The Truth (Mommy's House 2)

Part Twenty-Four

"You know that we can't let you come with us," I said, my heart wrenching as I watched his chest heave in pure worry. He ran his hand through his hair and stood up from his bed, his breath heavy. "It's not safe."

"I don't give a fuck what's safe for me," he said, "living in my own house isn't safe for me, this isn't any different."

"Cole, relax, we have to go, please just-" I tried, but he cut me off again.

"I'm going to search for her, with you or without you," his voice broke as he stood up. He reached over to grab his sweatshirt off the back of his chair, and I shook my head.

"Cole, we will call somebody and have them take you into custody if you don't stop," I told him, swallowing hard as it extremely hard to threaten him. He didn't seem to care at all about his safety, which was beyond frustrating and upsetting to me.

Liv looked at me urgently. There was already a team searching for Bella, but I knew that the two of us had to hurry as well to join them.

"Cole, whoever she may be with - that is, if she's even with anybody, probably wants you too. What good would it do if you showed up to help her?" I asked, trying desperately to be rational but he was testing me.

"Bella could- she could be getting killed right now and all you're focused on is my safety," he said.

"You are only sixteen, Cole. Listen, you are staying here with your parents. End of discussion. You are not coming with us, and you are certainly not looking on your own," I tried to say, but he ignored me as he pulled on his sweatshirt.

"No wonder your kid doesn't fucking talk to you," he said before pushing past Liv and I to the hallway outside of his bedroom. His words wrapped around my heart like a vice, but I tried to remind myself that he was just upset.

Liv and I followed him out into the living room, where his mother was pacing and gnawing on her nails.

"I hear yelling," Mrs. Mancini said, before her pale eyes looked over at Cole.

Cole didn't say one word to her, he just started out the door, and his mother looked at us with tears in her eyes.

"Where is he going? Cole! Torna qui adesso! Tuo padre ti punirà! Torna qui ora!" she cried out the door after him.

"We'll get him, don't worry," I heard Liv assure her as we rushed out the door.

It was dark outside, and the temperature was below freezing. My heavy breath was fogging the air in front of me as I caught up with Cole and grabbed onto his shirt. Liv moved to start the car as I focused on trying to control him.

He fought back against me, pushing his arm out to slam his elbow into my chest and knocking the breath out of me.

"Stop fighting me, Cole!" I demanded through my teeth.

He then knocked into my injured arm, and I exhaled in pain, before I finally restricted him and shoved him up against my car. He groaned immediately, but I tried to swallow my heart. I had to stop investing myself so much in this case - it was my job, it shouldn't affect my life as much as it was.

"Do you really want me to arrest you right now?" I asked him, my heart racing in my chest. It hurt so bad to do that to him. "Do you seriously want that?"

Cole put his forehead against the window of the car as he gasped for air. "Please let go of me," he pleaded, his voice desperate.

He sucked air through his teeth in pain, so I eased up on him a bit, but still kept him held against the car.

I looked over and found his mother staring out the door at us in worry from the doorway of her house, her figure a mere silhouette outlined by the light which poured out from inside. She had her hand over her mouth as she watched me press her son against the car.