Groaning as my phone started making a hideous sound; I pushed myself up and turned the damn thing off. Getting up at half-past seven on a Saturday should be illegal. There was a reason for me getting up so early though. I wanted to say goodbye before Oakley and Max went off for the night. I dressed in record time and ran over to her house just as Max was loading their tents and fishing equipment in the car.
“She’s inside,” he said, laughing at how eager I was.
I smiled sheepishly. “Thanks.”
Oakley was hugging her mum, who was telling her to have a good time and not get too close to the lake! I mentally rolled my eyes, as if she was going to fall in. She wasn’t Jasper! Max would be there anyway, and he would never let anything happen to her.
“I’ll let you say bye,” Sarah said, nodding towards me. Oakley turned around looking confused. She smiled as she saw me, like always. My heart raced.
I walked up to her and placed my hands on her slim hips.
“Hi.” She smiled wider and pushed herself up on tiptoes to kiss me. My body reacted immediately. I kissed her back passionately, my body bursting into flames.
Pulling away when I felt my self-control slipping, I pressed my forehead against hers.
“You have a good time, and I’ll see you in thirty-two and a half hours.”
The corner of her lip turned up. Yep, I had worked out the hours. Cole Benson was now a pathetic, whipped, lucky bastard. And proud.
“I’m gonna miss you so much. I love you.”
She gripped my hair and kissed me hard. I was finding it really hard to stay in control. If you throw her down on the sofa and have your wicked way with her Max will cut your balls off. You like your balls, I told myself. The way she was kissing me was driving me wild, and I didn’t want to stop, but we had to.
She was the one that pulled away that time, her breathing heavy and laboured, and sexy! Get a grip, you idiot, it’s just one night! She sighed heavily and pulled me outside. With one last quick kiss, she got in the car.
I watched the road until the car disappeared around the corner. The start of my sucky weekend had officially begun.
For the entire morning, I was unintentionally annoying my parents and Mia. Apparently, I was intolerable when I was away from Oakley, but I couldn’t help it. Mia had entertained me for a couple hours, talking about the baby and her plans. She was doing amazingly well getting over her relationship with Chris. This baby was the best thing that could have happened to her. She seemed so happy – finally.
I eventually decided that I was going to go out with Jasper, so we arranged to call a taxi and go on a pub-crawl. Getting off my face would pass the time.
Just as I was about to start actually tidying my room to have something to do - yes, it had gotten that bad-my phone started ringing. I froze. It was playing ‘The Most Beautiful Girl In The World’ by Prince. Sweat broke out all over my body. I had never heard that song being played on my phone before. That was the ringtone I had set for Oakley, but she never called.
Reaching out with a shaky hand, I grabbed the phone and pressed answer. Immediately I heard quiet sobs. I felt sick. Why was she crying? “Cole,” she whispered in a scratchy little voice that actually sounded like it hurt. “Help me.”
My world stopped spinning.
Chapter Twenty
Cole
I swallowed hard, my heart beating so loud I was sure the whole neighbourhood would hear it.
“Oakley?” I mumbled in disbelief. She said my name. I definitely didn’t dream that. She definitely spoke.
“Cole,” she repeated. Her voice was quiet and broken. I had always wondered what her voice would sound like now. Would I recognise it from how she used to sound? My eyes started to sting. Oh God, don’t cry, you girl!
She coughed. “Help me.” Those two words sent my heart plummeting.
I snapped into action, no longer completely fixed on the fact that she had spoken.
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” I questioned, and frantically searched for my keys. “Oakley, where are you?” I repeated sternly. Please just tell me!
“Um,” she whispered, trying to catch her breath as she sobbed. It took her a minute to explain to me where she was. She kept coughing and clearing her throat. It must hurt her to use her voice after she hadn’t for over a decade...
I kept her on the phone and sprinted downstairs and out to my car.
“Cole?” Mum shouted, jumping up as I ran past her and Dad on the sofa.
A journey that should have taken thirty minutes didn’t even take twenty. I slammed my breaks on and pulled over at the side of the road, where she thought she was. Jumping out of my car, I shouted, “Oakley? Oakley?” She appeared from behind a couple trees, stumbling on the uneven ground as she made her way to me. She was hiding? God, what had happened! I closed the distance between us quickly and wrapped my arms around her.
“What’s wrong?” I mumbled against the side of her head. Her whole body was trembling, and she gasped for air. “Oakley, calm down.” She gasped and gripped hold of me so hard her nails cut into my back.