The next morning I woke up in a bad mood, and the text from my mom? That only made it worse.
I lifted the buzzing phone, read my mom’s laundry list of questions, and set it down on the blanket so it wouldn’t wake Tank who was still asleep on the top bunk.
It was a Sunday, and I could have slept in, but I hadn’t been able to. I’d been lying in bed for ages before my mom texted. I’d been replaying every moment of the night before. The good and the bad.
I rubbed a hand over my eyes and sat up just as another text came in.
Mom: You don’t have to stay, you know. If you decide you’ve had enough.
Had enough. I read it three times as I debated how to respond. Had enough? She made it sound like this was all some childish whim. Like I was on vacation or at summer camp.
Like this wasn’t my real life at all, but just a quick trip to check out the local sites.
Mom: I saw Cambriea’s mother the other day. She’s excited for your return.
I couldn’t resist typing back the first question that came to mind.
Me: Cambriea or her mother?
Mom: Very funny. Are you ready to come home yet?
Me: I still have an entire semester to go.
I shut off my phone before her next text could come through. I was in a bad enough mood as it was without her voice in my head. If she knew that Olivia had asked me for an introduction…
If she found out I’d said yes?
I rolled out of bed and reached for my towel. Lying here in bed wasn’t going to help anything. Might as well get up and showered and try to distract myself.
I passed Olivia’s closed door on the way to the bathroom and tried not to think about the fact that she was in there. I tried not to imagine what she looked like when she was curled up asleep under her purple comforter. I smirked. Under the watchful stare of Patrick Swayze, of course.
The shower helped...a little. It cleared my head of some of the doubts that had been nagging at me ever since the topic of Avery Queen came up in the shed the day before.
The thing was, I knew Olivia well enough to know that she wasn’t using me. Or, she didn’t mean to, at least. I wasn’t sure what was going on in her head about all that, but I knew without a doubt that there was more to it than her feeling entitled to anything--which is how my parents would phrase it.
She’d never once looked at me as a means to an end, and in my heart of hearts, I didn’t believe she ever would. But that didn’t change the fact that I shouldn’t have agreed to an introduction.
I might not think the worst of Olivia, but my parents would. They hated it when anyone tried to use our name to get ahead—though they had no problem whatsoever using their clout for their own gain or for their friends.
If my parents found out she’d even asked, they’d lose what little goodwill they had for her. They’d make rash assumptions, and next thing you knew, I’d be out of Oakwood and back home at the prep school. Worst of all? I’d be dating Cambriea.
And not Olivia.
I stopped rubbing the towel against my hair when my scalp started to feel as if it were burning. Apparently, I was taking my frustration out on my head. I tossed the towel on the toilet next to me and set my fists on the counter in front of me. I took in a deep breath and then glanced up to stare at my foggy reflection.
It wasn’t like it was news that I wanted to kiss Olivia. That I wanted to hold her hand and pull her up against my side on movie night.
I wanted a real date. One that started with flowers and ended with a kiss.
But I couldn’t have that. We couldn’t have that.
I swiped away some fog on the mirror and met my own gaze head on. Things were changing. The way I felt about Olivia. The way people would act around me in Oakwood High once word spread about who I was. And once I left here, they’d change even more. My life wouldn’t be mine anymore.
All parents had expectations, but my family had a freakin’ legacy. I had power which meant I had responsibilities. My parents had been giving me some version of the Spider-Man speech since I could talk.
But right now?
I had to swipe at the mirror again because the mirror was already fogging up and I was about to lose sight of myself.
Right now I had this.
Right now I was happy. Or at least, I had been most of this week. Once Olivia had dropped the topic of Avery Queen last night, I’d had the best night of my life. The only way it would have been better was if I’d kissed her.
And today...today she had a whole day full of fun activities planned for us, and I couldn’t wait.
The mirror started to fog over again, and this time I let it. The future would be there. My parents, and Cambriea, and the life they’d all planned for me would be waiting when this was all over. But for now...for now I could be happy.
I wrapped the towel around my waist and reached for my dirty clothes. I hadn’t bothered bringing a new change of clothes since the rest of the house was still asleep and I’d done a crappy job of unpacking. I’d probably have to dig around in my luggage to find a clean shirt for the day.
I headed out into the hallway and stopped when I heard a squeak.
Oh crap. Not again.
I looked over and, sure enough...Olivia was staring at me with wide eyes.
Wide eyes, parted lips, and a dark and delicious look in her eyes that made my heart pound like crazy in my chest.
I moved toward her, keeping my voice low since everyone else was still sleeping. “You can’t blame me this time. You were the one sneaking.”
She blinked a few times as if in a daze, and her gaze dropped and held.
She was staring at my chest like she’d never seen a shirtless dude before. As someone who’d gone to the beach and the pool with her many times in the past, I knew very well she wasn’t that sheltered.
“I’m...um...you’re…”
She stopped trying to speak and clamped her lips together instead.
I tried really hard not to laugh. I really truly did. But my shoulders were shaking as I tried to swallow it down, because...thank freakin’ goodness.
She felt it too.
I could practically see the flame of desire in her eyes and her lips….
I stepped closer and reached out. She blinked again dazedly as I reached out and swiped my thumb over the corner of her mouth.
“W-what are you doing?” she hissed.
Man, she was so freakin’ hot. Even now with wild bedhead and makeup smudged under her eyes, she was downright adorable.
I pointed to my own mouth. “You had a little something there.”
Her eyes flared wide with horror as she understood my meaning, and then her gaze narrowed as she swiped her mouth on the back of her hand. “You dork,” she muttered.
I shrugged. “It was just a little drool. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Hmmph.” She made the cutest little noise of frustration and then threw her hands up to cover her eyes. “There are rules against these things, mister.”
“Rules of your household?” I asked with amusement in my voice.
“Rules amongst friends,” she shot back.
She was already moving past me, blind with one hand still over her eyes as she made a show out of patting the walls until she reached the bathroom door.
She was mocking herself, and for that, she was absolutely the coolest girl alive. Even embarrassed and even flustered, she knew how to make me smile.
I wanted nothing more than to make her smile in return.
I wanted it as badly as I wanted to play football in college. No, I wanted it more. I needed to make Olivia as happy as she made me. The way I needed air to breathe.
It wasn’t just a desire; it was a necessity.
As I tucked my head, still laughing as I headed down the hallway, I felt like I was back on track. For now, at least, I had a purpose.
My time here might have been limited, and this thing with Olivia might not have a future, but we could enjoy every second of the time I had. I could make her happy, ease her loneliness, and make her see just how amazing and beautiful and wanted she could be.
And for me?
I caught sight of those ridiculous Dirty Dancing posters as I walked past her open doorway and grinned at the tagline I’d read so many times this week.
Have the time of your life…
I headed into Tank’s room with a huge grin.
That was exactly what I meant to do.