“Yeah, course we are.” She waved her hand dismissively, and I knew that was over. “So, what’s going on then? You back together?”
I frowned. “Not yet. Well I don’t know if we ever will be.” Chelsea cocked her head to the side, looking at me sceptically. “I’m serious, Chels. Say we got back together and everything’s great. As soon as the trial ends she’s going back. I don’t think I could do that again,” I admitted. Actually I knew I couldn’t do it again.
“You’re dumb, Cole.” That took me by surprise. So I was dumb now? “You could ask her to stay with you, and if she can’t, then go with her.”
Wow, she had done a total one eighty! Only a few days ago she was telling me to get over her, and now she was shipping me off to Australia.
“Look, if you find someone that makes you this happy then you need to make it work. Life is way too short. Tell her you love her, kiss her, and get her back. You’ll regret it if you don’t. Anyway I gotta go. Good luck with Oakley. You should invite her and her weird brother along tomorrow night.” Did she just come here to say all that?
“Yeah, thanks.”
Chelsea skipped out of my room, waving her hand over her shoulder.
I should invite Oakley tomorrow. I had never seen her on a proper night out before. Did she drink now? I couldn’t imagine it. Chuckling to myself, I dialled her number. Should I ring her so soon after dropping her off? Damn was I the stalker ex now?
“You made it then?” Oakley said down the phone, sounding amused.
“No hello?”
“Hello, Cole,” she replied sarcastically.
Thankfully, she couldn’t see me because I was smiling like an idiot again.
“You and Jasper are coming out with us tomorrow night.” I didn’t give her an option. She needed a night out, and I needed to see her.
“If it’s a strip club, I’m walking straight out of there.”
I could practically see her grinning. It was still a little strange hearing her speak. I would usually just look at her expressions and reactions to know what she was thinking.
“Prude!” I teased. “No strip club, I promise. We’re just going to a couple of clubs.”
“Okay, we’ll come.”
“I’ll pick you up at eight. Wear something short,” I said, hanging up and laughing to myself. I bet she was blushing.
Less than a minute later, I received a text message from Oakley, a one-word text that made me smile from ear to ear. ‘Behave!’
The rest of the day, I spent with Leona, helping her draw princess castles. I didn’t even care that I was wearing a pink tiara while we drew, nothing could remove the smile from my face. Once I’d finished drawing the princess in front of the golden castle I gave it to Leona for her approval.
“What do you think, Fifi?”
“It’s Princess Oaley,” she chirped, smiling at me with one of those wide smiles where you could see all her teeth. Oakley? I looked down at the picture, and Leona was right, I’d drawn the princess with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
“Err, yeah.” Damn it. Now I’m drawing her!
“Do you love Oaley?” Leona asked bluntly. I loved how kids had absolutely no tact at all, kind of like Jasper.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Tan I be bridesmaid? Jessa was, and I want to be one too.” God, the bridesmaid thing again. Leona was absolutely devastated that her friend Jessa was a ‘princess bridesmaid’ and she hadn’t ever been one. She even tried convincing Mia to get married so she could be a princess for the day.
Leona looked up at me with big hopeful eyes, the ones that magically expected me to make all her wishes come true. How do I tell her that I don’t think I’ll ever be lucky enough to get Oakley back, let alone marry her?
I pulled her on my lap and she immediately started rearranging the stupid tiara on my head.
“When I get married you can be the princess bridesmaid.” She squealed and threw her arms around my neck, squeezing tight.
Leona distracted me for a while but as soon as she went to bed, my mind wondered back to Oakley. Again. So I wouldn’t call her for no reason other than to just hear her voice, I showered and played the PlayStation until I was tired enough to go to sleep.
I gulped, raking my eyes over Oakley’s outfit. She wore a sexy little dark blue dress. It sat just above her knees and clung to her body, but unlike a lot of girls clubbing, she didn’t look like she was trying too hard. She actually looked so beautiful I could barely breathe.
“Put your tongue away, Cole,” Ben joked. I glared but did stop staring, just as Oakley and Jasper got in the car.
Jasper sat in front of me, next to Chelsea, and Oakley sat beside me.
“I thought I said short,” I whispered as she put her seatbelt on. She glared. “I’m kidding. You look amazing.”
“Thanks, you look alright.” She shrugged and smirked.