Songbird (Songbird, #1) (55 page)

It was time to go back in, but I needed a minute. I sent Riley in to wash his face, and see what was happening while I straightened up. I couldn’t hear the band playing, and I didn’t know if they were cutting the cake. I hoped, after organising everything, that I hadn’t missed the formalities.

I was just fixing up my underwear and straightening my skirt when Cole stepped out of the shadows.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat, making me jump.

“Don’t tell me you were watching again,” I said, mortified that he may have been watching Riley and me together.

He looked at me sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry. I was just sitting out here, waiting for you to come back, in case you needed a shoulder. Then, before I knew it you were up against the wall. I didn’t want to interrupt this time, so I just sort of had to stay hidden.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “You like it up against walls, don’t you?”

“Oh my God!” I threw my hands over my face. “I can’t believe you watched that. You watched me come—twice!”

He stepped a bit closer so I could see his eyes clearly. “Don’t be embarrassed. You were awesome.” His eyes were positively glowing. “I almost came with you the second time.”

I punched him in the chest. I couldn’t believe he had just said that.

His eyes searched my face, but then they turned sad. “I’m only joking. I only watched at the very beginning. I couldn’t watch when he was … inside you.” He gave me a sad smile. “On the plus side, you are without a doubt definitely a girl, and a very beautiful, passionate one at that.”

He took another step closer, and leaned his head against the wall beside me. I turned to face him, and our eyes met. I loved his eyes—they were so expressive—but right now they looked anguished.

He ran his thumb over my swollen lips, and then touched his thumb to his own. “I can taste you,” he said, his voice so hoarse it was barely audible. He leaned down so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. “And I can smell you.”

I closed my eyes, and physically swooned at his words.

“Cole, I …” I didn’t know what to say. I should probably have been embarrassed or angry by him wanting to “taste” me, but all I felt was a little pang of regret.

“So you’re back together again, like nothing happened.”

“It was all a misunderstanding, but we’ve sorted everything out now,” I replied, trying to explain how things had changed so quickly.

“Or he just missed having someone to bang up against walls.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he immediately held his hands up to stop me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

“We’re going to take it slowly, but I believe his explanation, and I’m willing to try again. Can’t you be happy for me?” I asked pleadingly.

It was so important for Cole to understand, and be happy for me. He had been my rock over the past couple of months.

He leaned forward, and kissed me on the forehead. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. For that beautiful smile that lights up your face to come back.” He kissed me again on the forehead, this time holding his lips to my skin a few moments longer. “I guess we won’t have to hang out together anymore. You won’t need me to take your mind off things,” he said, tucking a stray hair behind my ear.

“What do you mean ‘we won’t have to’?” I was confused. Did he see being my friend as some sort of task he’d been assigned?

“Well you’re not upset anymore, so I don’t have to keep an eye on you,” he replied matter-of-factly.

Realisation dawned on me as his words sunk in. “Were you only spending time with me out of some warped sense of obligation?”

I walked backwards away from him as I spoke. For some reason I needed to get some distance between us.

He was following me as I was backing away. “Not exactly, but didn’t you realise that you were never left alone? I’ve spent nearly every night with you for the past couple of months, trying to make sure you were okay.”

I bumped into the side of the porch. I couldn’t back away any further, and he was still coming.

“Now that you’re back with Hotshot and getting laid again, maybe I should start going out and doing the same. You’ve got your old life back, just like nothing ever happened. Maybe I’ll go back to my old life.” He sounded angry with me, but I couldn’t work out why he would be.

He had finally stopped walking, and was now only a couple of inches away from me. Although I could see his face clearly, I couldn’t read his expression at all. One second he looked angry, the next he looked sad. I could see the rise and fall of his chest, his breathing quickening. I watched as his tongue ran along his bottom lip, leaving his lips parted.

Why did I want to kiss those lips?

He raised both hands so they were resting against the wall on either side of my head, then leaned closer, until his forehead was against mine. “I can’t believe you took him back, after everything that’s happened. All the time we’ve spent together,” he said, shaking his head.

He thumped the wall beside my head, and I jumped. He turned abruptly and strode away, running his hands through his hair. I bit my bottom lip to try to stop it from trembling as the tears stung my eyes, and tumbled down my cheeks. He turned and looked at me, his hands still tangled in his hair.

I felt as if my whole world had just come crashing down around me once again. The one person in my life I thought so highly of, who I had come to rely on, hadn’t really cared at all. Well, at least now he didn’t need to see me anymore.

I sniffled, trying to control my tears. “I’m sorry I was such a burden on you. You’re right; we don’t need to see each other again.”

Turning, I wiped the tears from my cheeks with the heels of my hands, and went back inside.

“T
HERE YOU
are!” Cooper called as he came striding over. “I’ve been waiting for you to get back.”

He looked at my face suspiciously then turned to look at Riley, trying to figure out what was happening. I could only image how I looked, but from the expression on Cooper’s face it was probably pretty clear that I had just been crying, yet again.

Smiling, I went to hug Cooper, but thought better of it. “I’ll be back in a minute,” I said, still smiling at him. Then I turned, and quickly went to the bathroom to wash my scent off my face and tidy myself up.

As soon as I came back into the room, Riley handed me a glass of champagne, and wrapped his arm around me.

“You okay?” he asked, studying my face.

“Of course,” I replied and cuddled into him. It felt so right to be beside him again, and I smiled, realising that Riley was the only person who truly cared about me.

“So now that everyone who’s important is here,” Cooper said, looking at me, “and some of you who are not so important,” he said, laughing, “I would like to propose a toast to my beautiful girlfriend, Kelli.”

We all went to lift our glasses in a toast, but Cooper held up his hand to stop us. “No, wait a minute. I said that wrong. I don’t want to propose a toast; I just want to propose.”

He dropped down onto one knee in front of Kelli, and she squealed as her hands flew up to her face. I could see her shaking, tears already filling her eyes.

I looked up at Riley, tears beginning to sting my eyes too. She had waited so long for this.

“Did you know about this?” I whispered to him.

“Of course, we went ring shopping together.” He gave me a wink and a squeeze before we returned our attention back to the happy couple.

I could see the usually happy-go-lucky Cooper trying to compose himself. He was shaking almost as much as Kelli was.

He exhaled loudly. “Kelli Maree Davis, I love you. I have loved you since you were seven years old, when I put stink beetles in your schoolbag. And when the principal called me to his office to give me the strap, you came with me, and held my hand.”

Kelli laughed, tears of happiness now rolling down her cheeks.

“And I have loved you more and more over the years for supporting me in this crazy career, for moving from city to city, for having to spend so much time on your own, and never complaining.”

He shifted nervously before reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a ring box. Kelli’s hands once again flew to her mouth as Cooper opened the box.

“Kelli, I have loved you almost all of my life, and I will love you for the rest of my life. Would you please do me the absolute honour of becoming my wife?”

Kelli was nodding before Cooper had finished saying the words. She bent down and threw her arms around his neck, almost knocking him off balance, and proceeded to smother his face with kisses.

“So is that a yes then?” he asked, jokingly. “You have to say the words, Kell, I’m not psychic!”

Everyone started laughing. It was so typically Cooper, and Kelli slapped him on the shoulder before telling him “yes” in between every kiss.

Cooper placed the ring on her finger and finally stood, pulling Kelli into a tight hug.

“Now will you please move your ass up to Sydney? I miss you!” he told her.

She came running over to show me the ring. It was gorgeous. Just one simple solitaire diamond, but the quality was superb. It was about one carat, and absolutely stunning.

So this was it; Kelli would be getting married and moving, or would she move now that she was engaged? Either way, I was so happy for her, but I would miss her terribly.

Everyone toasted the happy couple, and wished Kelli a happy birthday, then the party started to wind down.

The band had looked like they were waiting to play another set, but Cole never came back inside, so they started packing up instead.

Cooper came over to Riley and I. “So Irish, are you coming back to Kell’s tonight?” he asked, trying to size up the situation.

Riley looked at me, not wanting to assume anything, but I shook my head. “No, he’ll be staying with me.” Then, looking at Riley, not wanting to assume anything either, I said, “If you want to, of course.”

Cooper just laughed and slapped Riley on the shoulder. “Nah, I don’t think you want to, do you, mate? You’ve hardly talked about Tara at all these last few months. Definitely haven’t missed her like crazy.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t forget we’re leaving tomorrow afternoon. We’ll pick you up on the way.”

“What?” I asked, turning to Riley. “You’re only here for one night? Can’t you stay longer? We’ve only just sorted things out.”

I couldn’t stand going for another month or more of not seeing him.

“Why don’t you come to Sydney with me?” Riley asked wringing his hands nervously.

“I thought you didn’t want me visiting you?” I didn’t know what had changed.

He shrugged. “You might as well see what you’re getting yourself into. Come stay with me for a few days.”

He still seemed uneasy about it, but I decided to jump at the offer and agreed straight away.