Chapter 25 #2
“Okay.” I took a deep breath, and her eyes widened. “You’re panicking so I’m just going to come out and say it, Mum. I’m not going back to Australia.”
“Oh…”
She let my words hang in the air for a long time, and I waited, wanting to let her figure out how she felt about it.
“I see. I can’t say that I’m too surprised.”
“A lot has changed since we left. I’m not scared anymore. I don’t constantly think about… things while I’m here. Not like I did before.”
“And Cole.”
“Only Cole. I wouldn’t consider staying if it wasn’t for him. I just can’t leave him again. I need him. Please tell me you understand that.”
“I do. Of course, I do.” She took a shaky breath. “He wanted to move out there.”
“Yeah, but his friends, family, job, and now his house are here. He has more to give up than the last time I told him not to follow me.”
She nodded, already knowing all of that but needing to hear it anyway.
“Mum, I’m not asking you and Jasper to stay. I would never do that. You and Miles have only just—”
“You come first.”
“I’m twenty now, Mum. I’m not a child. You deserve to be happy… with Miles.”
“I can’t be thousands of miles away from you.”
“Please base your decision off what you want.”
“This is what I want. You’re my daughter, and I want to be where you are.”
“Jasper might want to go back.”
“I think that’s unlikely now. He’s been spending a lot of time with Abby. You both have a very good reason to stay.”
And she had a good reason to go.
There was no hope that she would follow her heart if both her children were staying.
“I’m sorry, Mum.”
“No. No, don’t be sorry. You have no idea how pleased I am that you’ve reconnected with Cole.
There’s life in your eyes again.” She took my hand, tears in her eyes, and I couldn’t feel worse about a decision that was getting me everything I wanted.
“There are some things that I need to figure out before we make the official move back here.”
“Please think about staying with Miles.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“You know I’m not.”
“When you’re a mum you’ll understand that happiness is where your children are.”
“What about Miles”?
“One of the things I need to figure out.”
“Do you love him?”
A blush crept across her cheeks. I’d only ever seen that for Miles. “Yes, I think I do.”
“Then, please figure it out. I’m going to be so mad if you don’t end up together.”
She laughed softly. “Okay. When are you going to tell Jasper?”
“When are you going to tell Jasper what?” he asked, flopping down on the sofa, and kicking his feet on the coffee table.
Mum batted his legs down.
“I’m staying here,” I said. “With Cole.”
“Straight to the point,” Mum said.
“Like I didn’t know that. You and Cole have been joined at the hip. This time he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Where are we moving to? I’d rather not be too close to the old house.”
“You don’t have to stay,” I told him.
“Who wants to live in a sunny place with surfer chicks and an easy lifestyle, anyway?”
“You,” I told him. “That’s exactly what you want.”
“I’m staying, so let’s skip the guilt shite and make some plans. You going with Miles?” he asked Mum.
“I’m going where my children are.”
“So, you’re asking Miles to move here?”
“No, we’ve only just got together, Jasper. Let me work out what Miles and I will do.”
Was she talking about a long-distance relationship?
That would be hard.
We’d been renting the house in Australia, so we didn’t have many ties.
I wasn’t going back for long, just a few days to get my stuff together, but we’d have to think about the lease.
Mum would have to work her notice at her job, but Jasper and I would be fine.
There was a high turnover of staff at our job, anyway.
“When are you telling Cole?” Mum asked.
“Today. I had to sort a job out and tell you two first.”
“You have a job?”
“Marcus offered me one teaching preschool gymnastics.”
“You could do that in your sleep.”
“Marcus said there would be more hours eventually, too.”
I purposefully left out the part about the gym being in trouble. That would only make Mum worry. Whatever happened, I’d deal with it as it came.
For now, I just needed some work. I had money saved, but if Cole wanted to live together, I wanted to be able to pay my way.
“That’s wonderful, honey. You’re getting your happy ending.”
“No one deserves it more than you,” Jasper added.
“I can think of two people who do,” I told them.
“I’m heading out before I say more soppy stuff,” Jasper said, ruffling my hair as he stood.
“He’s too cute,” I said to Mum while he was still within earshot.
“Fuck off!”
I laughed while Mum scolded him.
I wasn’t sure what would happen with Mum, but I wouldn’t be alone. Not with Cole and my brother around.
“Hey,” Cole said, letting himself into Lizzie’s room and flashing the smile that gave me butterflies.
“Hi.” I laughed when he pushed me down on the futon and buried his head in my neck. His weight on me was one of my most favourite things in the world.
“I’ve missed this. You should come to work with me.”
“Yes, I’m sure your boss would love you being all over a work colleague during office hours.”
“I don’t care,” he muttered against my skin.
“I need to talk to you.”
“No talking,” he said, kissing me.
I moaned against his lips, tangling my hands in his hair, and wrapping my legs around his waist. Damn, I’d missed him.
“I… need… to…” I said between kisses that were quickly making me forget what I wanted to talk to him about. “Cole, it’s about us.”
Groaning, he lifted his head to look at me. “We’re good, right?”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
“Is this to do with Australia?” he asked. His eyes turned from playful to serious, and I could see he was dreading this.
“Yeah,” I said.
“No. Don’t even think about doing that, Oakley. You said you wanted this and we’re no—”
I put my finger over his mouth, silencing him. “Will you let me do the talking first?”
“As long as you’re not about to break up with me,” he mumbled against my finger, staring down at me with worry in his eyes.
“Dumb thing to say. I love you, and breaking up is never happening again. I’m not going to say goodbye. We’re both in a different place. So much has changed and then… nothing at all.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m telling you that I’m staying. I’m moving back because I can’t spend another day without you. If you’ll have me, obviously. But I kind of think you will.”
He blinked slowly.
“Are you okay, Cole?”
“Marry me.”
I reared back into the mattress and pushed his chest. “I’m sorry?”
He chuckled, sitting up. “I said marry me.”
“Yeah, I mean, I heard… but we’ve only been back together for a few weeks.”
“No, baby, it’s been forever. I want to be with you, tied to you, in every way possible. I want you to have my name and wake up every morning in our house. Shit, I don’t have a ring, but I’ll get you one. Tomorrow morning. Whichever one you want… or I’ll surprise you. I know what—”
“Yes,” I said, cutting off his rambling that I was secretly loving, but I just needed to be engaged already. “And you can—”
This time it was him who cut me off, and he did it with a long kiss that became stitched into my soul.