Mum handed the brochure to me and Mia so we could see the hotel we were staying in. Wow, was all I could think. It looked amazing. The hotel was a beautiful white building, halfway up a mountain. It didn’t look too busy but seemed to have enough to keep everyone entertained. According to the brochure, the harbour was a two-minute walk away and the beach a little further, approximately twenty minutes.
The nightlife was good too, apparently. There were a few bars and clubs nearby. Mia and Jasper would want to go out no doubt. Perhaps I would be allowed to go too? I was almost sixteen and if I was with Cole they’d let me go, wouldn’t they?
I felt Cole’s eyes on me, so I glanced to the side and smiled a little awkwardly. My cheeks felt hot. I was probably blushing. He smiled back. Was he forgiving me? Just as I thought he was about to talk to me, David placed a plate of charred chicken kebabs down on the table. Cole grabbed one and started eating. Please talk to me.
Throughout lunch, Cole and I exchanged glances.
Mum had noticed things were off between us: she would look at me, then Cole, and then back to me. I prayed that she wouldn’t say anything. Should I just leave? Faking sickness and going home sounded like a very good idea right now.
“Oakley?” Cole said as he stood up. He nodded his head, gesturing for me to follow him. I got up immediately and followed him inside. He had made the first move, so there was no way I was passing up the chance to make things right again. The walk up to his room was completely silent. Cole said nothing. I hoped that he would talk when we were safely inside his room and out of the way of everyone else.
Sitting on the end of his bed, I hugged my legs and rested my chin on my knees. He sighed and sat down, facing me. The sun reflected off his face, lightening his deep blue eyes. The smell of his aftershave wrapped around me, and I relaxed. In that moment, I knew I couldn’t be without him. I had to make up for our fallout and get my best friend back. Not having Cole in my life was not an option.
He took a deep breath and just stared into my eyes for a minute. I felt self-conscious under his intense gaze. It was as if he could see right through me; see the terrified, broken little girl inside. I never wanted him to see that.
“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have shouted at you, but you should’ve text me to let me know you were okay.” I nodded and looked down at the bed cover. “Oakley,” he whispered, gently lifting my chin up, so I faced him. His fingers lingered on my chin, making my heart race. The feeling of his skin on mine gave me butterflies. It felt so right.
My eyes filled with tears, and I smiled. I’d gotten him back. Grabbing his hand, I squeezed gently in way of an apology. What happened yesterday wasn’t his fault at all. Cole had nothing to apologise for. His face lit up as he smiled.
“It’s okay,” he told me, knowing exactly what that gesture meant. Suddenly, he pulled my hand making me fall forward. I tried to move back, but he pulled me into a tight hug. It was a little awkward as I was sitting on his lap. It was too intimate, and I wasn’t used to intimacy feeling natural and safe. I wanted to run, but at the same time, I never wanted to leave.
I wrapped my arms around him, ignoring the tense knot in my stomach. With every passing second, I felt more comfortable. Cole would never hurt me. I knew that. We stayed in each other’s arms for a few minutes, and I was enjoying it. His fingertips were gently tickling up and down my back, giving me goose bumps.
Eventually, we both pulled away, and he seemed as reluctant as I was to let go. My feelings for him grew every day, becoming crazily confusing. Cole looked happy. His eyes were alight and his features soft. Happiness bubbled inside me at seeing him smile properly again.
“We don’t fight again. Ever again, okay?” he said seriously, holding both my hands and playing with my fingers. I nodded in agreement. That was the easiest thing I had ever agreed to.
He smiled again, flashing his white teeth.
“Good. So two weeks in Italy, hey? We have to do some water sports and hire a boat.”
I raised my eyebrow, making him laugh and shake his head. Hire a boat? Neither of us could sail, and there was no way the first time we tried was going to be alone in a foreign country.
“I guess you’re gonna go all girly on me and want to sun bathe?” I nodded and smirked. I was pasty white and definitely wanted to get a tan. “Fine, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll suffer through that if you go diving with me?”
He had been trying to get me to go diving for years, but I hated the idea of it. I’m not a fan of fish and everything in the sea was all slimy, and the sea itself was full of sewage. I bit my lip, shaking my head and trying not to smile. The deal didn’t matter. He would sun bathe with me anyway. He always did.
Cole sighed heavily, pretending to be annoyed. “Fine but two days sun bathing max, and you have to buy the ice creams.” I pursed my lips and nodded. That part also didn’t matter because as soon as we were there he would insist on paying.