Olivia and the Older Boy: Young Adult Sweet Romance (Love in Ocean Grove Book 5)

by Anna Catherine Field

  “It was really nice of Ben to invite you to tag along tonight,” she says, cruising up the hill past the mansions. Her commentary doesn’t make things better. “Make sure you thank him.”

  I snort. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to show him my appreciation.”

  She drives past the house where I went to the party to meet Spencer, and I feel guilt inching up my spine. Another wave rolls over me as she turns into Ben’s driveway. There’s so much my mother doesn’t know about me and it weighs heavy at times. Like now. She’d be upset if she knew the time I’d spent here. We hadn’t done more than kiss but she’d feel a betrayal—probably more from Ben than myself. I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done, just how I’ve handled it.

  But like every other time, the words get stuck in my throat, lodged with anxiety and discomfort.

  “This is a nice place,” she says, craning her head to look behind the house to the guest cottage.

  “Thanks for the ride,” I say, opening the door. The warm summer air greets me.

  “Don’t pester your sister.”

  I open my mouth to retort but stop myself. I’m a kid. Just a kid. Lucky to have been invited at all. I age-appropriately roll my eyes and say, “I’ll try,” before slamming the door shut.

  The sound of music and laughter greets me as I walk around the garage and back to the pool. The patio and deck are decorated as nice or nicer than my home and it’s pretty awesome the owners let Ben use it while they’re gone. There’s a circular stone fire pit under the open porch and soft-looking couches. Closer to the pool are padded lounge chairs and brightly colored umbrellas. It feels like we’re at a resort—not someone’s home.

  My eyes slide past the furnishings and I stop short, surprised to see that it’s not just my sister and Gabe. Other people are here; their friend Tyler from school who is standing over a table of food with his arm around another guy—I’m assuming his boyfriend. A cute girl I remember being a friend of Norah’s from the comic book shop is dressed in a retro bathing suit and sitting by the edge of the pool. A guy emerges from the water. No, not a guy, a god. Warm tan skin. Light brown hair. Water rains down his incredible physique and he wades over to her and kisses her.

  Yowza.

  There are a few other classmates I don’t remember—so much of Norah’s high school years are a fog in my memory. Ben’s laugh bounces off the pool deck like a beacon and I search for him, his blond hair, his smile.

  I find it—and him, standing near the music talking to a wisp of a girl with long straight hair and killer body in a tiny bikini. She glances to the side and my heart lurches. Delaney. My sister’s good friend and Ben’s ex.

  I’m not jealous.

  I’m not.

  Why would I be?

  The evil green monster twists in my chest.

  “Oh good, you finally got here,” I hear from behind me. I turn and see Melina. “This place is amazing. Hector was so jealous he didn’t get to come.”

  “What are you doing here?” I blurt. Then roll it back. “Sorry, I’m just surprised to see you. And grateful.”

  “After you left the market, Gabe and Norah came back by. They invited me. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to come, but my mom was cool about it. She’s a huge fan of Photobooth Society too and was really impressed Gabe donated to the fundraiser.” She scans the party. “Why are you grateful I’m here?”

  I toss my towel and bag on a chair. “Well, no one here but you really knows the truth about me and Ben, so that’s awkward. None of these people are my friends. They’re all my sister’s age and went to school with her, Gabe, and Ben, so that’s also awkward.” I glance over at Ben and Delaney. He’s noticed I’m here and his eyes flick to mine, a small grin appears on his mouth, but he doesn’t move. He can’t. We’re not a thing here. “And that’s Ben’s ex.”

  “Wow. She’s…”

  “An actress. Beautiful.” She follows Ben's gaze, sees me and waves. “And is super nice.”

  “Yeah, but while he’s talking to her, he’s looking at you.”

  I glance his direction and sure enough, he keeps looking at me. My stomach twists. I sit on the cushioned pool chair and Melina takes the seat next to mine. I force myself to relax. “I’ve been in a weird place all day. I think the stress of the farmer’s market got to me.”

  “It was a lot of work, but fun. I think I can definitely use it as a highlight on my college applications. Oh,” she says, picking up her phone and scrolling through the calendar, “did you sign up for the ACT yet?”

  The ACT?

  I need to get through the first day of Ocean Grove High. My heart rate ticks up another notch. “Do you want a drink? I think I want a drink.”

  By drink, I mean non-alcoholic. No one here is over 21 and Ben’s not going to risk his housing on something dumb. We walk over to the cooler and grab some soda. I’m consuming sugar and caffeine, in an attempt to steady my nerves, when Delaney walks up.

  “Liv!” she says, loud and exuberant. “It’s been forever. You look amazing.”

  I glance down at my ratty cut-off jean shorts and the tank covering my basic one-piece bathing suit. “I think you’re the one that looks amazing,” I reply, getting an eyeful of her, uh, assets. “How’s New York?”

  “Fun. Scary. Amazing. Hard.” She’s smiling though, genuine and bright. “I’m learning a lot about the process of being a working actor though, and the city is amazing.”

  Ben walks up behind her, gaze holding mine. “Hey guys.”

  “This place is epic. Thank you for inviting me,” Melina says. “I’ve never been in this neighborhood before.”

  “It’s like another world,” Delaney agrees. “How long before Gabe spends some of his cash on a house in here?”

  I hadn’t thought of that before, but after seeing him donate that money today, I guess anything’s possible.

  “Gabe?” Ben laughs and shakes his head. “He’d die before he moved his hipster self into this neighborhood.”

  “What did you call me?” Gabe says from across the pool. He and Norah sit on the edge talking to Bea and her mega-hot boyfriend.

  “A pretentious artsy-hipster,” Ben says. A wicked grin spreads across his face and he runs to the pool, launching himself off the edge and executing a perfect, wave-inducing cannonball. Norah runs, not a huge fan of getting wet, and Delaney bursts out laughing.

  “I miss these guys,” she says, wistfully. “Ben’s such a goof.”

  “He sure is,” I reply, tipping my soda back again. She skips over to the water, jumping in after Ben. Norah walks over with a look of disgust on her face, her shirt and shorts drenched.

  “Got you, huh?” I ask.

  “He’s such a brat.” She rolls her eyes. “And it’s just like him to wind up in some fancy house. He totally stumbles through life.”

  It’s not a fair statement and I say so. “He works hard at his business, and although this place is nice, it’s temporary.”

  “True, especially if he goes to school outside of Ocean Grove.”

  A pang twists in my stomach. I’d been avoiding that thought lately.

  “So,” Norah says, looking at the house next door, “is that where the party was that Ben saved you from?”

  I think back to how close I was to making a huge mistake with Spencer. “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “Where’s that guy now?”

  “Around.” I say. I watch Melina take a bite of one of the cookies Gabe bought. She’s definitely hanging on to every word. “He invited me to a party this weekend.”

  Norah’s eyes light up. “Oh really? So is that crush back on? Didn’t you say he was a jerk?”

  “Oh, he’s definitely a jerk, but I think he’s working on it.”

  “So are you going?”

  I glance at Ben, who is leaning against the edge of the pool talking to Gabe and Bea’s boyfriend. “I don’t know. I’m not sure Mom would let me if I asked.”

  “She’s been better lately, right?”

>   “A little.” I remember suddenly that I was supposed to go get my meds at the pharmacy. When was that? Yesterday?

  “Well it may be good for you to hang out with kids your own age.” She smiles at Melina. “You know, to get ready for high school and everything.”

  She grabs two cookies and heads back over to the pool.

  “What was that about?”

  “I think that was my sister’s way of telling me to go make some of my own friends.” I sigh and rub my forehead. “She means well, and she’s not entirely wrong.”

  “I guess. Hey, do you know where the bathroom is?”

  “Sure, I’ll show you.”

  I take her to the pool house, which has a small downstairs that I’d gone in after Ben and I cleaned off the mud. That day had been really great. We’d chased a dog, rolled around in the mud, played in the ocean, and shared our first kiss.

  Why can’t all days be like that one?

  We enter the pool house and there’s a small sitting area and kitchenette. A bathroom, shower, and changing area are down a short hall. It’s set up for multiple people to use at the same time. Melina goes into the bathroom and I step into the dressing room, looking for a moment to hide.

  Yeah. I’m hiding, but not for long. There’s a tap on the door.

  “Liv? You in there?”

  How did he know?

  “Yes.”

  He opens the door and I’m sitting on the little bench. He leans against the doorframe and lifts an eyebrow.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi,” I reply.

  “Are you hiding?”

  “Maybe.” He’s shirtless and damp. “It’s been a long day.”

  “Do you want to go home? I can take you.”

  “You can’t leave your party. You shouldn’t even be in here with me now.”

  He steps inside and shuts the door behind him. In a heartbeat his hand is in mine and he’s pulled me against his warm, strong chest. “What’s going on?”

  An uncontrollable wave of emotions rolls over me and tears prick my eyes. I hate it. I don’t want to feel this way, but I can’t make it stop. “I don’t know. All I want is to be with you. All day, all night, it’s what I think about, but then I see you, especially with other people around, I’m overwhelmed by it all.”

  He places his hand flat against the wall and leans into me, capturing my lips with his. This isn’t new for us anymore, but every time it knocks the wind out of me, my knees threaten to buckle, and I find myself holding onto him.

  His kisses soothe as well as rile me up.

  It’s the constant push-pull I’ve been feeling. It’s addictive. He’s addictive and I run my fingers behind his neck and into his hair, kissing him until I’m breathless.

  His lips move to my ear, kissing the lobe, then down my neck. “You smell so good,” he says, skimming my arms with his fingers. I touch his chest, kiss his chin, smell the chlorine on his skin.

  The door behind him opens and we bolt apart, breathing heavy.

  “What. Is. Going. On?”

  Norah stares at us, wide-eyed.

  Gabe appears behind her a second later. He takes in me and Ben, our positions, our red faces and mouths, and places his hands on her shoulders.

  “I knew it,” Norah says. “I knew there was something going on with you two.”

  My heart hammers in my chest, partially from the kissing but more from the anxiety of this moment. I have no real problem defying my parents and fighting for what I want, but Norah? Ben will always choose Norah over me.

  “Nor,” he says, running his hands through his hair, “this is—”

  “Not what it seems? Don’t even with me, Ben.”

  “Not a big deal,” he retorts. “And nothing for you to freak out about.”

  “You’re kissing my sister. My younger sister. My totally vulnerable, inexperienced—”

  “Norah,” Gabe warns, squeezing her arms.

  “No,” she snaps and glares at Ben. “You don’t know everything we’ve been through. What she’s been through. What she’s put our family through. You don’t get to come in and willy-nilly throw our house into chaos because you’re bored.”

  I feel Ben’s hand brush against mine, pushing to thread our fingers together. I ball my fist, finding it hard to breathe. I look at my sister’s hurt, angry face and something inside me snaps. I push past her, running out of the guest house.

  I run into Melina on my way out. “Hey, where are you—what’s wrong?”

  “My sister just caught me and Ben kissing.”

  “Oops.” She looks over my shoulder. Voices raise back in the house—Ben’s loudest of all. I walk over and get my bag. “Where are you going? Do you want me to come?”

  “No, I just…I just need away from here right now. I’ll be fine.”

  My hand shakes as I pick up the bag and sling it over my shoulder. I slip on my sandals and before she can say anything else, I’ve slipped through the front gate, putting some distance between me and everything that just happened.

  It’s childish. Immature. Running away never fixes anything, but that’s the whole point, right?

  Everyone thinks I’m just a kid—I may as well act like it.

  31

  Ben

  “Liv!” I call, moving to follow her out of the dressing room. Norah blocks my way and presses her hands against my chest. “Get out of my way.”

  “Not until you tell me what you’re really doing with my sister.”

  “What do you think I’m doing? We’re dating. Seeing one another.” Falling in love, I want to say, but swallow it back.

  “She’s seventeen. Not even a senior yet.”

  “So?”

  “So she’s a kid and one with a crap-ton of issues.”

  “All of you need to stop treating her like she’s a lost little girl. She’s not. Not anymore. She’s working hard on her problems.”

  “By picking up a new one?”

  My jaw tics and I look at Gabe, wondering if he’ll punch me for getting into it with Norah. I take my chances.

  “Why do you think we kept this from you?” I say, my voice much quieter than I feel. “I knew you’d freak out. That you’d tell your mom or my mom, everyone would overreact. You’re right, Liv is vulnerable. She’s fragile. That first night I found her, she was on the edge of trouble. Major trouble, and I’m the one that was there. I’m the one that kept her from making a mistake she could never come back from.” Hot anger boils under my skin. “You left. Your parents isolated her. Her friends are a mess, but I’m the one that’s here and somehow I’m the problem.”

  Norah looks at Gabe, but it’s obvious he’s not getting into it. “What are you going to do when you leave for college? Or get a better job? Or something easier comes along?”

  “I’m building something here, Nor, like it or not. It may not be a million dollar empire or involve movie studios or Hollywood actresses.” I glance at my friend and he frowns. “What I can’t believe is that you, of all people, are judging me for finding someone I care about so close to home. That the person I’ve been looking for this whole time was right under my nose.”

  I push past them, worried about Olivia. I rush out on the patio and see Tyler and Delaney in the pool along with Bea and Carter. Melina stands by the food table with a concerned look on her face.

  “Where is she?” I ask her, grabbing my shirt off the nearby chair.

  “She left.”

  “On foot?”

  “Yes. She wanted a minute by herself.”

  “Thanks.” She couldn’t have gotten far. I jog past the pool and out the side gate. She’s not on the sideway or yard. When I get down to the street I hear a door slam and see a car pulling fast out of the driveway. As it zooms down the road I realize I’ve seen it before—the night of the party. Outside of Norah’s group. An Academy sticker on the back window with lacrosse racquets.

  Spencer.

  My heart clenches as I watch it, and the girl I love, vanish around
the corner.

  32

  Olivia

  Spencer’s car smells like leather and sunscreen. A string with plastic red and blue beads hangs from the rearview mirror and his beach towel and a backpack sit on the floorboard.

  “Thanks for the ride,” I say.

  “Sure,” he says, glancing over at me. “Everything okay?”

  I shrug and pick at the fringe on my jean shorts. “Just a bad day, I guess.”

  “You know you can talk to me. We’ve spent months in group together. What happened?”

  “I got in a fight with my sister.”

  “Oh,” he says, pushing his sunglasses up on his nose. “I figured it was the boyfriend—Ben. That’s his house, right?”

  “He’s housesitting, but yeah. We were having a pool party and he and I were…” I look over but he’s staring out the front window, “My sister walked in on us together and she freaked out. I just had to get out of there.”

  He turns and gives me a smirky laugh. “She walked in on you having sex?”

  “What?” My cheeks flame red. “No. No. Kissing. She didn’t know we were dating.”

  He frowns. “Why not?”

  “It’s complicated.” He makes a face and gestures for me to continue. “They’re really good friends—like best friends with her and her fiancé. We’ve all known one another forever. He’s older. My parents don’t know we’ve been seeing each other and neither do his.” I drop my face in my hands. “It’s a mess.”

  “What did Ben say during all this?”

  “I ran out of there before he could say anything.” I look out the window, catching glimpses of the Pacific. “I do know he’s not going to choose me over my sister.”

  “You think he’d pick your sister over a hot girl willing to make out with him?” He shifts gears and laughs again. “I had a feeling you were a little naïve, Olivia, but not this bad.”