Page 18 (1/2)

"So Jackson, huh?" I hint, handing her coffee

I turn around and pull a breakfast bar froreedily drinks back the coffee

"You didn’tat her I don’t e the subject"

"Jackson is a sweetheart" She states, avoiding eye contact

I overtly narrow aze to the purple love bite on her neck and stare at it until she comments

"I didn’t say he was a saint" She chuckles "He’s different to the other guys I go for We’re going out to dinner soet to know each other better before we you know"

I alranola breakfast bar "Jesus, Selena is taking the ti with hiht I’d see the day"

"Shut up We don’t all live on a narrow path, you know Sos"

I sover is a favorite hobby of et ready Do you need me to drop you hoet back"

"Okay, but don’t go through ain I don’t need new clothes I like the ones I have"

I stroll from the kitchen and hit the shower I spend extra ti about Sethyou s forrises inI can see Selena’s blurry head poke through the bathroom door So a cold shiver down my spine "Olivia?"

"Come in and close the door"

She comes in, closes the door and slides down the wall Her toes press against the glass of the shower "Have you and Seth had sex yet?"

I frown and strainwater "No" I answer curiously "Why’s that?"

"Look, I know you recently broke up with Blade and you’re having fun and all that, but I think Seth is the last person you should be spending time with"

I’m taken back by her words "Whatsnippets of last night"

He words send tendrils of dread through irl cao--which he didn’t deny--and she was really trying to get back in, but he turned her down cold"

I soap upto every word she says

"It was brutal, O The girl left the club crying"

"Yeah?" Little did she know, I’ve witnessed two girls coym I’d left too early to see what happened with the brunette, but the blonde left the gy Seth said he doesn’t want to hurt me like that and I believe him I don’t trust him, but I believe him "You don’t need to worry, Sel I knohat kind of person Seth is and we have a "

"I just don’t want to see him toss you aside like rubbish if you do decide you want to sleep with him, that’s all"

"Thanks, Selena, but I think I have it covered"

She climbs lazily to her feet and exits the bathrooe over my body, unable to shake her words from my mind It shouldn’t bother me because I already knohat Seth is like, but what if she’s right What if he doesn’t want me after we have sex? It doesn’t matter, I hold all the power I refuse to have sex with him until I’m sure it’s exactly what I want--if he is exactly what I want

My carnoise when I turn the key It’s like the engine wants to turn over, but can’t

"Great!" I shout, bangingwheel "How the hell aet to work now?"

A white sedan pulls up in front of ift from God or the Devil himself as Blade steps out of the car and adjusts the collar on his green polo shirt He spotsme those boyish dimples I can’t help but sood"

I look down at my deep violet dress It’s one of o to work?"

I slaainst it "I was, but my car won’t turn on"

His sneakers scuff the concrete as he walks closer to me "I can take you, if you want"

I chew ood idea, but--I glance around ht now I’ve done too much shit to Mason in the last teeks and I can’t afford to not show up on ti with Blade "You’ll take ht?"

"I promise"

I slide my phone into the pocket of my dress and step toward hiet there on tiet into his car and I even put the handbrake down for him, like I always did He notices too and shtens in my chest I had no idea how much I missed Blade His familiar scent fills my nostrils and I inhale This is a stupid idea He’s still Blade I tell ht last night" He says,"That’s a pretty big thing for you Seth uy"

"He is" I reply autoether nervously Then, Blade’s hand covers mine "I ether for six years, Olly, six years That’s a long time"

I pull my hands out from under his, but he leaves his in my lap "And you it threw out thefor sex--lots of sex What you did isn’t soiven"

"I’m sorry, I fucked up"

"You said that after the first time and the second and the--"

"Okay so I’ve messed up a bunch of tied and it won’t happen again"

How many times have I heard that? Countless "I can’t--I don’t believe you"

He takes his hand back and runs it through his blond hair "How can I prove it to you? How can I ave everything to you and you chose to take it for granted"

"So that’s it?" Six years--gone, just like that?"