Silence

Chapter Nineteen

Cole

I lay perfectly still, so I wouldn't wake her and watched her sleeping in my arms. She was so beautiful, and so out of my league I couldn't believe she agreed to be with me. I was the luckiest bastard alive.

She sighed in her sleep and rolled onto her back. A mass of blonde hair lay messily underneath her. Last night was the best night of my life. The way she felt and tasted was etched into my mind. Sex was not at all underrated.

A weight had lifted off my shoulders when I finally admitted I was in love with her. I'd been holding it in for so damn long, scared that it would put her off.

It was good to finally say it out loud.

Oakley didn't think that much of herself, and I had no idea why. To me, she was perfect. It didn't matter that she wouldn't talk or our relationship wouldn't be 'normal' because of it. I was in love with her.

When she first stopped talking, everyone thought it was a fish bone that she'd choked on. We waited patiently for a few days, and then it became obvious that something else was going on. I still wasn't sure, and it drove me crazy sometimes.

Oakley had to come to us. There have been so many times where I've wanted to beg her, make her tell me, but I knew that would push her away. My goal was to be someone she knew she could count on whenever she decided to talk.

I wanted to hear her say my name again so badly. I wanted to hear her voice, hear how it'd changed and see if I recognised it. At one point, Jasper thought she was doing it for attention, but that wasn't like her at all.

I sighed in happiness and kissed the top of her head, hoping that one day she would let me in. I'd been patient all these years, I loved her, so I wasn't giving up.

It was almost six in the morning, and I needed to sneak back to my room soon, but I was too comfortable, even with her sprawled out on my chest. I doubted anyone would be up at this time, but I couldn't risk getting caught and not being able to sleep in her bed again.

Waking up next to her made me feel like a king, and I only had a few more days to do it.

After another ten minutes of staring at her, I gently rolled her over and got out of bed. She took a deep breath as I moved her and settled back into the pillow.

Stop being a fucking creep and leave!

Throwing on my clothes, I took one last look at her and left the room.

A few people were about as I walked along the corridor, but thankfully not Oakley's parents. I got in and headed straight for the shower. There was no way I could fall back to sleep now, so I might as well get up.

As I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I froze, realising I'd left Oakley alone the morning after we'd had sex. She would wake up alone. Each morning I'd get up and go whether she was awake or not, but it was different now.

I'm such a twat!

Glancing at the ceramic clock on the wall, I saw that it was now six-forty-five. Too late to sneak back. If you hurry up, she might still be asleep when you go back. I can't let her wake up alone.

She set her alarm for seven-thirty, so I had to be quick. Rushing around, I had a shower and clumsily got dressed. I was in such a hurry I stumbled around like a bloody puppy learning to walk. I shoved my leg through the wrong hole in my shorts and growled. Calm down! I was so bloody jacked up I couldn't even dress myself.

When I was finally ready, I only had minutes to spare. No one but Oakley had ever made me feel nervous. Other girls didn't affect me. She was it, and I was terrified of messing things up.