Chapter 8
Cole walked to the door to go.
"Cole, wait….thank you" Phoebe said painfully.
"Your welcome" Cole said and nodded to Michael.
Michael nodded back. Cole glanced at Phoebe one last time, and walked out into the swallowing rain.
Cole sat in his truck for a moment and stared through his windshield. The rain created a waterfall down the glass.
The water dripped from his face and he blew it from his lips. His black hair laid to his face as he looked at the house.
He turned up his music and sped out of the driveway.
Phoebe glanced out the window as he drove away. He was headed towards town, and she wanted to run after his truck.
She wanted to stop him, and throw herself at him. One the other hand, Michael was her husband…the man she loved…the man she belonged to. But if she loved him, why did she have this desperate burning desire for Cole?
Cole sped through the stop sign and screeched out on the main road, as gravel flew from his tires behind the truck.
He clenched his teeth and held the peddle to the middle of his red dodge.
Cole found himself driving out of town. He wanted to forget the whole thing. The past weeks, the torment he has put his mind, and his heart through.
He wanted to forget, but he couldn't. Phoebe had come along like a whirl wind.
His daughters faces stole his thoughts, and then Debbie's. What had went so wrong with their marriage? Why when Phoebe came back into his life, everything he knew went away?
The bitter sweet thought made him angry.
As oncoming blinding lights flashed by his truck, he recklessly drove through the rain. He saw a diner ahead and slowed to pull in.
He turned off his truck and got out. He froze when he looked in the window and saw his family sitting with a starnge man. The man leaned over and kissed Debbie on the cheek.
Cole felt his insides turn cold and his heart started to race again.
Cole stormed inside and walked up to the table.
"Cole, what are you doing here?" Debbie said in a surprised tone.
Cole glared at the man and then at Debbie.
"What the hell is this? I tell you to stay away, and you don't give a shit?! There is a murderer on the…!" Cole paused and looked out the window with clenched teeth. He stopped himself from exploding in front of his baby girls.
"Daddy?" Anna said as her eyes started to tear up.
"Come on baby, come with daddy" Cole said lifting the small girl into his arms. "Kate, come on baby" Cole said reaching for her hand.
"Cole…what the hell do you think you are doing?" Debbie asked in a disgusted tone.
"Who's this? Your new boyfriend?" Cole snapped back
"Cole!" Debbie growled.
"Don't bother coming home!" Cole said as he walked out of the diner.
Debbie watched with a stone cold expression, as Cole walked outside and loaded the girls in the truck. "Don't worry…I won't!" she said with a hateful mumble.
Phoebe jerked awake and sat up in bed. The rain was pounding on the windows, and she tried to catch her breath. Her t-shirt was soaking wet, with sweat.
"Sweetheart?" Michael said sitting up and putting his arms around her.
Phoebe was reliving the events that took place that night. Her head was spinning and heart heart was pounding in her ears.
"Lay back down" Michael said
"No, I think I'll get something hot to drink…my throat is a little scrachy" Phoebe said
"Do you want me to come with you?" Michael said as he yawned.
"No, thank you, I'm not afraid"
Phoebe slipped on a sweat shirt and headed downstairs.
Cole unlocked the motel room door and stepped in. He had Anna asleep over his shoulder and Katie by the hand. He closed the door behind them.
He laid the two girls in the bed, and tucked them in tight.
"Sleep tight" he said and kissed their sleepy eyes.
"Night daddy" Kate said. Anna was already asleep.
"Night baby" He said softly smiling at them.
He walked over to the bathroom area, and turned the shower on. He walked over to the door and locked it. Cole didn't want to chance taking his girls home, so he figured he would stay at the motel a few days.
That way he also didn't have to run into Debbie, untill he cooled off a little. He wasn't sure if he was mad at her, or himself. After all, he was the one wanting someone else.
Cole closed the bathroom door and took off his clothes. He stepped into the steamy water and let it run over him.
The warm water felt good. He let out a sigh, "Ahh yes"
Phoebe sipped her tea, and thought about Cole. Where did he go? She wanted to hear from him, she wanted to know if he was ok? She mostly wanted to stare into his eyes and feel his arms around her. She wanted him to press his body against hers and swallow her up.
"Phoebe?"
"Oh! Ouch! You scared me!" She said whirling around and seeing Michael on the stairs.
Phoebe spilt her tea when she jumped, and it burnt her hands.
"Sorry…here, run them under the cold water" Michael said hurrying to her and pulling her hands tword the sink.
"Michael…I'm ok….you don't have to check on me" Phoebe said acknowledging his kindness.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes…go back to bed…I'll be up in a minute" She said
"Alright"
Phoebe watched as Michael walked back up the stairs. Then she looked outside the window at the moon and sighed,
"Where are you Cole?"
Cole turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He put his hand on the wall as he smiled watching his girls sleep. He reached for his jeans and slipped them on. He sat in the chair and looked outside at the big yellow moon. He wondered if Phoebe was ok. He wished he had her with him safe in his arms.