“Cut the cord, Mother,” he replied. His arms wound around my waist, and his chin rested on my shoulder as he took a peak at the house on Mia’s laptop.
I snuggled back against his chest and smiled. Should I love him as much as I did? It was overwhelming sometimes. How I managed four years not seeing or touching him, I didn’t know.
“Oh, shut up.” Jenna slapped his arm and turned her attention back to the laptop. “It’s gorgeous, Mia.”
What would Jenna do when they had all moved out? She loved having a full house. I was sure they would visit a lot, and she would have Leona to sleep over whenever Mia would let her, but it wouldn’t be the same.
“You alright?” Cole whispered against my neck. His breath tickled my skin, and I closed my eyes, gasping.
“Yeah,” I mumbled. I felt his lips turn up in a smile against my skin. He knew the effect he had on me. “Are we painting the bedrooms soon?”
I felt him shrug against my back. “If you want.”
“I do want. You need to decide what colour to do your study though.” The fourth room upstairs was too small to be a bedroom, so it was going to be his study. I doubted he would use it much.
“Light blue?” I didn’t know why he asked for my opinion so much. This was his place. He didn’t need me to agree on anything.
“Light blue sounds good. We can pick some up bright and early in the morning.”
“There’s no way I’m leaving the house before ten.” I’d learnt that early wall-painting sessions, or any painting sessions actually, were not something Cole enjoyed. In fact, they made him whine like a four-year-old. “There’s something I need to do first thing anyway. I’ll pick you up after.”
I frowned. “What do you need to do?”
He shook his head and chuckled. “So nosey. It’s a surprise so you’ll have to wait.”
I looked at Jenna and Mia. “Do you two know?”
Jenna grinned. “Nope.”
Liar. I let it go because I knew Cole wouldn’t tell me.
“Fine. I can wait.”
Mum, Jasper, and Miles arrived twenty minutes later. Miles’ hand slid down Mum’s back as they walked into the kitchen, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. She was letting him in, trusting him, and allowing herself to be happy again. About time!
“Wine and beer in the fridge, red’s on the counter, help yourselves to whatever you like,” Jenna said, stirring something on the hob while playing with the timer on the oven.
“Good day?” I asked Mum. Clearly a loaded question.
She glared. “Yes, thank you.”
We sat in the living room to eat the home-cooked Chinese food. I loved lounging around at their house and chatting about nothing important. No one mentioned the sentencing tomorrow or Frank’s looming trial, and I was thankful for that. I just wanted to chill for the evening with friends, family, and the man I was crazy about.
“So,” Cole said, resting his chin on my shoulder as we sat with my back to his chest on the soft carpet. “You know I love you, right?”
I frowned. “Yes…” Where was he going with this?
“Good.”
“Good?” I repeated, and he nodded. “You’re strange.”
“Happy and in love actually.”
“So cheesy,” I teased, wrapping his arms around my waist.
Cole spent the night, as usual, and I woke up to him sleeping next to me again. He rarely woke first. Reaching out, I gently stroked my fingers down his cheek. “Cole,” I whispered.
He groaned. “No.”
I laughed. “We have to get up soon. We need to be at court in a couple hours.”
His eyes flicked open, and he rolled onto his side to face me. He looked wide awake now. I wish I was able to forget like him. From the second I opened my eyes I pictured Dad standing in that room, waiting to hear his fate.
“How are you feeling about today?”
What was I feeling? Too many things at once made it impossible to figure out what the main emotion was.
“I’m not sure. I never thought I would be doing this.”
“You never should have had to.”
No, he was right, I shouldn’t, but paedophiles, murderers and rapists had families too. They didn’t always live alone. They didn’t have distinguishing features or a tattoo on their forehead. They could be anyone, in any seemingly normal house. They might be charming, loveable, and known and liked by everyone around them. And I was unfortunate that my father happened to be one of them.
I smiled at Cole to acknowledge his words without having to reply, and got out of bed to get ready.
Jasper opened the bathroom door just as I got to it. His face was sombre. “Hey,” he grumbled.
“Hey. You alright?”
“Nope. You?”
“Nope.”
He leant against the door frame. “I hope he dies in prison.”
“Jasper…” There was a time when Dad was Jasper’s hero. I knew he hated what Dad had done, but he had to feel more than anger and hatred. Emotions were never that straightforward.
“Don’t, Oakley. I’m okay. Get ready, yeah? We need to go soon.” Jasper walked back into his room, and I felt awful for him.
Sighing, I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Let’s just get this over with.