I Love Him, I Love Him Not - 14

Heyhey peeps!

So... I haven't posted in a while and I'm sorry. School has been absoloutely crazy and I got my first cervical cancer jab, which means my arm has been aching like mad.

Luckily, everything was prewritten up until this point - now the chapters will deffo come out slower because I have to write them as I go along. Sorry. :(

Oh yeah - a big sorry for my title mess up last time as well. I left it as I Love Him, I Love Him - what a dope, right? :D

Anyways, on to lighter subjects:

CLEO - Hey! Thank you, and yeh, I know - I'm a right idiot. Thanks for pointing the title misspelling. Um, I would strongly recommend Pheobe Garden's works - she has a few fully completed stories - and probably Brittany Houdini's stuff, who is utterly amazing, but seems to have disappeared somewhere. All of her completed stuff is a great read, though. I can't remember much more but when I do, I'll be sure to inform you. :)

Zy - Yup, the picture is pretty, isn't it? I think manga artists are incredible. And I may introduce a new guy... maybe the mysterious Thomas, who was her first boyfriend? Maybe he didn't get transfered to Chile at all, but was a magical person from Constantia? Lol - you'll just have to read on and find out!

Mary - Thanks. Nathan and Irena are no more, I'm afraid. they crept out of the house when they found that the couple were asleep. :) And you say Gwendolyn exactly how it is spelt; Gwen - doe - linn. :)

Pheobe - Thanks a trillion. I love writing little things like that - and I love hearing I make people smile. :D

B - Aaah, very perceptive of you. Gewndolyn is wierd, I assure you. :D A little like me, minus the long blonde hair.

Samantha Brooke - Thank you! You're an author on here, right? Which one is your story? I'll pay you a visit! :)

Everyone else - Thank you! I love all of your comments and please keep them coming!

Enjoy!

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"Summer? It’s Thursday." He said gently, pulling away from me and looking down into my eyes. "Tomorrow’s the last day you have here, ever. Is there anything you’d like to do? We could drive up and see your family. Or we could go to school and see all your classmates. Or, if you want, we could just stay at home."

I looked up at him, my eyes suddenly filling with tears again. I couldn’t take it. This was the last time I would ever see anything I had ever known or recognised again. It just didn’t seem to make any sense to me. Why I was chosen, why I was picked. I was never anything special. Except for the powers thing, of course.

"Summer?" he repeated gently.

"I want to go to school." I told him, pulling away from him completely and starting to walk towards the staircase. "And I’ll leave letters for mum and Maxi. I can’t see them one more time without breaking down or acting weird. They’d know something was up. It’s a good thing that they aren’t here."

"Okay." Cole said. His voice was low and comforting. "You go change. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes."

I nodded obediently and began to walk up the stairs, my feet dragging.
Cole watched me for a moment, and then walked out the front door and to his car. He was probably going home to change.

I went into my boring, bland room. I would miss it, even though it was quite possibly the worst room in the house. The most insipid, the most impersonal. I flung open my wardrobe and ran my fingers lightly over all my beloved clothes. I would miss them dearly.

For the last day anybody would ever see me, I wanted to make an impression. I scanned through my clothes and found a dress. I had never worn anything resembling a skirt to school before. It would be a surprise. The dress was white and well tailored; it clung to my upper half in a halter neck, tightened at my waist, and finished off into a short, swirly skirt. I paired it with white low rise Chucks to stay casual, along with a simple white shoulder bag, and wore my girl boxers and a sleeveless top over my strapless bra underneath, just in case.

My hair was easy – I ran my fingers through the calm brown waves and left it down, arranging my long bangs over the one side of my face carefully. I applied my make up extra well, taking time with the kohl and base, adding only a little blusher and giving my lips a slick of gloss instead of Chap Stick.

The effect in the mirror was good; my hair looked great and my outfit was cool. The make up I had applied enhanced the brownness of my eyes and the fullness of my lips. The effect was very doll-like.

I bent down to peel off the bandages that were wrapped around my ankle before slipping into my shoes.

And then, as promised, I heard Cole walk in and it was time to go.

Sadly, I made my way down the stairs and smiled weakly at Cole’s appreciative gaze. He took my arm, seeming to understand that I didn’t feel like talking, and led me to his car. I carefully locked up the house and then slipped my key next to the spare key, in the little alcove beneath the step, realising that I wouldn’t need it anymore.

And then we set off.

I was silent the whole ride to school, leaning my head against the cool glass of the window and staring out at the pattering rain. I felt kind of empty inside, like when I went, everything important would be left here, in the place I had been born and grown up and the only place I had ever known.

"You okay?" Cole leaned over the gear stick to take my hand. The gesture sent a ripple of shock going through me until I remembered that we were good friends now. I threw him a weak smile.

"I’ll be fine." I said, and I didn’t pull my hand away. I let them stay there, joined, drawing warmth from his smooth, calloused skin.

We pulled into the car park and Cole looked at me disapprovingly.

"Why didn’t you bring a jacket?" he asked, looking from my white dress to the rain outside, courtesy of me.

"I’m sorry." I apologized weakly. "I didn’t think it would rain so hard."

"It’s okay. No need to apologize." Cole said, looking at me like I was crazy. "Here, just take mine."

He began taking his jacket off.

"No, leave it." I protested, reaching out to tug his jacket back up his arm. He give me a look that made his eyes seem indigo blue instead of the sapphire that I was so used to.

"Summer, take it." He ordered in this low, dangerous voice that made me take the grey jacket immediately and shrug it around my shoulders. I shook my head at him and we climbed out of the car; he came around to my side to help me again.

He held the jacket and threaded my arms into it like I was a little child, and then zipped me up. He smiled down at me, straightening the strings, and then pulled the hood carefully up my head.

"I am capable of moving myself, you know." I protested weakly, but I let him take charge, because it felt good not to have to do something for myself for once.

"You’re shivering so hard that you wouldn’t have been able to grab the zipper, never mind do it up." Cole said, watching as I let my hands disappear into the too-long sleeves. I cuddled up inside the soft material – his warmth still lingered in the fabric, and the smell of the garment (his smell) was simply amazing.

"T-true." I chattered, and then stepped back as he extended an arm towards me. "I can walk fine." I said, feeling an ache in my chest as his face fell.

"But wouldn’t a normal boyfriend help you anyway?" he asked softly, and I shrugged.

"You’re not a normal boyfriend." And with that, I began to limp towards the front of the school. It took me a few seconds to realise that Cole wasn’t with me. I turned and saw him standing there, absolutely drenched by the rain, his dark hair curling against his forehead, which was creased, and his willful, proud mouth set in an expressionless line.

He looked so incredible that my heart skipped a few beats and my breathing immediately hitched in my throat.

How could I have ever thought that I could have a chance with that?
That creature of the gods that stood there, looking beautiful even as the rain beat down around him. The wetness had made his short sleeved tee shirt cling to his smooth, muscled chest in a way that made my mouth dry, and his jeans were a shade darker than usual. At that moment, everything about him seemed dark.

Dark, and awe-inspiringly beautiful.

"Cole." I was meant to yell the word, to get him going, but it came out as a soft sigh that trickled from my lips almost involuntarily. Every look at him broke my heart just a little bit more.

We stood there for I don’t know how long, just looking at each other. I don’t remember when I started crying, but I was, and tears trickled down my face in little rivulets, mingling with the cool, fresh rain.
Suddenly, I knew I couldn’t see Irena and Nathan for the last time. I knew I couldn’t say goodbye.

I was never strong enough for that.

So, silently, I walked back to him, and then past him, to the car. He didn’t look at me questioningly – he seemed to understand. We slid in together, making the seats immediately damp. I leaned over and flicked the switch on the radio so I wouldn’t have to listen to the deafening silence.

It was a classical station, and it was playing a program called ‘Heartbreakers’. I smiled slightly at the irony and leaned my head against the window, biting down hard on my lip as the first trickle of sad piano music found its way through the speakers.

Outside, thunder rumbled.

Cole didn’t have to ask where I wanted to go. He took me home quickly, and then waited patiently while I fumbled with the key. He was so wet that it looked like he had taken a power shower fully clothed – but I suppose I looked no better than a drowned rat, too.

We stepped inside and closed the door. The house seemed warm compared to the cold weather outside.

"Wait here." I said, peeling his jacket away from my shoulders. "I’ll go get you something to change into."

And then I realised that I was soaking wet, too. There were floorboards everywhere in the house, and we would leave a stream of water wherever we went. I shrugged and began slipping my feet out of my shoes. At this point, I was so numb that I didn’t care that Cole was going to see me in my underwear – I just wanted to get dry and get out of there before there was any chance of Maxi and mum getting home and finding me there.

"Summer, what are you doing?" Cole inquired calmly, politely averting his eyes as I untied the halter and the dress fell away to my waist.

"I’m undressing. If we leave the floor wet for when mum comes home, she’ll kill me." I mumbled, pushing the skirt down my legs.

"Couldn’t you have given me some warning? Seeing the Princess in her full glory could get me more than killed back at home."

"I don’t care. Like I said, they’d have to have my consent before they do anything to you." I said, flinging the dress onto the welcome home mat. "Plus, I’m wearing boxers and a top underneath. It’s not like you’d be seeing anything anyway."

"So I can look?"

"Yeah, whatever." I sighed, peeling my socks off. I looked up to see Cole staring. "What?"

He leaned forward and lightly touched the small of my back, where my top had ridden up to reveal some body art.

"How do you have a tattoo at seventeen?" He inquired stiffly, moving his hand away like he was disgusted. I blushed deep scarlet.

"I, um, my friend’s dad is a tattoo artist," I mumbled, pulling my top down to cover it. "I got one a year or so ago."

"Why?" Cole asked, kicking his own shoes off. I shrugged.

"It’s just something I got." I said defensively, turning towards him completely so he couldn’t see my back at all. "Now get undressed while I go get you something to wear. We can go back to where you’re staying after I write the letters, pick something up, and then be gone."
Cole stared at me. "Princess, its Thursday."

"So?" I shrugged, making my way upstairs. "I want to go a day early. I thought you’d be pleased."

"You can’t." He said flatly. "The horses won’t be there. Thomas said that he’d take them to the stables at six on Friday morning. Which is not Thursday night."

"Well, I want to go." I said stubbornly. "I don’t want to stay here another night. It – it hurts more the longer I stay."

Cole’s whole face softened. "Fine. We’ll go tonight. Maybe Meade will have room in the inn."

I nodded, pretending to understand, and turned back to walk up the stairs. Once in my room, I found some skinny jeans and another billowy off the shoulder top, this one a forest green colour, which was about as medieval as I got. I slipped into the clothes, and then found two towels.

Then was the hard part.