Pay Off

I mean it

Before I knew it my shift was over and I was walking back to the apartment. I was trying to work out what I would say to Cole to remove any awkwardness. Having him as my friend the past few weeks had been life changing and I didn’t want to lose that.

My worries were for nothing as he wasn’t home when I got back. So I headed straight for the shower, as much as I loved coffee I didn’t love the smell that lingered on my clothes and hair after a long shift. As I walked out the bathroom towards my room, towelling my hair, I stopped dead in my tracks. Cole had come home and was sitting on the settee looking at me. Whilst I only wore a towel. We both stared at each other a moment, my stare concentrated on his lips. However I didn’t miss the moment his eyes travelled downwards as he quite obviously checked me out.

“Excuse me” I quickly darted into my room and changed into my yoga pants and vest. I wasn’t going anywhere else today so didn’t see the point in putting any ‘outside clothes’ on. After I had dried my hair, I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer and opened my door.

“Hi” I said nervously, giving a small wave.

“Hi” Cole gave me a small smile.

I didn’t want this awkwardness in our relationship so I walked towards him and sat down on the opposite end of the couch, turning towards him, my back against the arm, and swung my feet in front of me so I could cuddle my legs.

I began to speak first albeit quietly and I looked at my feet as I spoke “I was pretty invisible in school you know, I often wondered if anyone else actually could see me. One day I was taking a stack of books back to the library for Mr Higham and Jason Fletcher walked straight into me, knocking every book on the floor. When he didn’t say anything, change his path or look in my direction I was honestly thinking I actually was invisible and was on the verge of tears as I bent down to pick all the books back up again. But then a hand reached into my vision, helping me with my books. I looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen and the brightest smile flashing at me and there you were helping me with my books. When you asked if I was OK, I was close to tears again but this time it was because someone had actually been nice to me. Then the next week Jason was aiming straight at me again in the corridor as he was walking, talking to you. And you smiled at me, you grabbed his arm and you pulled him out of my path. You were like my hero. So I started watching you in class, and you were so smart Cole. My little teenage heart was a goner. Beauty and brains?” I looked up now and let out a little laugh smiling at him. He was obviously smiling right back at after all the compliments I just fished out. “I used to tell my mum I was going out with ‘friends’, but really I’d just go to whatever hangout I’d heard you would be at and I’d sit and watch how carefree and happy you would be and for some strange reason that made me happy.”

“Lia?”

I looked him straight in the eyes and cut him off “so yeah I like you Cole. How could I not? You’ve been this shining star in my life that I don’t ever remember not having this crush on you. But you know I have secrets and I can’t tell them. We both know anything started on secrets just doesn’t work Cole and right now I really, really like having you as my friend and I don’t want to lose that. I can’t lose that?”

Cole scooted closer to me as he thought over what I had said. “I know there’s secrets Lia. I also know who my father is and that the only reason you can’t tell me is because of the repercussions for your family. I trust you Lia. Truly. And yeah maybe that makes me a fool but I couldn’t change how I feel about you if I wanted to” he grabbed my hand “ so I will wait for this, for us. Cos I actually think we have a shot here. But can I please just get one thing out of my system first?”

The second I nodded, he picked me up and moved me so I was straddling his knees. He held my face in his hands as he looked me over, tenderly pushing my hair back behind my ear, then running one finger gently down my face and neck. I couldn’t breathe. He pulled my face closer to him ever so slowly, and the second his lips met mine it was like I could breathe again. True I hadn’t kissed many boys, but he was by far the best kisser I ever had. Everywhere his lips touched it was like I was being sparked by an electric current. He kept the kiss brief and gentle. When he stopped he still held my face and I couldn’t open my eyes.

As I forced them open and I looked into his face, I couldn’t think. I couldn’t remember my reasons for not doing this. “For f*cksake Cole, if your going to get it out of your system, you get it out properly” with that I slammed my mouth on his, kissing him with all of the frenzy that living with him all this time had built in me. He was over the shock of my kiss within seconds and soon his tongue was duelling with mine. His hands travelled down, rubbing circles on my hip. I felt like I was on fire everywhere he touched. His lips left mine and continued kissing down my neck, I reached for his shirt and pulled it up and over his head, breaking the kiss for not even a second. As our mouths met again, Cole reached a hand under my thigh and, as if I weighed nothing, flipped me so my back was along the sofa and he was lying on top of me. His fingers played with the bottom of my shirt, his fingers grazing my bare stomach. I was burning up more and more with each touch, losing all control. He slowly started pulling my shirt up, never stopping the delicious kiss that was soft and bruising all at the same time.

BANG, BANG, BANG. “Cole open up now!” I couldn’t mistake the voice of Travis Talbot bellowing through the door.

“Sh!t” I pushed Cole up and quickly ran for my room, not looking back at him and the hurt I’d obviously cause from my actions. Through my door, I heard Cole letting his father in. Then the footsteps as Travis made his way towards my door.

He stopped outside my door and shouted, “Miss Wyatt please come out”.

As I opened my door I heard Cole mumble, “yeah good to see you too, dad”.

I looked at Mr Talbot, waiting for explanation as to why he called me out my room.

“Come with me Miss Wyatt” he turned and walked towards the door, not even looking to check if I was following. As he got to the door he must have heard I hadn’t moved. “Some time today girl, let’s go”

“I’m sorry, but where is it you think I’m going with you?” Had that kiss entered me into another dimension that enabled Travis to think I did everything he said?

“We need to talk privately, so move that pretty little body of yours, now!” he was getting angry but I didn’t owe him anything.

I hugged myself as I didn’t want him looking at my body, but spoke boldly, “No, I’m busy right now but you can make an appointment”

“How about I make an appointment with Brenda so I can tell her how she doesn’t have a job anymore? Like I said Miss Wyatt, come with me NOW” The way he spoke to me sent shivers down my spine.

“Who is Brenda?” Cole asked innocently.

“MOVE” Travis bellowed at me. I turned to look at Cole and the confusion on his face, then quickly followed Mr Talbot out of the apartment. My life was too confusing lately and I was struggling to keep up with the twists and turns.