“Might do him some good,” I said with a snort.
She chuckled. Her hand stroked over my cheek affectionately. “Not everyone can be as ridiculously handsome as you,” she said with a teasing bat of her eyes.
My face almost cracked from the huge smile that broke out over it. “You think I’m ridiculously handsome? You do realize I’ve defiled my body with ink and piercings don’t you?”
One of her fingers gingerly touched my lip ring, her eyes focused there. She flickered between it and my eyes for a moment before she leaned in and place a gentle kiss right over the ring. It took every ounce of my self-control not to grab her head and capture her lips with mine. God she killed me, and she just had no idea.
“I like your piercings and tattoos,” she said softly. Her finger dropped to the top of one of my tattoos peeking out of the collar of my shirt. “You have art permanently decorating you. I think it’s beautiful.”
I couldn’t help the small, surprised laugh that escaped me. “I’ve never had anyone describe my tattoos that way.”
She shrugged. “Then everyone else is stupid.”
And that was just it. Olivia saw me in a way that most people didn’t. I had no idea what I’d done in my life to deserve such a thing, but I wasn’t stupid enough to let it go now that I had it. Unable to stop myself this time, I leaned in and kissed her. It was meant to be a gentle one, but as soon as our lips met all good intentions were forgotten.
This time it was her tongue that licked timidly along the seam of my lips until I opened them for her to surge forward. I lost myself in her again, everything else no longer important. Her hands on my shoulders gripped me in a way that instantly had me picturing what it would be like to be above her while we moved together. Would she cling to me? Scratch me? Shit, I needed to get a hold of myself again.
Pulling back, I sucked her lower lip into my mouth, biting down on it gently before full separating.
“I need to get the food,” I said, embarrassed at how laboured my breathing had become. This girl got me worked up so fast and hard I felt like I was going to burst. I was so used to always being the one in control when it came to girls, but there was no denying the fact that when it came to Olivia she completely and irrevocably owned me.
Mom wasn’t home by the time we got there. Placing the food on the island, I hurried to get us some plates and utensils while Olivia walked over and sat on the couch. I looked over at her, loving that she was there and making herself comfortable.
“Why don’t you find something to watch?” I suggested.
I made up some plates while Olivia surfed through channels. The two of us sat side by side, eating and watching TV like it was the most natural thing to do. And the thing was, it was. It felt right, being here with her, laughing and talking while we ate dinner. When the garage door opened, I looked over the back of the couch to see my mom stop just inside the kitchen, her gaze going between us in confusion.
It didn’t last though, as a pleased smile lit up her face.
“Hey, kids,” she greeted.
Olivia looked back with a smile of her own. “Hi Ms. Morgan. How was work?”
I couldn’t stop the warmth that spread through my chest even if I’d wanted to. My two girls together and happy was the best thing I could ask for.
“Long,” Mom said with a sigh. “I’m just looking forward to a long, hot bath and bed.”
“There’s food there if you want some,” I butted in.
“Thanks, honey,” she said. I cringed at the endearment, but when I glanced at Olivia she was grinning at me teasingly. I leaned forward and gripped her hips. Olivia gasped, that smile slipping right off her face.
“You find something funny?”
Eyes wide, she shook her head, her hands landing on top of mine. “Not at all,” she replied. “Honey.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re cruising Miss Banks,” I warned.
She giggled, a sound I could get use to very quickly.
“It’s so nice to see the two of you being friends,” my mom said from the kitchen, bursting into our private bubble. “I never understood why you didn’t become friends sooner.”
I rolled my eyes at Olivia, not bothering to look my mom’s way. She laughed softly, pushing away my hands. “Behave,” she whispered, pointing a finger at me.
“You behave,” I countered just as my mom walked around the couch and sat down on one of the recliners.
“So what are you two up to tonight?” she asked just as the phone rang. Sighing loudly, she got up and I knew right away something was wrong. I could only hear one side of the conversation, but I already knew who it was. When she thanked them and hung up, I steeled myself for her wrath. Instead she looked at me in such a tired way, that for the first time that day, I actually felt ashamed of my actions.
“He deserved it,” I blurted out before she could speak.
With another sigh, she tilted her head to the side, crossing her arms over her chest. “Isn’t that always the excuse? What was it now?”
I glanced nervously at Olivia, not wanting to tell my mom just what Jake had done for fear it would embarrass her. Surprisingly it was Olivia who replied.
“He did it for me, Ms. Morgan,” she said, looking at my mom. “Jake told a lot of people some lies about me, and Colt was just sticking up for me. I’m sorry he got in trouble, but Jake had it coming.”
My mom looked just as shocked as me. After a moment of silence she dropped her arms and simply shook her head. “Fine, I’ll let it slide this time, but you’re going to have to deal with the Principal at school tomorrow. I’m going to take my food to my room and get ready for bed,” she said, picking up her plate. “You two behave.”
Olivia’s cheeks turned beet red. It was adorable. My mom disappeared upstairs. As soon as her feet were out of sight, I leaned over and kissed a slow trail up the side of Olivia’s neck. She shuddered against me, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
“You stuck up for me,” I whispered against her ear, tugging on her earlobe gently with my teeth. “To my mother at that. I think that deserves a reward.”
Her head turned to me, eyes wide, her tempting little mouth open in a O-shape. Her eyes glanced nervously at the stairs and then back to me. I knew my grin was devilish as I leaned in closer, forcing her to lean back against the couch cushions. Before she could argue, I covered her mouth with mine, not caring who was in the house. It could be my mother, grandmother, God himself, no one was keeping me from kissing the sense right out of my girl.
“I can practically smell the happiness coming off you,” Rannon said as we drove to school the next morning. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
The smile that had been on my face all night and morning only widened at his teasing. I looked out the window, remembering how thoroughly ravished Olivia had looked when I finally let her leave the night before. Her lips are been swollen from my kisses, her hair messy from my hands. I had spent more time kissing her, and only kissing her, than I probably spent kissing all the girls in my past – combined.
Usually kissing quickly led to other things, but with Olivia I was forcing myself to take things slow. I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. She meant more to me than just a passing fling like all the others. Whatever I had to do to make her see she was special to me, I would do. That included forcing myself to let her leave before I dragged her back into my bedroom and had my wicked way with her.
From the way she lit up under my hands, all her gasps and moans, all the shivers I had felt run through her body whenever my hands would glide across her skin, I knew she would have let me. Unfortunately I had suddenly grown a conscience. No, not unfortunately. I was glad I was doing things differently with her. As new as this probably was for her, it would be the same for me. For some reason I really liked that.
“Dude, seriously. If your eyes get any more googly and dreamy I might puke all over my dash. What is up?”
“Nothing,” I said with a laugh.
�
��Bull. Shit. Spill or I’m just going to keep driving until you do. For some reason you’re excited to go to school – and don’t deny it because I can tell – and I want to know why. You do realize you’re going to be in a load of crap as soon as you get there, right? Principal Phillips is going to have your head for daring to touch boy-wonder-extraordinaire.”
“Whatever,” I replied with a wave of my hand. “I don’t care what they do. Mom is cool with it, and that’s whose opinion I care about the most.” Her and Olivia, I thought. But I knew Olivia forgave me too so I wasn’t worried about Principal Phillips at all.
“Your mom is cool with you punching out Jake Taylor?” I looked over to see him staring out the front windshield with a bewildered look. “Did I fall asleep and wake up in some sort of twilight zone where the Morgans were suddenly happy, go-lucky people? Say it ain’t so.”
I laughed. “You’re such an idiot. No, I just explained what happened and Mom understood. She likes Olivia.”
Rannon shook his head as though he were still confused. “So that’s why you’re happy? Because your mom didn’t get royally pissed?”
“That, and I sealed the deal with Olivia yesterday.”
The tires of the old beat-up truck squealed as we came to a sudden stop. Horns honked behind us. Thankfully we were already in the school parking lot, and not on the road, but we were still holding up traffic.
“Dude, you can’t just stop here,” I pointed out as we blocked the entrance.
Rannon’s eyes were wider than I’d ever seen them as he stared at me in open-mouthed shock. “You sealed the deal with Olivia Banks, and are only now telling me?” His hand flew out to smack me – hard – on the arm. I gripped it giving him an insulted look.
“Unnecessary.”
He pointed an accusing finger at me. “Don’t you give me that back talk.”
I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wondered who was worse at giving me crap, my mom or best friend. “I didn’t seal the deal the way you’re assuming,” I said, knowing exactly where his dirty thoughts had gone. His shoulders dropped and I shook my head.
“Well what do you mean then?”
“I mean I got her to agree to be my girl,” I said.
He just sat there and blinked slowly like I had suddenly grown another head. More people were starting to honk at us as we continued to block the school parking lot.
“Move it, Hale!” someone yelled.
I looked back at the line that was growing by the minute and then back at my friend who hadn’t moved a muscle.
“Ran, you going to move the truck, or what?” I said.
“Did you seriously just sit there and tell me that you got some girl to agree to, and I quote, ‘be your girl’,” he said, air quoting the words.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “Yeah. So?”
“Holy shit,” he breathed, turning to face forward again. “I really did wake up in some parallel universe. Colt Morgan just went and got himself a girlfriend like it was a normal thing to do. What is happening to this world?”
Thankfully he started to move the damn truck, even though he did it slowly like he had all the time in the world and there wasn’t a line of twenty cars behind us honking. Rannon parked the truck, his expression still lost. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re making a bigger deal out of it than it is,” I said.
He looked over at me. “Am I? I’ve had to stand by and watch my best friend go through girls like he couldn’t stand to have any actual feelings for another person. You’re constantly surrounded by people and yet completely alone. Now you’ve suddenly decided that the sweet girl that you’ve lived beside for years is going to finally break through that impenetrable wall you’ve built around yourself. I’m both shocked and ridiculously happy for you.” He reached over and gripped my shoulder. “You deserve someone like Olivia, even if you think differently.”
I’d never seen Rannon be so deep and emotional before, I really didn’t know how to respond.
“I’m proud of you, bud,” he continued.
“Gee thanks, Dad,” I said, forcing myself to smile jokingly when really I was somewhat touched by his visible happiness for me. Did I deserve someone like Olivia after all? Had I built a wall up and pushed people away until now? I’d never really thought so, but it was definitely possible now that I thought about it.
“You’re a good kid,” he said, hitting my chin gently with his fist. We both laughed as we got out of the truck.
“Learn how to drive, Rannon, honestly,” Ella Page huffed as she walked by with her nose up in the air.
Rannon watched her hungrily as she made her way to the front doors. “Now that you’re with Olivia, you think she’ll give me a chance again?”
I thought about it. “Honestly? I doubt it. Ella Page never really goes out with anyone.”
“That’s true, you know,” Rannon said as we started to walk. “I wonder why that is.”
I had no idea, nor did I care anymore as my eyes fell on the back of Olivia standing by her and Ella’s locker when we walked inside. My heart raced and I made my way toward her.
Twenty-Two
Everything you can imagine is real. ― Pablo Picasso
Olivia
“Why do you look like crap?” Ella asked, stuffing our locker with her books.
“Wow, thank you. Way to make your best friend feel good about herself,” I replied dryly.
She shrugged. “You have bags under your eyes and it looks like you didn’t sleep.”
“Seriously, your compliments astound me.” I leaned against the locker, letting my head drop against it. I was exhausted. After leaving Colt’s, I’d spent the entire night trying to get my mind and body to calm down. That boy could kiss like he was born to do it, and it was driving me nuts. I wasn’t one to rush things, but with Colt things just felt different. Being with him felt – natural. It was hard to explain. Maybe it was because we’d spent so long watching each other from opposite sides of fence that it didn’t feel like we were starting from scratch, even though we technically were.
“Something must be going on inside that head of yours,” Ella said, breaking into my thoughts. “You look like you’re concentrating awfully hard.”
I sighed loudly, deciding it was best just to tell her even though I knew she was probably going to make a scene and embarrass me. “I look like crap because I was out late, and didn’t get to bed on time. That’s why I had to get my dad to drive me this morning. I slept in.”
Her infamous one eyebrow rose. “Well I know you sure as heck weren’t with me, so where were you?”
I bit my lip. “At Colt’s.”
“Colt’s?” she repeated. “As in the boy who beat up some jock yesterday in a male-storm of testosterone bent on defending your honor? That Colt?”
I nodded, opening my mouth to explain when two arms wrapped around me from behind and a warm set of lips landed where my neck met my shoulder, dropping a light kiss.
“Morning,” he said darkly. Just the sound of Colt’s voice after hearing the way it had sounded, heavy with desire last night, had me shivering in his hold. Ella’s eyes were as wide as saucers as she looked between us. Quickly schooling her features, she folded her arms across her chest with a wary face.
“I’m assuming since your testicles are still intact that she has decided to forgive you for your lack of judgment,” she said evenly before pointing a threatening finger at him. “But don’t think for one second you’re off the hook, buddy. Consider yourself officially on probation. One wrong move and,” she made a twisting and pulling action with her hand that left little to the imagination. I could tell, even though I couldn’t see him, that Colt was struggling to keep himself from laughing.
“I hear you loud and clear, Ella,” he said.
She pursed her lips as though she didn’t believe him, but refrained from further threats, thank God. Looking to me, she said, “You and I are going to talk later.”
I saluted her. “Yes ma
’am.”
Turning, she started to walk away just as Rannon was approaching us. “Morning, Ella,” he said cheerfully.
“Fuck off,” she spat, not faltering in her departure.
Rannon frowned as he reached us. “So much for her warming up now that you two are together.”
“Ella never really warms up,” Colt said.
“That’s not true,” I started to argue, but then I stopped. Actually, now that I thought about it, Ella really didn’t give many guys a chance. She crushed on them and claimed to be a boy expert, but she’d never actually had any sort of meaningful or long term relationship. She always found something she didn’t like about the guy anymore as soon as he’d return her interest. Huh. I wondered what that was all about.
“You know it’s true,” Colt said in my silence. “Every guy I know that tried to go for her got shot down.”
I shrugged. “Maybe she’s just picky,” I offered.
Throwing his arm around my shoulders, Colt walked us to first period, completely oblivious to the curious stares we were earning with his public display of affection. I noticed, however. By the time we reached our class I was sure my face was red.
“What?” he said with a smile, his thumb softly stroking across my burning cheeks. “Do I embarrass you?”
“Not at all,” I said instantly. Geez, that was the last thing I wanted him thinking. “I just don’t like being the topic of gossip.”
He waved me off. “They’ll get over it. By tomorrow we’ll be old news.”
“I hope so.” I muttered.
“Hey,” he said, leaning in close, his lips only inches from mine, “I warned you I was going to make it clear to everyone you were mine. I’m a man of my word, Olivia.” He gave me a cheeky grin then pulled back to enter the room. It was only then that I noticed I had been slowly leaning in closer to him, as if my body was being magnetically pulled to his lips. I needed to get a hold of myself. I was in school for goodness sakes.
As soon as I sat down, I realized how awkward the day was about to get considering I was still Jake’s partner for this class. As if my thoughts had conjured him, Jake appeared in the doorway, his eyes immediately going to where Colt sat.
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