“Thanks, Cole,” she whispered.
“Stop thanking me.”
“I need to get back to Ali’s soon. Mum will be stressing after my appointment with Linda.”
“Right. I’ll drive you.”
“Do you want to stay for a while?”
“You just don’t want to face your mum and crazy brother alone, do you?”
“That’s not the only reason.”
“Sure, I’ll come in.”
I didn’t want to leave her, either.
We cleaned the bowls and glasses, and I took her home.
Ali and Lizzie were out when we arrived, both of them working. I was going to have to talk to my boss about taking more time off. He knew about Oakley and that she was back.
I’d have to take unpaid time off after my holiday ran out, but whatever. It would only mean I had to renovate the house slower.
Oakley grabbed the post from the floor as she let us in.
“Oakley?” Sarah called. “Honey, how was it? Are you okay? We’ve been so worried. Oh, hi, Cole.”
“I’m fine. It was fine. Sorry I made you worry, but everything was all right.”
“What’s that?” I asked, frowning and turning my head towards the source of the awful noise coming from upstairs.
“Oh, Jasper’s showering. He sings in the shower,” Sarah answered.
Jesus.
“What’s wrong, Mum?” Oakley asked.
Sarah took a ragged breath, one hand flying to her throat as the other clutched a letter.
“It’s a visitation request from prison,” Sarah said. “Max wants to see me.”
Chapter 9
Oakley
Icouldn’t breathe. Dad’s request sucked all the oxygen from the room. Even from prison, four years later, he still had the power to bulldoze my life.
He wanted to see my mum. Why? Why now, just before the trial was going to start? Did he want to attempt talking his way out of it, getting Mum on side, and convincing her that he had no idea what Frank was doing to me.
She would never believe him.
I sucked in a heavy breath that felt like inhaling water… I was going down.
“Hey!” Cole said. I couldn’t see him, couldn’t see anything but dots dancing around in front of my face, but I felt him. Strong arms held me upright. Without him, my face would have been in the tile.
“Breathe, baby,” he said, cupping my cheek with the hand that wasn’t stopping me from falling. “Look at me. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
It took a second, but the world eventually came back into sharp focus, and I blinked away memories I’d tried to bury. If only they would stay six feet under.
