Hot SEAL, April's Fool by Becca Jameson (smart books to read .txt) 📗

not what I meant. I just figured you’re probably pissed at me for what happened back in high school, and I wanted to point out that you should redirect your anger toward Cole. He’s the one who shouldn’t have listened to gossip.”

April’s heart was beating out of her chest as she stared at Violet, not moving an inch, hardly breathing. “What are you talking about?” she finally asked.

Violet jerked her gaze up and met April’s. She licked her lips. “Uh…what I said to Cole. About you. I mean… Didn’t he tell you?” Suddenly, her demeanor changed and a smirk spread across her face. “Figures. Of course, he wouldn’t want you to know what he did and risk losing you again. Men are so stupid.”

April shuffled closer, flames heating her face. She fisted her hands at her sides, knowing she wasn’t going to like what Violet had to say but needing to hear it anyway. “Cole did not tell me. How about you tell me now?”

Violet stood and started pacing, not meeting April’s gaze. “We were young. I was stupid and petty and jealous of you.”

“What did you do, Violet? Fucking tell me.” April’s voice rose with each word.

Violet gulped. Her hands were shaking violently now. “I overheard you talking to your friends at lunch that day. You were in a booth at the diner. You didn’t see me. I was behind you.”

April frowned, trying to remember the scene and realizing which day Violet was referring to. The day Cole didn’t show up for their date. The day her world flipped upside down. What had she said at lunch?

“You were excited because Cole was taking you out that night to Sherman’s Steak House.” She smirked. “I heard everything. You thought he was going to ask you to marry him that night.”

April’s heart beat faster with every word. She considered yanking Violet out of her seat and strangling her. She wasn’t going to like the rest of this story.

Violet shrugged. “I pretended there was something wrong with my car and took it to Landry’s. I spoke to Cole.”

“What did you tell him?” April asked, her body vibrating with fury.

“That I overheard you telling your friends you hoped he wasn’t going to ask you to marry him because you were too young and heading in different directions.”

The only sound in the room was the ringing in April’s ears. She stood rigid, fists at her sides. She’d never hit anyone in her life, but she considered doing so now.

For a long time, neither of them moved. April’s chest rose and fell, but she couldn’t quite get enough oxygen. She wouldn’t follow her instincts and yank Violet out of her seat and beat the hell out of her. The gossiping bitch wasn’t worth it. It would change nothing.

Instead, April slowly turned around and paced over to the window. She stared out at the sprawling backyard, seeing nothing. Her brain was still processing this information. Violet Chamberlain had been so jealous of April and Cole’s relationship that she’d gone to extreme lengths to break them up. She had to have known it wouldn’t cause Cole to suddenly be interested in her. She’d done it purely out of jealous spite.

It was hideous and cruel and cost April ten years of happiness. She didn’t even want to look at Violet. But that wasn’t the worst part. No matter what Violet had done, April didn’t think she could ever forgive Cole for what he’d done.

First of all, he should have come to her instead of taking Violet’s word and leaving town. But also, she’d been with him for the last four days. He could have told her that at any time. Why the hell hadn’t he?

Suddenly, the door to the library burst open, yanking April from her pity party. She spun around to find the mayor, rushing into the room. He looked concerned. Cole and Rodney were on his heels.

“What the hell, Dad?” Violet shouted as she jumped to her feet. “We’ve been stuck in here for over an hour.”

Chamberlain held up both hands as if he were totally innocent. “I’m so sorry. The door must have gotten stuck. I was on a conference call upstairs. I didn’t get your messages or texts until I hung up just a few minutes ago. I was rushing down to open the door for you when Cole and Rodney started banging on the front door.”

April stared at the lying piece of shit as Cole rushed to her side. “Are you okay?” he asked, his hand coming to her shoulder.

She jerked out of his grasp and shot him a glare. “I’m fine.” She had no interest in facing him right now, not about this or any other topic. She needed to get the fuck out of here and find someplace to think. Her skin felt raw as if Violet had scratched off the top layer with her claws. It physically hurt for Cole to touch her.

She glared at him and then at Chamberlain before running from the room. She ran down the hall, out the front door, and down the eternal front steps to get to her car. As she was yanking the door open, she heard Cole shouting her name, but she ignored him and slid into the driver’s seat. Her hands were trembling so badly it was hard to get the key in the ignition, but she finally managed and then pulled away from the house without glancing back.

She would have to face Cole, but not now. Not while she was processing all this new information. Not in front of Violet and her fucking lying cheating piece of shit for a father.

She didn’t want to go back to her apartment because Cole would just follow her there, so she drove to the only place where she knew she could lie low and lick her wounds for a while. Her parents’ house.

Chapter 14

Cole had no idea what the hell was going on or why April took off so fast, pulling away