Always (Wolves of Mercy Falls fanfiction)

Chapter 5

Isabel's POV:

It was raining.

It never rained.

I was in short shorts and a singlet and it was raining.

My life had pretty much fallen apart when my family and I moved to California. For one thing, I missed Cole 24/7. You wouldn't know it for all the flings I had had in the last few weeks but none of them ever meant anything to me. I felt as though I would never look at another boy again because none of them could make me feel what I felt when was with Cole or even when I was just looking at him. I'm only pretending to be with guys so mum doesn't make me do counselling with her. She thinks I'm still upset about losing Jack, and sometimes I am, but it was ages ago now and I think I've come to terms with it even if she hasn't. I think that was one of the reasons we moved here. So we could start fresh and pretend the last few years of our lives in Minnesota didn't happen. But that meant pretending Cole didn't exist too, and that was one of the best thing about the past year.

I never wanted to fall for him. I never thought I would fall for him.

But I did. I loved him. I love him. And I don't think he ever understood how true that was, that I loved him.

I missed Grace too. Damn it, I even missed Sam. He had always had the ability to make me feel like I was going insane, but I missed him so much.

And I really hope Grace is well. I hope that she's happy and with Sam because they deserve it and it's totally obvious how meant for each other they are. They just click.

I've always wanted that. I think I could've had it with Cole, but he's gone.

No he's not gone, you are.

I missed that train. I'm never going to see him again.

***

My phone's ringing but I just can't be bothered answering it. I leave it to ring.

Eighth ring and it's still going, they're persistent, I'll give them that. Other people sitting in the cafe start giving me strange stares, like I'm an outsider already and I'm really not doing a good job of keeping the peace or trying to fit in. Why would I want to fit in anyway? This isn't my home and I've really given up on caring what people think of me, it was a care that left me when high school did.

No one ever rings for this long, after about the fifth ring it's obvious that you're not getting an answer, and I think that's the only reason why I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Isabel?"

I gasped, I recognised his voice immediately, though it sounded both sad and tired. I couldn't even talk, I was so shocked, "Isabel, are you there? Talk to me?"

"Cole."