Escape || Cole Walter

Twenty Seven

A/N- First, this is a tad spicy (you're welcome)
Second, One of the good songs for this chapter is linked at the top
Friends- Chase Atlantic
R U Mine- Arctic Monkeys

•••baggage•••

We all get home, and I race up to my bedroom. I refuse to deal with the wrath of Katherine and all of her questions.

I do everything I can in my room to cool down with Jackie also there. I play my music on my noise canceling headphones, I fold my clothes, I look at my pointe shoes in my nasty ballet bag and try to make them better, even though they are already prepped. After that, I clean out my bag, and bring down a load of laundry. I grab a glass of water, and go back upstairs. Then I decide I am tired, and need to shower before bed.

So, still trying to be calm, I grab my shower stuff in my hands. "I'm gonna run and take a shower." I say to Jackie, taking out my airpods.

"Okay. I hope it's better than the rest of your night." She whispers, regarding earlier. She is reading her book in what seems like peace.

I wonder what runs through my sister's mind. I wish I knew what she was struggling with. I wish even more that I could ask her. But I cant find myself being that comfortable with her. Which makes me even more antsy. "Thank you." I smile.

Downstairs, I open the girls bathroom door, and the first thing I see is Cole. Pausing in the doorway, he looks up. "Sorry. I know this is your bathroom, I was just trying to avoid another encounter." He must've gotten home when I was running around my room like a mad woman. I wonder who else got home.

I walk in, and set my stuff on the small cabinet near the shower before shutting the door. "Youre good for now. But I need to shower."

"Be done in a sec." He answers, cleaning the sores on his face. I walk over, standing next to him. There is a ginormous weird gap in the air between us. It has never been awkward like this before, even when we were fighting or not talking. "Listen, about before-" He starts, looking over at me.

I keep staring forward and shake my head. "No, please stop." I say. "Here, give me that." I steal the cotton pad from his hand, and roll my eyes. "Sit." I point at the toilet. He follows my directions, throwing his hands up in surrender, trying to get me to laugh. "I dont want to talk, but I know what I am doing."

"So we wont talk." He confirms, as I walk up in front of him. I rub the cleaning pad on his more hurt side and he flinches. Out of instinct, I grab his chin, and the side of his face with my warm hands.

Our eyes meet, and instantly butterflies erupt. I break eye contact so I can get this done sooner. As I continue with my job, so I can get in the shower faster, his leg rubs against mine, and all the sudden, our legs are opposite each other. One of his thighs is now in between my legs, each of us having a leg on the outside. It is definitely a better position because it isnt as awkward to stand like this instead of in front of his legs. But it is weird because of the position it self.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down my heartbeat. "I am trying." Cole says.

"Trying what?" I snap.

"I am trying to be better. I was an asshole tonight."

I give him a cocky laugh and nod sarcastically. "You dont say." He laughs, going back to quiet. I do know hes been trying to get better for others, which is why hes been worse for himself. Hes been drinking, smoking. Nothing new, but its just worse than before.