Hello my beauts! We were at #5! :D Thank you all so much for sticking with this story! I love you all! :D Any-who, here's another chapter for you :) Enjoy! Please vote and comment, I love reading them and they're really motivating! :D
Chapter 24
I woke up to a crash that was coming from the passage; I glanced over to see that Cooper was still asleep. I stayed still for a moment, just listening to his steady heartbeat and breathing. That was until I heard another movement from the passage, and I didn’t think that it was Victor or Sadie.
I moved myself quietly from Cooper’s warm arms and padded over to the door. Glancing back at Cooper, I pushed the door open and winced when it made a creaking sound.
“Josh?” I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. What was Josh doing in Cooper’s bathroom?
“Shush!” he hissed and shut the bathroom door behind him. He was wearing nothing but sweatpants and he was heading back to Lisa’s room. I put my hand to my mouth to suppress a gasp when Lisa walked out of her room with messy hair and a red face.
“Al, what’s going on?” I felt Cooper’s arms come around my waist from behind me and him yawn. I glanced up at him when I felt him stiffen behind me.
“Josh, what are you doing here?” he exclaimed, moving out from behind me.
“Um,” Josh shuffled uncomfortably and Lisa tried to sneak back into her room, but not before Cooper caught her.
“Oh dear god, please tell me that you didn’t spend the night with my sister!” Cooper all but growled and Josh gulped whilst Lisa slipped her hand into his and squeezed it.
“Cooper,” I started and held his arm to refrain him for going after Josh, I could feel how tense he was and his jaw was set.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Josh stated and I rolled my eyes, I hoped that it wasn’t what it looked like.
“Not what it looks like? You were in that room with my sister!” he exclaimed and then looked over Josh again. “And you’re not wearing all of your clothes!” he added, giving him a stern and very impatient look.
“Look, Coop,” Josh started but Cooper held his hand up.
“Lisa, did you or did you not sleep with Josh last night?” Cooper directed the question at his sister, who was squirming uncomfortably.
“No, he just slept in my room,” she answered in a hushed tone and Cooper seemed to physically relax. I glanced over at Lisa who shot me a small smile and a look that told me she’d explain later.
“If you hurt my sister, I will kill you, do we understand?” Cooper asked. His voice sounded teasing but I could tell that he would probably never talk to Josh again if he hurt Lisa.
“Understood, man,” Josh answered and Cooper sighed, clearly still unhappy with what had just happened.
“Right, breakfast,” Cooper announced and I grinned.
“I look like I’ve been dragged through some bushes so I’ll freshen up and meet you down there,” I replied, gesturing towards my mop of hair.
“Nah, Al, you look like you’ve just had sex,” Josh winked and disappeared downstairs with Cooper, who was laughing.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to Lisa who was just smiling at me. I grinned and strolled past her into her room, gently spinning her around with me.
“Explain.”
That all I had to say before she sat down on her bed and started to gush about the night before.
Apparently, she wasn’t really going to a friend’s house, she was going to a party. I would’ve gasped, but I could imagine Cooper doing the same when he was about fifteen.
The party had been at a flat in Josh and Dale’s block of flats so they had shown up to gate crash. Josh offered to drive Lisa home and when he did, Lisa said that he could stay and then go home in the morning. No, they hadn’t slept in the same bed, but yes, he had given her a goodnight kiss, which explained her blush.
“Wow,” I said when she had finished. Her eyes were wide with excitement and she was looking at me with a dreamy expression.
I really didn’t want to upset her, but I knew that I’d have to warn her of Josh’s antics or there was a risk that she’d get hurt.
“Just be careful, okay?” I replied in a soft tone and she nodded.
“I’m not stupid, and I’m not going to sleep with him,” she said confidently and I heard someone clear their throat from the doorway.
“No, you’re definitely not sleeping with him,” Cooper’s voice came out with a hint of teasing but he was raising an eyebrow, showing that he meant what he said.
“I take it that you two haven’t done the dirty deed yet then,” Josh’s voice echoed through the room as he strolled through, still topless.
“If we have it’s none of your business, and do you actually own a shirt?” I asked, diverting my gaze back to Cooper who was stood with an eyebrow raised.
“Yes, I do own a shirt, its right here,” Josh replied with sarcasm dripping from every word. I watched as he picked up a shirt that was on Lisa’s bedroom floor. He shot me a fake sour look and then grinned.
“That shirt belongs to Dale,” Cooper retorted from the door and Josh shrugged carelessly.
“Why pay out on shirts when you can use someone else’s?” he asked. I couldn’t argue with that, so I got up and followed Cooper back to his room, saying goodbye to Lisa and Josh.
“So, what did you say to him?” I asked when he looped his arms around my waist.
“I just told him that Lisa meant a lot to me and if he hurt her, then he’d regret it,” he paused and then grinned. “And that he needs to stop harassing you,” I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my toes to give his smiling mouth a kiss.
“Well, it didn’t work,” I retorted, ducking out from his arms to grab my phone.
“I gathered that,” he mocked and moved over to sit down on his office chair. I watched him spin a couple times and laughed before checking the missed call that I had from Miss Holdana. I immediately panicked; she had my phone number, but only used it for emergencies.
“Coop, I think something’s wrong,” I muttered and he frowned. I walked over to him and parked myself on his lap whilst I dialled the number. His arms wrapped themselves around my waist and I felt his soft breath on my neck.
Settling my nerves, Miss Holdana picked up on the first ring.
“Hello, Ally,” her voice sounded calm so I physically relaxed, letting out a deep breath.
“Hi, you called?” I asked whilst trying to fight the urge to squeal when Cooper gently tickled my waist.
“Ah, yes. There is no need to come into work for the next week or so,” she replied, causing me to frown.
“Are you firing me?” I asked and Cooper immediately stopped tickling me to listen in on the conversation. Miss Holdana chuckled gently.
“No, definitely not! Tyke likes you too much,” she paused to let out a small breath.
“My sister is going to be spending the next few weeks with me so I have asked her to take some of your shifts. You will still be paid, I just think that you need a bit of break,” she finished and I smiled to myself.
“Thank you so much! But your sister?” I asked, trailing off, hoping that she would get my hint and explain.
“I decided to hear her out, and there’s no point in keeping grudges,” I could pretty much see her shrug.
“Well thank you and good luck, I’m proud of you,” I teased and she scoffed.
“I will see you soon, dear. And remember, if you ever need me, just pop into the shop, I’m always here,” she finished and before I even had chance to thank her, she left me listening to the dial tone.
“So, are you still a trusted employee?” Cooper teased, kissing the soft spot on my neck and I wiggled out of his grasp so that I was stood in front of him.
“I am indeed,” I grinned and he laughed.
“It’s only because she needs you to keep the till clean,” he winked.
I laughed and threw a pillow at his head. He caught it with ease and watched me when I walked into the bathroom to get changed.
“Where are your mum and dad?” I asked when I strolled out and he shrugged.
“There was a note on the fridge that told us they headed out early this morning,” I nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
A few hours later, I was sat in the waiting room for my next session with the therapist. I had told Victor that I only needed one session but Dr Barnes had insisted that I attended a couple more so that she could help me deal with his bail.
“You can go on in, dear,” the kindly woman behind the desk said and I nodded. Collecting my bag, I walked into the room with a quick tap on the door.
I almost choked on air when I saw that the doctor had another visitor. And that visitor was someone that I had hoped I would never see again.
“Ally,” Amy’s voice was soft and sympathetic, causing my stomach to flip. I shut the door behind me but stayed frozen. Dr Barnes offered me a kind smile and gestured towards the seat.
“Amy,” I croaked.
When I had made myself comfortable on the seat, it became clear that Amy wasn’t leaving anytime soon.
“So, Ally, I would like you to meet Amy, my sister, and witness to your case,” I felt my heart speed up and Dr Barnes must’ve seen my panic. Amy was her sister?
“She is a witness for your father’s side of the case. She went to visit him over the weekend in his home and informed him that she wouldn’t support his case anymore,” she explained and I nodded. “Which means that you have another eye witness,” she finished and I felt every single muscle in my body relax. I would have another back up.
“I’m truly sorry for what he did to you, Ally. It was such a surprise when I heard,” Amy said in a sad tone. I swallowed the lump that was in my throat and sighed.
“Nobody would’ve guessed. It’s fine. Why did you dump him?” I asked and she fidgeted.
“He had a child, I wasn’t really for that type of commitment,” she replied.
That was why he told me that it was my fault, in a way it was.
“Have you seen your father since his bail?” Dr Barnes asked and I shook my head.
Amy didn’t stay for long; she just gave me another sad look, another apology and then left.
“I keep seeing him though. Not in front of me, but I think he’s there. He won’t leave me alone,” my tone was completely defeatist and the therapist sighed, watching me slump back in my seat.
“That’s perfectly normal, Ally. Do you know what to do if you do see him?” she asked and I nodded.
“If he doesn’t speak to me or come near me, leave it. If he speaks to me or tries to get closer to me, call the police,” she nodded, almost as if she was proud.
The walls seemed to be closing in on us, making our chat more private and more intimate. The plant that was beside the chair looked taller than when I last saw it and towered close to the wall, protecting us in case any unwanted visitors came in.
“Am I getting paranoia?” I asked when her pencil had stopped moving. She looked over the tops of her glasses and shook her head with a smile.
“No, definitely not. You’re showing signs of awareness, sweetie. It’s normal and you’re handling it well,” she replied but she seemed to mean it. It wasn’t said robotically and her smile made her words warmer.
“Thank you,” I replied and she grinned, handing me a card with her name and number on it.
“I’m not going to force you to attend these again, but if you feel that you’d benefit from another chat, please don’t hesitate to call me,” her eyes were serious through her glasses so I nodded and started to get up.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket when I walked through the door and I saw a message from Cooper.
‘I’ll be outside when your session is over, Mum and Dad have a surprise for us apparently xxxxxxxxx’ I smiled and shoved my phone in my back pocket.
As much as I appreciated the therapist sessions, I really didn’t want to go again. They made me feel as if I was unstable and needed help to get through this. In all honesty, the only help that I needed was Cooper and his family, the rest I could handle by myself.
I strolled out of the clinic and held my arm in front of my eyes to shield them from the sun. I caught a glimpse of Cooper’s car and could hear ‘The Script’ pumping from the CD player so I walked over and got in the other side.
“Hey, how’d it go?” Cooper asked, leaning over to give me a kiss.
“It went fine; I don’t need to go in there anymore!” I replied, happiness laced through my voice and he laughed.
When he started the car and headed down the road, I sunk back in the seat and listened to the lyrics. ‘I’ll leave the door on the latch if you ever come back’.
I sighed; it kind of related to going back to my old life, well I thought so anyway. I didn’t say it out loud, instead, I told Cooper about Amy.
“She was in there?” he asked, clearly confused and I nodded.
“Yep, she pulled out as a witness, she’s supporting my case. I don’t understand though, she was so hostile when I first met her. That girl in the office was completely different.” Cooper glanced over and shrugged.
“Maybe she felt bad about what happened? She trusted him, I would be pretty upset if I found out that my ex was like that,” he offered with a small smile and I nodded.
“I guess.”
Pulling up outside Cooper’s house, I felt an excited twist in my stomach. Cooper grinned as he got out and held my door open for me.
We walked up the path hand in hand and his palm was warm and firm against mine. He pulled my body against his and ushered me into the house before he followed in behind me.
“Ally! Cooper!” I heard Sadie before I saw her, she was in the front room with Victor and they were both wearing excited smiles.
“Hey,” we answered in unison as Lisa rushed into the front room.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Once we were all seated, Victor grinned.
“Your mother and I have made some reservations,” Cooper was sat behind me and I felt his fingers gently brush my bare arm.
“What type?” Lisa pushed and Sadie smiled, happiness flooded her entire expression.
“After Ally’s official statement tomorrow, we’re all going up to Dorset for a few days!” she exclaimed and I felt a smile make its way to my face.
“Camping?” Lisa broke in and Victor laughed.
“Yep, so you’d all better get packing, we’re leaving tomorrow at twelve!”
A/N I have a new cover! What'd you all think? :)
Question: Is there anything that anyone would like to see happen throughout their camping holiday? E.G Maybe another character showing up, a specific scene or maybe a new character introduction? :)
Oh! And people have been asking if they can create banners or one shots (Re-creating one of my chapters in a different POV, making me a bonus chapter e.c.t) yes, you all can! I would love, love, love any of those and any will earn dedications! Thanks for reading! :) Please vote and comment!