Chapter 186: Lost - Cole

"It doesn't mean anything, right?" Monet's voice sounds unsure. "I mean, they could've met somewhere and just took a photo together, and that's it. Coach played in the NFL, maybe your mother asked for a signature."

"She didn't like sports." Again, I don't feel like myself, even my voice sounds like an imposter's to my own ears. The image in my hand starts to get blurry, and Monet takes my wrist in her hand to steady it.

"This means nothing, Cole." She walks into me, her arms coming around my middle.

"It means something." I shake my head. "That reporter has been waiting for this moment, he knows something I don't."

"What do you want to do?"

I blink, looking down at the girl of my dreams who was too scared to show me a picture she found, because she knew I would've lost it. She didn't show me because she knew I wouldn't have been able to play if I knew of the existence of this picture.

But shes right, this photo means nothing without any information.

"I have to see Coach." I say definitely. "Now. I have to see him now, because it feels like everything that I've known, might be a lie."

My head is buzzing as I stare at my mother and Coach. How the fuck did they end up on this picture together?

We drive over to Coach's house, and I don't even know if he's home yet, but if I have to sit outside his house and wait until he gets here, then that is what I will do.

When we ring the bell, Amy opens the door, a deep frown marring her forehead. "I was wondering when you'd come."

"Is Coach here?"

"In the kitchen."

Monet grips my hand tighter in hers in support, as we follow Amy to the kitchen where Coach and Mrs. Murray are sitting at the kitchen table, each with a glass of wine.

"Cole." He gets up and walks around the table. "I apologize for today, I don't know what that reporter was talking about."

I hold out the photo to him. "Is that you?"

God, I can see my face in his as he frowns at me and then down at the picture, slowly taking it from me. How the hell was I so blind before that I didn't see it?

My heart beats a mile a minute, and I have to loosen my hold on Monet's hand before I break it as I see the recognition dawn on Coach's face.

"This is your mother? " He asks, his voice breaking. Amy slides up next to him and grabs the photo from his hand, also inspecting it.

"Did you know her?" I want to know.

Coach sighs deeply, his eyes flittering to his wife's, who looks as horrified as Amy as she looks at what could only be described as evidence.

"I did." Coach nods, finally meeting my gaze. "I'm sorry about what happened to your mother. I only knew her very briefly."

"Are you Cole's father?" Amy asks, tears shining in her eyes. "Because now that I'm looking at it, you guys really look alike, Dad."

Coach doesn't say anything, and Mrs.Murray covers her mouth with her hand.

"Please be honest." Monet whispers from next to me. "I don't think you know the magnitude of what Cole has been through, and I think the least he deserves from you is honesty."

Coach nods, but I see the remorse in his eyes. Probably not for me, but for his family who is being affected as much as I am.

"I met your mother on a night out of town, my team were playing in her city." He looks at Mrs. Murray who lets out a sob. "We were broken up at the time, I did not cheat on you."

"I knew it!" She cries. "I knew that someday something like this would happen!"

"So you're saying there might be a chance that what that reporter said is true!" Amy exclaims urgently. "That Cole is actually, really your son?"

I don't know how to feel at Coach's admission. If this is true, everything I've known was a lie. My entire existence after that fateful day of my mother's murder, was determined by that life event. I made Kamila's life very difficult, I acted out in rage at every corner.

"There might be a chance." Coach confirms. "I didn't know, Cole, I swear I didn't know. I met your mother that one night only, the next morning she was gone and I never heard or saw her ever again."

"You should get a DNA test as soon as possible." Mrs. Murray cries, but I don't need a test when the evidence is standing right in front of me.

We don't have the same eye color, but it's the way that the ends of his hair curls like mine even though he has some grey strands. It's the exact same skin tone, the same skin tone and hair color that Amy has.

I do have a sister.

It's just not Monet.

She calls my name when I drop her hand, my anchor that I've been holding onto.

I can hear her screaming when I walk out of the front door, and I see her running after the truck aftter I got in it and drove off.

I don't know where I'm going, but I sure as shit can't look anyone in the eye right now.

Especially not her.