him. He knew every damn move the girl made, or at least he, thought he did. Cole realized now, though, that he never really had a clue. The sneaky woman, had been off fucking his best friend, behind his back.
He had to stop and remind himself that Penny didn't know that the two men in her life, were also, best friends. She had no clue, that the two men, had been tighter than family, for more years than Cole even cared to think about.
Cole’s jaw tensed, picturing Penny and Able together. He racked his brain, trying to figure out, why, she had strayed from him. What more could he have done to keep her satisfied, so she wouldn’t have felt the need to sneak over into Able’s arms. She wasn't sneaking, though. She had always been, very clear when it came to their dating status. They weren’t, together, not officially, anyways. Penny owed him, no, sexual loyalty. God knows, he had been out running around. Getting his, from any girl with a nice smile and a pension for fucking celebs. He rolled his eyes, he couldn't hate her for getting herself some, as well, but damn, why the hell did it have to be with his best friend? Out of all the men in Cali, she had to go and pick that one.
Cole had thought, for sure, that he had handled the situation. He thought, it was all said and done, and why wouldn’t it have been? She hated celebrities, so why the fuck would she run around with Able, of all, fucking people?
Lately, Cole had been positive that Penny was starting to come back around to him. She was starting to let him in like she hadn’t in years. It was a hard hit to realize that he wasn’t the, only one, that she was allowing near.
He shook his head with a huff. He had had this coming for years, now. He had fucked up first, by cheating on Penny and breaking her heart, and now, here she was paying him back, with interest. The really fucked up part was that she didn’t even know the level at which she had gotten her revenge. They were even up, now. Level ground, in Cole’s book. If he could, he would walk out of here and never tell her what he knew, never let on that he knew about her fling, about her… whatever the fuck it was, she and Able had going on.
He wondered, just how deep, it all ran. How close were the two, really. Was it just fucking around or was it something altogether more? He narrowed his eyes at Able who was till waddled up in the corner of his cell. Cole let out an annoyed breath. He knew that man, at least he did at one time, and he knew Penny as well. Neither of them, were the type to, just, fuck around. Whatever they had it no doubt, already ran, pretty deep and no way was it magically gonna just go the fuck away, no matter how hard Cole wished it would.
"I really am sorry." Able finally broke the silence, looking up to glance at Cole, his eyes filled with guilt and remorse.
"I'm sorry, too.” Cole nodded back.
“What are you sorry for?”
“I’m sorry that I didn't, bust every tooth out of your fucking head when I had the chance." Cole informed, glaring back at him.
"I deserved worse," Able agreed with a little nod.
"Fuck yes, you did. You got some balls on you, boy. It must be hard walking around with those boulders swinging. You fucking piece of shit!"
"It wasn't like that, I didn't do it to hurt you! I swear to God, I didn’t!”
"How the fuck was it then, Able? Because the way I remember it, you told me, you were never gonna see her again but it sure as fuck, looks like you’ve been seein’ her, and a lot of her, at that." Cole scoffed, his muscles tightening as he thought back on the racy photos.
"I tried to stay away, I really did, man. I left her alone, I swear, I did. But, then… she fucking messaged me, and I know I shouldn't have but… damn it, I couldn't just walk away from her.”
“I couldn’t walk away…,” Cole mocked, grade school bully style.
“Screw you! You of all people should understand how fucking hard it is. You couldn't even let loose of her, yourself." Able reminded, coming to stand, before starting to pace back and forth in his cell.
"Don’t you fucking do that, don’t you try to put this, on her. I don’t give a shit that she got at you, first. If you were any kind of friend, hell, any kind of man even, you would have told her, no. And also, don’t you dare, try to compare yourself to me. You bet your ass I know how hard it is, but you only had that woman for a fucking week. Her and me, we had a lifetime together, already. You couldn't walk away, my ass!”
“I tried, I did, you have to believe me!” Able begged.
“Mother fucker you can try all you want, the truth is, you don’t even know that girl, not the way I do, and you never fucking will. Not so long as I have breath in my body.” Cole was growling it toward the end, leaned up with his finger pointing right at Able.
"I do know her, though, man, I do. Maybe not like you, but I know shit. I know who she is when she's with me. And who she is with me, is who I fell for. You know me man, you know I'm not out for ass. I really do care about her, I do. I wouldn't have done any of this, I wouldn’t have hurt you if I wasn't completely lost to that woman. I can't eat, I can't sleep, and I never stop thinking about her. She's so up in my head that I can't even reason, right from wrong, anymore. I would never have done this to you, in a million years, you know that, but I couldn't let her go. I couldn't walk away, I tried, I tried so hard, so many times, but I couldn't. I'm sorry Cole, I fucking love you, but, I still can't." Able admitted, coming to stand in the middle of his cell. His eyes locked with Cole’s, his blues filled with apologies.
"Are you fucking with me?” Cole’s head tilted to the side, a cocky smile on his lips, as a disbelieving crease, set into his brow. “You really think you got a chance with her, boy? That girl is so beyond you. Trust me when I say…, you don’t!” Cole scoffed out a chuckle, giving Able a pitied look.
“I think you’re wrong, I’m sorry, but I do. Her and I, we have something.” Able dared to defend.
“Your something is nothing. Listen, I don’t know what she's been saying to you but she's still been all over my shit, hell, more than ever, lately. She's been playing you man. She's just having a bit of fun, just trying to level, her and I, out. You ain't shit, but a fucking pawn to her. She doesn't want a future with you, dumb ass! You, were just some guy she fucked to get back at me. Tit for tat, that’s all it ever was, trust me on that!” Cole said with a cocky, knowing smirk as he leaned back to cross his arms over his chest.
"I know you’re hurt man but that ain't how it is. Her and I, talk all the fucking time. I know shit man, she tells me shit. We share shit! I know she loves you but, I think, she might love me too, and I know I love…,"
Cole's glare, stopped Able in his tracks.
"Don’t, say it! You don’t even know how to love that girl. Not the way she needs to be loved. You don’t know what it's gonna take to keep her, but I do. Trust me when I say, you ain’t even close to being ready to give it to her.”
“What if I am?”
“You’re not, so, fuck you. You can't fucking have her! I’m sorry for your loss. Better luck next time, asshole!" Cole said with a ‘fuck off in whatever direction you came from’ tone, shewing Able away with his hands like he was an annoying fly.
"Oh yeah, you think you got her all figured out, do ya?”
“Y
es, that’s exactly what I think.” Cole nodded like it was the truth.
“Well, then, why the fuck ain't she with, you? Like really with you? Why the hell are you still chasing her around like a fucking puppy, then? She isn’t, your woman, any more than she's mine, asshole. You act like you got the golden keys, right in your fucking pocket but if you did, none of this shit would have happened. You would have had her, she would really be yours, like you try to pretend she is, but she ain't. She isn’t mine either, she ain’t really either of ours!" Able challenged, stepping up to the bars. He was getting annoyed. The more Cole talked, the more pissed he was getting. The jackass was acting like, what he and Penny had, wasn't shit, but it was.
The room went silent for a moment, as Cole pushed off his bunk, to make his way over to the bar covered window, eyeing the parking lot below.
"I know what it takes Able, I've always known. I could have had Penny back, anytime I wanted her.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because, I'm an asshole, alright.” Cole shrugged. “I always knew what she needed. I just wasn't ready to give it up, just yet. I'm greedy, I wanted it all, the best of both worlds. It was going pretty good too before you came along. You went and fucked it all up. I thought I had it in the bag. She wasn't going anywhere, so, I put it off, enjoyed it while I still could.”
“What could be worth more than her?” Able questioned, not being able to think of one thing that would stop him from having Penny if he could.
“You wanna know what it's gonna take asshole, you really wanna know, because you’re not gonna like it.” Cole warned, turning his attention back to Able, who gave him a curt nod. "You gotta give it all up, give up the money, give up the cars, the houses, the trips, the swag, give up the roles, the admiration, the fans. If you give all that up, you could have her. The fame has to go. She doesn't want it, ain't never had any use for it. Hell, to be honest, I don’t even know if she really knows, that that's all it would take, but it is. She would never ask for it, never has but that’s what it all comes down to in the end. So, there, now you know. The question now is, are you really ready to walk away from it all, just for her?” Cole dared, finally allowing the hate to slip from his greens, to be replaced with the fact that his words, were true.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place Page 39