Face To Call Home (Love Came In #1) ✔️

Chapter 8

I slammed my locker shut, mentally ticking off the list of subjects I took books for – basically, every subject I take. The fall exams were arriving, and I wanted to be prepared.

"Whoa, you were planning to study all those subjects at once?" I turned around and smiled at April, laughing. She knew me – knew that I took studying very seriously. Amanda walked towards us, emerging from the dense crowds in the hallways and holding books in her arms too.

"Why has everyone started studying already?" April said, but looked like she didn't have a problem with it.

"Because you're a last-minute person," Amanda said knowingly, and April smiled. The three of us knew each other well, our flaws, habits, personality, everything.

We were talking about the upcoming exams and how we wanted it over with when James, Liam and Reece walked by, laughing and talking. I never saw them separately. They nodded at me in acknowledgment, and, surprised, I waved at all three in response.

"You know them?" Amanda asked, surprised.

I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. "And why is that surprising?"

"It's not. I just...didn't know you hung out with them."

I shrugged. "With me being Matt's sister and occasionally joining Cole and his friends, I know them," I mumbled. Amanda stopped short. "Hey what're you doing for that chemistry project?" I asked, lamely trying to change the subject.

"Oh no, no, no, you can't escape this. You hang out with Cole? You actually, willingly stay in his presence ? I thought he was so annoying and-" she stopped talking, her eyes widening in realisation. "Oh, my god, you like him. Oh my god finally, do you know how long I have been waiting for this? Finally, a guy worthy of your attention is here and he obviously likes you back, the way he looks at you like he wants to eat you up-"

I blushed profoundly, clamping my hand on Amanda's rambling mouth.

"Its not like that. Sure he's cool and all but I don't like him, okay?"

I removed my hand from her mouth, but her and April's smug, know-it-all looks remained, annoying me.

*********

"Shook me all night long." I hummed under my breath as ACDC blasted through my earphones. With my sketchbook in front of me, I started to sketch something but stopped, realising I really wasn't in the mood and didn't feel creative at all. I sighed deeply, my thoughts, as always, returning to the exams and the stress that was mounting.

My pencil dropped from my hands and I pulled out my earphones, staring blankly at the board of pictures in front of me above my desk.

A sound near me drew my eyes towards the window near mine, also open. Cole winced as he rubbed his head, presumably after hitting it on the desk as he got up from his crouch. He looked as good as ever, and it made me think about the sight I had seen in school that afternoon.

Cole sat on his chair and his eyebrows drew together as he studied the human respiratory system in the textbook in front of him. I had to admit, he looked cute when he concentrated.

A weary sigh escaped his lips – he looked like he could use some help. As far as I knew, he did very well in all his subjects, but god knows when he studied – I never saw him open a book.

I was tempted to say something, and finally gave in, looking at his confused and wary expression as he stared at the textbook.

"Hey Cole!" I shouted at him across the gap separating us. His head swiveled towards me, and I smiled at him. "Need some help with that?" I asked, standing up and leaning against the window frame.

He looked relieved, immediately getting up and jumping across our windows by putting his foot on the window sill.

Before I could shout at him and tell him to come the normal way, he had already perfected the jump with a textbook in hand. He fell forward a little, his tall and bulky frame almost crushing me; on instinct, my hands landed on his chest to steady him and me, and his arms locked around me to keep us both from falling.

He exhaled a long breath, looking down at me with mischievous eyes that turned darker as he drew me closer. I couldn't breathe as he captured a wayward strand of hair in his hands, tucking it behind my ear. My hair was open today- I never kept it that way, and regretted it now.

"You look beautiful with your hair open," He said, his arms drawing me closer. I really couldn't breathe and I was sure he could hear my pounding heartbeat. He smelt so nice – a warm, male and musky scent only he had, with his eyes focused on me with that now familiar heat in them.

My mouth opened as I tried to say something, anything, and suddenly realised how close we were – I was flush against his body and could feel every hard muscle, every thick vein and his hands that were dangerously close to my butt which was clad in my favourite yoga pants. I jumped back, tripped on the hairbrush on the ground and fell backward on a book lying on the floor. I winced loudly as Cole's laughter echoed through the room.

With as much dignity as I could muster, I picked myself up and seated myself on the bed, signaling to Cole, who was still laughing, to the chair in front of me. Ignoring me, he sat down next to me, cross-legged on the bed, still laughing.

I narrowed my eyes at him, my cheeks still flushed in embarrassment as he apologized and stopped laughing but continued to smile. He placed the book in front of him, opening up to the chapter he didn't understand. I settled in comfortably, ready to teach him the intricacies of the human respiratory system. It was going to be a long evening.