Silence

Chapter Twenty-Four

Oakley

Everyone but Cole and I were downstairs setting up the decorations and moving furniture around to make room for the DJ. It wasn't my birthday until tomorrow, but my party was tonight.

Don't suppose you can skip your own party...

"We get to tell everyone soon," Cole said, grinning as he tied string to a balloon. He was excited to have our relationship out in the open. I was on the fence.

I dropped my gaze and busied myself with a banner.

"You don't want to tell them, do you?" Cole asked quietly, his face falling. I hate that I was responsible for that look. "Oakley?" He prompted. Sighing, I nodded.

"You don't mean that. You're worried about what they'll all say." I nodded again. "They'll be happy for us, you know they will. Things will calm down after a week or two when it's old news."

So he knew they were going to be watching us like crazy, too.

"Look, I don't like it, but we can wait longer. Whenever you're ready."

He said the words, but I knew he didn't mean it.

Smiling, I shook my head and kissed his cheek quickly. I missed being physically affectionate with him. I wanted to hold his hand and have his arms around me whenever we wanted, no matter who was around.

I missed being intimate with someone I trusted with my life, someone I knew would never hurt me. It was time to come clean about our relationship and be a normal couple.

I was ready for that.

I deserved that, surely.

Cole deserves that with someone worthy.

Ignoring the voice in my head, I playfully shoved his shoulder and made him laugh.

***

Two hours later, I was dressed for the party. My nerves grew with every step I took downstairs until I thought I was going to explode. I was thankful that Cole, Kerry and Ben would be with me. At least I could spend the evening with them and ignore everyone else.

People had come to see what my life was like, what my family were like. None of them wanted to celebrate my birthday.

Some of my family had already arrived and were standing around drinking and chatting. My grandparents from both sides of the family sat on the sofa with overflowing wine glasses. I didn't see Dad's parents often; they lived quite far away so they only visited on birthdays and at Christmas.

How would they react if they found out what he really was?

They won't believe you, either.

The doorbell rang, and I took a deep breath, taking a peek at Cole to stop myself freaking out. He smiled and mouthed, 'Love you' which made me forget everything and everyone.

"Happy Birthday, Oakley," Julian shouted from across the room, throwing his arms out like an idiot.

Cole glared, and if looks could kill, Julian would've been a goner by now. There was no need for him to be here, the guy hated me? It made no sense.

I smiled through distaste, and Cole tugged me into the kitchen.

I can do this. By midnight, it'll be winding down and everyone going home.

Rolling my eyes as I looked around, I shook my head. The whole house was covered in decorations. Pink decorations. You could barely move around all the balloons, banners, streamers, and enormous pink feathers. Yeah, feathers. What was I, eight? It was probably what Mum wanted for her sixteenth.