Outbound Lane An Unspoken Truth Novella (Unspoken Truth Series) (6 page)

“What can I get you
, dear?”

“How are your cheeseburgers and fries?” I ask.

“It’s a popular item and the locals seem to love it,” she says.

“I’
ll have that then,” I say to her, closing the menu, “and a coke.”

“Coming right up.”
She places her pen behind her ear, and makes her way to the back.

I get my phone out and watch out the window as people walk by as they ar
e shopping at the boutiques. The waitress brings me my soda and I thank her. Cole creeps back into my mind; I can’t help but wonder what he is up to and what “Charlotte” wanted. My food arrives and I eat it, even with my nervous stomach. Surprisingly, I manage to eat all of it, I pay the bill and walk back outside as the humidity slams against me, causing sweat beads to form on my forehead. I slip into a shop and browse around. I try on a few summer dresses and torment myself if I look good in them or not. I’m not usually a dressy type kind of girl. I buy on the notion that if I change my mind, I’ll just return them.

While I’m walking to my car
, my phone buzzes. Once I get inside, I put my bag in the back and open my phone screen.

It’s a text from Cole.
Where are you? You’ve only been gone for two hours and I miss you.

Did she leave?
I ask.

Yes
. Come back, please.

On my way now,
I text back.

I make my way back to Cole, as my stomach
twists in knots at the anticipation of what he might say. What if he and Charlotte are getting back together? But then why would he say he missed me? So they are probably not back together. My nerves will be completely shot if I keep thinking these thoughts before I even make it there.

Finally, I make it and it seems like it took forever. I slowly make my way and notice
her
car is gone as I walk into the house. The minute I walk in, he grabs hold of me and wraps his arms around me and I wrap mine around his waist.

I pull my head back and look up at him. “So she’s an ex, I take it.”

“Yes, and she is staying an ex. You didn’t have to leave. I didn’t want you to.” He looks down at me and kisses my forehead.

“It seemed like you two needed to talk
, so I left. I wasn’t going to stand aside and watch,” I tell him, pulling away and moving onto the couch.

“Listen to
me,” he takes my hand into his, “there is no one I’d rather be with than you. Is it really that obvious?”

“All I kn
ow is that you two have history. I could tell. And I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. My stomach has been in knots since I left. And I care about you a lot. I’m afraid my heart might get broken and I won’t be able to recover from it. You are the one and only guy I have let get close to me and the only one I want,” I tell him.

He gives me a genuine smile. “We do have a history
; we were high school sweethearts. She was captain of the cheer squad and I played football. Even our parents thought we would get married. But like I said earlier, she decided she wanted to be with one of those bad boy types and dumped me. Once you screw me over once, I’m done.”

“I’m sorry she hurt you,” I tell him as he still holds my hand into his.

“And so it seems they have split up and she wanted to get back together. I just couldn’t do it. Not after she shattered me the way she did. I was depressed for the longest time because of it. I know I probably sound like a pussy just saying that. But it’s the truth and I would never lie to you. So there you have it.” He sighs heavily.

“I appreciate you telling me, and you didn’t have to.”

“Enough of this depressing crap. What did you do when you left?”

“
I went and got a burger and fries in town, and I went shopping and bought two dresses. I think we should go get some ice cream. What do you say?” I slap his leg.

“Sounds good to me. I’ll drive. And you will have to m
odel those dresses for me later.” He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows up and down.

“We
’ll see.” I playfully shove him and laugh at his comment as we walk to his truck. He laughs as he opens the truck door for me and I jump in. He shuts the door and slides in behind the wheel, flashing his ever so wicked smile at me. He grabs my hand and kisses it, causing me to blush. Another first.

For some odd reason, there is just something sexy ab
out the way he drives his truck. I don’t know if it is a manly thing or what, but damn. He pulls into a new ice cream place and we walk inside. The ice cream shop is the equivalent of heaven with its colorful interior and the assorted flavors of ice cream and toppings as you make your own. I put birthday cake flavor ice cream in my bowl and top it with sprinkles, gummy bears, cookie dough balls, and Oreo crumbs. Cole gets strawberry flavored ice cream and tops it with cheesecake bites and some other toppings. We take a seat in one of the booths and he slides in next to me.

“Here, try some,” he offers a spoonful of his ice cream and he hits my nose with it.

“Oh, so it’s like that, huh?” I pull back and wipe my nose with the napkin.

“How could I resist?
Okay, seriously try it.” He holds his spoon out again and I put my hand on the spoon so he doesn’t pull another sly move like he just did.

“Mmm, here try some of mine,” I say. He is hesitant and I pay him back by smashing it into his face like he did me.

He laughs. “You are going to get it when we get home.”

“Oh, I’m so scared,” I say, joking.

Cole pulls into the driveway and I immediately run in to find a hiding spot, since he said I was going to get it. I slide into Layne’s room, the one Cole sleeps in, and I slip behind the door and try to slow my fast beating heart.

“Oh where is my
, Lexi?” he echoes through the house as he continues to look for me. I try my best not to giggle, and I wonder if this is what couples do. Or are we just being childish? And before I realize it, Cole catches me off guard and pulls me out from behind the door. He throws me on the bed and I giggle uncontrollably.

He climbs on top of me. “How is this? You have no control and I can do whatever I want,” he torments.
“Like I can do this.” He kisses me and slides his tongue in my mouth and I crave his kiss. My breathing kicks up as he towers over me and he stares into my eyes. “And I can do this.” He kisses a trail along my neck. But my body clinches on its own accord, even when I will it not to. My mind takes me back to that dark place and all I see is
him
on top of me and I start to cry uncontrollably. My nails dig into Cole’s skin, and I think I draw blood.

“Alexis, snap out of it;
it’s me Cole.” He shakes my head from side to side. I blink my eyes, and I realize it is Cole that is on top of me. My body loosens as I hear the pain in his voice. But grief overtakes me and I cry because I haven’t gotten past this pain like I thought I had.

“I’m so sorry,” I say through my tears
after seeing the blood on his arm.

“I’m okay. How are you?” Cole sits me up on the edge of the bed and kneels on the floor in front of me. And his worried eyes search mine.

The guilt stays resided in my heart from hurting him, and I know I should just break things off with him now because I’ll only hurt him.

“I’m okay now. Maybe this is just hopeless; maybe we should just ends things now, before one of u
s gets hurt. I already hurt you.” I point to the blood.

“No! Just because things don’t go as planned, doesn’t mean you get to run away from your problems. This was just once that something like this has happened. We’ll take it slow just as we have been and work our way up to it. Do you hear me?”

I nod in agreement. I wouldn’t be able to stay away from him, anyway.

“We’ll get through this
” He sits on the bed and brings me into his arms, my personal safe haven. I just have to keep reminding myself it is Cole. He brings me into him, close, and exhaustion takes over as I let my eyelids close. But before I let the dreams take over, I hear Cole whisper that he loves me and a tear rolls down my cheek, because I love him, too. I want so desperately to say it back, but I’m too exhausted to even think.

Chapter Seven

IT’S BEEN
ONE MONTH since I came to live with Cole for the summer. July crept up and now we are celebrating Independence Day. Cole is taking me to see the fireworks on the riverbank. We have a blanket to take along with some snacks. As we eat lunch that Cole prepared, he points something out to me.

“I have an idea
; something that might help you,” he says, waiting for my reaction.

“Help me
how?”

“Look
; the school is offering self-defense classes for the community. You should totally do that. I think it would help you. And the classes are cheap. Looks like it is a six week program. What do you think?”

“I think yo
u might be on to something here.” I take the paper from him and read the article and I agree to do it. Maybe this is something I should do, and I’d know how to defend myself if the need would arise. I lean over and kiss his cheek. I grab my laptop and sign up for the six week program while Cole watches me with a smile.

“It’ll be good for you,” he says as I close the laptop.

“I’m really excited to see the fireworks and spend some time with you. It feels like I have been working a lot more than I normally do.” Work has been crazier than normal so I picked up some extra shifts so I can make some extra money. Cole is driving us to the site that the fireworks are going to be.

“I know. H
opefully, work slows down so we can see each other.” He cocks his head, flashing a grin at me.

“I took this week off, as a vacation. I had some time saved up so I’m free for the whole week,” I tell him.

I have on my new knee length floral dress on, paired with flat sandals and my hair up in a twisty bun because of the heat. Cole has on a pair of jeans shorts and tank top. His arms are filled out and look so strong, and of course he has on his signature baseball cap, backward.

Our relationship hasn’t moved since that day we went for ice cream and then came home and he pinned me on the bed.
It’s always in the back of my mind that I hurt him that night. That can never happen again, no matter what. Inside of having sex, we have made out a lot of times and on a lot of surfaces, like the couch, counter, and the floor and everywhere in between. I want him to be my first, the one, and I’m hoping tonight we can make that happen. I went to the doctors and put myself on birth control. Cole doesn’t even know. I’m really nervous because I have never been with someone that I was in love with. My virginity was taken from me, against my will, and I’ll never get that back. But at least I saved myself for someone special, someone that means something to me and someone that cares for me and can see past my imperfections.

We pull into the parking lot and Cole leans over to kiss me. “You look so beautiful today,” he says, smiling.

“You aren’t so bad yourself,” I tell him. “Let’s go before we start our own firework show.” I push up on his chest.

He chuckles at my comment and grabs the blanket and cooler as we make our way, finding a spot to watch the fi
reworks. I spread the blanket out and Cole puts the cooler on the edge of it. I watch as the families start to flood around us, as well as young couples like us. My hearts swells as Cole sits against me, skin to skin, and I crave his closeness. He has helped me through so much and he doesn’t even know it, just by being who he is.

“Don’t ever change who you
are. No matter what would ever happen between us, don’t change,” I tell him, interlocking my fingers with his.

He gives me a questioning look. “You have helped me through more than you know. You helped me see
that there is good in the world; it’s no longer just a black and white canvas. The colors are bright and my heart is full, and I feel it beating.” I smile and look away because I just handed him my heart. Knowingly.

“Look at me.” H
e brings my chin to face him. “You’re the one that changed me. I never thought I would feel this way again. And I’m seriously falling for this girl that surprises me every freaking day.” He squeezes my hand, and my heart skips a beat as he leans to kiss me on the cheek. “Since we are on the subject, I wanted to ask if you would be my girlfriend.”

“Yes, I will. I only ever want you
, Cole.” I smile.

A loud boom erupts
and the fireworks show starts. The crowd around us oohs and ahhs at each rainbow eruption that bursts through the sky with its colors. I rest my head against Cole’s shoulder as we point to the unique designs of the fireworks. I feel so content and maybe tonight, we will become closer. He plants a few kisses on my head, and our fingers are entwined together. I close my eyes and burn this moment into my brain; I never want to forget it.

Once the fireworks stop, everyone around us grabs their things to leave as Cole and I linger a little longer enjoying the moment. I wonder if I should tell him I want to be with him tonight
, or do I just let it happen naturally? I know he wanted to make it special and I don’t know what to do. So I decide to let it happen naturally. We finally manage to leave and Cole loads the truck back up.