Chapter 24
Oakley
“Call Jenna again,” I told Mum for the third time in about three minutes.
Mia put her hand over mine. It’d been two hours now.
Two long hours. I probably had grey hairs and a stomach ulcer by now.
How many questions could they be asking him? They’d be thorough, I knew that, but this was taking too long.
They had to believe him. I gave my statement, and he was going to say the exact same thing. What we’ve said would match and then what else was there to do?
“They’ll call when they’re on their way,” Mia said. “Have faith. This is going to work out.”
“Why aren’t you clawing your skin off, too?” I asked.
“Because he’ll be home soon.”
“If you’d just let me get you a couple shots, you’d stop obsessing,” Jasper said.
“Jasper, I’m not going to sit here and drink while Cole’s being questioned.”
“I’m not saying we get smashed… just take the edge off.”
Miles stood up. “Jasper, help me put the kettle on.”
He could stick around if he was going to get Jasper out of the room every time he made inappropriate comments.
Of course, I’d never see my brother again, but still.
“He’s great, Mum,” I said when they were out of the room.
Ali nodded. “I really like him. He’s good for you… and he seems to love England so far.”
I knew what Ali was thinking: marry him and move here. It was no secret that she wanted us to be close by again.
It could work out perfectly, but there were a lot of other factors. Could I stay without Mum and Jasper if they wanted to go home? They had horrible memories here, too.
Was England the best place for me?
My father and Frank were locked up, but one day they’d be out.
How would I feel about living here when and if they were both out?
What if I had children…?
“Miles and I are taking things slowly,” Mum said.
“Really? He flew hallway across the world to be there for you. That’s not slow,” I said.
The look she cut me told me I’d crossed a line, but I didn’t really care for her lines anymore. She never put herself first.
“I’m serious, Mum. Don’t let anything come between you. You’ll regret it.”
She sat down, her eyes worried, and it had nothing to do with her situation. “You regret moving?”
“Not moving. I… we needed it. But I do regret pushing Cole away. I was so focused on what I thought was best for him.”
Mia nodded. “You wish you’d let him decide?”
“Yeah. Maybe then neither of us would’ve been so broken the last four years.”
“It’s a long time.”
“And it felt a lot longer.”
God, it felt like a lifetime.
The investigation dragged with new evidence coming to light and applications for more time from the prosecution and defence.
But we were here now.
“Don’t let him go, Mum, please.”
She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. She was about to say something when the front door opened.
“Oakley?” Cole called out.
I gasped and leapt to my feet.
He opened his arms as I ran at him. I flew into his chest, slamming against him and burying my head in his neck, breathing him in to make sure he was real.
“You’re here,” I sobbed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He held me tightly, his hand curling in my hair, the other one gripping my back and pinning me against him as if he was afraid I’d disappear.
“I’m so—”
“Don’t,” he said into my hair. “It’s not your fault. Everything’s okay, baby, I promise.”
I closed my eyes, drinking the moment in for a second.
Then I needed to know everything, so I pulled away. “Are you okay? No one called to tell us you were on your way home. They’re not making any charges, right?”
He wiped a tear from under my eye, his finger like heaven against my skin. “I’m fine. It’s over. I promise. They asked me a lot of personal questions, but we hadn’t done anything wrong.”
“You’re sure it’s over?”
Cole smiled and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Definitely. Your statement matched mine, baby. They know the truth. The cops who took me in were apologetic after they’d finished the questioning. Not their fault, they were only doing their job. Nothing will go on my record or anything like that.”
“Thank God.”
“Think we can maybe keep our private life private from now on?” he asked, smirking.
I grimaced. “Erm, that sounds good but…”
“What?”
“I kind of spoke to the press. They were outside the house and knew you’d been taken to the station. I was scared they would speculate, and people would think you’d done something wrong. Stuff like that sticks and–”
“Hey.” He covered my mouth with his finger and laughed. “Take a breath. I get it, and I love you for it. You didn’t want to talk to the press.”
“You’re more important. Than anything.”
Cole leant in ready to kiss me when Jasper slapped him on the back. “Cole, man, good to have you back.” Jasper ripped Cole away from me and gave him a man hug before pushing him my way again. “You can go back to feeling up my little sister now.”
I rolled my eyes.
Smiling, I turned to Cole. Everyone else had cleared out of the way, giving us some privacy. “You’re allowed to feel me up again.”
Laughing, he linked his fingers into the belt hoops on my jeans and pulled me closer. “Is that right?”
“I wouldn’t object.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“You’re not alone in the house. Save the flirting until later,” Mia called.
Dropping my gaze, I stepped back and laughed.
“Wine?” Mia said, giving Cole a sideways hug. “I could drink some wine. I mean, we can celebrate now, right?”
“Get the glasses, Mia!” Jenna called from the kitchen.
Cole nudged her. “Go. I’ve got something to do.”
“Everyone is expecting you in there in like, two minutes, so if you can do that, I feel sorry for her.”
“Goodbye, Mia.”
“Wow,” I said, stepping back into his embrace. “As if you’d be done in two minutes.”
“I don’t know. Our first time after you got back took a lot of effort, babe. I’d missed you.”
“Well, you did very well, then. I don’t think I lasted long.”
“You don’t need to.”
“Sucks to be a man.”
“Doesn’t suck to be your man.”
“Are you flirting with me again, Cole Benson?”
“I do believe I am.”
“Well, good. I don’t want you to ever stop.”
He shook his head. “Never. You’re stuck with me. I’m never letting you go again.”
“You didn’t before. I’m never letting you go again.”
“Promise?” he murmured against my mouth, groaning.
“Promise,” I replied, and I’d never meant anything more in my life. Cole had been a huge part of my past, but he was every part of my future.