Foul Play (Whithall University Book 1) (21 page)

“What?’’ I call out, louder than I intended. My voice is husky, my throat raw.

“Low?’’ Cole’s panicked voice calls out just as I open my eyes, spotting Allie charging into the room with a white, stricken looking face.

“Oh, thank heavens, you’re awake,’’ she sighs, her shoulders and body easing of tension.

“What happened?’’ I ask, sitting up. “Why am I in your bed?’’ I ask Cole slowly, my panic rising when I feel that my legs are bare.

Oh, no! Please, no!

It’s like living my nightmare all over again and I turn to Cole’s mum, Jackie, with a stricken look.

“Why don’t I have my leggings on?’’ I ask, my voice hysterical.

“I took them off,’’ Jackie assures me quickly, her hands reaching out to grab my shoulders, the movement causing me to stare in her eyes. “They were covered in mud, Willow. I promise, nothing has happened.’’

I keep my gaze locked on hers, trying to steady my breathing and to calm my racing nerves.

“I don’t understand,’’ I croak out after a few seconds, looking at everyone’s worried glances. I hadn’t noticed CJ even walk into the room, that’s how out of it I’ve been.

“You blacked out, Low,’’ Cole informs me gently, sitting by my side on the bed.

The second he’s near the strangest thing happens to my body, it turns completely lax, and any fears I suffered with seconds ago fade away.

Flopping back down on the pillow I let out a contented sigh, feeling more relaxed, my dream no longer haunting me the way it did when I first woke up.

“Um, are you okay?’’ Jackie asks, glancing between Cole and I with a bewilder expression.

“Yeah,’’ I sigh, a headache forming at the back of my eyes. “What happened?’’

“Like Cole said, you blacked out by the car, don’t you remember?’’ Allie asks concerned.

I shake my head slowly, but then I remember the rugby game, Christie, and everything rushes back to me, all at once, giving me a headache. I rub at my temples, trying to rub the ache away.

“Christie, she came at us,’’ I say out loud, my eyes on Allie but then everything that happened in my dream comes back to me. The feeling of being trapped, suffocated, belittled and Christie insulting me, hits me at once and I have to choke back tears. She was there, right there in front of me and didn’t pick up on anything. She had been too self absorbed in herself that if she paid attention she would have seen what was really happening in front of her. Anyone in their right mind could see that I was there against my will.

“Oh God,’’ I gasp, my fearful eyes flickering to Cole. “She was there that night. I remember... a memory, I’m not sure but she was there calling me names. Logan had me in his lap,’’ I tell the room, feeling bile rising up at the back of my throat.

“It’s okay,’’ Cole soothes, moving to lean against the pillow beside me and pulling me into his side.

“So, it was a trigger,’’ Allie says sadly and I remember her telling me the same thing earlier on at the field.

“Trigger?’’ I ask, my face scrunched up in confusion. My gaze returns to Jackie questioningly.

She nods her head in agreement. “After sexual abuse many women have flashbacks. A certain smell, like body odour or a particular tone of voice or certain words can be a cause. It could be someone’s touch and sometimes it can be hard to make out what’s a memory and what’s reality.’’

“It was her and her voice. She was such a bitch to me, like she didn’t care what happened to me because I was beneath her. I felt it more than saw it in my dreams, her voice was as clear as yours is right now,’’ I admit, still shaken up.

“Now that you know what one of your triggers is, you’ll be able to control them better. You’ll know when you see her next that she will stir bad memories for you and you’ll be able to calm yourself and steady your breathing. Just make sure to keep repeating to yourself ‘it’s not real, you survived and it’s over.’

“Just fight against them, keep your eyes open, look around, smell the air, or touch someone close to you, anything to bring you back to reality. You’re such a brave young woman, Willow. I believe in you, I know you can get through this.’’

“Thank you,’’ I smile, wishing so badly that I felt the strength that she sees in me.

A look of regret passes over her face as she looks between me and Cole. “I’m sorry to rush off so soon but I need to be getting back to Mia. She’s not feeling well,’’ she explains.

“I’m so sorry,’’ I tell her, hating that I’m the reason she’s been pulled away from her sick daughter. Knowing Mia is alone without her mum makes me feel like shit. I know from experience that the only thing that can make a girl her age feel better when they’re sick is their mum and her bed. It’s like her bed has superpowers. I’d always feel a little better the minute I got into my mum’s bed. “I hope she gets better soon.’’

“Thank you. It’s just a sickness bug, hopefully she’ll be okay within a few days. I’m just glad we already cancelled the holiday,’’ she smiles.

“You didn’t say anything to me about that,’’ Cole says accusingly.

She chuckles. “It’s not a big deal, son. We got the dates mixed up with school and work so we’ll have to go when she has her next school holiday.’’

“Bet Mia isn’t happy about that,’’ CJ chuckles, from where he stands leant against the doorframe.

Laughing now, Jackie answers with a wide smile. “No she isn’t. She threw a fit.’’

“Will you need me to babysit?’’ I ask, excited and hopeful at the chance of some normalcy.

“Oh, no!’’ she waves me off. “We couldn’t ask you to do that. You’re going through too much already.’’

“I want to, if it’s still okay with you,’’ I smile softly, excited to see little Mia again.

She looks deeply, searching, like she’s trying to somehow read my thoughts and it’s makes me shift uncomfortably in the bed.

“If you’re sure?’’

“More than, I’m positive. It will do me some good,’’ I tell her honestly.

“I can bring Mia over whenever,’’ Cole tells me, trying to be helpful.

We all look at him, laughing and I can’t help my reaction when my eyes reach him. Reaching up, I run my fingers over his unshaven jaw before meeting his eyes. The second our eyes meet I get lost in the deep pools of his crystal blue eyes and what I see reflecting back at me has my breath hitching.

Someone clearing their throat snaps me back to reality. My cheeks heat with embarrassment and I pull my hand away from Cole, looking down at the blanket, avoiding everyone’s eyes.

“Get some rest and I’ll text you a day and time about Mia,’’ Jackie tells me, amusement evident in her voice. It just makes my face burn hotter, knowing she just witnessed me feeling her son up.

“I’ll walk you out mother C,’’ CJ grins.

Looking up, Allie shifts nervously on her feet before looking back at the door.

“Yeah, I’ll go too. I’ll let you get some rest and when you feel like it I’ll make you some dinner,’’ she smiles, looking like she wants to do more, say more, but she doesn’t.

I give her a small thankful smile and give her a lame wave goodbye, my body feeling weak and exhausted.

A loud yawn rumbles from my mouth and Cole chuckles, looking down at me. Not wanting to get lost in his gaze once again, I move across the bed to the other side. When I look back up at Cole he’s looking down at the empty spot, his eyes full of hurt and confusion, obviously thinking I moved away from him.

“Join me? We can watch Chicago PD,’’ I tell him and a small smiles spreads across his handsome face.

He nods his head, chuckling when he reaches his small DVD shelf. Looking over his shoulder he grins and my heart picks up, loving the easy going look on him.

“What?’’ I ask, a smile playing on my lips.

“The Chicago box set is still over at yours,’’ he tells me and I pout.

“Oh yeah,’’ I giggle. “What else do you have?’’

“Random stuff really. I’ve got Harry Potter. Mia watches it whenever we have her over,’’ he shrugs.

I want to giggle at the thought of this burley man watching Harry Potter and blaming his baby sister as an excuse as to why. It’s actually kind of cute and it’s another side to Cole that no one else gets to see. It makes me feel like I’m special for seeing this side of him, like I’m the only one who does and he doesn’t care. He’s a guarded person in general and in the short amount of time that I’ve known him he’s only ever been himself around me but when we’re around other people he’s quiet, keeps to himself and very rarely lets anyone in. I guess I feel privileged and anyone else who gets to see this side of him should too. It’s a gift I’ll forever treasure.

“Yeah. Do you have the first one?’’

“Got them all, Low. She loves them,’’ he mutters, rolling his eyes.

“Are you saying you don’t?’’ I tease.

“It’s Harry Potter,’’ he tells me dryly.

“That’s not an answer,’’ I giggle.

“It’s alright, that’s all your getting,’’ he tells me, seeming annoyed that he admitted it out loud.

I begin laughing, rolling to my side and clutching my stomach. His face is priceless.

“Why you laughing?’’ he asks, pouting as he finishes loading the disk in the DVD player.

“You. You love Harry Potter and you just admitted it,’’ I tease, laughing harder at his embarrassed reaction.

“I said it was alright,’’ he moans, scrubbing his hands down his face before looking at me and stepping forward, a predatory look in his eyes.

“Oh, no you don’t. You love it and you blame it all on your sister, admit it. You love Harry,’’ I sing, laughing.

“Shut up,’’ he growls playfully and the look on his face makes me laugh even harder, my jaw hurting from the wide smile spread across my face.

“Nope. You love Harry. Cole loves Harry,’’ I sing louder and he jumps onto the bed and I squeal in surprise, a burst of laughter escaping.

“Say you’re sorry,’’ he demands, sitting on his knees straddling me, his large body towering above me.

I’d take him seriously if it wasn’t for the teasing glint in his eyes and the twitch in his lips.

“Nope,’’ I tell him, shaking my head stubbornly.

“Now,’’ he growls, holding his hands above me like a claw.

“Don’t you dare,’’ I warn, trying to hold back laughter.

“Oh no! You started this, I’m finishing it. Say you’re sorry,’’ he asks again, this time his lips forming into a small grin and it looks so sexy on him. It makes me want to pull him down and see if his lips are as soft as they look.

I shake my head, using my hands and making a zipping gesture across my lips, locking them shut.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’’ he tells me right before he attacks me, his fingers on my ribs and tickling the ever-loving-shit out of me.

“Stop,’’ I cry out, laughing until tears fall from my eyes.

“Say it,’’ he demands again.

“Nope,’’ I shake my head but he tickles me harder and I squeal, the urge to pee making it harder to deny him of what he wants. I’m stubborn though, just like me mother.

“Say you’re sorry,’’ he demands again, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

The need to pee has me giving in and I cry out, “I’m sorry.’’

“Say, Cole doesn’t love Harry,’’ he demands again and I narrow my eyes at him.

Catching him off guard I turn on him, tickling his ribs as payback. He falls on top of me, knocking the breath right out of me, since it wasn’t something I was prepared for.

“Shit! Sorry, are you okay?’’ he asks, resting low on his forearms to look down on me.

I don’t answer.

I can’t!

I just stare up at my fallen angel, lost in those eyes. God, those eyes could hypnotise the strongest of people. I’ve never seen such beauty in one person before and it all lies in the man above me.

“Low,’’ he whispers, his voice husky and I notice his eyes dilate, specks of green in them, looking like bolts of lightning.

It’s like he has me under a spell because I don’t talk, I just move and do what I day dreamed about doing seconds ago. I reach up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pull him down so that his weight is fully on me. We both let out a small whimper and when I look up at his eyes again they’re darker than before and a shiver runs down my neck, straight down to my core.

“Cole?’’

“Low,’’ he answers, looking pained.

“Kiss me,’’ I whisper, knowing if I don’t kiss him I’ll forever regret it.

He groans loudly, the sound echoing around the room before he obeys, moving closer until his lips are a breath away from mine. I can smell his spicy cologne, feel his hard body against mine and I know right here, right now, there is nowhere else I’d rather be. This is the moment I dreamt about as a young girl, the moment where I find my forever. A true loves kiss.

The minute his lips touch mine, my body jolts and I begin to see stars behind my closed eyes. His lips are softer than they look and they feel good pressed hard against mine, but the second his tongue massages against my own, I lose all train of thought, losing myself in the kiss.

This is the kiss my mum would tell me about when I was younger, the one you’ll only experience once in a life time. It’s your forever kiss, the kiss that makes you feel like you’re floating in air and bathed in sunlight. It makes you feel like a thousand butterflies are fluttering inside your belly and a sense of safety that you’ll never feel with anyone else.