20. Olivia
CHAPTER 20
Olivia
“I s that everything?” I look around my bedroom, then at Rebecca’s suitcase still open on my bed with more stuff in it than she came with since we decided to go shopping this afternoon after Liam took off and Bax went to go help his mom with something.
“I think so.” She glances around. “And if it’s not, you can just mail me what I forgot.”
“Or maybe if Liam gets his way, you’ll be back sooner than you planned.” I give her a look, and she shakes her head.
“Probably not.” She closes her bag, and I push down on it to help her zip it up. “Don’t get me wrong; I really like your brother, and we had a great time last night. But…” She looks at me and rolls her eyes when she sees the disgusted look on my face. “I don’t mean like that. I mean, we had fun. He’s easy to talk to, and we have a lot in common, but we are not in the same place. Even before last night, he made it pretty clear that he doesn’t do relationships, and that is something I want. I want to get married and have babies sooner rather than later. And I’m done with men who avoid that kind of commitment.”
“I get that.” I don’t even attempt to defend Liam, not when I know his history. And yes, I know that people can change, but I’m not sure he’s at a point in his life when he’d want to.
“I will, however, be back down to visit you in a few months,” she says as we both look toward my bedroom door when it sounds like someone just opened the front door. Knowing I locked it and that even if I hadn’t, Bax wouldn’t just walk in—and neither would Liam—my heart starts to pound.
“Someone’s here,” I whisper-hiss.
“Who?” she whispers back.
“I don’t know.” I pull out my phone from my back pocket while moving to the door of my room to close it.
“Olivia?” Kourtney calls out, and my shoulders sag in relief.
“Oh my God.” I step into the hall and find Kourtney with her suitcase, standing at the opposite end. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.” She gives me a half smile. “I would have called to tell you that I was coming home, but my phone bit the dust yesterday.”
“That’s okay.” I walk to her to give her a hug and see her body stiffen when she looks behind me. I look over my shoulder and see Rebecca has stepped into the hall. “You remember Rebecca, right?” The two of them met when Kourtney stayed with me in Chicago while she was working there. Though, we all didn’t get to hang out much, since Kourtney was working crazy hours at the hospital. And she’s also very anti-social.
“I didn’t know you had company.”
“Umm… yeah. Reb came down to visit me for the weekend.” I shake my head. “Sorry, I didn’t think about telling you that she was coming.”
“It’s fine.” She sighs, and I rub my lips together. Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel about her reaction, and I don’t know if I’m in the wrong. Maybe I should have told her Rebecca was coming into town, but she wasn’t here, so I didn’t think about it. I also haven’t had to ask someone if I could have company since I was a teenager and living at home with my parents.
“I thought you were working in LA for the next couple of weeks.”
“I was, but after the police called me, I decided to use my time off to come home and check on things.”
Guilt twists around my insides. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“It’s fine.” She looks at the front door when there is a knock, and I start to walk down the hall as she turns to answer it. She gets there before me, and when she sees it’s Liam, I watch her body jerk in surprise. “Liam?”
“Hey, Kourtney,” Liam says distractedly, his attention already focused on Rebecca. “Are you ready?” he asks the woman behind me.
“Yeah, I just need to grab my luggage.”
“Do you want help?” I ask her, not really wanting to leave Liam in the living room with Kourtney, who looks so uncomfortable with people being in her house.
“I got it,” she assures, turning down the hall to my room and coming back less than a minute later, rolling her suitcase with her purse over her shoulder.
Stopping in front of me, she gives me a tight hug. “I love you.”
“Love you too. Call after you get to the airport and are through security.”
“I will.” She lets me go and looks at Kourtney.
“Sorry we didn’t get a chance to visit. Maybe next time.”
“Yeah,” Kourtney says as Liam grabs Rebecca’s bag and wheels it outside.
“Drive safe,” I tell Liam, and he jerks his chin up in my direction but doesn’t say a word. Then again, he hasn’t tried to talk to me since Bax refused to let him speak to me at the bar.
I walk to the door and watch him walk Rebecca to his truck and open the passenger door for her. A couple of minutes later, as Liam starts to back out of the driveway, I wave at Rebecca, then step back into the house and close the door. After looking into the kitchen and the office next to my room for Kourtney, I go to my bedroom and pick up my phone. I told Bax I would stay with him tonight, but with Kourtney now home, I think it might be better if I stay here with her.
After dialing Bax’s number, I put the call on speaker and set it on the bed, listening to it ring as I pick up my laundry basket from the floor and set it on the end of the bed.
“Hey, baby, did Liam pick up Rebecca?”
“Yeah, they just left.” I grab a stack of pajamas and carry them to my dresser.
“Okay, I’ll be over in a minute to walk you over here.”
“I’m not sure I’m coming. Kourtney came home, and I think it might be better if I stay here with her.”
“I thought she was in LA.” He doesn’t even attempt to hide his disappointment.
“She was.” I close the drawer. “But she came home for a couple of days—” The last word ends on a squeak when I turn toward the bed and spot Kourtney standing in my doorway. “Oh my God, you scared me.” I press my hand against my chest.
“Sorry.” She gives me an apologetic smile. “I called out to you when I was in the hallway, but you must not have heard me.”
“I didn’t.” I laugh, then say into the phone, “Hey, I’ll call you back after I talk to Kourtney.”
“Sure, baby. Let me know what the plan is.” He hangs up after saying goodbye, and I focus on Kourtney.
“Who was that?” she asks, and my nose scrunches as a smile I can’t control tips up my lips.
“Bax.”
“Bax? As in the guy who lives next door to me and is also Liam’s best friend?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you hanging out with him?” I nod my head, and she shakes her head in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “A lot has happened since I’ve been gone.”
“You’re not wrong.” I pick up a pile of my underwear and take it to the dresser. “How long are you home for?”
“Just a couple of days. Hopefully, before I leave, I can have a security system put in, along with a few cameras.”
“I’m sorry you had to leave LA and that you have to do that.”
“It’s fine. I had some days off saved up, and I’ve been meaning to put in an alarm system anyway.” She steps farther into my room and looks at the bag on my bed that still has my stuff in it from last night. “Are you staying with Bax tonight?”
“I was going to, but I’m going to just stay here with you so you’re not alone.”
“No, don’t change your plans. I was just going to go to bed. I’m exhausted after getting off work this morning and flying all day.”
“Are you sure? Bax would understand, and I don’t mind.” That’s only half a lie. Not that Bax wouldn’t be understanding, but I know I was looking forward to sleeping next to him tonight, especially when I was reminded all day how I was left on edge this morning.
“I’m sure. Please, go have fun. Maybe we can do lunch or something tomorrow, and you can fill me in on everything then.”
“Or we can have dinner when I get off work. That way, it’s not a rush?”
“That works too.” She gives me a tired smile and takes a step back toward the door. “I’m gonna go shower and head to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Do you want to borrow my cell tonight? That way, you’re not here without a phone to call someone if you need to?”
“Umm…” She nods. “Yeah, that would probably be smart.”
Picking my phone up off the bed, I pass it to her. “The unlock code is one-one-two-two-one-one. I’ll just come over in the morning and get it back from you before I leave for work.”
“I plan on going to get a new phone in the morning, so I’ll just leave yours on the counter if you’re not here before I go.”
“Sounds good.” I smile when she covers her mouth to yawn. “Go to bed, and if you need me, just dial Bax’s number.”
“All right.” She turns for the door, calling “night” over her shoulder.
After putting my stuff away, I pack a bag, shut off the light in my room, and head down the hall toward the kitchen. I check the end of the hall where Kourtney’s room is and think about knocking and letting her know I’m leaving when I see the light on under the door, but decide I don’t want to bother her if she’s getting in the shower. Grabbing my keys from the kitchen, I let myself out of the house and lock up behind me, double-checking that the door is locked before I make my way next door.
Like clockwork, Gemma starts to bark right before I reach the porch, but I don’t even have a chance to knock before Bax opens the door.
“Hey.” He leans in, touching his lips to mine. “I was just going to take Gemma on a walk.”
“I’ll go with you guys.” I pass him my overnight bag, and he smiles.
“You’re staying the night?”
“Yeah, Kourtney is just going to bed.”
“Is she okay?”
“She seemed a little off when she came home and found Rebecca in the house but was fine after that. I think she’s just tired,” I say as he steps outside and locks the door.
“Did Rebecca make it to the airport okay?”
“I don’t know. I left my phone with Kourtney. I’m going to need to borrow yours to check on her.”
“Why’d you leave your phone with Kourtney?” He passes me his phone after unlocking it.
“Hers broke, and I didn’t want her to be alone without a phone tonight, just in case.”
“Do you want us both to stay at her place?”
“I don’t get the feeling she would like that very much,” I mumble, and he gives my hand a squeeze.
“Do you have Rebecca’s number?”
“No, not memorized, but Liam has it, so I’m going to call him and hope he doesn’t ignore a call from you.” I smile when he laughs.
“Good luck. He might not have moved his ass from the stool in my kitchen this morning, but that was only because Rebecca was there.”
“I know.” I sigh. “If he doesn’t answer, I’ll call my mom. She has Rebecca’s number too.”
I press call on Liam’s number, and of course, he doesn’t answer, which is annoying, so I call my mom. After explaining the phone situation, I ask her to text me Rebecca’s number, then agree to meet her the day after tomorrow for dinner. When I hang up with her, I call Rebecca, and she’s already been through security and is just waiting for her plane to board.
She doesn’t get into what she and Liam talked about on the way to the airport, and I don’t press. When she’s ready, she’ll tell me. By the time I end the call with her, Bax and I have made it back to his house with Gemma, and the moment we step through the door, he picks up my bag from the floor of the foyer.
“Do you want to watch TV or go to bed?” he asks as I kick off my clogs, adding them to the pile of his shoes.
“I’m good with watching TV. I just want to put on my pajamas first.”
“All right.”
He carries my bag down the hall, and I follow him to his bedroom that isn’t decorated as nicely as the rest of the rooms in the house. Sure, the furniture is all fantastic, the bed, dressers, and side tables all heavy, dark wood, but the walls have swatches of paint on them like he’s been trying to decide what color to go with. And when I used his bathroom, I noticed it’s much the same, with paint swatches on the wall and stacks of tile and building material shoved into what is probably the linen closet but is missing the door and shelves.
I have no doubt that when he's done with both rooms, they will be just as stunning as the rest of his house, but I have no idea when he’ll have time to complete the jobs since it seems he really doesn’t have time for anything but work. And now I’ve been taking up space in his life as well.
After dropping my bag on the bed, he starts to get undressed, taking off the hoodie he was wearing and the T-shirt beneath it. I get so lost in watching him strip down to his boxers that I forget what I’m supposed to be doing. His body reminds me of the Greek statues I’ve seen in art museums, every contour and detail sculpted to perfection after years and years of tireless labor by the artists. I’ve never seen a living, breathing man who is as beautiful as he is, and it’s no wonder there are women who still haven’t gotten over the fact that they had him for a moment but couldn’t keep him.
That thought causes my stomach to sour and a weight to settle heavily in the center of my chest. This is so new, and even if I know he’s into me right now, that doesn’t mean I get to keep him either, and I hate the reality of that thought.
“What’s with the face?” I come out of my thoughts and focus on him, finding that he’s now got on a pair of flannel, forest-green-plaid pajama bottoms.
“Nothing.” I shake my head and unzip my bag, pulling out my pajama set that is similar to the one I wore last night—short shorts and a tank that has thin straps and lace along the hem of both the top and the bottoms.
“It was something.” I feel him get close, then frown when he takes the fabric from my hands and tosses it onto my bag. “What were you thinking?”
“Nothing.” I don’t fight him when he turns me to face him, so we are chest to chest, and he touches his fingers to my chin, lifting my gaze to his.
“Don’t lie.”
“Honestly, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how this”—I wave a finger between us—“is so new.”
“And?”
“And nothing.”
“Olivia.”
“You know, it’s kind of annoying that you won't just let things go.” I glare at him.
“Yeah, and it’s kind of annoying that you won't just tell me what you were thinking,” he counters.
“I did tell you.”
“No, you didn’t. All you said is ‘this is new.’” He slides his fingers out so he can wrap his hand around my lower jaw.
“Fine, this is new, and I’m wondering what might happen when the newness wears off?”
His fingers tighten. “I think we have a lot of time before we need to worry about that happening.” He dips his chin, bringing his face closer to mine. “And I think we have enough shit to deal with right now without you getting in your head about when this is going to end.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that,” I lie.
“Good, keep it that way.” He kisses me hard, then pulls back and drops his gaze to my bottom lip as his thumb slides across it. “Meet me in the living room after you change.”
“It’s also annoying that you’re bossy.” I narrow my eyes on him, and he smiles.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“That’s not exactly something I want to get used to, Bax.”
“Mmm.” He makes a sound in the back of his throat, then touches his mouth to mine before he lets me go. “See you in the living room,” he mutters, then without another word, he turns and walks out of the bedroom, leaving the door open.
I look down at Gemma when she groans and sprawls out on her belly, then pick my pajamas back up and dig out my shower bag, taking everything with me into the bathroom to change and take off my makeup.
When I’m done, I grab my long cardigan and put it on over my sleep set as I walk out into the living room. The lights are dim, the TV is on, and a fire is flickering in the fireplace beneath it, but there is no Bax. Or… I don’t think he’s there until I walk around the side of the couch and find him sprawled on his back with his head on one of the throw pillows.
As soon as he sees me, he grabs my hand and pulls me down with him, adjusting us so that my back is against the couch cushions, my head pillowed on his chest. His arm goes around my hip, and our legs tangle together before he reaches for the remote on the coffee table. I would like to claim that I relish in the fact that his hard body is under mine and that I can do with him what I like, but that would be a lie. Between his fingers smoothing up and down my hip and the steady beat of his heart against my ear, about five minutes into our show, my eyes get too heavy to keep open, and I fall asleep.