“Seriously?”
“That’s a word.” He narrowed his eyes.
“Fine, I’ll go.” I picked up my tray.
“Sit down.” He met my eyes as I started to turn away.
“Excuse me?” I laughed. “Do you really think you can tell me what to do? An accent only gets you so far, buddy.”
“Sit down, please.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, please, will you have lunch with me?”
“Why?” I hovered near the table. My instincts told me to bolt, but I was too curious to obey them.
“Because, out of all of the people I’ve met, you’re the only one that I want to spend time with. So please, I’d rather not be alone.” He pushed his tray toward me. “I got some extra cheesy nachos.”
I began to sit back down before I even realized I’d decided to stay. As I plucked a nacho from his tray, I looked into his eyes.
“I can’t figure you out, Ollie.”
“Ollie?” He chuckled. “That’s not happening. It’s Oliver.”
“See? One minute you’re so casual, the next you’re so sensitive.” I quirked an eyebrow. “Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind, Ollie?”
“Stop.” He frowned as he stared back at me.
“Stop what? I thought you liked spending time with me.”
“I do. Sometimes.” He sighed, then shook his head. “Do you even realize how infuriating you are?”
“Me?” I laughed. “That’s funny coming from you.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I have never, ever, had as much trouble figuring someone out as I do you.” I rested my chin on my hand and stared at him. “What are you hiding behind those beautiful eyes?”
“Sexy accent and now I have beautiful eyes too, huh?” He smirked. “I’m winning you over, you know it.”
“You’re avoiding the question, I know it.” I stole another nacho from his plate.
“Can’t I just be?” He shrugged. “Why do you need to figure me out? You don’t have to pin everyone under your thumb, you know.”
“I don’t do that.”
“Sure you do. The way your friends all look to you for permission, as if you’re the expert on everything. That’s because you’ve got them right where you want them, tucked safely under that super strong thumb of yours.” He poked at the top of my thumb. “Too scared to set them free, I’d guess.”
“Now who is trying to figure out who?” I smiled. “I guess we’re not so different.”
“No, I don’t think we are.” He gnawed at his bottom lip for a second, then sighed. “I really did just come out here to spend some time with you, not to cause you any trouble.”
“I could leave if I wanted to. But I’m still here.”
“Why?”
The question caught me off guard. I stared at him as I considered my answer. Why was I still there? What was it about him that had me so tethered to him?
“Tell me about the man in the park. The one that you helped to play chess.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” He frowned.
“No, it doesn’t.” I took a bite of my own food and waited.
“What do you want to know?” He looked into my eyes.
“You said you picked it up along the way. How?”
“Fine. My grandfather had it. He had Alzheimer’s. I did what I could to help him. Is that what you want to know?” He rested his elbows on the table and leaned toward me. “Or did you want to dig a little deeper?”
“I’m sorry about your grandfather.” I studied him as I imagined him doting on his grandfather. What was not to like about that?
“Now, it’s your turn. Answer my question. Why are you still here? You refuse to be my host, you push me toward Candy, but you’re still here.”
Chapter 13
“Maybe I don’t want you to be alone.” I shrugged.
“Is that an answer or a question?” He stood up and walked around the side of the table.
When he sat down next to me on the small stone bench, my heart lurched. Being close to him was definitely a problem.
“Maybe we should just let it be what it is.” I looked straight down at the remaining food on my plate. I counted the grains of rice, instead of thinking about how his hand rested in the small space between us on the bench, how his smallest finger nearly brushed against my pants. Why had I ever touched his lips? Maybe if I hadn’t, none of this would have gotten so complicated. I eased my way a little further away from him.
“Okay, then what is it?” He shifted a little closer to me and spoke in a lower tone. “I’m not the only one feeling it, am I?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed as my thigh hit the edge of the stone bench and I realized that I had nowhere left to run. “It’s nothing.” I dared to look in his direction. “It’s you, homesick and heartbroken thanks to whoever this Shauna is. It’s me, bored and enchanted by something just a little different. It’s nothing.”
“Nothing.” He repeated the word as he looked straight into my eyes. “It doesn’t feel like nothing.”
“That’s all it is.” I stood up from the bench.
He caught my hand before I could step away and looked up at me. “Then why are you running?”
“I’m not. I’m just done.” I gestured to my empty plate. “Lunch is over, it’s time for my next class.”
“Maby, I’m sorry, you know.” He stood up from the bench as well and made no effort to create space between us. With a subtle tug of his hand he pulled me closer.
“For what?” I caught my breath as I came so close to him that I could detect the faint stubble that sprouted from the curve of his cheek.
“For whatever—whoever—hurt you.” He murmured his words as he reached for my other hand. “For whatever happened to keep you trapped so deep inside yourself.”
From the tips of my toes to the curve of my lips, my body tingled. His words, coupled with his touch and the intensity of our closeness, sent my mind swirling through fantasies—fantasies that I’d built up over the years in an attempt to avoid the real thing.
“Stop,” I whispered as I pulled away from him. What started out as a harmless little game, just a dip of my toe into the possibility of having a crush, had turned into something that crushed my heart in an iron grip. I felt as if I wouldn’t breathe again unless his arms were around me.
“Maby, it’s okay.” He cupped my cheek as I started to turn away. “Just listen to me.”
“No. That’s the problem.” I pushed his hand away and created plenty of distance between us. “I’ve been listening too much. Listening to your accent, your pretty words, and your arrogance. Listening to all the things that you say to convince other people that you’re on top of the world and listening to the truth—that underneath it all, you’re terrified of being alone.”
“I’m not.” He cleared his throat, then looked sharply away. “Fine. I’ll drop it. It’s not as if this is what I want either.” He turned and stalked off across the courtyard.
I stared after him, dazed by both the way I felt about him and the fear that it inspired within me. My plan was to get to college without dating, without falling in love. But Oliver? He threatened all of that. Was it possible that he was just as scared as I was?
Throughout the remainder of my classes, I did my best to think of anything but him. But I wasn’t very successful. In fact, by the time I headed back toward the dormitories, my mind was bogged down with thoughts of him. I couldn’t be played. He had no intention of staying at Oak Brook. He was just looking for a way to entertain himself and pass the time until he figured out how to get back to England. I wasn’t going to be his distraction.
When a reminder popped up on my phone, I smiled to myself. Yes, my riding class would be a perfect distraction. A little time with Aaron—someone I actually had a crush on—would get my focus off Oliver and all his drama. After I dropped off my books and changed into casual clothes, I headed across the courtyard.
I spotted Ol
iver as I neared the front gate of the campus.
He spotted me too. I felt his eyes lock to mine. His gaze lingered for a long moment, then he looked away and walked over to a group of kids gathered in the courtyard.
Relieved that I wouldn’t have to face him, I continued out through the gate. As I hailed a taxi, I recalled the last time Oliver and I visited the city together. My fingertips tingled with the memory of gliding through his hair. My cheeks warmed at the thought of touching his lips.
“Nope, not for long, pal.” I settled into the back of the taxi and looked straight ahead. “Aaron is going to erase you from my mind.”
At first, it worked. Aaron rode up to me in a sleeveless t-shirt with his hair loose and flowing in the breeze. His skin bronzed by the sunlight and his muscles on full display, he jumped down from the horse to greet me.
It was safe to have a crush on Aaron. He was unattainable. I could enjoy my fantasies and not worry about the drama that might go along with a real boyfriend. But as he greeted me, all I could think of was Oliver scooting closer to me on the bench, his finger grazing against my pants., All I could think of was the way he looked at me when he said my name.
“Mabel, are you listening to me?”
“Sure I am, Ollie.” I flashed him a smile as I mounted the horse.
“Aaron.” He hung onto the reins until I was settled. Then he squinted up into the sunlight at me.
“Huh?”
“You called me Ollie.”
“I most certainly did not.” My heart skipped a beat.
“Okay.” He shook his head. “I want you to ride solo today, okay? I think it will be good for you and Goldie.”
“Okay.” I frowned. This was not what I had in mind. How could he distract me from Oliver if he wasn’t with me? “Thanks.”
I watched as he walked away. Yes, he was still very attractive, but something was different now. I just couldn’t get excited to see him. Had I really called him Ollie?
As if the thought of Oliver had summoned him, he stepped out of a taxi that had just pulled up into the driveway. He looked straight at me for a second, then turned his attention to Aaron.
I braced myself for the fireworks I expected to see. What was Oliver doing? I watched him hold his hand out to Aaron. Aaron reluctantly shook it. Oliver offered his most charming smile.
I couldn’t hear their conversation, but I did see Aaron nod, then walk him toward the stables. Was he going to let Oliver ride after all? My mind spun as I wondered if Oliver had really come all this way just to be close to me. Was it crazy for me to suspect that? Was it crazy for me not to?
“Unbelievable.” I rolled my eyes as I steered the horse onto the trail.
Whatever Oliver was up to, I didn’t want to be around to find out.
Chapter 14
Not long after I’d started down the path, I urged the horse into a gallop. I wanted to get as far away from the stable as I could. Even if Oliver did win over the right to ride a horse, I didn’t want him to be able to catch up to me. I needed time to sort out what I was feeling.
As I rode down the familiar path, I recalled the infectious laughter that would often ride along with me. Jennifer’s laugh could always bring a smile to my face. She always found a way to be happy. It didn’t matter if she’d failed a test or missed a visit yet again with her parents. She always found a way to be cheerful.
I winced as I remembered one particular afternoon that we’d ridden together.
“I think he’s adorable. In a bad boy kind of way.”
“You’re nuts.” The memory echoed through my mind. “Stay away from him, Jenny. He’s only going to hurt you.”
“You’re so negative, Maby!” Jennifer had huffed. “Just think about what it will be like kissing him! Those lips!” She smacked her lips and laughed that infectious laugh.
I closed my eyes as I savored the memory of the sound. Maybe if I hadn’t laughed with her. Maybe if I’d been more protective, if I’d insisted that she listen to me, if I had just pinned her down beneath my thumb and kept her there, I wouldn’t be alone on our favorite trail.
A crack of thunder caused my eyes to fly open. My heart pounded in reaction to the lightning that followed. I hadn’t bothered to check the weather forecast. Usually, Aaron did that. I tightened my grasp on the reins and realized I’d gotten a lot farther from the stable than I thought.
“Alright, it’s okay.” I did my best to soothe the horse, which began to prance nervously from one side of the trail to the other. Aaron never let me take Goldie out in bad weather—she was very sensitive to it—but this time he had. “Let’s go back, we can probably beat the storm—okay, girl?” I tried to guide her into turning around.
Another crack of thunder caused her to bolt forward down the trail instead. I gulped as I gripped the reins and leaned forward against her mane. She moved so fast that I couldn’t keep track of where we were headed.
As rain pelted down, my vision became even more blurred. Lightning erupted across the sky in jagged shards. Thick dark clouds nearly blotted out the sun, making it impossible for me to even see if we were still on the trail. The branches and bushes that struck my arms and legs made me suspect that we weren’t.
I clung to the reins as tight as I could. With the horse so afraid, there was a good chance she would throw me.
The storm didn’t show any signs of letting up as Goldie continued to flee.
When I heard a shout from behind me, I felt some relief. It had to be Aaron.
“Aaron!” I lifted my head enough to call to him. “I’m over here! Aaron! She won’t slow down!”
Through the sheets of rain and swirl of movement, I caught sight of someone who was definitely not Aaron. “Ollie?” The name slipped between my lips as he rode Clover closer to me.
“It’s alright, Maby. Just keep holding on. I’ll get her to slow down.” As he rode up past me, he reached for the reins that I held tight in my hands.
“What are you doing here?” I gulped as another crash of thunder caused the horse to buck into the air beneath me.
“Give me the reins, Maby.” He locked his eyes to mine.
“I can’t.” I frowned. “I’ll fall off! She’s going too fast!”
“I won’t let you fall.” He reached for the reins again. “Just let me have them. I can slow her down. You have to trust me.”
“Trust you?” My hands trembled at the thought of releasing the reins. How could I, when I had no idea whether he could do what he claimed? But what other choice did I have? If the horse didn’t stop soon, she would likely collapse from exhaustion.
“Just try, Maby.” He kept Clover right beside me, matching my horse’s pace.
As I let go of the reins, I felt him grab onto them. He wrapped them tight around his hand and gave a sharp shout along with a solid yank.
My horse began to slow, just a little at first, then after a few more firm yanks, she settled down into a walk.
With the storm still raging around us, Oliver slid down off Clover and guided Goldie underneath a canopy of tree branches. Then he held his hand up to me.
“Come down, it’s not safe for you to be up there.”
Wordlessly, I took his hand. As I stared down into his eyes, I tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Oliver had come to my rescue? What might have happened if he hadn’t been there?
I landed on the ground beside him, my hand still wrapped up in his.
“Are you hurt?” He squinted through the rain.
“No.” I pulled my hand free as my heart raced. “I didn’t know it was supposed to storm.”
“I don’t think anyone did.” He glanced back over his shoulder, then looked back at me. “Sorry I wasn’t who you were expecting.”
“I just assumed Aaron would be out looking for me.” I wiped my hair back from my face. The rain just plastered it back down. “Did you steal a horse again?”
“He let me ride it.” He shifted closer to me as the wind blew the
branches of the trees down toward us.
“Seriously? How did you convince him to do that?”
“I’ve been told I can be quite charming.” He leaned closer as the rain began to subside. “And now I’m a hero, right?”
“Yes.” I ducked my head beneath a branch as I met his eyes. “I can’t deny that.”
“Do you want to?” He ducked beneath the same branch, leaving us mere inches apart.
“I’m glad you showed up when you did.” I bit into my bottom lip as I recalled just how scared I was as the horse raced through the woods.
“I started down the trail, then I heard the thunder.” He brushed my soaked hair back from my cheek. “I know some horses can’t handle storms.”
“How do you know?”
“I used to ride a lot. It was one of our favorite things to do.” His voice softened as another roll of thunder carried through.
“Yours and Shauna’s?” As the rain continued to fall between us, I felt as if we were in a different universe altogether, that Oak Brook Academy wasn’t waiting for us, that Aaron wasn’t out looking for us both.
“I don’t know why I said that.” He frowned.
“It’s okay to talk about her.” I met his eyes.
“I’d rather not.”
“Maybe you need to.” I placed my hand lightly against his rain-soaked shirt. “Just because you don’t want to feel it, doesn’t mean you can avoid feeling it.”
“I can’t feel it.” He looked into my eyes. “I can’t.” He pressed his hand against mine. “It hurts too much. That’s why I’ve tried to stay away from you. I’ve tried not to be drawn to you. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t resist.” He shook his head and squeezed my hand. “None of it makes sense. I know that. I know it would be better if I left you alone. But I just can’t, Maby.”
“I can’t either.” I had just gotten the words out when Aaron rode up to us.
“Are you both okay?” He frowned as he stared down at us.
I pulled my hand away from Oliver and took a step back. “We’re okay. Goldie was just spooked by the storm.”
Worth the Wait: A Young Adult Sweet Romance (Oak Brook Academy Book 4) Page 6