Silence (Silence #1)(17)

I shook my head and just prayed he really had dropped it. I knew it would come up again, but for now, I just wanted to enjoy the night.

“Okay, I’m pushing you over the top!” he chuckled and walked behind me.

“You remember that time you insisted on pushing me on the swing?” he asked. “You pushed so hard it swung back fast and knocked you over!”

I turned my head and glared at him, which only made him laugh.

“You yelled at me for making it hit you and cried for ages, you big baby.”

Big Baby! I was only four then, and Cole just six. I still remembered it as if it happened yesterday. I told him it was unfair that he would push me all the time, just because I was a girl, so I pushed him. I hurt my arm when the swing knocked me over, so Cole gave me his chocolate buttons to make me feel better.

He pushed me on the swing until I held my hand up, getting an idea. He immediately stopped, and I jumped off, gesturing for him to sit.

“Oh no, I’m not having you fall again and go all whiny on me!” I frowned sternly and pointed to the swing. Cole chuckled.

“Remember to move when it comes back at you,” he said teasingly.

I rolled my eyes but grinned too. We fell silent while I pushed him on the swing. After what felt like hours – just the two of us in an easy silence – Cole stopped the motion of the swing, digging his heel into the ground.

“I’m getting hungry. Let’s get my car and go to McDonalds for an ice cream.” I stopped pushing straight away, and he got off the swing. With a little smirk, he added, “And if you’re a good girl, I’ll get you a milkshake too.” Idiot.



Once we had finished eating, he threw our empty cartons in the bin and wrapped his arms around me. I was still sitting on the stool, so we were almost the same height. His chest was pressed against mine, and my legs were over his. I liked it too much.

“It’s almost eleven. We need to go soon,” he said quietly, rubbing circles on the small of my back. His fingers brushing against my skin gave me goose bumps. Cole stroked my hair, pushing it behind my ear. With a deep frown, he stood up and held his hand out for me, helping me step over the bench.

I blushed as we walked back to his car. Would we have kissed again? Should I have initiated it? It shouldn’t be him all the time, but I was way too scared to do it myself. What if he didn’t want to though? Was that why he moved away?

Stopping at his car, he turned to me and stared into my eyes. Just kiss me! He sighed.

“Let’s get you home before your parents send out a search party.”

I opened the car door and got in feeling deflated. Turning the dial to hot so when he started the car it would start to heat up, I laid back in the seat. The car ride home was strangely awkward.

My heart sank as we pulled up outside my house. The night was over.

“I’ll walk you in,” he said and opened his door.

I practically ran up the path, eager to end the awkwardness. Turning as we approached the front door, I looked up at him. He was standing closer than I imagined he would be. We were just inches apart, and I could practically feel the heat radiating from him.

As I reached out to put the key in the lock, he grabbed my hand and spun me back to face him. Our lips touched, and my body felt boneless.

The kiss only lasted a couple of seconds, but even after he pulled away, I could still feel the pressure of his lips on mine. Cole smiled as he took the key and opened the door while I just stood there like an idiot, gawping after him.

I shook my head in a daze and walked inside. Dad was the only one up, probably waiting for me.

“Hi, sweetheart, did you have a good night?” he asked as he looked up from the screen. I nodded and chewed on my lip.

“Good. Well, I’m going to bed now. You should too, okay? Goodnight, Cole.”

“Night, Max,” Cole replied, and turned to me. “You really had a good time?” he asked, looking unsure of himself. I nodded my head and smiled, my jaw ached from trying not to smile too much.

“Good. I did too… Well, Miss, I should get going. Goodnight,” he said in a fake posh accent, making me grin. He gently kissed my forehead and walked backwards, closing my front door.

I skipped up to my room and stripped out of my clothes, throwing on the first set of pyjamas I saw. Nothing could ruin my mood tonight. I had had my first kiss, and it was with someone I was crazy about.

As I wrapped my cover around myself, my phone beeped, and I knew it was from Cole: ‘Night. X’.

I smiled and typed a reply, ‘Night Cole. X’. As usual though, I didn’t press send.

In the morning, I woke up to Jasper shaking my arm. Could he not just call my name?

“Get up. We’re being forced to go to Aunt Ali’s.” He scowled..

Visiting Ali was something we both dreaded. Ali was great; it was my cousin, Lizzie, who was the problem. Lizzie was one year older than I was and convinced she was going to be the next supermodel. I doubted if anyone had seen her face in years – it was trapped under layers of inch-thick make-up. Her hair was bleached a white blonde and sat just below her shoulder blades.

In Lizzie’s eyes, if you weren’t perfect, you weren’t even worth bothering about. In front of everyone, she was sweet and innocent, but once we were, alone she was bitchy and judgemental. I wasn’t her idea of perfection, and she made me know that. I don’t know why she was like that because as children we got along but when I stopped talking she stopped liking me. I wasn’t sure if she was hurt that I wouldn’t come to her or if she really only cared about image.