Water dripped into the tub as I turned the faucet off. Thankfully we now had power and I could see without having to use my phone's flashlight. Thomas had messed with the breakers and was able to get the lights back on.
Warm water soaked into my skin as I lowered myself into the tub. My body ached in exhaustion from everything that had happened tonight.
The events of what happened were on replay in my mind, between getting tackled and watching them drive away. It was like a movie scene I couldn't escape from no matter how hard I tried. I watched everything that had taken place but couldn't do anything to stop it.
After I changed into sweats, I headed back downstairs. Gracie was making soup at the stove with Cole sitting in one of the kitchen chairs.
My heart ached as I watched Cole. He had bags under his eyes and now had a bruise forming on his jaw from where he'd gotten punched. What was even worse was he'd gotten dragged into my mess.
"Hey," I said to the both of them. My voice came out strained and whispered, but I knew they both heard me because their heads whipped in my direction.
"Where's my uncle?"
"He's talking on the phone with someone," Gracie replied. "I think with the police."
I nodded my head, knowing what my uncle wanted me to do since I knew he really wasn't on the phone with the police. I'd spoken words out loud that Gracie and Cole never should've heard.
They didn't hesitate when they killed my dad.
"Cole, can I talk to you?" I asked him.
Gracie's eyes darted between Cole and me as he stood up from his chair, nodding his head. He followed me out of the kitchen and into a quiet part of the messy house.
I looked up at him and couldn't help but study his features, wondering if this would be last time I'd ever get a good look at him. His brown eyes glowed in the moonlight as it filtered through the window, lighting up his features.
I licked my lips as I tried to come up with the words to tell him. I felt safe with him around, but I was being selfish thinking that. The last thing he needed was to be anywhere near what was happening in my life.
Before I could get the words out, he started talking. "What did you mean earlier when you said they didn't hesitate to kill your dad?"
My hands shook as I looked at the ground to avoid his eyes. "I said that out of anger and fear. My father and I were involved in a bad car accident when we passed this guy with road rage. He was so angry that he slammed his cars into ours and we flipped."
I took a deep breath as my fingers started to intertwine with each other, but Cole stopped me from doing it by taking one of my hands in his, tentatively. My hand felt warm and safe in his, like he wouldn't let anything happen to me.
"My father died in the car with me next to him. I've been paranoid since then thinking someone's after me. I-" I paused, trying to form my next words. "I think tonight was just a burglar and they weren't expecting me home, so out of fear for themselves, the person started choking me."
Finally, I dared to look up at him and wished I hadn't. There was anger present in his eyes and his jaw was clenched. "Do you really believe that or do you think someone is actually after you?" The way he said it told me he already had his mind made up. He believed it wasn't just some random break in.
I looked him right in the eye, trying to convince him. "I really believe that it was just a break in," I lied to him. "This year has just been bad luck for me." At least that part was true.
Cole drew in a long breath, sighing at the end, with his eyes on me. "Is the accident with your father the reason you flinch away from people's touch sometimes?" he asked suddenly.
His attention to detail amazed me. I knew people noticed, but Cole solved it like it was a puzzle piece. Maybe hearing how my father died helped him understand something.
"The first day at school you dodged Shelly when she reached for your elbow, then you flinched when Coach Beckett put her hands on your shoulders, and the other day in the stairwell when I grabbed your arm." He explained it like he was trying to make sense of it for himself.
I nodded my head yes so he would have an answer.
Anything sudden, like sounds or touches, scared me since being in the car when it rolled. The popping of metal, glass shattering, not being able to see because of the smoke, the guy who picked my dad's hand up and dropped it like it hadn't belonged to a living person, all of it made me terrified of the things and people around me.
I must've zoned out because Cole squeezed my hand that was in his. The concern in his face showed what kind of person he was. He was caring, sweet, and wasn't afraid to have conversations that were hard.
I wanted to tell him everything and more, but the truth would only put him in danger if he knew.
The front door opened and revealed my uncle, the moon's light filled the doorway as he stood there. His eyes flickered from Cole to me. "I called the police. We're going to go in tomorrow," he said to me before walking away.
The few words he spoke were a reminder of what needed to happen between Cole and me.
Being selfish again, I pulled him in for a hug. He hesitated before wrapping his strong arms around me, probably surprised that I'd hugged him. His chin rested on the top of my head as I breathed his comforting smell in.
I reluctantly pulled back from him and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you for being here tonight."
He nodded his head, sensing that he needed to go home. Thomas lingering in the doorway probably wasn't much help either.
I watched Cole walk down the steps and towards his car, glancing at me once more before opening the door and driving off.
"You're doing the right thing," my uncle said from beside me.
"You didn't actually call the police did you?" I asked, not wanting to beat around the bush anymore.
He sighed, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "No, I didn't."
"What are you going to tell Gracie?" I'd handled Cole but Gracie also had heard what I'd said earlier about my father.
"She already thinks it was just a random break in. She thinks you said those words out of fear of what happened tonight."
It made sense why she thought that way, but hearing it come from Thomas' mouth still stung. I don't know why I cared what Gracie thought, but for some reason I did.
Thomas moved to go back inside, but I still had one more question for him. "Who did you call after I told you everything?"
His hand lingered on the door handle. "What do you mean?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, he knew exactly what I was talking about. "You called someone and told them to come over. Who was it?"
He huffed, turning his back to me. "There's just some things you're better off not knowing, Nina."
Before I could respond, he walked inside and the screen door slammed shut.
*****
The next morning, my uncle and I rode in silence in his truck. We were headed to go pick up the truck I'd left in the school parking lot.
Last night, Gracie had left right after Cole had. She'd given me a hug and told me everything would be alright. I appreciated her kind words, but they were ones I wouldn't believe until the murder of my dad was behind bars. Not only them, but the person who'd ordered my dad dead.
Thomas pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine before getting out. I followed, shutting the door behind me.
His eyes lingered on the school's building before turning to the truck. "I never should've sent you back to school," he mumbled to himself.
I don't think I was meant to hear his words, but I replied to him anyways. "If you hadn't I never would've met Cole. I would've been home alone by myself yesterday. If it wasn't for Cole, last night could've had a very different outcome."
He stared at me blankly, knowing the alternative. I could be dead right now.
"Just pop the hood," he said, pointing to the old rust bucket. I did as told and watched him inspect the battery. "I want you to try starting the truck," he told me.
"But it didn't start last night."
"Nina," he said, voicing his irritation. "Please just do as I said. I have a hunch."
I rolled my eyes and put my keys in the ignition. I applied slight pressure and turned the key, not expecting anything to happen.
Only it did. The engine roared to life like it'd never had problems last night.
I stepped away from the truck, stunned.
My eyes found my uncle's as he shook his head in disbelief. "You were set up last night."
"What?" I asked, still trying to fathom what was happening.
"Someone must've took a fuse, being the reason your truck didn't start last night because now it's running fine." He paused, studying the truck. "You were never supposed to make it to the house last night. At least not while the intruders were there."
"You think?" I asked, whispering it to him. My eyes couldn't leave the truck no matter how hard I tried. My mind was trying to process everything all over again, which was harder now because of my concussion.
"I think you were right about one thing when you talked to Cole last night."
My blood boiled as the thought that he had listened to our conversation. He must've been standing outside on the porch by the window listening when Cole and I had talked. I knew my uncle hadn't actually called the police, but I didn't expect him to listen to my conversation with Cole. "And what's that?" I asked bitterly.
"I think you coming home early scared them or threw them off because they weren't expecting you. Their intention wasn't to kill you, otherwise they would've killed you right off the bat and not wasted any time. They knew I wouldn't be home for awhile and they tried to stall you from coming home by messing with your truck."
The words ran through my head over and over as I tried to process them and what they meant.
"Someone's been watching us," he said, voicing my thoughts.
A/N: Finals are done, so back to regular updating! So, what do you think so far? I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're reading this. :)