“Really?” I’d forgotten about that. Gabe’s graphic novel and the subsequent movie has been a massive hit. They’re traveling constantly for promotion.
“Yeah.” He deposits the trash can on the corner and brushes off his hands. The impact of how crappy my night has turned out starts to take its toll. Or maybe it’s the punch hitting me all of a sudden, but hot, angry tears prick at my eyes. “You okay?”
“No, I’m not okay. I have no ride. I can’t go home. You ruined my shot with Spencer.” I sway on my feet. “I may be a little drunk.”
“You can’t go home?”
“Not unless I want to get into a lot of trouble.”
Ben stares at me for a minute before grimacing and running his hand through his hair. “Do you want to stay with me?”
I laugh. “No, I don’t.”
“I don’t think you have much choice and neither do I. I can’t leave you out on the street or send you home by yourself in an Uber. Your sister and mother would kill me. My mother would kill me.” He exhales. “But I also know what it’s like to make stupid decisions.”
Ben had always been a screw-up; something that, as a kid, I thought was kind of awesome. It always made me feel better that I wasn’t the only one.
“For the record,” I say, walking over to him. “I didn’t make a stupid decision. You ruined my plan.”
He starts down the driveway and I follow him. “Your plan was the bad decision. Trust me, I know one when I see it.”
I sway, and he lunges to catch me. “How much did you drink?”
“Not much but it can have a bad reaction with my medication.”
He frowns and wraps his arm around my shoulder, stabilizing me. “Oh, Liv, what are we going to do with you?”
I lean against him, surprised at how familiar and warm he feels. “That’s the million-dollar question, let me know when you figure it out.”
3
Ben
The guest cottage is tucked into the corner of the property. The downstairs is a pool house—the upstairs an actual apartment. The main house is owned by a friend of my father’s. After the last year of living at home for my gap year, it was heavily suggested I take the job—and the place to live.
The apartment is small; one bedroom with a living room, small kitchen, and bath.
“How long have you been staying here?” she asks, looking around the space.
“A few weeks. I’ll be here all summer, though.”
I can’t help but compare her to Norah, especially since it’s been a while since I’ve seen her. They’ve always favored one another in hair color and skin tone, but Olivia is taller, more athletic. She’s blonde but her hair is wavy and long. It’s less out of control than Norah’s. Her eyes are a blue and unable to hide emotion. Earlier, angry and spitting fire, I could feel every ounce of her wrath.
Also, somewhere along the way, she transformed into a knock-out.
Which could be the reason for my overreaction with that punk earlier. Olivia has always been like a kid sister. An annoying, bratty, weird, kid sister. Seeing her close to that kid and listening to him ply her with lines? Something in me snapped.
“So the gap year,” she asks, “what’s that all about?”
“It just seemed like a good idea to hold back on college for a year.”
She shakes her head. “Not for me. I need out of my house and Ocean Grove. It’s just too…”
“Small? Stifling? Limiting? Familiar?”
She smiles for the first time all night. “All of the above.”
“Yeah, it can feel that way. Sometimes it’s hard to breathe.”
“Right?” She frowns. “Then why are you still here?”
I shrug. I don’t want to tell her that my parents are the ones that suggested the gap year. I wanted to go to college but my grades were bad, and by the time I figured out what I needed to do it was too late. They thought I needed a year to grow up.
She yawns and says, “Where do you want me to sleep?”
“Take the bed. I’ll stay out here.”
“I can sleep on the couch,” she protests.
I shake my head. “Go to bed, Liv. I’ve got some things to do pretty early in the morning, I’ll take you home then.”
“Thank you for letting me stay.”
I wave her off and she heads to the bedroom, shutting the door with a click. I grab a blanket off the back of the couch and stretch out. The sounds of the party rage on for a while longer and the backyard lights flicker on the ceiling. The longer I’m awake the more I wonder if I made a mistake letting Olivia stay. I’m already in hot water with my parents over my plans for next year. Norah and Gabe are pretty upset about it, too. They’d offered me a job working with them at the conventions, but I didn’t want to mooch off them. They’re also planning their wedding and the last thing I want is to get caught up in that.
When we were kids Olivia was just the weird, annoying, younger sister. If she wasn’t following us around on her own, our parents made us hang out with her. She was kind of goofy. Always wearing hats or strange clothes. She had her own personality, but she also always seemed on the edge of a meltdown or something. During middle school she went through an emo phase that seemed dramatic, but pretty standard for thirteen-year-old girls. Later, Norah told me she has anxiety and depression. While we were all enjoying life, she went through a really bad, dark period.
That emo tween was nowhere to be found tonight. She’s no longer a kid at all. She’s grown up a lot in the last couple of years, some probably from what she went through.
I tug the blanket up and roll to my side, closing my eyes to shut out the light, and hope I didn’t make a mistake letting Olivia stay.
4
Olivia
I feel awful in the morning, less hungover and more embarrassed. The warm masculine scent lingering on the sheets is just a reminder of who and what waits out in the living room.
Maybe I can sneak out.
I get out of bed, grabbing my dress and shoes. I’d found an old Ocean Grove High T-shirt in Ben’s drawer and a pair of drawstring athletic shorts that bunched at the waist.
I catch sight of myself in the mirror over the dresser and wince. Black makeup is smeared under my eyes. My hair, no matter how much I finger comb it, it’s wild and unkempt. I look like a mess. I am a mess. Last night proves it, and if my mom finds out, any progress I’ve made toward gaining some independence will be gone.
Taking a deep breath, I carefully and quietly open the door. I tip-toe across the room, avoiding the lump of blankets on the couch and get to the door.
“Going somewhere?”
“Ahh!” I yelp. “What the—”
I turn and see Ben leaning against his kitchen counter, giving me a chastising look. He sips on a cup of coffee, and I can’t help but notice that his blue shirt brings out his eyes, and the worn jeans he’s wearing sit perfectly on his hips.
“Coffee?”
“No, thank you.”
“Sleep okay?”
“Fine.” Great, actually. His bed was comfortable and the smell. What kind of body wash is that?
He grabs his keys. “If you’re ready, let’s go.”
The morning air is brisk, and it cools some of the heat off my face. He points me in the direction of the garage. He pushes a button on his key fob and the door opens, revealing a large silver pick-up.
“Is that yours?” I ask. The last I remember, he was driving around in a beat-up, hand-me-down Prius.
“Yeah.”
The truck is big, and I have to step on the foot rail to get in the passenger seat. The inside is nice, leather with a modern dash. “Isn’t this a little extreme?” I say as he backs up. “You’re not a construction worker or whoever it is that needs a truck.”
He angles the car down the long driveway. “It was an impulse decision. One of many in the last twelve months.” He looks over at me. “But, if you need to know, I do use it for work.”
When we get to the end
of the driveway, evidence of the party last night remains. Trash litters the yard. A few cars are still parked along the curb. I search and see that Nicole’s car is still there.
“Wait,” I say, thinking maybe I can just leave with her. Ben slows, and I realize that Nicole is standing on the curb, squeezed between two cars. She looks more worn out than I do. Ryan is with her and behind him? Spencer.
They all look up at the same time; their expressions blank at first, then shifting when they recognize me. Nicole’s eyes widen when she takes in Ben in the driver’s seat. Spencer looks confused.
“Forget it,” I blurt. “Drive!”
Ben mutters under his breath, but he picks up speed. Nicole gives me a double thumbs up as we pass. I exhale and sink into the leather seat, watching the multi-million-dollar homes go by, trying to figure out how everything went so off-course in the last twenty-four hours. We exit the gate, and Ben drives through the town of Ocean Beach.
“Do those kids go to your school?” he asks as we pass familiar landmarks. Davie’s, the Creamery, Pie Whole, and Bazinga!
“No. I met Spencer and Nicole in my group.”
He frowns. “Group?”
“Therapy.” I roll my eyes. “I go twice a week. It’s a stipulation for me going back to public school.”
“Oh right, you went to that private school. I forgot.”
Private school is a little generous. Freaks and Geeks High is what I like to call it. Mostly a home-school-school for kids who can’t function at the regular public school. After things went off the rails, my parents decided managing the stress of a normal school was too much for me.
“Yeah, I’m done with that. Mom and Dad said I could do my senior year at Ocean Grove High.”
He smiles. “Ah, my alma mater. I hope you’re not disappointed. It’s not that great.”
I snort. “My school had ten kids per grade, each one more weird than the next. I’m ready to just blend in with the crowd.”
“You?” he says, glancing at me. “You’ve never been the blending in kind of person.”
I’m not sure what that means, and I don’t really want to know. Thankfully, he turns into my neighborhood. Well, really our neighborhood. His parents' house is a few blocks away.
“After this summer, what are you going to do?” I ask him.
“I have a few things I’m working on.”
“Well that’s vague.”
“My Dad wants me to go work for him or apply to the community college, but I’ve been building a side hustle that’s starting to make money. I like working for myself.”
He doesn’t say anything else. He pulls onto my street, and I grab his forearm. “Stop here. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”
“You sure?”
I snort. “You want to answer all the questions my mom is going to have if she sees you dropping me off?”
He smiles, knowing the fallout would be swift. Not only would my mom have questions, but she’d call his mom, and in a matter of minutes we’d both be under the firing squad. “Good point.”
I reach for the door handle. “Thanks for letting me stay, even if you screwed up my chances with Spencer.”
His eyes briefly cloud. “Take care, Liv, it was good to see you.”
I hop out of the truck and walk down the sidewalk, headed toward home. Ben turns the truck around and drives off. I can still hear the rumble of the engine long after he’s turned off the street.
It’s still early and the lights are off at my house. Hopefully everyone is asleep. I circle around back and use my key to get in the door off the kitchen, opening and closing it slowly and quietly. I exhale and turn to head up the stairs.
“Morning, sweetheart.”
I nearly jump out of my skin at the sound of my mother’s voice. The light flips on and I see her standing by the kitchen counter. My mind races, a million excuses forming at once, but the look on her face tells me it’s too late.
I’m busted.
“Before you make things worse, I already know you didn’t spend the night with Nicole. Nicole who is also not your classmate but from group.” The look of disappointment on her face is crystal clear. “Care to tell me where you were last night?”
My heart pounds in my chest, lies forming and disappearing. I can’t tell her the truth about the party, Spencer, or even Ben. So I clamp my mouth shut and tell her nothing.
That flips her calm demeanor off and her angry mom attitude on.
“You forgot your medicine last night. I looked up Nicole’s mom’s number to see if I could bring it over. She was really surprised to hear from me because she was under the impression Nicole was sleeping here.” She gives me a chance to say something, anything. My skin itches, my heart races, I know I should just tell the truth—tell her something—but I can’t. My tongue ties with anxiety. Panic. She recognizes this and sighs in frustration. “I thought you were ready for a little more freedom, but obviously I was wrong.”
“What?” I blurt, a different kind of panic taking over. “No, Mom. It was just a stupid night.”
“I’m trying to trust you.” She holds up the bottle of pills. “You forgot to take these, you lied, and you come home in…” her eyes sweep over Ben’s clothes, “honestly, I’m not sure I even want to know.”
“I’m allowed to make mistakes,” I say.
“After the last two years of therapy, schools, medication and everything else, I don’t feel like we can take the risk of you making mistakes like this.” Her jaw sets. “If you really want to go to public school this year, then you have to prove to me you’re ready.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Fine.”
“Since I had time waiting for you to come home, I made a list of a few requirements for the summer.” She hands me a sheet of paper.
Take your meds.
Do something out of the house daily.
Attend group.
No more Nicole. Make some safe, healthy friends.
“No more Nicole?” Another wave of upset hits me. “She’s my only friend!”
“Then it’s time to make some new friends. Some positive, functional friends. Maybe some that go to Ocean Grove High.”
Tears prick at my eyes. They’re hot, angry, and sad. “This is so unfair. You pulled me out of the public school in the first place, then sent me to that tiny school full of freaks and geeks. Now you won’t let me be friends with the one person I like to be around.”
“You’re not talking to me, Olivia. We’ve been over this a million times. Lying gets you in more trouble than telling the truth and dealing with the problem head on. You still haven’t told me where you were or who you were with. Don’t make me feel guilty about trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection!” My voice cracks. “And I lie about stuff because it’s easier than you hovering all the time and being all up in my business. I need you to just let me live my life and have the freedom to make mistakes and do stupid stuff.”
She stares at me, eyes watery and flitting past my arms. She’s looking for scars. New and old. She’s scared. I’m angry. It just goes round and round, a ride neither of us can get off of.
I crumple the paper in my hand and throw it across the kitchen, hitting the oven and dropping to the floor before I storm out of the room.
5
Olivia
When my dad has left for work and my mom is in the backyard watering the garden, I try to call Nicole. She doesn’t pick up or answer my text. I figure she’s probably in trouble, too.
I change out of Ben’s clothes, stashing them in my closet. Who knows when I’ll see him again and it’s not like I can drop them off at his parents' house or where he’s staying.
Ben Rowland. With everything that went on last night, seeing Ben is probably the strangest.
My phone buzzes on my desk and I hop up, hoping it’s Nicole.
It’s Norah.
N: What’s going on? Mom is freaking.
O: Nothing. I went to a party. Stayed
with a friend.
N: Tell her that.
O: Nope.
N: Half the problem is you never letting her in, Liv. Stop being stubborn.
I shut off my phone. The last person I need a lecture from is Norah.
When it’s time to go to group, I emerge from my room and ask, “Can I ride my bike or am I too untrustworthy to do that?”
She ignores the sarcasm. “Just be home right after, okay?”
If I wasn’t in so much trouble already, I’d ditch group. The last person I want to face is Spencer, and since I haven’t heard back from her, I’m nervous about seeing Nicole. Who knows how much trouble she got in when she went home.
The group is held at the community center a few blocks away from the pier. There are usually about five kids in the group. Right now it’s me, Spencer, Nicole, a boy named Avi, and another girl, Layla. We’re all in the group to deal with depression and anxiety. Some of us have it worse than others, but we’re all bad enough to need a group twice a week.
I park my bike on the rack outside, not seeing Nicole’s car. I do see Spencer’s car. It’s an SUV and brand new. The blue Academy parking sticker is mounted on the left corner of his windshield. I try to settle my nerves and walk inside.
“Hi, Olivia,” Maya says, greeting me as I walk in. As much as I hate group, I do like Maya. She’s nice and pretty. Young, but she’s been through a lot. She lived at the Girls' Home by the Sea when her father had to go to rehab. She lucked out meeting Christian during a summer job at the ice cream shop. They’ve been together ever since.
“Hi,” I reply. “Need any help setting up?”
“I think we’re good. I brought some ice cream sandwiches, though. They’re in the cooler by the table. Grab one and we’ll get started in a minute. Oh,” she says, holding out a bucket, “phone, please.”
I pull my phone out of my pocket and put it in the container. There’s a no-phone rule during group. I walk in the main room and see the cooler by the table. Spencer and Avi are sitting on the blue couches. Layla sits across from them in an armchair. There’s a whole cozy thing going on in the room. I think Maya wants it to help make us feel comfortable, instead of sitting in hard metal chairs or something. I don’t know if it works.
Olivia and the Older Boy: Young Adult Sweet Romance (Love in Ocean Grove Book 5) Page 2