24. Griffin

Ishouldn't have sent Cora those divorce papers. Instead, I should have told her I was a fool and begged for another chance.

It"s been five agonizing days since I had an associate deliver them to her. Deep down, I know it was the right choice, but that doesn"t stop thoughts of Cora from haunting me.

I keep telling myself that splitting up is for the best.

Cora deserves better than my family"s constant insults and belittling. They treat her as if she"s inferior just because her life isn"t picture-perfect in their eyes.

I sigh heavily and push myself off the couch, surveying the empty bottles of whiskey and beer scattered on the coffee table.

They"ve been my companions, helping me numb the pain and get through the sleepless nights.

My father"s voice echoes in my head, reminding me of my failures and how I"ll never measure up.

But tonight, I can"t drown out the ache in my chest or the memories of Cora"s smile.

I wish I could just erase my parents from my life. It"s a thought that has crossed my mind more times than I can count, but for some reason, I"ve never been able to cut them out fully.

The clinking of the bottles reminds me of the mess I need to clean up. I gather them up and take them to the recycling bin, hoping to clear my mind.

As the coffee starts brewing, there"s a sudden knock at the door.

I debate ignoring it. I"m not really in the mood for company, but the knocking grows louder and more persistent.

With a sigh, I abandon the coffee and head for the door, wondering who could be so insistent.

As I swing the door open, Jake"s standing there, looking like he"s about to explode. His scowl could probably scare off a grizzly bear.

"I should punch you again. I really should," he growls, "but I won"t. Not yet, anyway."

I gesture for him to come in, trying to keep my cool. "Jake, what are you doing here?"

He follows me into the kitchen, where I"m making coffee. His tone is sharp. "What the hell are you doing, Griffin?"

I offer him a cup of coffee, trying to lighten the mood. He ignores it and takes a seat on the island.

"That"s not what I meant," he says, his voice firm. "You know exactly what I"m talking about."

I lean against the counter, avoiding his gaze. "Look, I don"t know what you want from me, Jake."

Jake"s eyes narrow as he takes in my appearance. "You smell like you spent the night in a brewery," he says.

I glance down at my shirt, pretending to inspect it. "Must"ve spilled some beer on myself last night."

He shakes his head, clearly not buying it. "Drinking to numb the pain isn"t the answer, Griffin. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

I"m just trying to punish myself. I love Cora, but I know my family would only make her life miserable.

"Cora deserves so much more," I mutter, turning to the coffee pot as it fills.

I pour myself a mug and blow on it before taking a long sip. The coffee warms me from the inside out, easing some of the headache that"s been lingering.

Jake stands up and pours himself a mug, then settles back down. "I was just starting to accept the idea of you and Cora being married, and then you sent her divorce papers."

"Yeah, I did."

"And you think that"s what she deserves? A divorce?"

"I"ll still take care of her. I"ll make sure she has the money to pay off her debts and start her own business."

"That"s not the point, Griffin." Jake rubs his temples. "She loves you, damn it. You married her, you started a life together, and now you"re just ending it like it"s nothing?"

I slam the mug down on the counter, some of the steamy coffee sloshing over the side and onto the back of my hand. "For fuck's sake."

Pain blooms as I spin and cram my hand under the tap, turning on the water and letting it run until the sting subsides. I wrap my hand up in a towel before cleaning the spilled mess.

When I'm done, I look at Jake, tightness spreading in my chest. "Do you really think that leaving Cora was easy?"

"You sure make it seem that way."

I sigh. "No. It's not. It's hard as hell, and I feel like I'm climbing a mountain with the weight of the world strapped to my back every fucking day."

Jake's brow furrows, the lines on his face deepening. "None of this is making any sense. Your relationship got leaked to the media, so what? Nobody cares."

I bite my cheek, trying to figure out how much he already knows and how much I can tell him.

Jake downs half his coffee. "Griff—I can stay here all day until you tell me what the hell is going on."

He gets up from the stool and heads over to the couch, sprawling out across it and grabbing the remote.

The tiny men with jackhammers return to my temples, making me wish I could throw Jake out and crawl into a dark hole.

But he'd just find a way to get back into the house and follow me into that hole.

I take a big sip of coffee before following him into the living room. "My parents leaked the story to the media."

By the look on his face, the only thing that could've surprised Jake more was if I told him that I was carrying his child.

His eyes bulge out of his head, and his jaw drops. "What?"

"My parents. Before I even brought Cora to meet them, they had a private investigator digging into her life."

"How did you find out?" Jake shoots to his feet, pacing back and forth across the floor like a caged animal.

"Dad called and told me a few days after the story broke. He said they needed to ensure the family"s reputation wasn't ruined when people eventually found out I married Cora."

Jake's jaw is tight, his hands balling into fists. "Let me get this straight: your parents tried to ruin Cora's life to save their faces?"

"They will never accept Cora. Never."

"What did you do when you found out it was them?" Jake's voice is low and soft, sounding like it's coming at me from the other end of a tunnel.

As I look down at the ground, my body feels like it's twisting into knots. "I hung up on him. I didn't know what else to do."

"Please tell me you stood up for my sister and told your father where to go and how to get there."

My hands curl, nails biting into my palms. "I wish I had. I'm just so fed up with them. But I feel… I feel helpless."

Jake shoots to his feet, crosses the room, and stands in front of me. "Your parents tried to ruin Cora's life, and all you did was hang up and hand her divorce papers?"

The disappointment in his voice is nothing compared to the disgust I have for my own actions for hurting her.

Jake's upper lip curls as he takes a step back from me, shaking his head. "Man, I know your parents have been nothing but trouble your entire life, but I thought you were handling yourself and making your life your own. Now look at you."

"You can't say anything I haven't already said to myself," I murmur.

"Oh, I think I have plenty of things to say, Griffin." Jake exhales slowly, his cheeks turning red and his eyes narrowing. "I don't know who you are anymore. If you can't stand up for yourself, maybe you should've stood up for Cora."

"You're making this sound so much simpler than it is."

"No, I'm not," Jake takes a couple of steps back, his lips pressing into a thin line. "It is simple. You love Cora, and she adores you. Think about who matters the most in your life instead of leaving her alone to deal with the mess your parents made of her life."

He"s right.

I hate that he's right and I'm wrong again.

Jake shakes his head. "If there's one person you should fight for, it's Cora. Get a grip, man, and don't bother dragging her deeper into this because you know what? You're right. She does deserve better than you."

His words are a knife to the chest.

When he leaves, I take a deep breath, a thick feeling settling in my throat.

The door slams shut, leaving me wishing to go back in time and change everything.