Silence

Chapter Seventeen

Oakley

"Can you sit still for two minutes?" Cole teased and grabbed my Coke out of my hand before I spilt it. I was wriggling around in my seat in excitement. Our plane was gliding across the sky to Italy. I was so happy to be going away. I shook my head at him and stuck my tongue out.

Cole rolled his eyes. "Really, Oakley."

I had spent every day with him since school broke up, and I still wasn't getting bored of his company. In fact, I wanted more time with him. Although we weren't officially together we may as well be. Neither of us was in a rush to have it official. It would only complicate things anyway. The fewer people involved at this point the better.

I was between Cole and Jasper on the plane, and for the last thirty minutes they'd been talking solidly about cars. I watched an in-flight movie to occupy myself until they'd finished and Cole started to tease me about my excitement level.

It was stupid, but the more distance between me and England the happier I felt. Dad was with me, on this plane, going to Italy, but I still felt more at ease.

"Bet I pull more girls than you!" Jasper, wiggling his eyebrows at Cole.

He would because Cole didn't play stupid games like that, but I almost had a mini heart attack.

"I know you will, man. I don't screw everything with a pulse." Cole discreetly brushed his leg against mine to reassure me that he didn't want anyone else. It was fine, I knew that he would never do anything with another person while we were 'together'.

Jasper frowned in disappoint. I guess it wasn't fun unless you were in a competition with someone else. My brother was disgusting. I couldn't stand how he used women. It wasn't all his fault – I understood that – if women were stupid enough to believe he would want more after he said he didn't then he couldn't be blamed for that.

"You're young, mate! You should be getting as much as you can, from whoever you can!" Jasper was goading Cole. He suspected we were more than friends, and I could feel the reluctance to admit it from Cole. If I didn't agree that we should be secret until we knew what was going on between us, I'd be hurt.

"You're a pig, you know that?" Cole retorted.

Jasper laughed and nodded. "Yeah, but a sexually frustrated pig I am not! Don't worry, we'll go out and find you a nice blonde."

As Cole stared blankly at Jasper, I started to find it amusing too. Poor Cole.

***

As the plane started to descend, I felt lighter; like my problems had been left behind in England. I smiled, looking out of the window at the Italian airport. Time to relax. Here I could just be me. There was no before in Italy.

Once off, we retrieved our suitcases quickly and made our way to the hotel. The minicab drove up the mountain and stopped at our gorgeous little hotel. It was set into the mountain, only about a third of the way up. The infinity pool stretched to the very edge. It was breath taking, and I couldn't wait to get in the pool and look out at the landscape.

A tall, skinny, and very glamorous woman greeted us as we strode into the entrance. She wore high-heeled black sandals and shocking red lipstick: the type of woman that made guys fall at her feet and women sick with envy. Confidence oozed from her perfect, white smile. I felt like a troll next to her.

"Hello and welcome," she said in a thick Italian accent. "My name is Carmella, and I'm going to be showing you to your rooms." Her English was almost as flawless as her looks.