OLIVIAAiden glances at the phone, then turns to me. " Excuse me," He utters.I nod my head. At least, he asked before answering the call. It is a small victory, but I will take it. A win is a win.I watch Aiden pick up the phone from the blanket and bring it to his ear.Fuck, the phone is not on speaker mode. I won't be able to hear what their convo is all about. What is wrong with me? Why do I even care about what they are talking about?I should not care about what they are saying, but I can't help myself. When do I become so nosy? It is as if it started just now.Aiden's mouth tilts into a lopsided smile. I swallow hard, as a knot forms in my chest.What is Aiden talking to my sister about that has him beaming like that?My fists clench, my fingernails digging into my palms. What is wrong with me? It is just a phone call. Aiden and my sister are just friends. I should not be feeling this way. But the more I think about it, the heavier that knot in my chest becomes. I am a mes
OLIVIAI pack my things carefully into my bag, making sure not to forget anything. After double checking that everything is already there, I sling my bag over my shoulder, ready to leave."Olivia!"I hear Aiden call out, but I pretend not to hear him. I need to get away from this place, before he gets there. I don't want to see him. I don't want to talk to him. He should just leave me alone.I step away from the blanket and begin putting on my sneakers. I can hear Aiden's footsteps approaching, and I know he will be here soon. I need to get away quickly. I finish putting on my sneakers and walk away. I am walking at a brisk pace, but I'm not running.Before long, I find myself standing outside the garden. My eyelids drop as I realize that I won't be able to have the sweet moments here again. Maybe someday I will come back, either alone or with my best friend. I turn on my phone and tap open the map app. Fuck, I can't believe I came all the way here with Aiden without even knowing
OLIVIA"Hey," I say to the cab driver. "Can you take a different route? I've changed my plans."The cab driver nods, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. I give him a little smile and he smiles back before turning his attention back to the road.I let out a sigh of relief. He seems like a nice guy. At least, he is not the type of cab driver who will blame me for wasting their time and changing my plans.I give the driver directions to Nathan's house. I will just tip him extra. Look at me just trying to enjoy the moment, without worrying that I may go broke later.I blame Aiden freaking Blacksmith. Fuck him for inviting me out and then ditch me. Fuck him for not even trying to give me a ride after that. Fuck him. I'm so mad at him.I open the messenger app and see Nathan's last text. I know he is probably waiting for me to reply. What if I am just delusional? What if he doesn't even give a damn if I don't text back? Maybe, he is not even waiting for me to text back and has a
OLIVIA"Are you okay?" I hear Nathan's voice in my head, but it feels like I am not really hearing him. It is as if my subconscious mind hasn't registered his voice enough to register that he's called my name."Olivia," Nathan calls my name.I blink a few times, tearing my gaze away from my phone and up to Nathan's face."Are you okay?" He asks again.I force a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," I reply, hoping I sound more convincing than I feel.Am I really okay? No, I'm not. I don't know why, but I am confused. Really confused that I have so many thoughts swirling in my head, and none of them can answer the questions in my mind.Why would Sarah tag me in a post with pictures of her and Aiden? What was she thinking? Now, I am left wondering why Nathan and I are headed to the ice cream hub as Sarah and Aiden.Damn, this is crazy. I need to get these thoughts out of my head, or I will zone out and bore Nathan to death. I don't want him to regret inviting me over. I need to get a fucking grip
OLIVIANathan's lips press against mine. His hand slides to my waist, and he pulls me close. I can't ignore how my body fits against his.I kiss him back, and he sucks on my bottom lip. I do the same to him, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Nathan stops kissing me, and I lean back, his eyes locked on mine. The corners of his mouth curl into a bright smile. Before I can even return the smile, he leans in again for another kiss, this one even more passionate than the last. I notice how careful Nathan is being with his hand placement. His hand is just caressing my back, without going any further. Maybe, he is trying not to make me uncomfortable. I don't mind, though. I can't help but imagine that it is Aiden holding and kissing me instead. His hand would have been inside my top, if it were him.“ Ai… Nathan,” I mutter.Well deserved. My dumb ass shouldn't be fantasizing about the brown eyed devil while kissing someone else. Nathan's hand leaves my waist and he pulls away from t
OLIVIAI am at a loss for words. I don't know what to say or how to react. I just sit there with my mouth hanging open, staring at my sister like she has grown horns.Of course, I can see Aiden standing next to her out of the corner of my eye, but I act like I don't even see him. Maybe, if I pretend he is not there, I'll believe it and get through it. But, how can I keep it up when my palms are already starting to sweat? I don't even know what's wrong with me. I don't know why I am behaving this way. I don't know if it is because my sister is here or because her best friend who ditched me is also here. “ Olivia,” A familiar voice breaks through my train of thoughts. I shake myself out of the daze, and I try to get a grip on myself. I am here on a date with Nathan. I shouldn't let myself get caught up in thoughts of my sister or her best friend. “ Olivia?” Nathan's voice calls out to me again.As I turn to face him, I force a smile."What's up?" I ask."Are you okay?" Nathan asks
OLIVIAMy eyebrows furrow. Is Aiden messing around with me? Is this some kind of joke? I re-read the message several things to make sure I hadn't misread it. I am not playing tricks on myself. The words are still there, staring back at me. He wanted me to leave the door unlocked, so he could come over.I don't believe it.Why would he want to come over? Shouldn't he be with my sister right now? He should be with Sarah, not coming over to see me. It doesn't make sense.I begin typing a response, my fingers flying over the keyboard in a blur. I hit ‘’ send ‘’ and watch the message go through. Me - What do you mean? Are you really coming? I see that the message icon turns blue indicating that he has seen it. I wait, but the typing indicator never appears. I stare at the screen, willing the three little dots to show up, but they never do.I wait for a few more minutes, thinking the network is preventing his message from reaching me, but still, I don't get any message from him. My eyel
OLIVIAMy hands clench into fists.I don't know why I suddenly feel conscious. I am aware of everything going around me, the outfit I am wearing , how I look. I wonder if I look like a tomato or someone with a lot of thoughts running through their mind. I am a nervous wreck, aren't I? There he is, Aiden, locking my door. I entered my room before him. I suggested we should come in and have our conversation. I just feel like it is better this way. A part of me knows this won't be just a chat. Whatever is about to happen, I am ready. I don't know what is in store, but I'm ready to take the loop. Aiden's brown eyes are like lasers, boring into me and seeing straight into my brain.His intense gaze is too much for me to handle, so I spin away. Why am I acting like a nervous squirrel? I'm trying to play it cool, but my nerves are all over the place.I seize the opportunity to close my curtains, providing a cover for my awkward turn. While closing the curtains might make the room darke
AIDEN Three months later… “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you, Aiden!" I wish I could block my ears so I wouldn't have to hear them singing this birthday song. I think it's really cringe. I don't even know what to do, how to act while they sing. I just stand there, my eyes locked on my girl. She's the only one whose singing doesn't make me cringe. Olivia has a big smile on her face, like she is more excited than I am and I'm the one clocking a new age. She even organized this whole thing, insisting I should celebrate with friends. And somehow, she got me to agree. So, here we are, having a mini party at my place with Bryan, Sarah, and Ashley. I turn 21 today. I'm in a better place; I feel loved. That's a good reason to celebrate. Olivia walks over to me and hands me a knife. "You can cut the cake now," She says. I nod and smile at her. Just as I position the knife and about to cut the cake, a voice interrupts me. "Don't cut the cake like it's your opp," Bryan jokes
OLIVIA Why the hell am I freaking out? It's just a date—a date with my boyfriend. This isn't the first, second, or third time I am going out with him. So, why am I feeling flutters all over my stomach? What's wrong with me? It's funny, even though he told me we are just going to see a movie, I can't help the butterflies in my stomach. It's always been like this. Whenever I see him, a part of me feels like a little girl getting her favorite treat. Is it normal that I still feel this way about him, even though our relationship is more than a month old? I can't get enough of him. I don't think I ever will. I know what I need now—a damn grip on myself. I haven't even picked out what to wear yet. If Aiden shows up and I am not ready, he'll tease me about how I always make us late. I really don’t want that. I walk to my closet. It’s just a movie date, right? Something simple will do. I consider jeans but then think better of it. I want to wear something cute. A mini dress it is. I grab
OLIVIAI blink my eyes open, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.The first thing I feel is the warmth beneath me, the gentle rise and fall of Aiden's chest. His breathing is the only sound I want to hear. I raise my head, letting my gaze linger on his face. He's still asleep, calm as ever. There's something about seeing him like this that makes my heart flutter. His messy hair falls across his forehead, and I reach up to brush it aside, my fingers lightly tracing his skin. He stirs a little but doesn't wake, only tightening his grip around me.A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. I think about us. What I love most is that, no matter what happens, we always find our way back to each other. We choose each other, again and again. If that is not love, I don’t know what is.I press a kiss to his chest, then shift just enough to reach his lips, kissing him there too. Is this what forever feels like? With him, wrapped in his arms, it certainly feels that way.Enough of
AIDENI slide into my car, the loud bass from the party music fading as the door closes behind me. I slam my fist on the steering wheel, regret boiling inside me. I’ve never regretted anything in my life, but this might be the first. I wish I’d never come to this party, let alone convinced her to join me.Where the hell is Olivia? Who did she follow? Why did I leave her alone like that? My mind spins, and the more I think about it, the more I blame myself. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t been so stupid, she wouldn’t have left.I don’t want to be here at this party anymore. But, I can’t just drive home, not knowing where my girlfriend is or who she is with. I pull out my phone—this is my only hope. If I can reach her and know she’s safe, at least half my worries will be eased.I dial her number. I heave a sigh of relief as the ringing echoes through the car. At least the call is going through this time, but she doesn’t answer.A line forms between my brows. Why isn’t she picking up?
AIDENI lean against the wall, watching Marcel pace back and forth in front of me. We're in a dimly lit room, the smell of smoke thick in the air. I take a long drag from my cigarette, feeling the familiar burn in my lungs. "When did you get back from Italy?" I ask."Two days ago," He answers.I had been with my friends at the main venue of the party when I spotted Marcel. I remember thinking it was the right time to tell him about my decision to leave the drug scene. Marcel has been quiet since I broke the news, I wonder what's on his mind."Aiden," He calls out, pulling me from my train of thoughts. "Are you really sure about this? You're just going to walk away from everything?"I exhale slowly, watching the smoke curl up toward the ceiling. "Yes, I'm sure," I say.I know this news shocked him. I never imagined I'd reach the point where I'd decide to quit drug dealing, the life I've known for so long. But, it's time. I've chosen to leave the darkness behind, and there's no turning
OLIVIASarah squeezes her eyes shut, then slowly opens them again."I know I haven't been a good sister to you. I've never treated you the way an older sister should," She admits.My eyes widen. Where is this coming from? Is she just messing with me again?"Why are you saying all this?" I ask. "This isn't like you. You never care how you treat me, whether I like it or not."Sarah takes a deep breath. "You're making me feel worse than I already do. I know I've been awful. Deep down, I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn't stop myself."She continues. "When our parents divorced, I completely lost myself. I didn't know how to handle the pain, let alone be there for you. So I started hanging out with my friends, and I abandoned you. I know that too.""I was lost too," I say, my lips trembling. "We could have supported each other, but even before the divorce, you were never there for me. It was always you and your friends. You never cared about me."Sarah rakes her fingers through her hai
~ TWO WEEKS LATER ~OLIVIACrazy. That is the only word that comes to mind as I stand in the middle of the crowded room, the noise and chaos around me growing louder. My eyes sweep the room. Smoke fills the air from countless cigarettes. The music is blaring. Bottles are littered across the floor. People are grinding on each other, drunk and reckless. If they're not smoking or making out, they're definitely drunk. Some are doing all three at once.I've been to a few parties before, but none as wild as this. This is insanity. What should I call this? Aiden's world? And where the hell is Aiden? He’s still not back from the car.Aiden and I arrived at the party just a few minutes ago, and he had to go get his phone, which he forgot in the car, while I chose to stay here and wait for him. I regret that decision now. I should’ve just followed him back to the car. Aiden invited me to this party. He said it had been a long time since he attended one, and he wanted me to go with him. You
AIDENThe warm breeze washes over me, sending shivers across the skin as I reach the lake. The lake is our favorite place - always calm in the afternoon, with a secluded spot we've claimed as our own. We’ve been here countless times before Sarah decided to call it our special place. It’s become a routine for us to visit two or three times a week. But now, I am not sure how much longer that will continue. I have a girlfriend and she’s Sarah’s sister. How much more complicated can things get?I spot Sarah, her back turned toward me. The plan is to sort things out with her. No matter what, I shouldn’t argue with her too much or let her get on my nerves. I walk closer and sit beside her. Sarah exhales smoke from the cigarette she is holding, then passes it to me. I take a drag, inhaling deeply before blowing out the smoke.“So, you’re going to marry my sister now, huh?” Sarah blurts out, still not facing me.I raise my eyebrows. “I would love to,” I mumble.Sarah spins around to face me
OLIVIAI step out of my car and head toward Aiden's doorstep. I take a deep breath and ring the doorbell. After waiting a moment without a response, I move to press it again. But before I can do that, the door swings open, and my brown-eyed boy stands before me.“Hazel,” Aiden says, opening the door wider to let me in.“Hey,” I murmur.“You’re beautiful,” Aiden whispers, pulling me into a hug, his hand gently stroking my hair.“Beautiful?” I blurt out. “Don’t try to flatter me just to make me feel better, I’m sure I look like a mess right now.”“You look stressed, but as beautiful as ever. You never look like a mess, and you never will.”“Aiden - ”“You don’t see yourself the way I see you,” He murmurs, his breath tickling my ear.I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest. If I weren’t so stressed, I’d love to kiss him like my whole world depends on it. He’s so sweet.We hear someone clear his throat, and we quickly pull away from each other, turning to see Bryan standing there."