Chapter 21
Cole
Icouldn’t verbalise how relieved I was that Frank’s trial wouldn’t go ahead because I had no idea how I would sit and listen to that. Watching her speak on the stand was the most painful thing I had experienced.
Frank was going down and that was what mattered. Oakley would never have to see him again.
She sipped her caramel latte in the coffee shop, and rubbed the necklace I gave her through her fingers.
“You’re very quiet.”
She shrugged. “Not much to say.”
“You didn’t say much yesterday, either.”
“Well, it’s over now.”
“I thought you’d be… I don’t know, happier about that.”
She looked around the busy coffee shop, but no one was paying any attention to us.
Sighing, she put the mug down. “I was ready, Cole.”
“To face Frank?”
“Yeah. It’s stupid because I really didn’t want to do it…”
“You stood up in front of your father and won. Just because you didn’t do the same with Frank doesn’t mean–”
She shook her head. “I get that. They’ll be locked up and I won’t. I’m being an idiot.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I am glad I didn’t have to talk about it in front of all of you.”
She knew that I was struggling with what I’d heard the first time. We’d not discussed it, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t aware.
“If you ever wanted to talk about it…”
Panic flashed across her face “No. I’m good.”
“Oakley, I’m here. I can handle it.”
She gave me a small smile that didn’t reach anywhere near those pretty eyes.
“Will you speak to your therapist?” I asked.
“Have a zoom session tomorrow. You don’t need to worry. I know I’m a bit spacey at the minute, but I’m working through stuff.”
The last time she worked through stuff alone, she ended up moving across the globe… which she was going to do again soon. Their plan had been to stay for the trial and sentencing. One last thing to wait around for and they would be off, leaving with Miles to return to their life in the sun.
Fuck.
I’d started to make plans, but we were together most of the time. I still needed to look into how to make myself desirable to Australia. You couldn’t just decide to move there. Oakley was there because she had family and Sarah’s job transferred.
What did I have to offer?
“Want to get out of here? I’m sure there’s a shit furniture shop you can drag me around,” I said, knowing a bit of interior designing would take her mind off of whatever was going on in there.
“That sounds good, but you have to choose stuff. You can’t just agree with me.”
As long as she didn’t want a pink sofa or a sparkly worktop, I didn’t really care how it was decorated.
“You’ve got good taste.”
“You’re the one living there,” she replied, standing.
I took her hand as we walked to the exit. “Right. Living there alone. Doesn’t sound much fun anymore.”
This was a risky move on my part. We’d not spoken about her plans after the trial, though I knew them. I wanted to ask her to stay, but I had to pick the right moment.
If she could picture herself here, she might stay with me.
“Oakley?” I prompted pushing the door open.
“Cole, look, I’m not–”
“Oakley!” We both turned around at the sound of her name.
“Oh my God, Marcus!”
Her old gym coach jogged towards us, blocking the sun from getting in his eyes. I’d seen him quite a few years when I’d picked her up.
He gave her a hug and laughed, “I haven’t seen you in years. I mean, of course, you’ve been in Oz. How are you?”
She smiled up at him. “I’m doing all right. You?”
“Solid. Listen, you should drop by the gym sometime.”
“Yeah? I’d love to. Oh, sorry, Cole. You remember Marcus, right?”
I shook his hand. “Yeah, man. Good to see you.”
“You, too. Drop me a text when you want to come by, Oakley. I’m there every Monday to Saturday. You know the drill.”
“I will do.”
They exchanged numbers, and I swear, I saw a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. She loved gymnastics… and maybe taking her to her old gym could help her see that there was a life here. There were still good things here.
He kissed her cheek and shook my hand again before jogging towards the carpark. The man never walked anywhere.
“He looked good,” she said, still beaming.
Marcus had the same close shave he’d always had, it didn’t look like he’d aged at all. He was strong as hell and had helped Oakley a lot growing up, though he’d had no idea of what had been going on.
“Yeah. You want to go see the gym tomorrow? You loved it there.”
She nodded, her mind in the past. “I did. He didn’t ask me about the trial or anything.”
“He wouldn’t.”
“I know. I love that about him.”
“You ever think about getting back into the gym?”
“I tried not to think about it for the longest time.”
“You could teach.”
Arching a brow, she asked, “You think so?”
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, nervous to be bringing this up, as we continued down the high street. “You’d be a great teacher.”
She didn’t have any other career plans yet, and this was perfect.
“Are there many… you know, where you live?” I asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t know.”
“You don’t know what?”
“Mum took me there, like, a year after we moved. I didn’t like it. Wasn’t the same.”
I nudged her arm. “I bet Marcus would give you a job tomorrow.”
She smiled awkwardly and pointed to an independent furniture store up ahead. “Yeah, maybe. Let’s go in here. Looks like they have some cool stuff.”
I’d dropped Oakley at Ali’s to have dinner with her Mum and Jasper. After that, Jasper was bringing her here on his way to Abby’s. I’d suspected that she was the friend he’d gone to meet a few times.
Dad was in the living room drinking a beer when I got in. A football match was on TV but he didn’t seem to be paying much attention.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Your mum’s getting ready to go out for dinner. An hour she’s been doing her hair for. Didn’t take her this long to get ready for a wedding. Grab a beer and join me. I have time.”
My phone dinged as I went to the kitchen.
Oakley: Jasper’s cooking so I’m just texting to say goodbye. X
Cole: What do you want on the headstone? X
Oakley: Loving Sister Killed by Gordon Ramsey Wannabe. X
I laughed and typed a reply, loving when she messaged random shit, just to talk to me.
Cole: I’ve got your back. Hurry up and eat so you can get over here. X
Oakley: Will eat, throw up, then be there. I miss you. X
Cole: Miss you, baby. Hurry! X
Oakley: <3
I pocketed my phone, grabbed a beer, and went back to Dad. “We ran into Oakley’s old gym coach today,” I said, sitting down.
“Yeah?”
“She’s going to go visit.”
“Okay,” he said, wondering where this was going. “You don’t want her to?”
“No, I do. The more she finds here again, the better my chances are.”
He nodded once, worry in his eyes. “Ah, of getting her to move back. Has she mentioned anything about that?”
“She goes out of her way to not mention it.”
“You don’t know where her head’s at?”
“I’m not sure she does. Staying was never an option for her, they were always going back. Right?”
“That’s what Sarah said.”
“So, I have to convince her or…”
“Or what?” He cleared his throat, reaching over to put his beer on the coffee table. “I see. You would move there.”
“Yeah, I would. I’m not making the same mistakes we both made four years ago. I can’t do it again, Dad.”
“I understand, but your job and your house… Cole, you’ve only just started to live again.”
“Was I? Shit was lining up better, finishing uni, my job, savings, the house. But not once have I ever felt alive. Not until now. I know… I know it’s fucking stupid to put your life and your happiness in the hands of another person, but how the hell do you stop that?”
He rubbed his forehead, torn. “I wish I knew what to tell you. Moving to another country, Cole…”
“I’d rather stay, obviously, but I need to be where she is.”
“Will you ask her to move back? She loves your house. You’d both have a lot of support here. Your whole family.” He sounded desperate but he tried to cover it.
“I’m going to ask her to stay. Don’t be pissed at her if she can’t.”
He shook his head. “No, I could never. We didn’t see it… we owe her a lot. But your mum and I couldn’t come—not without Mia and Leona. Chris wouldn’t let her leave the country.”
“I know,” I said. “Your life is here.”
“So is yours. Make her see that hers is, too.”
“I will.”
“You have four days.”
“What?”
“Sarah messaged your mum. Frank’s sentencing is in four days.”
“Fuck.”
“Language. But, yes, fuck.” He patted my shoulder. “She doesn’t want to leave you, either. All you have to do is show her she can be happy here again.”
She hadn’t mentioned anything about her house—the place that was across the road from mine. In fact, she hadn’t reacted to it at all.
That had to be a good sign.