You'll Think of Me (22 page)

“Slow it down, Nate.”

Scoffing, he said, “Well, for starters, it
is your
fault. You should’ve just left that kid alone and stayed with me, but you didn’t. Then he puts his hands on you,
kisses
you and I find out your ex-boyfriend is a celebrity. Real nice, Liv. Real nice. You fuckin’ kept out important shit about your past. How could you not tell me who he is? I knew he did a number on you emotionally from what you told me, but for Christ’s sake,
him
? You didn’t think you needed to let me know? Oh, and let’s not forget the part where you saw him recently. Tell me, when did you have time for that little rendezvous? When? Are you seeing him behind my back!” Nate yelled as he punched the steering wheel twice, his fist springing back. “Fuck!”

Olivia cringed as Nate’s voice reverberated within the confines of the truck.

“I never mentioned it because I never thought I’d see him again.”

“Olivia, he lives in your hometown. Your small hometown! How did you not think you’d ever run into him again? Are you serious or just deluded?”

“Don’t be asinine, Nate.”

“Don’t tell me how to be. I’m allowed to be whatever the fuck I want to be right now. You purposely withheld that part. Now he’s back…or you’re back… Are you seeing him? I’m not quite sure and don’t know if I can even believe anything that comes out of your mouth right now. How do I know he’s not back for you?”

“He’s not.”
That ship sailed long ago…

“You don’t know that. I saw him look at you. It’s how
I
look at you. Shit, he’d be stupid not to go after you. He eyed you like a piece of candy. Did you see him when you went home? Is that why you went back? Were your parents just a cover to see him?”

Olivia rolled her eyes. Nate was being completely ludicrous. “You’re jumping to conclusions, Nate. Have I ever given you any reason to doubt me?”

He paused. “Not until tonight. I feel like I don’t even know you right now.”

“Just stop. You sound absolutely ridiculous and taking it all out of context. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Nate.”

“The fuck I don’t! You both have history. And I’m not stupid. He’s a famous country singer with girls chasing after him. Why did you see him?”

Olivia brought her leg up and propped it against the door. “I can’t tell you, Nate. Please understand that I’m not hiding anything from you, I just can’t tell you. You have to trust me on this.”

“You actually expect me to trust you right now?”

“Yes, I do. Again, I ask, have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?”

A cold, unspoken feeling drifted through the air when Nate didn’t respond. And for once, she was content with the silence between them. It might only be for a matter of minutes, but she didn’t have anything left in her to fight. She was hurt over the fact that Nate suddenly lost his trust in her, but she couldn’t tell him about Luke’s mother.

“Just take me home, please. I’m done with tonight,” she said softly, her head resting against the passenger window.

“No, you’re coming to my place tonight.”

“I really don’t want to. I just want to be alone.”

“Too bad. Plus, my place is closer.”

Olivia sighed heavily. She was only five minutes from where he lived. “Fine. I’ll walk home.”

“As if I’d let that happen. Either you’re at my place or I’m at yours. That was the plan, and we’re finishing this wreck of a date.”

past

D
runk. Inebriated. Smashed.

That was the state of mind Luke was in. Drunk as fuck but damn it all to hell, he fucking wanted Livy bad. He leaned against the brick wall in Chase’s backyard thinking how much this night had taken a nasty turn. Livy was like a tattoo under his skin. He couldn't even begin to describe the anger or confusion he felt inside after what happened earlier. His chest ached and tightened with each breath. Never had Luke thought Livy would leave Georgia. Leave him.

The heated argument they had. She fucking lied to his face four weeks earlier at the lake. This whole time… This whole time she knew she might be leaving and never said anything to him.

What the fuck? He grabbed another beer, popped it open and downed a long swig while pacing back and forth.

But if he was being honest with himself, there was a part of him happy for her. He always wanted her to have everything. He understood why she wanted out, the shitty childhood she had and all. He wanted to grant every wish Livy had, and he would if she let him, but this one he refused to. He just couldn’t. It wasn’t as though he didn’t trust Livy. Luke just couldn’t deal with the idea of her being so far away from him. What kind of relationship was that? He wanted them to grow closer, not apart. And with her hundreds of miles away, that’s exactly what would happen.

What hurt the most was that she hid it all from him. The studying, the test, and the excitement when she received her acceptance letter. Everything. How could she?

Trying to ignore the pressure building in his chest and the need to go to her, Luke kept downing cold ones as he watched Livy with her friends by the fire pit. He hoped that coating his blood in alcohol would help ease the pain of the situation. There was a good possibility she was telling Tessa what an asshole he’d been, and he had been one, but she deserved it. Luke wasn’t sorry for what he said or did, and sure as hell wasn’t apologizing, either.

They were all chilling at Chase’s house tonight, but Luke was so worked up that he separated himself from Livy as much as he could stand. By the look in her eyes and how relaxed her body was in the lawn chair, she’d been drinking too. Possibly as much as him after the bone jarring decision he’d made. He wanted her so bad, even if just to hold her, but couldn’t.

With the summer stars against the heated black sky, Luke hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Olivia. His need for her only grew as her skin glowed between the flickering blue and orange flames of the fire pit.

Pushing off from the wall, he made his way to the kitchen where he grabbed another beer. He listened for the crisp sound as he cracked it open and took a long chug from it, feeling the iciness slide down the back of his throat. Damn it tasted good. How many beers was he on tonight? Eight? Nine? Twelve? He lost count at this point and sure as fuck didn’t care.

Hearing the sound of Livy’s voice, Luke glanced over his shoulder and through the handprint covered glass door. She looked so perfect sitting by the fire with her hair cascading over her shoulders as she leaned over, laughing at something Tessa must have said. Her thick waves caught his attention and all he could think about was running his fingers through the softness. On any normal night she’d be sitting on his lap while they chatted with their friends. But not tonight, or ever again.

Fuck.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut as the now familiar ache settled in his chest, one he did not welcome.

Looking through the sliding glass door again, Luke watched as Olivia removed her shoes then grabbed her purse from the ground. She was slightly unsteady as she stood, probably due to the whiskey he was pretty positive she drank liberally.

Assuming Livy was coming into the kitchen for another drink, Luke left the area and made his way around the corner to check the score of the game playing on the television. He was trying his damndest to not be next to her. Olivia was like a flame crawling underneath his skin. He wanted her so bad it hurt. And not because of her looks, but because of her heart, the way she cared about people, her soft eyes, because of her strength over her childhood, what she wanted in life. Between the beer and complete confusion over what he was feeling speeding through him like a freight train, Luke was ready to explode. It didn’t help that he wanted her six ways to Sunday right now, either.

When Luke told Livy to stay away earlier, he saw the pained look in her eyes and hated himself for making her feel like that. Or not? He wasn’t positive, just so perplexed over everything. He was contradicting what he thought just moments before. It made his head spin. One minute he wanted to take her and fuck her until she screamed his name in pleasure, and the next minute he wanted to walk away from ever knowing her.

Luke tensed when he heard the glass door shut. He clutched his cold beer and stood staring at the television. He hoped she was headed into the kitchen and then back out. Otherwise if she had to use any other room in the small house, she’d have to walk past him.

His neck prickled in awareness as he felt the presence of her in the same room. Turning his head, his cock jumped at the sight of her.

Olivia gasped when her eyes connected with Luke’s. Desperately trying to not look at him, she quickly glanced down as she placed one foot in front of the other and walked.

Just as Livy tried to pass him, Luke snaked his hand out and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her close to him. “Come here, girl,” came out in a heavily, slurred drawl.

Yup, she’d been pounding them back too. Good. He could smell it on her breath when she fell into his chest.

Luke stared into Livy’s brown eyes. It was obvious she was hurting and he felt like an ass. Her normally deep brown eyes were puffy and red rimmed. Even through his drunken haze, it was evident she’d been crying and he hated it was because of him. Luke loved Olivia. He didn’t like seeing her in pain, but he was in pain himself.

“Yeah…” Livy breathed, straightening herself. Luke still had a firm grip on her arm. She stared at his plump lips—lips that could turn from sensual to rough in a second. She wanted so bad to reach up and nibble on the bottom one and suck it into her mouth, but couldn’t. Not after how he broke things off between them. Finally, Olivia regained her composure.

“Luke...what do you want?”

Lifting one corner of his mouth into a smirk, Luke let out a small grunt then said, “You.”

“Let go of me. You told me to leave you alone. So I am.”

Luke tightened his hold on Livy’s arm when she tried to yank it away.

“Baby…
my
Livy. Don’t play stupid. I want you and you want me. It’s okay… You don’t have to say it. I just watched you stare at my mouth with hungry eyes. It made me so hard just watchin’ you. Damn, what you do to me…” Luke said in a voice as rough as sand paper. He leaned down to inhale her scent and shifted his hips into her. Olivia couldn’t move. She was rooted firmly in place knowing what Luke said was the truth.

Stifling a groan, Luke’s eyes closed. He tugged on her hand and slid it down to his bulging erection.

“Luke…I thought you said we were done,” she breathed as her hand cupped him.

Chuckling, Luke said, “Done with you? Ah, Livy, I’ll never be done with you. Can’t imagine how that could ever be.”

Luke pressed his lips just above Olivia’s collarbone, his tongue sneaking out. He opened his mouth and scrapped his teeth across her neck. Olivia drew in a breath as he slowly licked and bit his way up her neck to just below her ear. He tugged her skin into his mouth, sucking deep. He let go with a pop then pulled her earlobe into his mouth.

Olivia let out a strangled breath, a tingly warm hum drizzling down her spine. Damn traitorous body. She was worked up by Luke’s words and by his touch. Olivia turned her head into Luke’s cheek as he came up, slowly scraping his stubble against her face.

Swiftly, she tried to pull away and continue to the bathroom.

Luke placed his beer on the nearby mantle, grabbed Livy’s arm and yanked her around. No way was she getting away from him. He gripped her chin and pulled her to him. He peered down and whispered, “You. Are. Mine.” And then he smashed his lips to hers hard.

Luke’s fingers dug into her head as he held her close and pressed harder onto her mouth as he kissed her roughly. She was pushing and shoving against him, yet little did she realize she was rubbing her body along his, igniting him more.

A dangerous concoction of anger, painful arousal, and fury rip roared through his body. Not over Livy fighting him, but because of their future and what they would never have now. He hated that she was leaving him. Luke leaned into her, forcing her to take a step back as she fisted the front of his shirt. They both may be drunk, but he didn’t give a fuck. He needed her.