His hand reached out, and he stroked his thumb along my jaw.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not just talking about the house.”
“Because I’m not.” I frowned and stepped away. “Let’s check out the other rooms.”
Grabbing his hand, I pulled him out of the kitchen and into the lounge next door. It was just as amazing as the rest of the house. Large, tall ceiling, chunky wooden floor, and in need of some work.
“Alright, if you don’t buy this place I’m going to.”
Cole smirked and looked around. “I do like it, but I want to see the rest first!”
“Come on then. Oh and promise me you won’t replace the floors, have them restored.”
“Yes boss!”
After making our way through the house, checking out the three bedrooms, box room and bathrooms, we went out in the garden. Outside was also quite large, but overgrown. The patio was broken up and covered in slimy green moss.
“So what do you think?” I asked, watching Cole look around the garden.
“I like it.” He got his phone out, and I knew he was calling the estate agent. “Hello, Margaret… yeah, I really like it but is the work just cosmetic? I mean I’m not gonna move in and it falls down or anything.”
I held my breath as they discussed the structural damage or what seemed to be a lack of.
“Okay, then I want it.”
Yes! I didn’t even know why I was so excited. I wouldn’t be living in the gorgeous house. Soon I wouldn’t even be in the same time zone as it. Cole hung up and slipped his phone in his pocket.
“You’re buying it?”
He nodded. “You’re helping. You’re staying here until stupid o’clock in the morning painting and tiling. You’re working for hot chocolate and ice cream.”
I laughed. “Deal. Wait, how quickly can you move in?”
“Fairly quickly. There’s no chain, so I’ve just got to wait for all the legal shit to be completed.” He shook his head and smiled. “I can’t believe I’ve just bought this hole!”
“It won’t be a hole!”
“I know. I wanted a project, and I’ve certainly got one.” He looked up at the house, at his house. “Man I can’t wait to move in now.”
“Well let’s get started. You drive to some boring DIY store and we can pick up paint charts. Ooh and look at kitchens and bathrooms!”
He groaned. “You’re going to be a nightmare, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely. Come on.”
We arrived back at Cole’s house, well his parents’ house, loaded with brochures and paint charts from every brand.
“How did it go?” Jenna asked as we walked in his soon-to-be old house.
“Great. I’m a hundred and twenty-three grand poorer,” he replied sarcastically. It was a steal at that price. Although he was going to spend quite a bit doing it up.
“But you have an amazing house,” I countered.
“First, I have a project. A damn expensive, time consuming project.”
“You’re so negative, sweetheart. We’ll all help you decorate and whatever else it needs.”
“What are we detoatin?” Leona asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Uncle Cole’s new house.”
Leona’s bottom lip stuck out, and she looked up at Cole with big pleading eyes.
“I want you to live here.”
Cole rolled his eyes at his mum and picked Leona up.
“I’ll come see you all the time, and you can stay at mine whenever you want, okay?”
She nodded and flung her arms around his neck. I didn’t blame her for getting upset. I would hate not seeing him all the time. I did hate it.
I spent a little more time with Cole, Leona, and Jenna, talking about the house before going back to Ali’s. I wanted to stay longer, but I didn’t want to push it.
Mum’s hire car was the only one in the drive so Ali and Lizzie had obviously gone out.
“You back with him yet?” Jasper asked as soon as I walked in the house.
“Hello to you too.”
He cocked his head to the side, waiting for an answer.
“No, Jasper.”
“You two are stupid.”
I glared at him and walked away. I wasn’t in the mood for Jasper’s Cole talk. “It’s gonna happen eventually.”
I had an hour before I had to leave to meet up with my lawyer, Linda. So I didn’t have to spend it arguing with Jasper over what I should do about Cole, I grabbed a magazine off Lizzie’s desk and laid on the futon to read it.
When I couldn’t put it off any longer, I went downstairs. Mum and Jasper had offered to come with me, but I honestly didn’t want them to. I was still hoping they would change their mind about being there while I was giving evidence. I understood they wanted to be there – hopefully to watch him go down – but I hated the thought of them hearing everything that happened with Frank.
“Hi, honey,” Mum said. Her voice was soft, the voice she used for me as a child.
I smiled. “Hey.”
“Are you sure you don’t want us to come?” Jasper asked, getting straight to the point.
“I’m sure.”
Mum sighed. “We don’t mind. We both want to be there for you.”