That Summer (Part Two)

by Lauren Crossley

  “What’s happening? Where are you taking me?”

  “We’re just going upstairs where I’m going to run you a nice hot bath and you’re going to relax. I’ll fix you something to eat as well and then you can have a sleep. I’ll show you around the rest of your house when you’re feeling better.”

  “Don’t make me go back down there.” I beg him. “Please don’t do it.”

  He’s still carrying me in his arms as we reach the top of the stairs. I guess I really was locked in the basement and the knowledge of that is more than terrifying.

  “I promise you I won’t do that. I fucked up and I made a mistake but it won’t happen again. I’ll take care of you from now on and no harm will come to you.”

  He continues to assure me and makes promises that I’m not certain he can keep. I must fall asleep in his arms because the next thing I know, I’m waking up in a different bed. It’s extremely comfortable and it would be so tempting to go right back to sleep. However, the sound of water running from the en-suite bathroom is enough to arouse my curiosity.

  “Cole?”

  My voice still sounds croaky and my throat is exceptionally sore. I long for a cold glass of water and hope I won’t have to wait too long for another drink.

  “I’m right here!” He calls out from the bathroom, emerging a few seconds later with a look of alarm on his face. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

  “I just wondered where you were and also where I am.” I explain, rubbing the centre of my forehead to ease some of the tension.

  “Sweetheart, this is our room.”

  “But… but it’s enormous.” I gasp, taking in my surroundings for the first time since I woke up.

  I sit up in bed so I can take a good look at my new location. It’s breathtakingly perfect and it takes me a few moments to digest what Cole just told me.

  “Do you like it?” He asks, struggling to conceal his nervous enthusiasm.

  “Cole, where are we? Whose house is this?”

  “I told you it’s ours.”

  “But how can you afford this? It must have cost a fortune.”

  “You needn’t worry about any of that. I don’t want you to concern yourself with that, ok? From now on all I’m going to do is what I should have done from the very start and that’s take care of you.”

  “Just tell me.” I plead with him, unable to control my endless list of questions I want to ask him.

  “Look, your bath is almost ready. I’ll be back in a second.”

  He leaves the room for a moment before he comes right back with a towel in his hands.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, noticing the anxious expression on his face.

  “I’m just wondering if… if you want me to leave you alone while you’re in there? I can go back downstairs so you can have some time to yourself or I can wait in here if that’s what you would prefer? I swear I’ll go wherever you want me to while you’re having your bath, so long as you feel comfortable.”

  He wrings the towel he’s still holding in his hands, awaiting my response with a great deal of apprehension. It’s as though he’s switched places with someone and the person standing in front of me is someone I don’t recognise. He’s awkward and uncomfortable, reluctant to offend me and almost…shy.

  “What’s brought all of this on?” I demand harshly. “You didn’t care much for my privacy when you chose to break into my house and vandalised my dress, did you?”

  He lowers his head, refusing to make eye contact with me as though he’s being consumed by shame and regret.

  “You’ll never understand how sorry I am for all of those things I did to you, Serena. I guess the only thing I can blame it on is insanity. I lost my mind when I lost you and there was a big part of me which thought that it was going to happen again. It was the only way I could think of to keep you but I now know how wrong I’ve been. Baby, I’m so sorry.”

  “You hit me, Cole.”

  “I know, I know I did!” He exclaims loudly, falling to his knees in front of me. “And I don’t know how I’m going to live with myself. I have no idea what I was thinking but everything makes sense now and… and although I know there’s a good chance you might never forgive me, all I can do is ask that you try. Please, Serena. I’ll do anything to make you happy.”

  He takes my small hands in his own and cradles them tightly, glancing up at me when I don’t pull away from him.

  “I can’t think straight!” I cry, yanking my hands from his grasp.

  “I meant what I said, Serena. I don’t mind leaving you alone. I realise you must have a lot to think about.” He says up, standing up so he can make his way over to the door. “I’ll give you some peace and privacy.

  “How do I know you won’t be standing outside the bathroom door? You told me I wouldn’t be allowed to leave this house without you just over an hour ago!” I remind him bitterly.

  “I’ve calmed down since then, managing to think things through. I can see clearly now and I know I don’t have the right to keep you here against your own free will. I guess that all I can do now is hope that you will somehow change your mind and actually want to stay… with me.”

  I’m left wondering what the hell just happened as he closes the bedroom door behind him and I’m left alone. I turn around so I can absorb the exquisite furnishings of my new environment, taking in the four-poster bed which is placed in the centre of the room. There are some cream drapes which hang on either side of the floor-to-ceiling windows, preventing me from being able to see outside.

  There’s a vintage dressing table right opposite the bed as well as a huge plasma screen TV on the wall beside it. I cannot believe the splendour as well as the consideration which has gone into the decoration of this bedroom and I can’t help wondering if the rest of the house is furnished like this. If it is then I’ll be even more furious that Cole refused to let me out of that dark basement for several days while he was living up here in luxury.

  The windows are covered by the drapes so I can’t see out of them. However, I am desperate to take a look outside so I can try and figure out where we are. I pad across the plush carpet which is beige. It blends right in with the rest of the furnishings of the room and this is enough to convince me that Cole must have hired an interior designer to create something as magnificent as this.

  I gasp when I pull back the curtains, astonished by what I see. We’re in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by endless fields and trees. I can almost make out a forest or a woodland of some sort in the distance but as far as being able to glimpse some sort of town or city… there is nothing.

  Deciding that a hot bath would do me the world of good right now, I head into the bathroom. My mouth falls open when I see the size of it and the luxurious sunken bathtub which rests just above floor level. There’s a gigantic mirror as well as a walk-in shower and a cupboard which is full of cosmetics and beauty products.

  There’s a white dressing gown which Cole must have left for me hung up on the bathroom door. I’m grateful I won’t have to go and ask him for something to wear and hastily remove my own items of clothing.

  I spend about half an hour in there before I hear Cole knocking on the bathroom door lightly, interrupting my peaceful solitude.

  “Serena, are you ok?” He asks, speaking to me through the closed door. “It’s just you’ve been in there a while.”

  “I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.” I assure him, quickly jumping out of the tub so I can reach for my dressing gown.

  It’s like déjà vu all over again as I’m transported back in time to the grotty motel we first stayed at when we ran away. I remember Cole being outside of the bathroom door, trying to coax me out of the shower and how uncomfortable it made me feel.

  It’s the exact same thing right now and I pray he will respect my privacy and not open the door to catch a glimpse of me with no clothes on.

  “I’ll wait for you downstairs. Feel free to come down when you’re ready.” He replies politely, l
eaving me alone once again.

  I tie my robe around my waist, tightening it as I make my way over to the large mirror. I avoided my reflection when I first came in here but now figure it’s about time I see what state I’m in…

  Oh, my God…

  I look horrendous. There are dark circles underneath my eyes and a nasty bruises on my cheek from the blow that Cole gave me. My cheeks are sunken in as though I’ve been starved for several weeks and my hair is an absolute mess, all knotted and sticking up in three different directions. I can’t believe I look this bad and cover my face with my hands in horror.

  Deciding that my first priority is to get something to eat, I decide to wash my hair later on and open the en-suite door which leads back into the bedroom. Cole is nowhere to be found so I make my way into the expansive hallway.

  There are several doors on either side of me but I continue walking down it until I reach the top of a spiral staircase. I guess I must be on the top floor of the house and that somehow makes this whole scenario even more dark and creepy.

  Taking hold of the handrail, I take each step at a time with caution. I still have no idea where I am or what time it is, although it’s still quite light outside so I can tell it must be daytime.

  I’m terrified when I reach the bottom of the stairs, finding Cole pacing back and forth in the centre of the living room. He’s tugging on his hair and his demeanour is extremely anxious, oblivious to my presence until I clear my throat.

  “Serena, I didn’t know you had finished.” He says, spinning around to face me.

  “Am I allowed down here?”

  “Of course you are. This is your house.” He reminds me, smiling weakly.

  “Forgive me for not feeling at home here.” I say contemptuously, scowling at in disgust.

  He doesn’t reply, wringing his hands together as he bites his lower lip. He’s extremely uneasy and his anxiety just doesn’t make any sense to me, not after the way he’s behaved up until now.

  “You must be starving. What can I get you to eat?”

  “I don’t think I can face anything.”

  “Green, please… I’m begging you to eat something.”

  “D-do you have any cereal?”

  “Is that all you want?”

  “For now.”

  He disappears into another room and starts slamming several cupboards and drawers in his urgent quest to get me some food. I take a seat on the sofa, hardly surprised that the décor down here is just as luxurious as the bedroom upstairs.

  There’s a gigantic TV right opposite the corner sofa where I’m sitting and an oval coffee table within reach. Two large speakers stand on either side of the enormous plasma screen and a lavish rug adds the finishing touch to the magnificent design.

  I can’t believe he just expects me to move in here with him. Cole must be out of his mind if he really thinks I’m going to just forget about everything he’s put me through these past few days as though nothing happened.

  “Here you go.”

  Cole places a bowl in front of me and hands me a spoon.

  “Thanks.” I reply curtly.

  “Do you want me to sit at the table with you or are you ok where you are?”

  “I’m ok here.”

  “That’s fine.”

  He joins me on the sofa but leaves plenty of room between us, allowing me the space I need from him right now. It doesn’t take me long to finish my cereal and I follow that with three slices of toast and a large glass of milk.

  Cole continues to be extraordinarily polite, rushing around after me like I’m an invalid and waiting on me hand and foot. I’m somewhat frustrated by the sudden switch in his behaviour but decide to keep quiet and say nothing, delighting in the comfort of being full for the first time in days.

  “Now that I’ve had something to eat, I need you to answer me a few questions.”

  I turn to face him on the sofa, trying to ignore the fact that I’m completely naked underneath my dressing gown.

  “Of course, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” He assures me.

  “Is this really your house?”

  “Yes and it’s also yours if you want it. We don’t have to live here if you don’t like it, we can always move.” He adds hastily.

  “Cole, there is no us.” I tell him, speaking firmly. “After what you’ve done to me over the past couple of days… I don’t even want to look at you, let alone live with you.”

  “I swear to God I can explain it all. I can explain everything if you just give me one chance.”

  “I don’t see how any of your explanations will be able to erase everything you’ve done.” I snap bitterly.

  “Let me try and make you understand.” He begs me. “Please?”

  “Fine.” I concede begrudgingly.

  He takes a deep breath, preparing himself for his next revelation. He’s still sitting on the sofa, wringing his hands together as be exhales slowly.

  “Serena, when I was in prison they made me see a psychiatrist.” He confesses, glancing at me for a moment. “It really helped me and I was eventually diagnosed with something they call a personality disorder.”

  “What?”

  “It’s true.” He sighs wearily, raking his fingers through his hair. “I had no idea what it meant at first and it terrified me when I found out that there would be medication involved. My therapist told me that the reason for my inexplicable mood swings and the rage which has been controlling me for years all comes down to this disorder and the fact that I have bio-polar.”

  He pauses, granting me a few seconds of silence so I can try and process everything he just told me.

  “I… I can’t believe this.”

  “Serena, I stopped taking my medication for a few days right before I broke into your apartment. It was stupid and reckless of me but I really wanted to find out if I still needed my meds. I didn’t tell my doctor or anything beforehand, I just did it. That’s the reason I’ve been acting so crazy and it’s also the reason why I went straight back on them as soon as I brought you back here with me. It can take a couple of days for the pills to kick in but they’re working now and I feel much calmer.”

  “That’s great.” I reply sarcastically. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Serena…”

  “Cole, I’m sorry about your diagnosis but all I care about right now is getting back home. I will not be your prisoner and that’s exactly what you’ve made me. You kidnapped me and no amount of pills you should have been taking is going to change your actions.”

  I stand up and make my way towards the stairs which lead up to the bedroom, I place my hand on the banister when Cole reaches out and grabs it, stopping me in my tracks.

  “How can I make this up to you? How can I convince you to stay here with me? Tell me, Green… I’ll do anything.”

  His body is so close to mine, I can feel the warmth of him radiating from his chest. His brown eyes implore me to believe him and I waver on the stairs, in two minds whether I should listen to him or not.

  “Nothing you say or do is going to fix this.” I say decidedly. “I have a life I need to get back to, Cole. I have a home, a job and friends who will be worried about me.”

  “Like Kevin?” He demands harshly, tightening the hold he has on my wrist.

  “Forget Kevin!” I yell, sick of his accusations. “I need to get back.”

  “Was your life so perfect before I brought you here? Were you happy?”

  “Yes!” I lie, throwing my arms in the air in exasperation.

  “You’re lying. I watched you for several days before I broke into your apartment and I saw how miserable you were. You don’t know what joy is and I want to show you how happy we could still be together.”

  “You’ve missed out one significant detail.” I remind him, taking a deep breath before I speak again.

  “And what’s that?”

  “You’re still my brother… no amount of space or time is going to change that,
Cole. It’s still illegal for us to be together and the police said you’re not allowed to be in contact with me. If they find out we’re living together, they’ll come and arrest us both.”

  “Have you not seen where we are?” He asks, taking hold of my hand so he can show me the window on the opposite side of the living room. “I chose this location because we get to live far away from everyone. We can stay here and keep our privacy at the same time. I spent the past year organising everything which had to be in place for us to move in here because I thought you would love it.”

  “I’m not denying that it’s a beautiful home but how could you manage all of this when you were still in prison?”

  “I hired some people who I trust to come and get it ready for me. I even employed some interior designer to pick out all the colour schemes and the furniture for you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and I know you feel the same way… just let me give it to you.”

  “None of this changes anything. You still hit me.”

  “I know I did! I know I fucking did, Serena! But what I don’t know now is how the hell am I going to live with that for the rest of my life? I can’t believe the things I said to you or what I did but I swear to you right now, I will dedicate the rest of my life and make it up to you if you give me a chance to do so.”

  He cradles my face in his hands, brushing his lips so gently against my own.

  “I can’t just leave.” I whisper softly. “What about my job?”

  “You only work part time and it’s in an office.” He soothes me, tucking a strand of my hair back behind my ear. “We both know you could do a whole lot better than that.”

  “And what about Lisa? She’ll be worried if I don’t get in touch with her.”

  “Call her. Tell her you’ve got a new job and moved to another city. She might think it a bit strange at first but so long as you convince her you’re alright, it will be fine.”

  “And Natalie?”

  “Who?”

  “She’s a detective inspector who dealt with your case. She’s the first one that interviewed me and we’ve been friends ever since.”