Read Online That Summer (Part One) by Lauren Crossley - Free Book Online

arrested.” I
explain, opening the door for him to come inside.
    “I
see.” He murmurs, walking past me into the living room. “I guess I’m too late
then. No doubt you already have a terrible opinion about me and what happened.”
    “I
would still like to hear your side of it.”
    “Really?”
He asks me, a hopeful expression on his face.
    “Yes.”
I respond with certainty, taking a seat at one end of the sofa.
    “Thank
you.” He replies gratefully, choosing to sit at the opposite end of the couch.
“So… where is your Mum? Is she in bed?”
    “No,
she’s at work.”
    “Does
she normally leave you by yourself at night?” He retorts sharply.
    “She
works as a receptionist in the hospital so I guess I’m just used to it by now.”
    “Hmm.”
    It’s
obvious that he doesn’t approve but I decide not to press the matter him. I
have no idea why he would be so concerned about the idea of me being alone.
It’s not like he actually cares. He’s ignored me for the past three weeks and
now he’s suddenly decided to turn up at my house in the middle of the night.
    “How
come the police let you go?” I inquire, clasping my hands together.
    “They
had no choice. The charges against me were dropped.”
    “How
come?”
    “Let’s
just say that Jonathan knew what the consequences would be if he chose to press
charges against me.” Cole reveals, gazing at me intently.
    “You
threatened him?” I exclaim incredulously.
    “I
had no choice. I’d still be in custody if I didn’t.”
    He
speaks with so much confidence, absolutely certain that he made the right
decision.
    “How
did you even get to see him?” I ask. “Lisa told me he was taken away in an
ambulance.”
    “It
was before the paramedics and the police arrived. I knew that I’d be taken away
and had to make sure that they would let me go shortly after.”
    There’s
a prolonged silence between us as I try to process everything he just said to
me. In the end I realise there really is only one thing for me to say and one
thing I need to know.
    “Why
did you do it, Cole?”
    “What
do you mean why did I do it?” He snaps, glaring at me in anger. “You know why.
We both know what that monster is capable of and what he planned on doing to
you. I saw it with my own eyes.”
    “But
you didn’t have to go that far. You really hurt him.”
    “I
couldn’t control it!” He exclaims loudly, leaving me alone on the sofa. He
starts packing back and forth in front of me in frustration, tugging his
fingers through his hair. “I saw him hurting you and knew I had to stop him… no
matter what that meant.”
    “I
need to know something, Cole.” I whisper softly, nervously observing his
agitated movements “I need to know if you followed me.”
    He
glances at me, trepidation and doubt written all over his face. It’s as though
he doesn’t know whether or not he should be honest with me and the torturous
wait for him to make up his mind is beyond infuriating.
    “Yes.”
He says solemnly, lowering his eyes to the floor.
    “Why?”
    “You
know why.”
    “I
don’t.”
    “You do . You just don’t want to admit it to yourself.” He speaks with conviction,
locking those breathtakingly dark eyes onto my own. “Believe me, I didn’t want
to face up to it either. Why the hell do you think I’ve been fighting against
it all these weeks?”
    “So
you admit that you’ve been ignoring me?”
    “That
might be how it appeared but nothing could be further from the truth. I haven’t
been able to get you out of my head for a single fucking moment since you first
collided with me on the first day of school.”
    “B-but
the night of Stacey’s party you were…”
    I
can’t even bring myself to finish my sentence. Remembering that night brings
back some awful memories, especially the vision I have of Cole with that girl.
That’s an image I can’t erase, regardless of how hard I’ve tried to do so.
    “I
didn’t know you were going to be there. How was I