Silence (Silence #1)(18)

I dressed slowly to put off leaving the house for as long as I could. Eventually, though, Mum shouted for me to hurry me up.

It took just under twenty minutes to get to their house. We hadn’t even gotten out of the car, and I already wanted to go home. As we made our way towards the house, the front door swung open, and Ali rushed out.

Ali and Mum both jumped into each other’s arms and laughed. They were close in age and were like best friends as well as sisters. She gave me, Dad and Jasper a kiss on the cheek and ushered us inside.

Ali’s house was really modern. After she divorced Lizzie’s dad, five years ago, she had received a lot of money from the settlement, and used it to renovate. The place was decorated with the most expensive everything. The kitchen was stainless steel and looked like it belonged in a swanky restaurant. Every one of the four rooms had en-suite bathrooms and a walk-in closet. If it weren’t for Lizzie, I would look forward to going there.

Ali led us into the lounge, where she had laid on sandwiches and cakes. Lizzie was sitting on the sofa, tapping away on her phone with one hand and running her fingers through her hair with the other.

As soon as Lizzie saw us, after a momentary greeting, she launched into chatting about how she was entering a modelling contest that was being held at our local mall, and how she was hoping that would be her big break. Unlikely, but if it got Lizzie away, far away, then I hoped it would be her big break.

After what felt like half an hour of listening to her drone on about her outfit that cost her over a hundred pounds, Ali told Lizzie to take me upstairs and show it to me. Jasper was grinning as I reluctantly got up. Just because I was a girl didn’t mean I was going to go all crazy over a dress.

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” she gushed, running her acrylic nails over the fabric of the dress hanging on the outside of her wardrobe. I nodded in agreement and tried to hide my horror. The neon pink dress must barely cover her butt.

“You should totally enter the contest too. You’re not exactly ugly, and you can just, like, nod or something if someone asks you a question. Although you’d need to wear something nice.”

I smiled and sat down on my hands, as the urge to slap her grew stronger. I wasn’t a violent person at all, but Lizzie really pushed me sometimes.

“Ooh, how’s your gorgeous friend? You totally should have brought him with you.” Lizzie fluffed up her hair up and smirked at me.

“I decided that I’m definitely gonna be a model, that’s why I’m doing the contest,” she said as if I’d asked. “Modelling is just more glamorous than acting, you know?”

I forced a smile, not that she looked away from the mirror to see my reaction. Thankfully, my phone buzzed as a text message came through, distracting me from wanting to murder my cousin. Cole’s timing was amazing. ‘Heard you’re at Barbie’s! Not killed her yet? Hurry up and come home! X’. I smiled and put the phone back in my pocket.

At seven-thirty in the evening, after a long day of trying to avoid Lizzie as much as possible, Mum finally said it was time to leave. I could have kissed her I was that relieved.

Waving goodbye from the car, my shoulders sagged in relief. Jasper let out a deep sigh and laid his head on the headrest. “Thank God that’s over,” he muttered. I nodded in agreement and closed my eyes for the journey.

As we pulled into our drive, Cole appeared from his front door.

“Mind if I steal her?” he called across our neighbour’s garden.

“Back by eleven, Oakley,” Dad told me sternly.

Cole grinned; the little dimple at the side of his mouth became more pronounced.

“I’ll walk her home just before.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him. My heart leapt at the feel of his hand in mine. Cole eagerly pulled me into his house and up the stairs to his room. He pointed to the bed, put a DVD on, and walked back out without a word. He was probably getting drinks and a snack.

I glanced at the movie he had rented sitting on his bed and groaned internally as I read the title The Hills Have Eyes. I hated gory films. The site of blood made me feel sick.

I got under his cover and pulled my knees up. If I was going to make it through the film, I needed to be able to hide, so I grabbed his pillow and wedged it between my chest and legs, where I could tuck my head into it if I didn’t want to see/hear what was happening.

Cole laughed as he came back into the room. He sat beside me with the bowl of popcorn on his lap and bottle of coke lying between us.

“It’s not even started, you big baby,” he teased, shuffling closer, so our shoulders were toughing.

“So, was Lizzie her usual charming self?” he asked casually, not looking away from the TV. I nodded again. Cole knew what she was like. I think deep down everyone did, but they never really said anything to her about her behaviour because she would probably flip out.

“She’s just jealous of you.”

I looked up at him, raising my eyebrows sceptically. Jealous! What on earth did Lizzie have to be jealous of me for?

“I’m serious, Oakley. You’re smart, kind, considerate, thoughtful, and unbelievably beautiful,” he whispered, looking into my eyes. “Don’t ever let anyone make you think otherwise.”

I couldn’t breathe. That was so sweet. No one had ever said anything like that to me before, well except Mum, but that didn’t count – she was my mum.