by S. J. Sylvis
Chapter Forty
Ollie
When I walked into English Prep on Monday morning, I was on the prowl. Eric and Christian were behind me as I all but jogged to the front entrance. My hand landed on the willowy handle, and I jumped over the threshold.
I knew Piper was already here. Little Miss Sunshine always got here early, and Hayley was usually right there beside her. What they did before the bell rang each morning, I had no idea, but I was ready to see her.
Piper and I stayed up in my room for the rest of the party on Saturday. When Sunday morning rolled around, she and Hayley had dipped out early, and I knew it was because Hayley wanted the details.
Christian, Eric, and I—along with a few underclassmen who desperately wanted to be in our inner circle—cleaned the house. My dad texted a few times, reminding us that we needed the house “fucking spotless” before our housekeeper showed up today.
I threw all my anxiety and frustration into scrubbing the kitchen and throwing out beer cans with as much force as I used to throw a football on the field. Christian questioned my behavior, asking why I was so pissed when I’d spent the entire night with Piper, but I brushed him off.
My phone morphed into a heavy boulder in my hand every time I looked back at the text my father had sent. My father had to have suspected that I knew he wasn’t my real dad with as many times as I’d gone into their room.
I promised myself I’d deal with my own drama after Saturday, which was going to be a whole ordeal. My jaw snapped closed as I pushed the rising stress down. My throat was constricting, but I grabbed onto my backpack straps and continued walking down the hall.
I found her instantly. Piper was pulling books out of her locker as Hayley was leaning back with her foot propped up behind her. She was laughing at something Hayley had said and shaking those long locks out.
The stress was gone almost instantaneously. There she was. We hadn’t discussed what really laid between us. Though, Saturday night was a game changer. We were no longer dancing around hidden secrets and hushed truths. We weren’t teetering over the invisible line drawn between us.
We were simply us, and that was just how it was.
As I stood back and stared at her laughing and full of happiness, I didn’t really care if she wanted to pretend Saturday didn’t happen. That wasn’t an option any longer.
I was in this deep.
Hayley glanced up and moved her attention from me to my brother. She smiled shyly at Christian and mumbled something to Piper before pushing off the locker and coming over.
Piper’s head flew up and over to me, and I grabbed onto my backpack straps even tighter.
Hey there, Piper. Remember me?
Her eyes were wide as she froze in place. Her hand was still half inside her locker, resting on one of her books as her lips fell apart. I strode over to her, and even though everyone was pouring into the hallway, gathering their own books, it might as well have been only her in front of me.
“Hey,” I said, sliding up beside her. Piper straightened her shoulders at the last second and ran a hand down her plaid skirt. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and then continued gathering her books.
“Hey, what’s up?”
I held back a laugh as I rested my shoulder against the lockers. “Is that how you think this is gonna go?” Piper kept digging through her locker. Her bright cheeks were clearly evident, even through the fallen strands of her hair. “I don’t think so, Piper.”
She slowly brought her books to her chest and peered up at me with those forest-green eyes. I swore they grew even greener under the fluorescent lights.
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone already knows there’s something going on between us. You know that, right?”
She sucked her bottom lip in her teeth, and my eyes zeroed right in. I knew Piper was being innocent with her lip playing peek-a-boo in between her teeth, but I really wished she would stop. It was hot.
Piper moved her gaze around the hallway, and I knew without even looking up, that all eyes were on us. Which was perfect. Let them see me claim her.
“Everyone is looking at us,” she whispered as her head dipped. Piper wasn’t used to the attention. She was used to being on the sidelines, being nearly invisible. She liked it that way, too.
My hands dropped from my backpack, and they found her waist. I pulled her toward me. The only thing between us were her books that were clung tightly to her chest. “Good,” I whispered. “Let them see this.”
“See wh—”
My mouth was on hers in a flash. The clawing anxiety that had left its scratch marks on my back yesterday instantly healed. The softness of her lips, the warmness of her tongue—it did things to me. Things I couldn’t even put into words.
Once I pulled back, she gasped for air. Her eyes were wide, and that fire was burning ever so hot between us.
I reached up and tucked a stray hair behind Piper’s ear, and her eyes glistened. “That. That’s what I wanted them to see.”
A ghost of a smile fell on her lips. “People have seen you kiss a girl before, Ollie. What are you trying to prove to them?”
I cupped my hand around her cheek. “I’m not trying to prove anything to them, Piper. I’m trying to prove it to you.”
Piper didn’t mumble a single word, and I hated that I couldn’t tell what she was feeling. A bout of unease came over me. I’d never laid so much out on the line before. I’d never had a girlfriend. I had fucked girls, kissed them under the bleachers, and taken them in the locker room, but had a girlfriend? Never. It’d never even crossed my mind. Until now.
Piper waited a few more seconds before she reached up on her tiptoes and placed her lips on mine. It was a soft kiss, a chaste one, but when she pulled back and smiled, I was in awe.
She adjusted her books against her chest, and before she grabbed my hand and walked us over to our friends, she whispered, “I guess I just claimed you, too.”
Our fingers intertwined.
“But, Ollie?”
“Yeah?” I asked, glancing down at her.
“Don’t break my heart.”
Pride swelled in my chest. “Never.”
But as we walked hand and hand down the hall, the voice in the back of my head reminded me that Saturday was only a few days away.
I was going to break her heart. Just not in the way she thought.
The door to my bedroom slammed open, and I snapped my neck over to my brother. The room was lit by the lamp on my desk as I worked on a paper that was due three days ago. Thankfully, my charm had worked on Ms. Carpenter, because she let out an exasperated sigh behind a smile when I told her I’d have it turned in by tomorrow.
“We need to talk.” Christian strode into my room with his arms crossed over his chest. It’d been a while since he’d pulled the I’m-your-big-bro-and-our-dad-is-absent role. But here we were.
“What?” I mumbled, rereading the bullshit line I’d just written regarding the Republican Party.
“What is going on with you? Why are you avoiding Dad so much?”
I stilled, staring at the word Republican for so long it started to look wrong.
“Is it because of the races on Saturday? And yeah, let’s discuss that as well. Piper told Hayley that you said you’ve got it all under control. What exactly is your plan?”
For fuck’s sake. This was exactly why I didn’t want Christian involved. He needed to be in control at all times, and it was frustrating. For once, he just needed to leave me be.
Just as the thought came through, I regretted it. Christian was a good brother; he always had been, and he deserved better than having me as his brother. I couldn’t even be honest with him.
I placed my pen down and leaned back in my chair and acted relaxed. “Can you chill? I have everything under control. Tank is a little bitch, and he’s going to wish he never started these races in the first place.”
Christian propped himself along the wall and crossed his arms over h
is chest. “How long have you been racing?”
I fought to keep my eyes on him and my face unmoving. I shrugged. “A little while. I was bored.”
Christian pushed off the wall quickly, shaking his head. “That’s stupid fucking behavior. Imagine if you were to get caught! You could kiss that football scholarship—that we both know you’re getting—away.”
I said nothing, and he continued.
“And now, you’re stuck in a shitty situation without an out. How is this going to go on Saturday? What? You’re going to race one more time, Tank will get back the rest of the money if you win the race, and then…”
“Like I said, I have it under control.” My voice was beginning to rise. “For once, let me fix my own shit.”
His face flinched. “What does that mean?”
My desk chair flew backwards as I stood. “It means you can’t always swoop in and save me from reckless behavior. I know I’ve gotten myself in a stupid position. I fucking know Tank isn’t someone to mess around with. I’m not as immature and naive as you think, Christian.”
My voice was rising to higher octaves, and I could tell Christian was surprised. Shit, even I was surprised. I didn’t lose my temper, but lately, things were piling up, and I was at the bottom of the pile. Part of me wanted to tell him about our dad, but the other part knew I needed to hold onto the secret for just a little while longer. One thing at a time.
“Fine.” Christian dropped his gaze for a moment before leveling me with a glare. “But Dad is on his way home, just for the night, and he said to make sure you’re here. He wants to talk to you, and he said you keep avoiding him.”
Fuck.
My nostrils flared. “So, what? Are you gonna hold me down until he gets here?” I chuckled, dropping back into my chair.
“No,” he answered sharply. “It’s been you and me against the world since Mom died. I’m not changing that now, even though he’s trying to make amends. I’m not going to stop being there to protect you, even though you’re pushing me away. I know the feeling all too well.”
Christian: the king of shutting people out. I guess we did have something in common, even if not the same father.
“So, go now if you want to avoid him.”
If I left, I was weak. But if I stayed, I was stupid. I wasn’t prepared to deal with this right now. Not when I had Saturday to worry about. So, instead of being strong and facing this head-on, I walked over to my bed and snatched my keys, wallet, and phone.
Christian’s hand clamped down on my arm as I began to walk past him. “You know I’m always on your side, right?” His tone was almost pained.
I nodded once as I brushed past him.
I wanted to say more, or maybe even mutter an apology, but I couldn’t. Nothing would come out. I didn’t feel like myself. Stress was rising again, and I didn’t like that. I needed something to distract me, or at least to lessen the load. I needed someone to hold my feet on the ground until I started erasing my problems, one by one.
And there was only one person that came to mind.
Chapter Forty-One
Piper
I kept tossing and turning, my comfy duvet all bundled up in a heaping mess at the bottom of my bed, as I stopped myself from texting Ollie.
Monday passed by quickly, and by the end of the day, everyone in school knew that he and I were a thing. Rumors spread like wildfire; the cheerleaders all stared at me like curious kittens; teachers eyed me with that look in their eye that read, He’s gonna break your little heart. And maybe he would. Ollie’s reputation was stellar in most aspects, but he’d never ever been in a relationship. Then again, neither had I, so what did that say? But apparently, both Powell brothers being “taken” blew everyone's mind. It kind of blew mine, too. A few months ago, I’d never ever imagined I’d be kissed by Ollie Powell in the hallway, or the lunch room, or out in the courtyard before climbing in my car to drive home, but here I was, living the dream.
At this point, part of my life was a dream and the other part a nightmare.
The mere thought of Saturday gave me goosebumps.
Tank gave me a bad feeling. His dark, wandering eyes and pitch of his voice loomed in the back of my head anytime I started to relax. Jason had never left my mind. Even when I was angry with him after I found him in Tank’s bathroom, I was still worried about him. I wasn’t sure what Saturday would bring. Would there be no hard feelings between my brother and Tank after the money was paid back? That just didn’t sound right to me. Tank was a bad guy. I didn’t trust him.
I did trust Ollie, though, and for now, that was enough.
Grabbing my phone, I lay back on my pillows and scrolled through my text messages.
I smiled, re-reading the ones from Ollie, but grimaced at the ones with my parents.
They’d texted over the weekend, asking if I’d received my college acceptance letters yet.
I hadn’t, but I did end up sending them a picture of me and Hayley in our dresses before we went to the winter formal.
Neither one of them responded.
I glanced at the picture, making sure it had sent. It had.
The innocent girl inside of me that longed for attention from her parents was still buried underneath the fiercely independent girl I was now, and she was hurt.
A depressed breath left me as I pulled my phone in close, pushing the pain away, and then I placed it on the side of my table and put my back to it.
As soon as my eyes closed, my phone vibrated on the table. My eyes flew open, and I turned back around and grabbed it.
Ollie.
It was like he knew I was upset.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey.” Ollie’s voice was hushed, but I could hear the rumble of his Charger in the background.
“Hi,” I said, trying to hold back a smile.
“Your parents aren’t home, right?”
A hot trickle of anticipation rained over my head. “Right. It’s just me.”
Ollie answered quickly. “Good, I’m pulling up. Come hang out with me.”
Sitting up in bed, I pushed my hair behind my ears and climbed out of my bed. Bright orbs of light shone through the limbs of the tree outside of my balcony, and I smashed my lips together to control my excitement. “Let me get dressed, and I’ll be right down!”
Ollie’s voice dipped. “Let you get dressed? What exactly are you wearing?”
I rolled my eyes, shoving my pj shorts down. “I’m wearing my pjs, you perv.”
He laughed and then hung up the phone. I shook my head, smiling, as I continued to pull my skinny jeans on and an old soup kitchen volunteer t-shirt over my head.
The rumble of his car purred when I opened the front door and disarmed the alarm. His maroon Charger’s hood glistened from the light of the moon, and when I pulled open the door and saw Ollie leaning back in the driver’s seat with his hat on backwards, I fought a grin. Butterflies swarmed my belly. Being near Ollie suddenly had me feeling like I was on top of the world. I couldn’t believe I’d pretended to hate him for so long. Time was robbed from me.
“Hey,” I said shyly, sliding into the passenger side. The door slammed shut, and Ollie’s hand was suddenly wrapping around my face. He brought my lips to his and kissed me like he hadn’t seen me in years.
My back arched, my chest puffing out to hit his. I almost climbed over the center console just to be closer to him, but he let go at the last minute.
He sent a look my way that made me shiver. “Sorry, I just really needed to kiss you.”
I smiled. My cheeks felt like hot embers from a burning fire. “Don’t be sorry.”
He placed his hand on the stick shift. His sharp jaw was all I could focus on. “I didn’t call you for a booty call, though. That’s not what this is.”
Part of me was disappointed. “Then, what is this?”
He smiled in my direction, and I swore, even though it was pitch black out besides the glow of the moon, I felt like I was touched by the sun it
self. Ollie’s smile was my favorite thing about him. “I’m taking you out. What do you want to eat? What’s your favorite food?” He sighed and shook his head. “I feel like I should know this about you.”
I laughed and put my seatbelt on, hearing it click into place. “We know all the nitty-gritty details about each other, not the light and fluffy stuff that most people learn while in a relationship.”
He smirked as he crept onto the main road. “And that’s exactly why we already have an advantage in this. No hidden secrets.”
His smile fell briefly, but it was back before I could dissect it. “Now tell me, what’s your favorite food?”
I laughed, looking out the window. “Well…”
He gave me a side glance. “Don’t tell me.”
“What?” I giggled again.
“Fucking chicken nuggets?”
A loud laugh came from me as he grinned. “Did Hayley get you stuck on those? She did, didn’t she?”
I nodded, relaxing into the seat. “What can I say? They’re good.”
“I had never seen two girls eat so much before that night.”
Ollie was referring to the night that Hayley got attacked at a football game. He and I rushed to the nearest pharmacy, and we spent over one hundred dollars on medical supplies in an attempt to clean her wounds. That was one night he and I had worked together instead bickering back and forth.
“Do you remember that night?” he asked, driving down the road.
I checked my phone and made sure I didn’t have any missed calls from my parents. After the party at Ollie’s on Saturday, I began checking my house for cameras, too. It wouldn’t have surprised me if my parents started putting cameras up in our house to see if Jason was snooping around. I didn’t find any, but I was still a little paranoid.
I came out of my thoughts, putting my phone back down. “Of course I remember that night. It was terrifying. It scared me to see Hayley like that.”
Ollie nodded as he turned his blinker on. The sound of some band was drumming through his speakers. “I was in awe of you that night.”