THE SPAWNS

That Torres Boy

Chapter XLV—Lilibeth

I hadn't even taken ten steps outside when I heard the door close behind me. I knew Cole was following me without even having to look back.

"Where you going Eaton?" Cole asked teasingly behind me.

I turned my head and stuck my tongue out at him before replying, "none of your business, Torres." He jogged my way, easily catching up with me, shoving my shoulder playfully with his own. "So, Maika and Jay got together?"

Cole nodded, his steps matching mine. "That's the news."

I asked the obvious question, because I knew him well enough. He'd never liked change and Maika and Jayden had always been constant in his life. "Are you freaking out?"

He made a face. "Maybe just a little." Cole stopped walking, frowning a little at me but with an amused smile, head tilted a little.

I couldn't help smiling back. "What?"

"You need to stop reading me like an open book, it's unsettling."

I grinned at him. "Sorry, can't help it."

We'd reached the big tree at the back of the house at that point, and Cole, grabbed on to a high branch and in a second he was sitting high up. Grinning down at me he offered his hand and pulled me up.

I sat beside him, my legs swinging in the empty space under us.

It was quiet for a second, aside from the cicadas announcing another warm day.

"Thank you for today. Thanks for driving me home and for helping me with my dancing."

"Anytime Kitten." Cole smiled at me. "So, was walking out your complex master plan to get out of doing the dishes?"

"No, it was just getting a little loud in there."

He smiled at me gently. I didn't have to explain this to him, I didn't have to make excuses. He just got it. He just got me. He couldn't have been just an insanely good looking boy, he always had to be able to read my heart like it was his favourite poem too.

The sun was setting now and there were just enough clouds to set the sky up on fire.

Cole took a gentle breath, his knee softly touching mine. "So, what happens now?"

I kiss you again.

Instead, I let my cheek catch on fire too, but answered with something a little bit more serious. "I want to keep dancing, keep playing the violin and I want to get into a good university and study abroad. I want to hang out with Nikki more. I want to be okay with being moody sometimes. I want to get to know myself."

"All very good things."

"And I want you to be happy too."

"I'm happy."

"No, I mean, like really happy."

Cole laughed. "I am really happy."

I pouted a little. "Yeah, I guess you're always kind of happy."

"So, you have it all figured out now?" Cole asked, going back to his first question.

"I don't know. I mean, it's a little sad to have your whole life planned out, don't you think? I know it doesn't feel like a good future for me. I want surprises. I want an exciting life. I don't want to wait for thing to happen to start living. I want to live right now. I don't know how to say this properly. I have plans, but I also don't want plans."

When I looked at this beautiful boy, I thought about a future with him. But, it felt, not exactly wrong, but I guess, not right to tell him, let's wait when I turn eighteen and then on the night of my birthday we can finally hook up and start dating. Like having an alarm for when the time is right.

The barrier in our relationship was more than just a question of age. Even if we were three years in the future, with my state of mind, it wouldn't be right to date Cole at the moment. I wasn't ready to date. I wasn't in a position mentally and emotionally where I should be in a relationship.

Cole nodded, his bare arm pressed against my own. "Deal. Not planning a future, not waiting for one. And if it feels right, and when you're older, we can go on a date."

I chuckled. "I love you Cole."

"I love you too Beth. And I'll always be there for you, even if it's before we go on that date." I pressed my temple to his shoulder in one gentle knock. Cole poked my cheek back. He took a deep breath. "Well, I'll leave you to your tree and your thinking."

"Thanks."

He grabbed a branch and let himself fall down. I stared at the muscles in his arms. My cheeks reddened again.

With his feet back on the ground, he looked up at me, all smile and dimples and gorgeousness. "You really are adorable, Lilibeth Eaton."

I couldn't answer, so I just smiled at him, my heart beating frantically in my chest.

I stared at him as he walked away. He tousled his hair for no reason with one hand. His steps were light but assured.

It was the little things about him that were mesmerizing, the way he moved, the way he smiled, the way he scrunched his nose, furrowed his brows, or narrowed his eyes, the way he chuckled, the way he stood, the way he stretched his arms... every little movements he did seemed to hold some kind of magic. The was a sense of effortlessness that was intoxicating in everything he did. It was indescribable.

For a second, I wondered what it would feel like, to always know it was okay to hold that hand or brush my fingers through that hair. I wondered how it would feel for these simple gestures to become something natural.

I never stood a chance

Not falling in love with him had never been a feasible option. He was too enchanting to resist.

I never stood a chance.

Sighing, I pushed myself away from the trunk of the tree and jumped back on the ground.

Time to come back on earth and stop mooning over Cole Torres. I should have better things to do with my life, as my cousin had repeated incessantly.

I walked back inside and helped the others with the last bits of cleaning.

When I was putting Mama's fancy china back in the buffet in the dinning room, Grandpa cleared his throat behind me.

Everyone was off doing something in other rooms. It was just him and me.

"How's my favourite brunette granddaughter doing?" he asked, with a cheeky smile.

"I'm your only granddaughter with brown hair," I replied, deadpan, making him laugh.

"Is that true?"

I smiled back at him. "I'm good grandpa."

"That's good, that's great. Hey, just wondering, how do you like that Torres boy?"

I threw my head back in annoyance, making a discourage sound in the back of my throat. "Seriously?"

"What?"

I rolled my eyes and walked out of the room. "Byyyyyye grandpa."

"I WAS JUST ASKING!" he yelled, trailing behind me.

I made my way to the living room, almost everyone had gathered her now. I let myself plop down on one of the empty seats.

Grandpa wasn't sitting down though, he was just leaning by the arch, smiling at us. A few minutes later, he clapped his hands together. "Well, I'll be heading off now. Call me when you want us to gather and choose our dates for the when we think the two lovebirds will break up."

"What?" My brother and his girlfriend said in sync.

He grinned. "Kiiiiiiidding."

Papa pressed. "Or is he?"

Jayden glared at them, while we all laughed. "I hate all of you with a fiery passion."

We all got up and made an impromptu line for goodbye hugs.

Few minutes later we were all standing squeezed together by the front door, waving at my grandpa's car driving away.

"Thanks for cleaning up kids," Mama said after closing the door behind her.

"We really raised you right," Papa added, nodding to himself proudly.

"We outdid ourselves," Mama agreed.

"We're very proud," Papa said.

Jay was making a face as he said, "And very weird."

Our parents laughed at that.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Mama announced.

"And I'm off to reading beside your mother until she punches me and forces me to turn the light off," Papa added. "You kids have fun."

"Try to behave a little," Mama warned.

Jayden smirked. "Suuuuuuuure."

Once our parents were out of sight, Cole said, "So?"

Jayden grinned a creepy grin. "So?"

"More driving?" Cole asked, though he was more like whining.

"Oh yeah," my brother nodded like an idiot.

I laughed at Cole's dejected face and skipped behind my brother as we all made our way to his car.

We all got sat in the car, with no destination in mind. I could see my brother grin in the rear view mirror.

And so we drove on our way to new adventures.

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A/N: Hey, would you look at that, I actually uploaded when I said I was going to upload *pats self on the shoulder*

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was the last one in Beth's POV. Only one more chapter left, in Jayden's POV and then it's the epilogue. Prepare to be amazed... or to cry... Nah, no crying... well maybe some crying. Who knows? 8D (I know)

See you guys very very soooooooon!