Pay Off

Meet the family

“Tracy, how has it been a week and the first I bump into you, you just happen to be stood with my roommate?” Cole spoke at the small brunette, Tracy I presumed.

“Well, little cousin, I guess I just have spider senses for the things that will give me the greatest power to destroy you” her smile was friendly so I could tell she was joking as she turned to me “ Lia, I’m sorry to inform you but we are now BFF’s and your going to have to feed me little tidbits to totally embarrass my cousin here and enable me to take his ego down a peg or two. You really do not have a choice”

“Your two weeks older Tracy, drop the ‘little cousin’ thing will you, besides I’m atleast a foot taller than you if anyone is the little cousin here it is very clearly you. And Lia will do no such thing as she’s already by BFF, isn’t that right Lia?” He throw his arm around me and pulled me into him, looking smug.

“I’m not so sure Cole, a BFF would’ve told me about his cousin being at this school I would think, no? It’s nice to meet you Tracy. Would you have told me about your cousin?” I teased.

“Most definitely, yes! You don’t keep anything from a BFF” she quickly replied.

“Then I am sold. Hi my new bestie!” I reached over for a cuddle with Tracy, laughing at the joke betrayal written all over Cole’s face.

“No. Nah ah. Not happening.” Cole reached into the cuddle and pulled me out and back under his arm. “She’s mine Trace and I’m not letting you have her OK? Now why on earth did you not tell me you was coming here?”

Tracy laughed at his obvious childish behaviour. “Because you would’ve innocently mentioned it to your dickhead dad and I didn’t want Travis tracking me down here. You know we’ve avoided him where we can since auntie Lisa passed” A look of sorrow passed over her face.

“I’d have done the same if he didn’t have control over absolutely every element of my life. But Trace, this is so cool. Come over tomorrow and we’ll catch up, yeah?”

“If I haven’t got plans with my new bestie, I’ll try squeeze you in Cole. I assume you’re at your dads fancy place just off campus?”

“I am”

“Cool. I may see you tomorrow. But for tonight I have plans to interrogate Lia here so move along, fish boy” she started laughing at that and Cole just threw her a look.

“Fish boy?” What on earth was that about.

“Move along or I’ll tell” she threatened him

Cole threw his hands up in mock surrender and quickly backed away from us.

“You’re going to explain fish boy right?” I immediately looked to her.

“Wish I could” she shrugged “he was being his annoying self one day when we were around five and I called him it, he asked where I got it from. I was all like, you know, don’t make me say it? He didn’t want to seem like he was thick so pretended he remembered. Still pretends to this day. God help the day he asks”

We both burst into laughter at that.

“So Lia, is it? How on earth did you end up living with my cousin? I know he doesn’t need a roommate, he’s a Talbot after all and I can’t see him volunteering to share his space?” She asked.

“Well, it’s Amelia but Cole calls me Lia and I guess it’s catching on! I don’t mind so much anymore, but hated it at first. As to being Cole’s roommate, well Travis, Cole’s dad, offered me a room whilst I was studying here and I accepted. Not sure I’ll stick it out till the end though” I shrugged.

“Is Cole really that bad to live with?”

“No, Cole’s the sweetest” I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as I said that, “but I need his father out of my life!” I threw my hand over my mouth, I shouldn’t say that out loud at all never mind to his family.

Tracy just bust out laughing, slapping me on the shoulder, “oh girl, don’t worry over saying that sh!t with me, I hate that man. Cole’s mum was my dad’s sister. She passed when we were ten and we’ve avoided Travis ever since. He was a dickhead before Lisa passed, but He is so much worse since. Jenson, Cole’s brother, he’s been off the rails since too. Cole’s the only one we love to see anymore. At first he would come and spend a few weeks at summer with us. But once Travis sent him off to boarding school, he practically spent every day of every holiday with us. He’s more like an annoying younger brother now.” The more she told me, the more things fell into place.

“Well that explains why he isn’t like the rest of his family then, your family really has had a positive impact on him. It’s been bugging me for weeks how he could be so easygoing you know?”

“Ah I can take no credit. That’s all Lisa, his mother. Cole adored her, doted on her every word and was like her in so many ways. When she was dying, he was only ten, but he promised her he would never be like his father. Lisa loved Travis for the man he was when they met, but as the business took over his life, well he changed to a person Lisa didn’t recognise anymore. It’s a promise Coles been so passionate about keeping to this day.”

“You have no idea how much you’ve really helped me out today. I’ve had so many questions really bugging me for weeks, nothing I’d seen of Cole had made any sense to me and now it’s just all clicking into place. He’s honestly such a sweet guy, and he’s so much fun to be around. And Travis- Well he’s Travis Talbot isn’t he?”

“Cole is great. He’s also an open book and if you’d asked him about it, he would have told you, you know” she looked at me pointedly.

“It’s complicated.” My eyes begged her not to ask any more on that, a message she seemed to get as she nodded. “I’m going to go get some fresh air”

“I’ll see you tomorrow at your apartment Lia” she gave me a hug, a gesture so sweet from someone I’d only just met. “Oh and Lia? Don’t hurt him. He wears his heart on his sleeve and I’d hate for anything to change that” then she turned and left. Not giving me a chance to say it could never be me doing the hurting. Not intentionally any way.

I walked to the back patio doors and stepped out into the fresh air taking a deep breath.

“Funny way of keeping away from him Amelia” A mans voice came out of the darkness, my name said with such disdain.

I didn’t recognise the voice so I looked around noticing the shadow of a man becoming clearer until I could make out his face.

I may not have recognised the voice, but I’d never forget the face of the man I’d last seen just before he’d ran off and away from the life changing mess he had made of my life.

“Jenson”.