I Love Him, I Love Him Not - 6

Hey everybody!

(Hi, Doctor Nick...)

Sorry. Anyways, thank you for the comments.

As for those who asked, Cole is being a bi-yatch so not to be suspicious.

Confused?

Well, you'll just have to read on!

Zeviyane - I have read some of your comments on other peoples stories, too, and let me just say; wow. I don't think I've ever met anyone as deep and meaningful as you seem to be. Thank you.

Latoya - No probs, honey. Thanks for the comment and if it's not obvious, I love you too!

Ivory Gold - I think you are my long lost twin. Or you are leading a parallel life to me or something. I feel EXACTLY the same way. Gosh. I was so shocked when I read your comment, like, wow. This girl could be me. By asian, do you mean Pakistani, Indian, Chinese, or what?
I'm from Pakistani bloodlines, although there's some Italian and Irish in me, too.
You want my email address to vent sometime? Just give me the word and I'll give it to you. :)

Life - Sorry for not replying to your comment sooner. Thank you so, so much. Seriously. Just reading that comment spurred me on again, and I tapped out another chapter on the spot. I love you, too. :)

Adèle - Merci pour le commentaire! Il est bon que les nationalités différentes sont lisant ceci. Profitez du prochain chapitre. (Sorry for my bad french.)

Everybody else: Thank you so much. You guys, even though I love my therapist dearly, are what got me through my dark patch. Thank you.

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Seth and Bobby were twins. Identical twins. Surprisingly, they were only a few years older than me, dressed in stonewashed jeans and casual shirts. They both had their white blonde hair cut short. Seth, though, had a brown streak down the side of his and Bobby’s was longer – it hung down his neck and in front of his eyes. These were the only immediately noticeable differences between the two.

"Hey Mrs Romano. Summer…right?" Seth said, putting the cookie he had been previously munching on down and smiling at me. He had a cute smile - straight white teeth to go with his button nose and dusting of freckles. Bobby, although silent, had a harder set around his mouth, and no freckles. Another difference.

"Hello, Seth. Maxi not down yet? He’s so excited about having someone besides himself to play with." Mum said warmly, directing me to a chair and sitting me down as if I needed guiding. I shook her hand off my arm irritably and smiled weakly at Bobby. Bobby didn’t smile back. I looked down at the table.

Mum, without another word, left after that, leaving me with two strangers I knew nothing about.

"So…I’m sorry." Seth began, making my head snap up.

"About what?" What could he possibly have to apologise to me for already?

"About your dad. I mean, it’s been a long time, but we all loved James and I really wish that I’d known him longer than I had because he was like a favourite uncle to me, and I can’t even imagine how you must feel, every day, remembering how he looked, remembering…" Seth was apologising about my father. At first he was sweet and considerate, but his ramblings quickly turned uncomfortable and then unbearable as he drew memories of dad back. That hole in my chest ached more than ever. "…and I mean, you must miss him so much…"

"That’s enough, Seth." Bobby ordered quietly. It was the first time I heard him speak. His voice was deep, calm and it rang with authority.
Seth’s babblings were silenced immediately. Although they were twins, I got the sense that Bobby was much older than Seth, in more ways than one. "Why don’t you go find out what’s keeping Maxi so long?"

With those words, the more insensitive twin was up on his feet. With a last friendly wave in my direction, he turned and fled up the stairs. And then I was alone with Bobby. The change in the atmosphere was magnificent.

Bobby leant towards me, his eyes fixed motionlessly on mine.

"Summer, I know about your secret. Listen to me. This is important. A revolution is coming. And you are the core of it all. Be prepared, Summer. Be prepared. Let the outsider close. Hold to your heart the ones you despise. Love thy enemy. It’s happening. Deception, hatred, sins. Beware of the mask. If I never see you again, know this at least – my warnings are from true and pure a heart. You---"

"Robert? Robert, I think it’s about time we got home, don’t you?"
Suddenly, the door flew open and Jill burst in, cutting Bobby’s sentence off. He looked annoyed in the least, but stood up, his chair scraping noisily against the tiles on the kitchen floor. Jill seemed frantic with something – she kept on glancing at me, and then at Bobby, and back to me again.

My mind was whirling with his words, his warnings. I didn’t understand.

"Goodbye, Summer. Heed my words." He said one last time before turning and following a still frenzied but silent Jill out the door.

I faintly heard the normal sounds of guests leaving: the door opening, the sound of wind rushing in, the soft chatter of goodbyes, the roaring of an engine, the slamming of the front door, and then, finally, the little sigh of release that the host gave as her guests left.

I waited, expecting mum to come in and explain the last events to me, but she never came. I waited a full ten minutes and when I returned to the hallway, the downstairs lights were off and no one was there. Mum had – for some reason – snuck upstairs and gone to bed without a goodnight.

Puzzled, I clicked the kitchen light off and plodded up the stairs, suddenly exhausted. Why had Bobby said all of those things? What power did he have over Seth? How did he know – if that was what he was referring to – about my abnormal power?

The questions seemed endless even as I washed, dressed and snuggled into bed. I wrapped the duvet around myself and tucked it up about my ears, cocooning myself in as if the thin sheets would prove any shield to the dangers that were suddenly lurking around me, the dangers I was suddenly painfully aware of. My pillow seemed hard as a rock that night and I slept a restless sleep filled with frightening dreams which made me fretful; Bobby appearing in every one of them.

My only oasis was the last picture I saw – Cole; standing, smiling, and beckoning to me. He looked gorgeous and inviting. I walked towards him and he took my hand, pulling me closer. He folded me in his arms and whispered how everything would be all right. That was when I fell into the deepest of sleeps, and dreamt nothing more.

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"Hey Summer." Cole greeted me as I walked into the cafeteria one Thursday lunchtime. He was at our usual table, with neither Irena nor Nathan in sight, but I sat down anyway.

"Where’re the others?" I asked friendlily, opening up my brown paper lunch bag and pulling my chicken sandwich out. Cole was eating the cafeteria crap, toying with the suspiciously yellow mash and mushy peas. I didn’t understand how anyone could go within a two meter radius of the sickening stuff.

"Romantic lunch. Fourteenth month anniversary?" he said with a question in his tone, grinning and putting his fork down - pushing the tray away and picking up a can of pop instead. He snapped the metal back and I heard the distinct sound of a million gas bubbles popping.

"Hmm. They’ll be onto weekly anniversaries next." I joked feebly, taking a bite of one sandwich and pushing the other towards Cole. I often did this, shared my lunch around, because of the simple fact that I had lost my appetite.

Ever since Bobby came around and spurt all that revolution stuff at me, I had been worrying over my power more than ever before. It might have been because I was thinking about it more, or because my birthday was coming up, but it sharpened all my senses ten fold and now I was seeing, hearing and tasting things I never had without trying before.

"Thanks." Cole said – he had long gotten over protesting about eating half of my lunch. I nodded disinterestedly and looked over at Lucy Waterman. She was wearing a pink silk sweater and tight jeans, and looked beautiful, as always. There was the other worry on my mind twenty four seven; were they going out or not?

Looking down at the barely touched sandwich half in my hand, I thought of how close they’d seemed to have gotten and my stomach heaved. I stood up, knocking my chair back. Cole looked up in surprise. Ignoring his questioning gaze, I turned and walked briskly through the scattered tables and chairs and didn’t stop till I was outside.

Once there, in the deserted back field, I drew in ragged, piercingly cold breaths and tried to still the churning of my stomach. If I worried, or was sad, I felt sick. I made myself sick, but I couldn’t help it. It was a natural response from my stomach.

As I walked, I stumbling clumsily and fell to my knees in the grass. I looked up at the sky, embracing the light patter of rain that dusted my cheeks.

I stood and began to walk again, not bothering to wipe the matted grass from my jeans. I didn’t even realise Cole had followed me till he touched my shoulder. I jumped and turned back.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked worriedly, a frown creasing his forehead as he pulled his eyebrows together.

"I’m fine." I said objectively, waving him off. "I just felt a little…sick."

Truth be told, I didn’t really want Cole there. He was one of the main causes of my ill being, even if he didn’t know it, and him being there, standing close without me being able to reach out and touch him, felt like too much for me to bear.

"You came without a jacket. You’re freezing." He said, and suddenly, he reached out and gripped the tops of my arms. I was so surprised by the sudden gentle warmth of his bare skin on mine that I stumbled – he caught me easily. "Look at these goose bumps! Come here." He scolded gently, shaking his head and tugging me closer.

And then, in a heartbeat, I was in his arms.

I don’t know what it was about his embrace. The careful strength, the overwhelming warmth, or the strong gentleness. But he had me transfixed then – at that very moment. I was like a rabbit caught in headlights, motionless. I was totally besotted. I tilted my head to look at him and found him looking down at me, too. If I moved that little bit extra, we would be kissing. The hole in my chest ached with anticipation.

There was an unexpected rumble of thunder and suddenly, the skies opened; not quite breaking the moment, but changing the tense atmosphere. Buckets of rain pounded down on the field around us.
We were drenched within seconds. I laughed, looking up at Cole again, and this time his eyes didn’t waver from mine. He raised his hand, hesitantly sliding it into the wet tendrils of my hair. His touch set my nerve endings tingling deliciously. Carefully, as if not to alarm me, he rubbed his thumb along my cheekbone. I found his hands were slightly calloused, as if he worked outside a lot. I found I liked that.

His other hand slid down to the small of my back and drew me in even closer if possible, enveloping me in an embrace of his closeness, warmth and scent. And then his mouth descended, and his soft lips brushed against mine in a light, whispery kiss. It wasn’t much, but to me, in that moment, it was everything.

There were fireworks, most definitely, and you know that electrical current that runs through your body that dramatic heroines talk about?
Yeah, that’s real. It ran from Cole to me and back again, and sent tiny shivers of anticipation down my arms and spine, and made my stomach stir restlessly and the little, teensy hairs of the back of my neck stand up. There was a delicious, smouldering fire pouring through me from his lips, and I was suddenly the warmest I had ever been, but in a totally comfortable way.

Cole’s smile that followed our kiss was heart stopping.

"Wow." He exclaimed, pulling back just a little to look at me. "That was…interesting."

"I know what you mean." I said, recalling the hot intensity of our embrace. We both laughed and the hole in my chest eased up a little.
It seemed life couldn’t get better at that moment. It seemed as if everything was perfect.

"Cole! What’re you doing all the way out there? You’re soaked!" Lucy Waterman’s voice managed to find its way to us through the rain, breaking me out of my little bubble of happiness and causing Cole to sigh and step back. I glanced up at his face; he seemed suddenly cold and desolate – Cole the stranger again. My heart thumped unevenly.

"Let’s get back." He said; his voice flat. Wordlessly, I took his proffered hand and began to walk, finding it hard to keep it time with his long, angry strides. The change in the mood confused me – was he regretting having kissed me?

When we got to the door leading back inside, Lucy’s smile was tight and fake. She glanced callously at me, her gaze trickling down my dishevelled appearance like I was something unworthy of her gaze.

"So, Cole, what were you doing all the way out there in this weather?" Lucy asked, and she sounded suspiciously like a jealous girlfriend. Cole didn’t seem to notice. He pulled me to his side and put an arm around me. It felt so good to be held by him that for a second I didn’t comprehend his next words.

"Talking to my girlfriend." He shrugged, squeezing my waist as I froze.

His girlfriend? What is he playing at? I’m not his girlfriend. It was just one kiss. That doesn’t make me his girlfriend… or does it?

Lucy’s face was a mask of surprise. Her grey eyes widened, and she blinked, before propping one hand on her waist and shrugging. She gave me that look again, the one that told me in no words that I was completely worthless.

"Oh. Oh well. I’ll see you later." She turned, and was gone. Despite myself, I was glad that I was alone with Cole again. And I really was alone. The hallway was completely deserted and there didn’t seem to be another pupil or teacher for miles, it was that quiet.

"So, me and you, eh? I knew I’d bring you around." Cole said easily, releasing my waist and leaning against the wall opposite. He looked so casual and blasé that I almost forgot to be annoyed at his remark. He acted as if I was a computer game that he had just won.

"Bring me around? Exactly how long have you planned to bring me around?" I asked curtly, a fake smile fixed firmly in place. I just knew he was a jerk. I just knew it.

Cole’s answering grin was cheekily gorgeous. My breath caught in my throat momentarily, and then I released it through my teeth. How dare he distract me like that!

"I’ve wanted to bring you around for a very, very long time. Oh, since the first time I set eyes on you, actually. You’re quite stunning, you realise that, don’t you? I mean…" he began, moving closer to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. My heart thumped unevenly in my chest, threatening to burst right out of my ribcage. He was just so gorgeous… "…it was hard to resist for all this time, actually. Being so close and yet so damn far…" He was breathing into my neck, pressing me up against the wall. The bottom of my stomach fell clean away and I felt weird, but a good weird…like a I fancy this guy like mad weird. "…and as unreachable as the man on the moon. But now you’re in my arms and you feel so damn good that it makes me ache."

He pulled his head out of the curve of my neck for a second and looked right into my eyes. It was unnerving, disconcerting, and yet strangely hypnotising. I could slowly feel my legs weaken; turn to useless jelly as he continued to woo me.

Is this what they call seducing? If he talks to me like this any longer, all will be lost. I need to get away… no matter how much I love it.

"I…I think we’d better get back to the cafeteria. I left all my things there, and I don’t want anyone taking my stuff." I managed to say just as Cole had gotten to kissing the spot just behind my ear.

This is moving too fast. Way too fast. When had any other guy shown so much interest? Any other hot guy?

He lifted his head again and peered at me quizzically.

"Can’t the stuff wait?" he asked huskily, raising a hand to trace the side of my face. I shivered, goose bumps playing up and down my bare skin.

If he carries on doing that, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist.

"N-no, not really." I stammered, slipping out from underneath him and smiling widely, hoping he wasn’t offended. His answering grin was a little too chipper, but otherwise he seemed fine with it.

"Come on then. I suppose there’ll be lots of time for me to have you later." He joked fake seductively. He chuckled and caught my hand as we walked. My fingers felt tiny and insignificant compared to his, which were long and rough, gentle as they twined themselves around mine. I gulped. Even his fingers were perfect. What was he doing with me?