Cottage on the Hill (MxMxMxMxM)

Chapter Eleven

6:13am, Tuesday October 20th

I stared at the ceiling for several minutes before my brain properly woke up and realised that my eyes were open and itchy. Someone moved and moaned beside me as I rubbed my eyes and sat up, shivering. I'm in the middle. They refused to let me sleep on the outside last night, so I had Ollie wrapped around me for several sleepless hours while he snored loudly, and Cas pressed into my other side.

I knewI wouldn't be able to sleep, not properly anyway. James said I should go to bed early, because he knew I wouldn't sleep too, but Hale and I fell asleep on the couch, or I fell asleep and Hale didn't want to move. Yesterday was hard enough and I guess they figure any sleep I could get was goodsleep.

I missed dinner and by the time I woke up again, everyone had settled themselves in the living room with dessert. Cas fed me most of his chocolate cake while Hale made himself something proper to eat,as he put it. I don't see the issue in having chocolate cake for dinner, it's perfectly acceptable when one is feeling like they've been hit by a bus.

I pushed myself up and sat against the head board, pulling the duvet around my chin and sighing deeply into the soft fabric. This sheet set was a birthday present for James earlier in the year. Hale got it for him because it's environmentally friendly and really soft.James has always slept better in expensive sheets.

I remember when I had my first shitty apartment in Coventry I barely had any furniture. It's all up in the attic now, as well as anything I had from my life before the accident. I don't go into the attic for very specific reasons and I won't be starting today.

Today. The 20thof October. I swallowed and felt a lump rise in my throat. Cas stirred and chewed his tongue, but he didn't wake up. I felt a weight land on my chest and I sighed deeply, frowning at the uncomfortable ache. It's been getting heavier the last few days and it's almost unbearablenow. It always is.

I took my phone off the bedside table and saw a text from an unknown number. They sent it late last night, but I must've missed it.

Unknown and Elliot

11:35pm

Unknown

Hi

It's Cora

Hale gave me your number

I just wanted to say sorry

They shouldn't have said those things

I'm glad you remember it

Because I don't

And one day you might be able to tell me

I stared at the screen for several minutes. A shudder ran up my spine and I set my phone down on my lap, twisting my lips. I know she gave Hale her number and the social workers number yesterday, but I didn't know Hale had also given her my number.

James was on the phone to the social worker for almost an hour yesterday afternoon. She was furious that the parents had agreed to bring Cora and thought they must've had an ulterior motive because it's highly unusual for new parents to wantto let their kids see past siblings.

James agreed with her and told her what had happened then put the phone on speaker so we could hear her response, which was... uh, colourful, for lack of a better word. I don't really remember her, I only saw the woman twice because my foster parents adopted me, after they realised they would stop receiving payments and went fuck it. She did say that Cora's parents did not adopt her and flatly refuse to. She isn't sure why but has never told Cora they don't want to. I imagine that would crushher.