Forever Love

by Jade Whitfield

  ***

  Annabelle's is a cute coffee shop with a homely feel to it. All the couches are brown leather and the tables are a dark oak wood. The walls are a deep maroon red with dark wood paneling the same as the tables on the bottom half of the wall. Overall it’s a pretty nice place, now just to see if the coffee tastes like piss or not. I so hope it isn't, I'm desperate for a good cup of coffee and can see myself chucking the cup at the server if it tastes like shit. There's a tall brunette a couple years older than me standing behind the counter chewing gum. She's pretty in a plain sorta way and I can tell a mile off that I'm not gonna like her. With the way she puffs her ironing board chest out upon seeing Noah and looking at him like he's her next meal, I'm about ready to kill a bitch. I'm not even gonna think about the reasons for those feelings.

  "Well hello there. Welcome to Anabelles, what can I get you today?" The bitch doesn’t even acknowledge me or my Dad, her entire attention is focused on Noah and his dickwad friend.

  My Dad, oblivious as always to the happenings around him, doesn’t even notice the bitches snub and proceeds to put our order in.

  We sit down at a table near the back so as to avoid the draft from the door, it's pretty chilly considering it's only the end of August.

  "So kids, today's Friday and it’s the last weekend of Summer before school starts. What're the plans?" My Dad rubs his hands together in excitement as if he's gonna join in.

  There's no way I'm staying in tonite. I eyed a club on the next town over so I'm gonna grab my fake ID and head over there.

  "Well Mr P, we got a party to go to tonight. It's gonna be awesome."

  "Oh I remember the High School parties when I was your age. Aaah those were the days. Hey, why don’t you take Liv with you? You can help her settle in."

  "I'm sitting right here, you know. Maybe I don’t wanna go to some stinking party. Maybe I don’t like parties."

  "Liv I do not live in a bubble, I know you used to party in Atlanta."

  Im sure he doesn’t know the shit I used to get up to at parties, if he did, he'd be locking me up in the basement. His naivete astounds me. What kind of responsible father encourages his teenage daughter to party? Hey, I'm not complaining, I'm just wondering what his angle is. Maybe he does live in a bubble.

  "This is super weird, I hope you know that you're encouraging me to go out and get drunk."

  "Don’t be silly, Liv. Noah and Brady don’t go to those sort of parties. There are no drink and drugs and it's really more of a get together. Isn't that right boys?"

  Looking at Noah and Dickwad, I realize they’ve completely pulled the wool over his eyes. I'd be impressed if I wasn’t so pissed at being nestled with dumb and dumber on a Friday night.

  "Yes Mr P, it's just a get together for all our friends."

  I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed by my own father.

  "Don’t worry Liv, we'll take good care of you. No need to be nervous." Noah says with that cocky smirk on his face that I'm tempted to wipe right off.

  I glare at him as his smirk grows. This asshole is so gonna pay for this. I don’t doubt that he can tell I've already got plans, I'll just make sure his get ruined as well.

  I start forming a plan in my head. I could get totally wasted, come home steaming and then their whole cover story will be blown to shit. That could mess up any future plans I might have so that’s a no go.

  At that moment, the bitch from the counter comes swaying her hips towards us. I'm pretty sure they have servers for that shit.

  "Here's your drinks. Can I get you anything else?" She bats her eyelashes at Noah, causing me to roll my eyes. Those shit moves are so nineties, nobody does that shit anymore.

  "Have you got something in your eye?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "Your eye. Have you got something in your eye?" I say as if talking to a child, while pointing to my own eye for effect.

  Bitch doesn’t even know what to say, next time she should keep her fluttering eyelashes to her fucking self. I watch as she storms off, hopefully embarrassed. Some girls really need to learn some self respect. I don’t get where in the world they got that making yourself available and flirting like you’re a damn ho would bag you a man. I know I sound hypocritical but guys come to me, not the other way round.

  Noah gives a smile, not a smirk or a cocky grin but a real smile. I think it’s the first real nice smile I've seen on him. Shit, I think I'm about have a heart attack. I swear my heart just dropped in my chest. Maybe I should go to the hospital or some shit and I swear it feels like my stomachs doing backflips.

  "Liv, you ok?" My Dad asks, concern all over his face.

  In that moment, I swear I nearly faint from shock. No it can't be, can it? No way, Olivia Preston does not get fucking butterlies. Nuh-uh. No way. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

  "I'm good." I'm well aware that my voice comes out like an out of tune clarinet as my Dad gives me a puzzled look.

  ***

  It's an hour until we're leaving for the party and I'm shaved, buffed, bronzed and whatever the fuck else I've spent the last hour doing. Upon leaving the coffee shop, I realized I only really had two choices concerning this party. Either I dress demurely and try not the bring much attention to myself which is a feat in itself, or I bring out the big guns and get that fucker Noah out my damn mind. I've only had a few interactions with the guy so I don’t get how he's so thoroughly got under my skin. Of course I decided to go with the latter choice. I'm no shrinking violet and I'm damn proud of it.

  So here I am standing in front of my closet, I've now got most of clothes and shoes unpacked and in their places. I've never been one to go to a huge effort, never needed to but fuck if I don’t wanna breeze into this party and make myself known. Saves walking into my new school Monday morning and having to deal with all the whispers and stares then, might as well get the bullshit out of the way.

  I search through my clothes, maybe I need to have another sort through because there's no way I'm gonna fit any more clothes in here, it's pretty much bursting as it is. I notice my baby blue strapless A line dress and immediately pull it out. Its perfect, not too slutty, not too safe and of course the color really brings out my eyes. I pair it with my Michael Kors beige patent wedges. If I was going to a club, I'd wear a pair of my huge fuck me heels but theyre a bit much for a high school party.

  I pull out my make up and bag and settle on a silver shimmer eye shadow with a little mascara and some subtle pink colored Estee Lauder lip gloss. My long blond usually wavy hair is in big bouncy curls that lie over my shoulders and down my back. I gotta be honest, I look hot. Hell, I'd do me.

  I shoot a text off to Trina. After telling her this morning about last night with Noah, the girl was damn near tears. Of course she thought fireworks were gonna go off. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found her camping outside with a video camera ready to catch the drama and put it on YouTube.

  Going 2 party. Hope u don’t miss me 2 much ;)

  I straight away get a text back.

  Lucky bitch. Way 2 boring round here without u :( I want details 2morrow

  I knew it. Damn girl watches way too much reality television, thinks drama's round every corner.

  As I sit on my bed and pull my shoes on, there's a knock at the door. I glance at my phone, we're due to leave in ten minutes. I open the door, on the way checking myself out in the mirror. Noah's standing there in a dark blue Henley shirt, it shows off his muscular arms to perfection. His hair is styled in that just fucked look that looks as if some lucky bitch has been running her hands through it. His jeans are snug in all the right places and his green eyes sparkle as usual. The guy is piece of art.

  He looks at me with what I can only describe as pure hunger. I know that look, I've been faced with that look from far too many guys, for far too long to not know it. His eyes linger on my long tanned legs, my wedges make them look a mile long.

  "Your not wearing that." What. The. Fuck.

  "Excuse me." I don’t care how h
ot a guy is and I don’t give a fuck if he gives me butterflies and some shit that I've never had before, he is not telling me what to do, much less what to wear. Not even my Dad could get away with that shit.

  "You can't go out like that." If I wasn’t so confident that I look fucking hot, I'd be damn insulted.

  "Listen asshole, don’t tell me what I can or can't wear. Hell, if I wanna go out in a fucking garbage bag, that’s up to me."

  "Fucks sake. Come on."

  Well that settles that then. I think I've definitely won this round.

  I grab my purse, shoving my phone and lip gloss in it and the proceed to follow Noah down the stairs. I notice who I now know is called Brady, though I think Dickwad suits him much better, standing by the front door. Man, he's like a yappy dog waiting for his walk. There's no sign of my Dad or Pam which I'm thankful for. I cant work out that asshole Noahs problem. Why would he have a problem with what I'm wearing?

  "Looking hot blondie." I give dickwad AKA Brady a thankful smile. Atleast some fuckers round here know to appreciate when something looks damn good.

  I'm not sure why Noah's reaction bothers me all that much, must be to do with the butterflies and shit. This stuff is so new to me, I wish I knew how to make it stop. I've had myself blocked off to members of the opposite sex for so long, apart from in bed of course, that I don’t know what to make of these feelings and shit. Maybe it's just a case of want what you can't have. Guys have always been so available to me. They're always chasing me and trying to woo me, I've never had to go out on the prowl. Now there's a hot guy living right under my nose in the same fucking house as me, I'm itching to play with him and he's the one person in this world I can't. Firstly, he's apparently my step brother, which doesn’t really bother me. It's not like we're related or we grew up together or anything but there's also the whole drama of living together, things could get way weird way fast. Plus I'm an avid believer in you don’t shit on your own doorstep and concerning Noah, that would be literal. Well not quite but you get my drift.

  Must be all the stress of moving. Yeah that’s it or maybe I just need to get laid. I know its only been a few days since but stress tends to bring out the friskiness in me.

  As we walk out the door I notice the most kickass car I've ever seen, sitting in the driveway right behind my Mini, which incidentally is still full of stuff that needs to be unpacked. Now I'm no car nut but I know a fucking great car when I see one.

  "Holy shit." I say while walking around it. It’s a three door metallic blue car with two silver stripes over the bonnet. "What type of car is this?" I'm guessing from the smug look on Noah's face that it's his car, which is weird seeing as though I didn’t see it yesterday when I got here. Then again, he was busy with the redhead.

  "A 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1."

  I give him a genuine smile, maybe it's repaying the one he offered me earlier. I don’t often give out real smiles, the car must be turning me soft. Yeah, it's definitely the car. Noah's whole face lights up, his pearly white teeth making a show, they're just as perfect as the rest of him,

  He opens the drivers side door and pulls the seat forward for me to get in, which I do carefully, holding the skirt of my dress down. I don’t wanna be showing anyone all my goods now, do I? The inside of the car is just as awesome as the outside with blue and gray leather seats. Its no fake leather shit either, you can feel the quality in them.

  I gotta be honest, the car is a pleasant surprise. I was expecting some SUV like everyone else seems to be driving nowadays. It's nice to know he has a personality to go with those looks, because there's no way he can have a car like this and not have a personality to match.

  Chapter 5

  Noah

  The minute she opened her bedroom door and I saw her, I knew that I was fucked. Man, I'm gonna be spending all night beating guys off with a fucking stick, or my fists. Brady, the dick, has been mooning over her all day. I've more than once had to remind him that he has a fucking girlfriend. A few threats to tell Cindy all about his little opinions and the fucker soon shut his pie hole. I don’t know the moment it happened, it might have been when she was giving that waitress sass, it might have been when she told me to fuck off when I told her to change, but it feels different.

  I'm used to girls clinging to me at school, I rarely date, I don’t see the point. I'm a love em and leave em kinda guy and I'm much too young to be tied to some chick. This girl is something else though, she's like the whole package. She doesn’t agree with everything I say just because I shoot her a megawatt smile, she doesn’t trip over herself to please me. Her sass and smart mouth don’t irritate me like they would from someone else, if anything, they turn me the fuck on. And the look of awe that was on her face when she saw my car, that just sealed the deal. Usually girls don’t have a fucking clue or they pretend to care, pretend that they're interested in my car cause they think it will get them on my dick. I can tell a fake ass girl a mile away though, this girl's too real.

  I don’t know what I'm gonna do tonight, with her looking like that. There isn't one blemish on her perfectly tanned skin. Her dress isnt slutty or anything but theres no way she isn't gonna be the center of attention at this party. Man, she could turn up in a sack and she'd still look a million bucks. This is a small town, we don’t get many new people here. There's only the one high school and we haven't had a newbie since fucking middle school, as soon as the guys see her they're gonna be all over her. There's also some real nasty pieces of work bitches, they'll take one look at Liv with her golden curls and bright turquoise eyes and they'll be ready to take her down. They all travel in packs as well, so she doesn’t stand a chance. It's not like I can claim her publicly, shit I've never even considered claiming a girl before, she's technically my step sister and until I know how I wanna play this thing I wanna keep my feelings to myself.

  As I drive through the neighborhood to Tuckers party, I notice Brady giving me a knowing smirk. Guys been my best friend all my life, he probably knows me better than I know me but I'd never let him know that shit.

  "So, is Cindy coming to the party?" That soon wipes the smirk off his face.

  "Yeah, she's meeting us there."

  I can see Liv in the rearview mirror playing on her phone and it’s the first time I've considered that she might have a boyfriend. Well, that's a sure fire way for me to wreck this car. I need to tread carefully with this but I need to know whether or not there's a guy out there I've somehow gotta get rid off. I'd never usually go after another guys girl but Liv is a different story altogether.

  I get out the car, pulling my seat forward and holding my hand out to help Liv get out. She straightens herself out. I wait for her because I don’t want her to feel intimidated, plus she doesn’t know anyone else here. Brady the inconsiderate fuck has already gone, probably looking for his girl.

  "Travers, who's the hottie?"

  Chris Lyons, our wide receiver comes waltzing up to us, giving Liv the once over that has me balling my fists. I already hate the guy as it is, he's really not helping his case. Fucking idiot's gone and drawn attention to us, not that that wouldn’t have happened anyway with the way Liv looks but still.

  He holds his hand out to her and I'm about ready to yank his arm off.

  "Im Chris."

  "Liv." Her tones clipped which goes some way in calming me down, I don’t know what I'd do if she was interested. I feel as if I'm losing my damn mind as it is. His eyes widen upon hearing her name.

  "The stepsister, Brady mentioned you but he didn’t say you look like that." I'm gonna kill Brady, motherfucker.

  Liv's standing next me so I can feel her tense up straight away. I've never been so attuned to somebody before, hell I've never been attuned to anybody ever.

  "And what do I look like?"

  "Well......um.......you're hot...." I nearly burst out laughing at Chris's stuttering, he obviously isn't used to girls answering him back.

  She tsks, giving him an evil glare before walking round hi
m, the girl definitely has attitude and I love it. Inside the party, there's hardly enough room to breathe. Fucking everyone In this damn town must be here without how jam packed this house is. I plaster Liv to my side, not wanting to lose her in here because there's a chance I might never find her.

  We've come a bit later since Liv took her sweet time getting ready. Fuck knows what she was doing, she looked perfect beforehand if you ask me. I eye Brandy in the corner of the room and duck my head, I definitely don’t want to be seeing that bitch anytime soon. I grab Livs hand to keep ahold of her and it feels as if tiny electrical currents are running up my arm. I felt it when I touched her yesterday, shit was that only yesterday. Anyway, I thought it was a fluke then, some kind of static or something but it seems not. My stomachs spinning in circles and my dicks hardening with her this close to me. I can smell her perfume from here, smells sweet and flowery. It's subtle as well, most girls practically bathe in the stuff.

  I pull Liv into the kitchen which is thankfully less crowded. Brady's standing in here sucking face with his girl and I pull Liv over to them. He detaches himself long enough to notice us standing there.

  "What the hell took you so long? Was beginning to think you got lost."

  "Who the fuck are all these people?"

  "Fuck if I know, Tucker mentioned a few people were coming from the next town over."

  Cindy unglues herself from Brady's side and gives me a look. I don’t know what the hell that’s about. She eyes my girl and it clicks. Wait, my girl? What the fuck?

  "Oh shit, sorry. Cindy this is Liv, Liv this is Cindy, Brady's girlfriend. Though what the fuck she sees in this douche is anyones guess."

  Brady slugs me in the arm as Cindy giggles. She's a nice girl and she's definitely a good match for Brady.

  "Oh my god, I love your dress. Oh and you're fucking gorgous." Shes also a little over excitable.

  "Um thanks, I like yours too." I've noticed that Liv gets a little uncomfortable around affection.