Silence

  ***

  Groaning as my phone started making a hideous sound; I pushed myself up and turned the damn thing off. Getting up at 7:30am on a Saturday was hell, but there was a very good reason for me getting up so early. 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. “I’ll let you say bye,” Sarah said, nodding towards me.

  Oakley turned around looking confused. She smiled as she saw me, and, like always, it made me feel a hundred feet tall. 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 groaned and 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. I’ll see you in thirty-two and a half hours.” The corner of her lip turned up. Yeah, I’d worked out the hours.

  Cole Benson was now officially a pathetic, whipped, lucky bastard. And I was proud.

  “I’m gonna miss you so much. I love you.”

  She gripped my hair and kissed me hard.

  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.

  The way she was kissing me drove me wild. What the hell was this? She wasn’t usually this forward. I loved it. She was the one that pulled away first. Her breathing heavy and laboured and sexy as hell. With a sigh, she took my hand and pulled me outside.

  Giving me a sad, longing smile that my heart plummeting, she got in the front seat of the car and Max drove off. I’ll miss you, too.

  For the entire morning, I was unintentionally annoying my parents and Mia. Apparently, I was intolerable when I was away from Oakley. 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. I was happy that she was finally happy.

  Eventually, I 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 tonight and a hangover would pass the time tomorrow morning.

  Yeah, I’m a pathetic mess without her.

  Just as I was about to start actually tidying my room to have something to do – it had gotten that bad- my phone started ringing. I froze. It played The Most Beautiful Girl In The World by Prince.

  Sweat broke out all over my body.

  I had never heard that song come from my phone before.

  That was the ringtone I had set for Oakley, and he’d never called before.

  Reaching out with a shaky hand, I grabbed the phone and pressed answer. Immediately, I heard quiet sobs. Each one cut through me. I felt sick.

  Why is she crying?

  “Cole,” she whispered in a meek, scratchy voice that sounded painful. “Help me.”

  My world crashed to a halt.

  33

  Cole