Eighteen

Cole

We sat a while longer in the parking lot but really neither of us knew more than what we had shared while we sat and talked. "I should probably get going. I need to work tomorrow," I said. The week after my boss Brian returned from vacation, he'd gotten sick, and I'd been working more hours to make sure everything was taken care of.

"Cole, please call me if anything happens. When can we meet with Miss Avery?" Bobby asked.

I glanced at my phone for the time and seeing it was nearly ten I knew she'd already be in bed. "It's too late to call her tonight. I'll call her first thing tomorrow and see when she has time for us."

"Anytime this weekend is fine, or if it's next week, just let me know." He looked anxious and I tried not to listen to his thoughts, but it was incredibly hard to ignore. I need to know you're safe.

"I'll be careful. So far, I can hear his voice but mostly he repeats that poem. That's what I've heard all along. At first, I thought it was my mind trying to figure out its meaning, but then I realized it wasn't my voice. It's all so strange." I hadn't told my mom that, and Dad hadn't said one thing about Nox or that summer, and I didn't get the feeling he was all that willing to talk about it.

"I'm going to see what I can find out about blocking thoughts. Although I'm not really sure that's something I'll be able to find while searching online," Bobby said with a grin.

"Bobby, I swear I'll find a way to keep your thoughts private."

"How long have you been able to do this?"

"I've had whispers since it first happened. But the only voice I'd heard was what I now know was Nox. When we walked into the carnival though, it was like a slow building rain until it was a torrential downpour of thoughts. It was so overwhelming." That was putting it mildly. As soon as we passed through the entrance it was like being hit with a bucket of cold water or waking up from a long sleep and being fully awake.

Some voices were quiet murmurs while others were frantic shouts and all of it was way too overwhelming. But something made me hesitate to tell Bobby. I knew I could trust him, but he really didn't know me, and I guess I worried he'd think I'd lost my mind. Hell, I thought I'd lost my mind.

"Cole?" he said and settled his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Hey, you told me you'd find a way to protect my thoughts and I'm telling you I will help you in any way I can. We'll start with meeting with Miss Avery. Let's see what she has to say. She might know nothing, or she might know how you can get rid of this power or at least control it."

He didn't mention the fact I'd been able to speak to him through his thoughts and I wasn't brave enough to bring it up. "You're right. I'll let you know what she says." I turned to reach for the door handle but his hand on my arm stopped me. When I turned back to him, he had leaned over closer to me.

"Is this, okay?" he asked, before reaching up to cup my cheek in his hand. I could only nod in response. I tried to ignore his thoughts but the warmth there surprised me, and I was thankful to experience the emotions he equated with me. He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. We'd never spoken about anything romantic between us, but his thoughts were colored with attraction that went beyond concern or friendship. "I've been thinking about kissing you all week," he admitted and pulled me close.

"You have?" I asked, before my brain caught up with my mouth. "I mean I didn't realize you felt that way for me." One thing was certain. I'd never been good at reading people, and this proved it. Even with the ability to read his mind I hadn't picked up on that attraction. To me it felt more like concern.

"Yes, I thought you would know with the mind reading thing," he said, and his expression softened. What I took for him not being interested was him holding back.

"I've never been known for being very attuned to other people. I expected you to think I was too old for you, or—I don't even know. I mean I'm really not all that exciting." My face warmed as I blushed, and he grinned so big at me I couldn't hold back my own answering smile.

"You're not too old. I honestly hadn't even thought about that." His thumb gently glided over my cheek while he spoke, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his green eyes.

"I love how your accent sneaks in at times. It's like finding a treasure when you're not even looking," I said. When he spoke, I found myself hoping it slipped through, but I noticed it only happened when he was either tired or stressed.

"I don't think of it much anymore. When I first moved here everyone would mention it, so I tried to soften it, but then I realized that was stupid and stopped. After all, my mother has a very strong Irish accent and mine comes out whenever we speak. So there really was no way I was getting away with leaving it behind."

"Don't try to hide it," I whispered, and when he leaned in again for another kiss, I settled my hand on the back of his head and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. His tongue met mine and the voices and madness in my mind went silent. He was all there was, and I wrapped my other arm around him hoping the silence continued.

When we broke apart the whispering was back, but I was too focused on him to care. "Get a room," a teenager yelled as he and a group of other teens walked behind the car, making both of us laugh.

"Totally worth it," Bobby said, and kissed my cheek.

"I should go, but I promise I'll call as soon as I set up a meeting."

"Sounds good," Bobby said, and we sat there a full minute staring at each other before leaning in for one more kiss.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," I said, and without looking back this time I climbed out of the car. "Drive careful."

"You too," he said.

I opened my car door that was right next to his passenger side and started my car. I buckled my seat belt and checked my lights were on, and when I glanced over Bobby was watching me. I wanted him to look at me like that every day. And I wanted him close enough to silence the constant chatter that was now in my head.

The whispering in my mind returned, and I forced myself not to focus on it, but to focus on Bobby instead. It faded slightly and I hoped thinking of him always gave me the small relief it gave me right now. Because looking into his beautiful eyes gave me hope, and I decided I'd focus on that, not the feelings of dread and confusion that had taken over my mind. From now on, Bobby will be my focus. I waved goodbye to him and pulled out of the space, and we both drove out of the parking lot. He stayed behind me until we were at the freeway entrance then he turned to the left while I went to the right, my mind filled with the warmth of his kiss and the silence he'd temporarily granted me.