The sun was shining so bright I almost thought things were okay. Cole sat on the front porch on a hanging swing Mark recently installed. He was angry with me so he went outside to get some air.
It was June 30th. One month since Cole had been staying with us.
This time he was upset with me because I hid my phone from him, the one he gave me.
Zac has been quiet these past 30 days. A little too quiet for Cole's comfort.
He's talked about wanting to text the number Zac texted from a while ago. The case has gone cold for Mark as well. Alec's body has not be recovered anywhere. Not as a John doe, nothing.
Is he even dead? I don't know. It's been getting to both of them. It seems like I'm the only calm one.
Mark's been working on the case until 1-2am most nights after getting home from a full day of his actual work where he is partners with the women divorcing him and who is carrying his baby.
Cole's been shut in this house under lock down because Mark doesn't completely trust him. Mark says if Cole is on our side he'll play by his rules until he can trust him.
Needless to say Cole isn't happy, Mark isn't happy, and I'm stuck in the middle of their alpha bro moments.
June 1st to the 15th Cole and I worked relentlessly on figuring out Zac's plan. We stayed up the first few nights thinking he'd come to the house and finish the job.
I told Cole if he was too much of a pussy to show his face at the school he wouldn't show up here.
Our idea is that Zac was in the van that disappeared, but before he made it out he shot Emma to frame Cole and took Alec's body.
But who knows? Maybe we're wrong. Will we ever find out? I hope so, it's driving Cole to the edge.
After we exhausted ourselves Cole and I decided to sneak out. We just wanted to get some air and food. I'm not sure what Mark thought we were doing, but It didn't go well.
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"He's going to hear us." I whispered on our way out.
Cole covered my mouth as we reached the living room after coming down the stairs.
"He will if you keep talking." Cole tip toed to the front door. I followed behind him.
I put in the code for the house alarm so it wouldn't ring once we opened the front door.
Before we could even touch the knob the living room lights turned on.
"And where do we think we're going?" Mark sat in a chair and starred us down.
Cole sighed and thew his hands in the air. I felt sorry for him. He spent his whole life in one house and hardly ever left. I'm sure this was triggering him in some way.
"We wanted to get food." I didn't look Mark in the eyes.
"There is food here. No one leaves until I know I can trust you with him." Mark stood up and locked eyes with Cole.
"You can't keep me here." Cole reached for the door.
Mark pulled out his gun and pointed it at Cole. Without hesitation I stepped in front of Cole, not that I covered much of his body. It felt weird to want to protect Cole, but he's been doing it for me this whole time. I owe him something.
"Move, Madison." Mark still called me by that name.
"Emily." Cole huffed and pushed me out of the way.
"Go back to your rooms and we can pretend this didn't happen." Mark put his gun away and raised his eyebrows trying to make a deal with Cole.
"You're not in charge here." Cole was making it worse.
"And who do you suppose is?" Mark laughed.
"No one. There are no. fucking. rules."
Mark rolled his eyes.
"And you...are not my. fucking. dad." Cole got closer to Mark.
"Hey. Guys let's stop." I tried to settle them down.
"You're not hers either." Cole smirked at Mark.
"As long as you're here you will listen to me or you can get out. You'll have to run from the police though, boy. I have the tapes from the school. Your face is all over them." Mark revealed this secret.
Holy shit. He has the tapes?!
Cole didn't say anything. His chest puffed out and his arm swung up.
Mark stumbled back falling from Cole's sucker punch.
"Cole!" I shouted and ran over to him to pull him back.
Cole was smiling. Was it Cole?
When Mark was ready to come back to reality he came over to us and pushed me out of the way before tackling Cole to the ground.
"Mark!" I now yelled at both of them.
Mark was making contact with his fists on Cole's cheeks. Blood pooled on the floor. He could only get a few hits in before Cole pushed Mark off and began choking him.
No one heard my screams.
Marks gun had fallen from his holster when Cole started this fight. It was laying on the floor. I grabbed it.
"I will shoot if you don't stop!" I made them aware of what I was going to do.
They didn't stop. Cole was going to kill Mark if I didn't stop him.
I was ready to shoot. I pointed the gun at a wall making sure I wouldn't actually hurt someone.
I pulled the trigger.
Cole immediately released his hands and jumped up looking at me and discharging his own gun from his backside.
He was dazed, confused, and shocked.
Mark rolled over and reached to his pocket to grab his gun, little did he know I had it. His face was red from being out of oxygen.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Cole shouted at me and put away his gun.
"You were killing him!" I put the gun on the floor and slide it over to Mark as he sat up to catch his breath.
Cole turned away and walked back to the stairs and back up to his room. Mark stood and also went his separate way.
I was now alone in the living room.
"You're welcome." I sighed to an empty room.
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That night wasn't great.
Cole learned his place, though. I can see he's really trying to stay on Mark's good side. I knew they wouldn't get along but I didn't expect them to try and kill each other. They've recovered from that night, I think.
I watched as Cole sat on the swing and rocked himself back and forth. His face was still bruised from that night. His lip still slightly swelled too.
I wanted to go out there and sit next to him, I did. But it's not only today that Cole has been angry with me. We haven't spoken to each other in days.
June 20th was the last day Cole and I spoke a word to each other.
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"I'm leaving for the day." Mark waved to us as we ate breakfast in the kitchen.
Cole nodded for me to follow him upstairs.
We went into my room.
"There is a camera watching me in my room." He bluntly spilled.
"How do you know?"
"It took me a while to find it. It's attached to a window. It's on the outside of the house."
Cole was clearly upset by this.
I didn't respond.
"You don't see a problem with this?" Cole asked me.
Did I? It was good to keep an eye on him, I think. I guess it is invading his privacy but still, Mark doesn't trust him yet. I get it.
Cole huffed. "You don't. Great."
He began to walk back out of my room.
"Cole, wait." I grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No. I'm trying here, Emily. You're doing nothing but taking his side." Cole was whining.
"I'm not! I just don't think it's totally unfair to want to make sure you're not up to something bad." I couldn't look Cole in the eyes.
"What am I going to do?!" He asked.
I didn't answer.
"That's what I thought. You know he isn't your fucking parent, right?"
He caught my attention.
"No. He's not. Mine are dead."
I reminded Cole.
He rolled his eyes. "Boohoo, princess."
"And you know what? So are my foster parents. BECAUSE OF YOU." I pushed Cole back, feeling sick that he called me that...name.
"I didn't do that. Zac did. And we left the mother alive." Cole was really trying to defend himself.
"You know who else is dead because of you? YOUR mother. Maybe you should try and listen? Mark isn't like your dad. He's a good guy, Cole." I spat.
I thought we were passed all of this anger. I guess not.
Cole grabbed onto my shoulders and flung my back to a wall.
"I protected you. I fought for you. I changed for you."
Cole was calm. He was looking me in the eyes.
"Maybe I shouldn't of."
He tilted his head waiting for me to say something.
I didn't.
He left my room. I heard the door to his room slam.
I wondered what he was going to do to about the camera, but not enough to bring it up to Mark.
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It was the 30th. 10 days later.
Cole had his arms out taking up the length of the swing. What was he thinking about?
I gathered up courage.
I opened the front door and closed it quietly behind me. Even if we weren't talking I felt safer by him than not.
I watched his eyes follow my ass to the space next to him.
Mark pulled in the driveway. Was it already 6? The night was coming to an end.
It was a little while before Mark finally got out of his car and walked up to the porch. He held a duffel bag with him.
"Dinner is on it's way. Chinese." He smiled before tossing the bag onto Cole's lap.
Mark went inside. Cole and I looked to each other.
What was in the bag?
I peered inside while Cole held it open.
VCR tapes. 3 of them. There was a piece of tape on each one of them with the date of the school incident.
"The tapes." I said breaking our week plus of silence.
"He trusts you." I said something else after I realized Cole wasn't going to.
Cole put the bag down and sat back in the swing.
"Do you?" His head turned to mine.
Did I?
I sat back too and pulled my knees into my chest.
I nodded to him.
"Good." Cole said before returning his gaze to the sky.
I rested my head on his shoulder.
June was tough, but rewarding. What would July hold?
A/N
I think it goes without saying why I have been gone for over a week. I'm sorry. Please know I'm trying my best! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. See you Wednesday!