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milkshake?” He grinned and I just shook my head, sliding the glass closer to my lips. I took a small sip and I’m pretty sure my eyes rolled back into my head. “So where did you grow up?” It was an innocent enough question but I felt every nerve stand on end. I couldn’t answer. I sucked down enough of the shake that I could feel the pain starting in the center of my forehead. Cole smiled and looked down at the counter. “Okay. Something simpler. What’s your favorite color?” He asked, his voice was kind and gentle and for a moment my mind remembered the hate in his voice from the dream last night. “Why? Why do you want to know about me? How does it benefit you?” I stared at him, waiting for his reply with anticipation. I was genuinely curious about why he wanted to know. What was so special about me?
                  Cole was silent for a while. For a moment I didn’t think he would answer, that or maybe he had nothing nice to say. “I want to know because you intrigue me. I like you Marley. It doesn’t make sense I know. Considering you are about as nice as a rabid squirrel but-“I cut him off quickly, not needing to hear about how nice I wasn’t, “Blue…” That answer surprised me… usually my favorite color was yellow, well more of a golden like the sun, but ever since I seen the color of Cole’s eyes, I found myself loving the color blue more and more. He smiled and nodded, “blue…that’s great.” I took slow sip of the shake, hitting the bottom of the glass. “What’s yours?” I looked up and tried to ignore the shock in his face. I must not be very nice if he is surprised over a simple question. “Green.”
                  We left the diner after a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence and climbed back into my car. I still had a few parts I had to pick up for Louise, so we made our way over and I went inside alone. My mind was still reeling, trying to piece together every complicated part of Cole. I couldn’t figure out his angle and men always had an angle, didn’t they?
                  I felt the exhaustion creeping in just as I pulled into the Bradley farm. I tried stifling yawn after yawn to no avail. Cole chuckled, “You should head home. Get some rest and I will see you tomorrow.” I could only nod, I was already dreading the nightmares that I prayed wouldn’t come. I don’t even remember making it home or stumbling into bed.
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
                  I groaned loudly at the obnoxiously loud bell chiming over and over again at the crack of dawn. I rolled over flopping the blanket off of me. I could tell the day was already at a sweltering temperature because my body was sticking to my sheets. I growled and pulled myself from my bed, practically dragging myself to the bathroom. I desperately needed to rinse the stench of nightmares from my skin for the day.
                  I stumbled into my bathroom and glanced into the mirror, my face was smeared with dirt and I had deep purple bags under my eyes. The dreams, or memories rather had me tossing and turning for the majority of the night. I cranked on the shower and waited until steam filled the room. I stripped out of my underwear and climbed in flinching just a little from the scalding heat of the water. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the shower, letting the hot water massage my aching muscles. Cole’s words swam in and out of my head, tormenting me with promises of a better future, hell a better present if I would just let my guard down and let myself live. I wanted so badly to entertain those ideas. I wanted to really live but that wasn’t in my cards.
                  The water started to run cold as I began to wash my hair so I quickly finished before the water turned icy and ruined my soothing hot shower. I jumped out and wrapped a towel around my hair and one around my body as I stepped out and into the