Silence

Chapter Eleven

Oakley

I took Cole's outstretched hand and skipped to him, pressing my side against his. He pulled me around so I was standing between his legs. We'd been a bit touchy feely for as long as I could remember, but it was developing into something more. It didn't seem as innocent as it was before.

"You okay?" Cole whispered in my ear. I swallowed hard as his breath tickled my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. A nod of the head answered his question. Even if I could talk right now I wouldn't be able to.

"I'm guessing Kerry's finally making her move on Ben?"

I looked over to where he was laughing and saw Kerry with her tongue down Ben's throat. I take it all back. Kerry's plan is working perfectly.

After three cans of Coke, I was desperate for the toilet. Cole had told me it was upstairs when he went about half an hour ago so I knew where it was. I weaved between the drunken guests to go find it and had just closed the bathroom door when I heard Mary talking to some of her friends about Cole and me.

The music was still quite loud, even upstairs, so I could just about hear the bitchy comments:

'Cole only feels sorry for her.'

'He can do way better than that freak.'

'She'll never make him happy, he'll get bored of her soon enough.'

Walking away from the door, I sat on the edge of the bath, not wanting to hear any more as my heart plummeted to my feet. What I hated more was questioning if they were right. The thing that scared me most if we got together was Cole resenting me for not having a proper relationship.

From the way he kissed me earlier, it didn't seem like any of that bothered him. But this was early days, not a year or so down the line when the novelty had worn off.

Was Mary jealous or right?

I waited a few minutes before I used the bathroom and heading downstairs. I wanted to give them time to leave so I wouldn't have to pass them. Thankfully, they had left and I got down without them noticing.

Cole smiled as I walked back into the kitchen and, in that moment, I decided not to let Mary get to me. She didn't matter. We did. The sick feeling vanished as I watched him.

If Cole didn't want to be with me, then he didn't have to be. I walked straight up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Immediately feeling embarrassed, I pressed my forehead into his chest. All right, me being forward really is new.

When I loosened my grip on Cole's waist, he pulled away and grabbed my hand, leading me out of Ben's house. He hadn't said bye to anyone so I wasn't sure if that was it, but it didn't bother me if we left now anyway.

We walked along the pavement in silence. He didn't tell me where he was leading us, but we eventually stopped at the park. His face was blank, showing nothing at all. I followed him to the swings and sat on one. Chuckling, he started to push me. I felt like a kid again.

"Oakley, can I ask you something?" He said after pushing me for a minute. He stopped the swing and came around the front to kneel down in front of me. His face was serious, no sign of the laidback and playful Cole I was used to.

I don't like the sound of this. His tone was very much 'we need to talk' and I dreaded what was coming next. He took a deep breath as if he was working up the courage first. "Why don't you text me back?"

That wasn't what I had expected at all and it tore at my heart.

I looked away from him, focusing the outline of a patch of mud in the wood chippings below me. That question wasn't a new one. He'd asked me that thousands of times before, but it was the way he asked it, with so much hope he genuinely thought that I might answer.