Chapter 15
Oakley
Ileft the hospital after spending just one night there. It was still one night longer than I wanted. I’d had my own room, but it was still too bright and too noisy to relax. Couple that with awful hot chocolate and I’d been counting down the minutes until I was able to go home.
I returned home to Ali’s in the afternoon with a bunch of leaflets about panic attacks, PTSD—which I didn’t think I had—and concussions.
My head was honestly okay, the ache barely bothered me, and I didn’t really feel that sick anymore.
The only thing I felt was humiliation over collapsing in court. What was worse was that it would back up the defence’s argument. Or it might just make the jury see how scared I was of my dad.
It could go either way and all I could do was hope that it went my way.
Cole ran his fingers through my hair from where he sat an inch away. He’d not stopped touching me. I wasn’t complaining. “Are you okay?”
“I think I’m going to get a tattoo saying I’m fine on my forehead.”
He turned his nose up playfully. “I’d prefer Property of Cole.”
“I’m sure you would. If I was paying to be repeatedly stabbed by a tiny needle, I’d get my one true love’s name. Ryan Reynolds.”
“I’m going to brush right past that. Feed me.”
I nudged his arm. “Hey, I just got home from the hospital. You should be my servant.”
Chuckling, he stood up and pressed a kiss to my forehead as he went. “What do you want, then? I’ll get you anything.”
“Anything?” I raised my eyebrow. “What if I want KFC?”
He shrugged lazily. “Then, I’ll go get KFC.”
Pulling the fleece blanket over my lap, I smiled at the perfect man in front of me. “You’re sweet, but I think I’d prefer to keep you here. Maybe a cheese sandwich or something?”
“Mayo, no butter. Coming up.” He saluted and walked into the kitchen, making my heart swell.
He was the best boyfriend on the planet, and I was so lucky to have him.
I tugged the blanket up to chin the way I used to when I was little and needed protecting. Stupid really. Dad never physically abused me, so I didn’t need it.
Briefly I wondered what he thought about me passing out. Linda had been in touch but not to tell us that he’d changed his plea. So, obviously he cared about as much as I thought.
Soon, I would have to step back into that witness box, and I needed to find a way to do that. It was why I’d called my therapist from my hospital bed this morning.
She let me stay on the line as an emergency session rather than making an appointment for a zoom. Talking to her, like always, had given me fresh perspective and strength.
There was nothing I could do about what happened, but I could ensure I kept it together to send them to prison from here on out.
I was going to go back in there, breathe, hold my head up high, and tell them the truth. After that, it would be completely out of my hands.
My phone rang in the kitchen, and just as I was about to get up, Cole brought it through.
“Miles,” he said, handing it to me. “Who’s Miles?”
“Mum,” I replied, knowing he’d need more than that later, and put the phone to my ear. “Hi, Miles.”
Cole’s shoulders lost the tension, as if he’d thought I had a secret boyfriend in Australia or something. Silly, jealous boy.
“Oakley, how are you?”
“I’m doing okay. How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you. I got your text. How is your mum?”
That, I had no idea. She said she was fine, but she was lying. Jasper and I would always be there for her, but she needed Miles, too.
“She doesn’t talk about how she feels, and that can’t be good. I’m worried about her. She tries to be so strong… but who’s taking care of her?”
He sighed down the line. “Sounds like your mum, thinking of everyone else but herself. I would like to… you know, take care of her. Is she there?”
“Not at the minute. She’s at the supermarket because I need all of my favourite foods, apparently. You could try calling her. I think if anyone could help her now, it’s you.”
We’d never spoken about how he felt, so this conversation was getting it all out in the open.
He cleared his throat. “Do you think she would want me to?”
“Um…”
Miles laughed. “Me neither.”
“No, I think she wouldn’t want that or ask, but she needs it, even if she won’t admit it to herself.”
“Can I get your opinion on something?”
“Yeah, sure…”
Miles nervously told me his plan, and my smile grew like the Grinch’s.
“Yes,” I said once he’d finished, pressing my hand to my heart, excited for them both. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“All right.” He cleared his throat again. “Well, you take care of yourself, Oakley.”
“Bye, Miles.” I hung up and put the phone on my lap, unsure how Mum was going to react… but kind of not caring because I knew she needed this.
“Everything okay?” Cole asked, handing me a plate.
“Thanks. Yeah, actually, everything’s going to be great.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see,” I replied and took a bite of the sandwich.
Three days after getting out of the hospital, I was feeling pretty good about things. I’d had another phone session with my therapist—something I shouldn’t have stopped doing when I got back to England.
Now, I was sitting in the living room, nervously checking the time tick by on my phone. Miles was due here any minute, and I still wasn’t sure if I had done the right thing. Well, I was, but Mum might not think so.
She put a mug of hot chocolate down in front of me, totally unsuspecting. “Is Cole due to come over?”
“No. Why?”
“You keep looking at that thing,” she said, dipping her chin to my phone.
Oh crap. “Oh. No. Yes, later. I don’t know.”
She frowned at me. I had been texting Cole throughout the day, of course, but he was working an extra hour most days to catch up on all the time he’d missed recently. His holidays were almost gone.
I felt terrible for messing with his job, but he wouldn’t listen to me when I told him to not keep taking time off.
“He’s working. I’m just waiting for a new top to be delivered.”
“A new top?” she repeated, arching a brow.
It wasn’t the most outrageous excuse, but it clearly wasn’t great.
“Yeah, ordered it yesterday.” Oh God, I’m the worst liar in the world. I sighed. “Okay, that was a lie.”
Mum smiled. “No. Really?”
Biting my lip, I considered whether I should just sprint out of the house and leave her to it. She’d kill me. “Miles is coming. Here. Now.”
Her face dropped, jaw going slack. “Miles is what?” She sat down as if her legs simply couldn’t keep her upright anymore. “Oakley, what?”
“He’s coming here,” I repeated, grimacing.
She stayed perfectly calm, but I could see a storm behind her eyes. “All right, I know I shouldn’t meddle, and you two need to do this in your own time, but anyone can see that you–”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I blinked slowly twice. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You’re right. I’ve been fighting my feelings for him, gun-shy after… you know. But I need him here.”
“Oh. Good. So, you admit it? You like Miles?”
She laughed, her cheeks turning red. “No teasing your mum.”
“I thought you were going to yell.”
“I’ll admit, I considered it for a second. But you’re right. I’m so tired of fighting it. I’ve watched you be brave while I was scared and hiding.” She took a deep breath. “No more running.”
“I’m proud of you, Mum.”
Before she could reply, the doorbell rang.
“Well… you should probably get that.”
Standing, she took another steadying breath and wiped her palms on her thighs. “Right.”
I waited until she left the room, then I got up and peeked my head around the doorframe just as she let him in the house.
Her back was to me, but I swear I could see her smile. He was beaming, his eyes blazing. They were cute together.
“Miles,” Mum said.
“Hello, Sarah,” he replied in his soft Australian accent, holding his suitcase in his hand.
“I think you’d better come in.”
Oh, this was so adorable. My cheeks ached from grinning at how shy they both were with each other. They reminded me of when I first started liking Cole, back when I was a teen.
“Oakley,” Miles said, finally breaking eye contact with my mum. I’d been rumbled. “It’s good to see you.”
I moved from my less than covert position and gave him a quick hug. “Good to see you, too. Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” His eyes flicked back to Mum, and she smiled, blushing lightly.
That was my cue to leave. “Well, I’m going to go and do… something.” I turned on my heel and sprinted up the stairs. I loved that they were going to sort their shit out, but I did not want to see it.
Once in Lizzie’s room, I dialled Cole’s number, and he answered on the second ring. “She’s not killed you, then?” he said.
I laughed and laid back on the futon. “Actually, she took it really well. She was pleased.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. So, how’s work going?”
“It’s going. I’ve got about another four hours and then I’m all yours.”
“Sounds perfect. Not the four hour wait part.”
“I’ve been offered more money for my story again,” he said. “Some dickhead cornered me outside the office.”
“I’m sorry, Cole.”
“Not your fault. What are you doing now?”
“Staying in Lizzie’s room until I know it’s safe to go downstairs. I would read, but her books are all boring celebrity autobiographies.”
“Fun. I have to go now, babe, but I’ll see you after work.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Sighing happily, I pulled a Cosmopolitan magazine down off the end of Lizzie’s bed and flicked through the glossy pages. Anything to take my mind off giving evidence tomorrow.
It was time to return to the box.