“Ollie, you playing?” Maddie interjected as I took a sip from my cup.
Ollie pulled out a chair from under Jake’s desk and took a seat. “No way in hell.”
Alicia and Jake were in some deep, drunken conversation on the bed, and I stood alone. How was I going to turn this whole night around? My eyes strayed until they landed on Ollie’s phone in his hand. Low tunes became background noise. “Wanna leave?” Ollie asked, staring up at me with his drink in the other hand.
“No, I think we should dance.” I took a step toward him.
He dropped his chin to his chest, but when his eyes returned, so did his smile. “Mia, you know we can’t dance together.” His tone was hushed and raw.
I pulled his almost empty cup from his hand and set it over Jake’s desk. “Just because we dance together, doesn’t mean we are together.”
Ollie leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs. His green eyes roamed over my body as his dimple flashed beside his gorgeous grin. “You come any closer, and I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.”
I wedged myself between his knees and Ollie ran his hands up the back of my thighs. “I’m warning you. I’m intoxicated.”
Leaning over him, I whispered, “Me too,” and grabbed the phone off his lap. “Magic phone, should Ollie dance with me?” I asked then pressed shuffle. Ollie’s smile stretched as his face flushed.
“Take You Higher - Club Mix” by Goodwill and Hook N Sling came on and I dropped the phone over his lap. “Well?”
Ollie ran his hands from my thighs to up my sides as he gradually stood to his feet and kicked the chair out of the way. I dropped my head back as a laugh eluded me. His smile became permanent as he twirled me around then dipped me backward. His eyes scanned the room before he lowered his head to kiss my neck. As I giggled, he pulled me up, and we danced to the beat of the song. Jake and Alicia joined us, jumping up and down together, but my focus stayed on Ollie. His breath in my hair, in my neck. His warm hands under my shirt, at my sides and back. He took me higher—away. Ollie always had that ability. With him, I wasn’t a broken girl suffering a past. With him, I wasn’t lost.
I was found.
“You’re amazing. You know that?” he whispered into my neck and wrapped his arms around my waist as he persuaded my hips back and forth. “You make me so incredibly happy, Mia.” Then he turned me around, so his back was to everyone else. His fingers pulled the hem of my neckline while his fragile lips sent kisses over the surface of my shoulder and up my neck. Staying away was a constant struggle.
“Oh, fuck it,” Ollie pronounced raw, caving, taking my face in his anchored hold. Alcohol influenced his lack of judgment as he melted his lips over mine. His tongue, eager and impatient for the taste of me, slipped through our cracks and damn near brought me to my knees.
“I can’t hide us,” Ollie panted, pain absorbing his eyes and voice. He backed me against a wall and took my face in his hands. “I can’t do it anymore.”
He wasn’t hiding us now, but when liquor was involved, we had something to blame.
“You’re not thinking straight right now.” I brought my palms over the backs of his hands. “Do it for me. For us, okay?”
Ollie licked his lips and nodded. “Alright.” He kissed me again. “You’re right.”
“You okay?”
When he didn’t respond, I slipped my hand beneath his shirt and flattened it across his chest. The drumming of his heartbeat came through his tight skin. His erratic behavior was becoming more frequent, and anytime this happened, I had to talk him down. Remind him. Calm him. Bring my hand to his chest to show him I was with him, I understood, but also to feel his fear slip away from him. To indulge myself in the process of the weight lifting off his shoulders.
The truth was, Ollie did feel too much. The majority of the time, it was beautiful. Other times, when he got so far into his head, his heart was his own worst enemy. Maybe it was Maddie’s return, or Liam’s crude comment, or the façade we regularly played messing with his head. Either way, we had to get through it.
Ollie pinned my hand against his chest and closed his eyes to let out an extended shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m okay.” He opened his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mia.”
I lifted my shoulders in a half-shrug. “We’re both screwed up, but you’re my perfect rock bottom.” I leaned closer to him. “And you want to know what’s so great about being at rock bottom together?”
Ollie beamed. “What?”
“We can only go up from here,” I said with my finger in the air.
“Oh yeah?” He wrapped his hands around my hips and lifted me high in the air. “Are you going to forget me or take me with you?”
“Ollie!” I laughed as everyone’s eyes were on us. Half the room was laughing with me, and half the room was rolling their eyes, and as I was in the air, I noticed Maddie was down to only her panties, her boobs on display for everyone to see.
He lifted me higher. “I’m not putting you down until you answer me.”
“Taking you,” I squealed, hitting his shoulders. “I’m taking you!”
Satisfied, Ollie lowered me, sliding me down across his long torso until my feet were safely back on earth. “And I’ll never let you fall,” he said and pressed his forehead to mine.
“Oh, my god, you guys are too cute,” Jake gushed out loud from behind Ollie. “If you won’t ship each other, I will.”
“Shit,” Ollie whispered to me. “I forgot we weren’t alone.”
After sidestepping away from Ollie, I walked outside our bubble, bursting it, and returned to our frontage. “Ollie’s only mad because I rejected his advances.”
“Ouch.” Ollie held his hand over his chest, as he took a seat on the desk chair. “Low blow.” Ollie leaned back in the chair, and his eyes went wide when they fell on Maddie. “No one wants to see that, Maddie. Cover up.”
I took a seat on the floor between Bria and Jake’s legs that hung over the mattress. Maddie leaned back on her hands, her perfect breasts sticking out in front of her like a news headline. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“It was part of strip or dare,” Isaac explained after taking a sip of his cup. “Want to know what else she has to do?” His lips turned up in the corners. “Go on, Maddie. You have to strip off your knickers or complete your dare.”
Isaac and Liam high fived one another as Maddie stood to her feet. “Who did you say, Isaac?” she asked.
He pointed his cup in Ollie’s direction. “Ollie.”
Ollie raised his brows. “Ollie what?”
Maddie walked over to Ollie, and my insides turned. She paused before him. Bare-chested.
Ollie clenched his teeth. “What are you doing?”
“My dare,” she said teasingly, then leaned over and tried to kiss him.
My eyes went wide as my heart beat hard against my chest. Ollie pushed Maddie away instantly and shook his head. “What is wrong with you?”
“Oh, come on, Ollie. Now the girl has to lose her thong …” Liam announced through a smile.
Maddie turned around, her back facing Ollie, bent over, and dropped her thong as Liam and Isaac cheered. Ollie sprung to his feet, shaking his head. “You are all fucked up,” he breathed.
“You need to drink more, mate,” Isaac said, bringing his cup to his lips. “Maddie, make our boy another drink, yeah?”
On the verge of tears, I averted my gaze from Maddie and Ollie to keep myself somewhat together. Ollie had warned me about this. Maddie, who was now completely nude and had not one imperfection on her body, poured a drink into a cup before walking up to Ollie and handing it to him. “Drink up, buttercup.”
Ollie sat back down in the chair and stared at me, his eyes apologizing.
“How about a lap dance for our boy?” Isaac said after taking another drink and po
inting to Ollie.
“Stop,” Ollie said, shaking his head. “This is not a fucking game to me.” He gulped down his drink and threw the cup against the wall. I could see it in his face, his demeanor walking a dangerous line.
“Ollie, I dare you to have another drink and calm the fuck down,” Liam barked. “We got beautiful naked ladies here more than willing to please you, so be fucking appreciative.”
Liam turned, snaked his arm around Gwen’s neck, who was also topless, and made out with her. It was all becoming clear to me what this party was, and Ollie dragged his hand through his hair while Maddie made Ollie another drink. He was already intoxicated, and it wouldn’t be long before he was gone, and I had no choice but to hold in everything.
Ten minutes turned into an hour. Liam and Gwen were in the corner of the room, humping like two rabbits, while Bria and Isaac made out. I turned back to Ollie to see him leaning back in his chair with a cup in front of him, his eyes hooded, staring at me. Maddie danced within the circle naked while keeping Ollie’s drink filled. “Come here, love,” Ollie said, and Maddie walked up to him. Ollie shook his head. “No, not you.” He pointed at me. “You. Come here. Now. Please.” He made a pouty face.
I shook my head. Maddie, the party, Ollie, it was all too much for me to handle. Ollie sat his drink down on the desk, stood to his feet, and walked toward me before falling by my side and grabbing my hand.
“Come here,” he said, pulling me on top of him and wrapping my legs around his waist. “This is where I belong.” He smiled. “Right here with you.”
We shared a smile as I raked my fingers through his brown hair. His cheeks were pink, and his smile was lazy. “What are you thinking about right now?”
“Fuck …” he breathed. “How bad I want to kiss you.”
“Are you drunk?”
Ollie shook his head. “Kiss me, Mia.”
“No, Ollie.” I traced the outline of his lips with my finger.
“For the love of God … kiss me.”
I slowly shook my head again as he ran his hands down the skin on my back.
“Dammit, Mia …” he growled and dropped his head over my shoulder.
“So, what’s the story with you two, anyway?” Maddie asked from behind me.
“With who?” I said, playing dumb, avoiding saying Ollie’s name, or making light of what was happening—either reason equally acceptable. I slid off of Ollie’s lap. He pulled up his legs as I rested between them, facing Maddie now.
Maddie narrowed her eyes. “There is a story … ya must be serious. Let me ask ya, Mia, did ya go after him before or after our talks in psych?”
Ollie’s forehead landed on my shoulder. “Ignore her,” he muttered, and he kissed my shoulder, and my neck, and behind my ear. Giggling, I leaned my head into him and lifted my shoulder because it tickled. Ollie smiled against my skin, and Maddie suddenly disappeared. Everyone disappeared. “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered.
“There is no story,” Bria piped up. “Plus, you should learn to keep your pretty little nose out of other people’s business.”
Utterly surprised, my head slowly turned in Bria’s direction. Bria sticking up for me? Had hell frozen over? When had she and Isaac stopped making out?
“Alright, Mia. How about a game of Twenty-one for old time’s sake?” Maddie asked, reaching for the deck of cards she’d brought with her on top of Jake’s desk. Banter spread around the room.
“No, not a good idea,” Ollie said, his warm breath still against my neck.
A small laugh came from Maddie, sounding more like a sigh. “Calm down, Ollie. It’s only a game.” Maddie took the cards from the box and shuffled them in front of her. “Remember how to play?”
I shifted between Ollie’s legs. “Well, yeah …”
“Main campus rules … each time ya lose, ya have to answer a question honestly. If ya don’t answer, ya take a shot.”
Maddie’s taunting tone was like a hissing slimy snake, biting me. Everyone in the room knew I was a lightweight. Before Dolor, I hardly drank. Sophomore year, they gave me the nickname of “Gondo” because I was literally gone after dos drinks. Now I was face to face with my current enemy. I could either answer her questions or be gone.
Maddie slid two cards in front of me, then took two cards from the top of the deck and placed them before her. I had a ten and a Jack. Feeling the gravity of Ollie’s tense position behind me, I said, “I’m staying.”
She took another card from the top of the deck for herself. “Damn, busted.” She collected the cards from the floor between us. “Fair play, Mia. Want to ask me a question?”
“Not particularly.”
“Fine, I’ll drink anyway.” She waved over a liquor bottle from the dresser. Isaac reached up and grabbed it before passing it over. Maddie took a swig and placed two more cards in front of me from the top of the deck. Five and seven. “Hit me.” The pressure rising, she flipped over a card. A queen. Shit.
Ollie leaned over and rested his chin on my shoulder. Maddie smiled. “Busted,” she barked. “First question. Since I already know about ya and your problem from psych ward gossip. Why don’t ya tell me about your personal life?”
“What’s the question, Maddie?”
Her gaze slid to Ollie and back at me. “How many people have you slept with exactly?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, come on, Mia. If you can’t keep track of the number, try throwing out a ballpark number. Ten? Fifty? A hundred?”
My blood seethed as my skin seared. “I honestly don’t know.”
She wrapped her fingers around the neck of the vodka before handing it over. “Drink up, slapper.”
“Watch your mouth, Maddie,” Ollie growled from behind me as Bria gasped. “She might not understand, but I’m not allowing it.”
The vodka lit my throat on fire as the burn flowed down into my stomach, having no clue as to what Ollie was talking about.
Two cards were already in front of me—a nine and four.
“Hit it,” Bria whispered.
“Stay,” Ollie whispered.
“Stay,” I said to Maddie.
She took her card from the pile. She won. She would have won anyway since the king would have put me over.
Maddie scooped up the cards, placing them over the discard pile. “What do you honestly think about each person in the room.”
Sighing, I smoothed my attention across everyone. I never hid my feelings toward anyone. “Jake is annoying at first, but once you get to know him, he’s a pretty good guy. Alicia is badass and gorgeous. Bria, I’m sorry, but you’re a bitch when someone seems threatening to your targets”—I laughed—”but once the threat is gone, you become this completely different person.” My attention moved on, and I pointed toward Isaac. “Horn-dog. And …” I pointed toward Liam, who was now watching with a topless Gwen by his side. “Horn-dog number two. And Gwen, I don’t know you too well to say.”
“And Ollie?”
My arm drops into my lap. “Everyone knows Ollie is a sweetheart when he wants to be.”
“I didn’t ask what everyone else thinks. I asked what you think.”
I turned behind me when my eyes met Ollie’s. His fingers were over his mouth as always, believing it would somehow hide his thoughts. But truth always flared in his eyes. “Ollie’s a beautiful person.”
Maddie coughed up a laugh, pulling my attention from Ollie’s smile. “Guess you don’t know him as well as you think.”
“Deal the cards.”
She hit me with two more.
I lost.
Again.
“How many people have you had sex with—
“You already asked me that.”
“You didn’t let me finish.”
I slumped back against Ollie.
“How ma
ny people have you had sex with in this room?”
Leaning forward, I grabbed for the bottle in front of me and brought it to my lips.
Maddie sneered, placing two more cards in front of me. The alcohol was already warming me. “Hit me.”
“Busted again,” Maddie cheered. “Okay, Liam, Isaac, and Ollie. Who would you kill, have a one night stand with, and marry?”
I rolled my head back.
“Just answer the question, Mia,” Ollie breathed.
With the bottle still in my hand, I took another gulp for courage. “Kill Liam, one night stand with Isaac, and marry Ollie.”
“This is brilliant,” she laughed.
“No.” I wiped my lips with the back of my hand. “This is fucking tupid …” I groaned as the others chuckled around me. “Stupid,” I said slowly, drawn out, showing everyone I wasn’t as drunk as I actually was.
Two more cards slid in front of me, and I had to bend down to see. “Hit me.”
“No, Mia,” It was Ollie’s voice. No matter what condition, I’d always recognize his smooth voice. He sounded so far away, yet so close to me.
“Busted.” Maddie laughed. “Did you fuck Ollie?”
“No,” I said, then laughed as soon as the words came out.
“Alright, she’s had enough,” Ollie said.
“One more.” Maddie scoffed with cards already placed in front of me. Blinking numerous times, I couldn’t make out the numbers or letters.
“Stay, Mia.”
“Stay,” I said, repeating whatever bone Ollie would throw.
“I win again. Guess the cards aren’t in Mia’s favor tonight.”
Dropping my head into my hands, I missed but fixed myself quickly.
“When was the last time you had sex with Ollie, Mia?”
“What is it with all these questions about Ollie?” I shouted, attempting to stand to my feet.
“Answer or drink.”
I laughed. “You want to know about Ollie and me?”
“Don’t, Mia.” It was Ollie in my ear as he pinned me to his back. “Don’t say another word.”
Maddie raised her brows. “Sounds like someone is ashamed of you, Mia.”
Stay With Me (Stay With Me Series Book 1) Page 26