Fifteen
OLIVER
Tonight’s fight was too easy. I should have given the guy more room to land but I didn’t want to take my eyes off of Mia for too long and felt this overwhelming urge to end the fight as soon as I could.
I’m going to kill AJ for encouraging her to wear that outfit.
The girls are out in the crowd dancing because Mia somehow convinced AJ to stay for two songs before Rory whisks them away.
Ty waves me over from the bar where he is slammed making drinks.
I had asked him to get a drink ready for her because I just know she’s going to want it when she comes back from dancing.
She didn’t have a date this week and I don’t know if that was on purpose or not.
If I’m finally breaking past this hot and cold vibe we have.
Or if she has just been too busy. Either way, she came alone tonight and that is a win.
She’s also still wearing my necklace while every guy she passes stares at her for too long.
When I reach the bar, he places a small container next to the glass. Her extra cherries. I will absolutely be taking credit for those. “She looks incredible tonight,” Ty nods over my shoulder where I know the girls are dancing.
“Don’t look at her.” I tap my finger on top of the money I lay on the table and glare at him.
“AJ looks great too.” Ty is now pouring out a row of shots on the bar top. “It’s really not fair to everyone else that they are that hot.”
“It’s not a competition and keep your fucking eyes to yourself.
” Rory appears beside me and the threat lacing his voice would probably make most men cower.
But Ty just pretends to put blinders up and turns around to deliver the shots to the waiting group of girls.
“I hate him.” Rory turns to me and sighs.
“He’s harmless.” I pick up my fresh glass of water. No drinking for me tonight with the hopes she lets me take her home.
“You plan on actually asking Mia out on a date?” His question catches me off guard.
“We’re friends.” That’s a lie. We’re definitely something. I just don’t know what and it feels too fickle to try and figure out right now. “She’s Mia.” I say dumbly.
“She deserves for someone to actually give a damn and try though.” He pushes. I want to be mad at him, but he’s right. Anyone that meets Mia knows that she is the girl that you know in the deepest part of your soul you will never be good enough for, but you fight anyway. And I know how to fight.
I hold up her drink for proof before saying, “I am trying.”
“Just don’t give up on trying. That’s what she’s waiting for.”
“How the fuck do you know?” I take a step closer to him. “What do you know that we don’t know?” I’ve obviously tried to get any information I can from AJ about Mia’s past but she’s too loyal.
“I don’t know anything. But there is a reason my mom loves and protects her so much.
” He raises an eyebrow, “Same reason Eddie protects AJ. There’s a parallel somewhere.
The universe gives you people who understand you on a molecular level for a reason.
And my mom would die for that girl. My mom went through hell and still shines brighter than the sun.
” Rory tilts his head to where the girls are and then side-eyes me.
When I don’t say anything, he continues, “Mia shines brighter than anyone I know. People don’t shine bright unless they are trying to eclipse darkness.
” My heart feels like someone is squeezing it like a stress ball.
I let his words run through my mind, working to find what he is trying to say.
Then I watch how free Mia is on the floor dancing.
Her entire face is lit up with happiness.
It’s the one thing that AJ said she wishes she could be more like, free.
What makes this girl feel so caged? “You think someone hurt her?” The words barely leave my lips.
“I think that she gives a lot of herself to the people around her and loves loudly because she doesn’t want people to think she’s anything less than what she is.” He turns to face me, “Mia doesn’t like the quiet. AJ’s your best friend. How much does she like the quiet?”
“She hates it.” I didn’t even have to think about my answer. AJ can’t be left alone with the quiet because the darkness of her past floods her brain and she spirals. I get it. “Why are you so hellbent on talking to me about Mia?”
“Because it took me months to figure out how to reach AJ in the way she needed me. And Mia’s a part of AJ. And I will always protect every part of her. If you want to chase her, make it count.” Our heart to heart is interrupted when my brothers come up, already tipsy and grinning like idiots.
“A booth finally cleared out, let’s go claim it.” Eli puts his arm around me. He normally doesn’t drink as much as Maxwell does but they seem to be on the same level right now. That’s concerning.
“Hey, you good?” I ask him as he ushers us towards the booth.
If you can even call it that. Everything in this building is old and recycled.
These booths are probably from some old diner and stolen.
He sits across from me and I recognize the agony in his eyes as he takes a giant gulp from the beer bottle in his hand.
“I miss her.” Devyn. They’ve been best friends since we were in kindergarten and everything in between.
This is her longest lasting relationship though and it’s taken a toll on him.
She’s been gone for the past few years and they’ve had to fly out to each other for visits.
The distance is hard enough, but knowing that she keeps allowing her heart to be ripped apart and poorly sewn back together is wearing his own heart out.
“It won’t last. They never do. And then you can make sure that you don’t fuck your timing again.” He lets out a depressed laugh and peels away at the label on the bottle. Their timing has never been kind to them.
“Whoever created time is a bitch.” He’s definitely drunk which means that I will be taking home the lot of them tonight.
“The worst bitch.” I agree with him and he smiles across the table at me.
“You fought so well tonight.” An annoying slow drawl comes from a small group of girls that appear next to us.
I try to brush them off, “I barely fought at all actually.” The girl moves so fast I barely know what is happening before she is sitting on top of my thigh and pawing at my neck.
“It was so hot watching you be an animal like that.” Was she even watching the fight? There was barely even blood.
I reach up and peel her hand away and place it by her side.
I try to pick her up and slide her off my leg but she somehow makes herself heavy and her face is so close that it’s touching mine.
“When do you fight again? I want to make sure that I’m here to support you.
” She purrs as she really emphasizes the last two words and taps my nose. This isn’t cute.
“I did have someone in my corner.” I glance to where we left the girls but I see no one. Where the fuck are they? Where is Rory?
“Sorry to interrupt but you're sitting in my seat.” I feel my ears heat at the sound of her voice. The girl whips her head around so fast that she nearly falls.
“What did you say?” She questions Mia, who is standing over her even though she is just a few inches over five foot tall.
She looks pissed and it’s making my heart beat a little faster.
“I don’t see your name on it.” The girl laughs, clearly not understanding the severity of going up against this burning ball of chaotic sunshine.
Mia gives her a sickly vicious smile before calling out, “Maxie, sweetheart. Can you hand me my purse?” My brother, who I didn’t even realize was standing near her, holds out a small black bag.
Mia unzips it and digs for exactly five seconds before pulling out a sharpie.
She motions to where the girl is sitting and waves her towards the side.
“This is where you get off his lap now.”
Mia waits for the girl to clumsily make her way back to standing and away from me.
She uncaps the sharpie with her teeth and leans over, placing her hand too high on my thigh before she takes the sharpie and signs her name on my pants.
She looks up at me before taking the sharpie lid out of her mouth and handing it to me.
She leans down even further and kisses next to her name.
I’m fighting for my life with her lips this close to my dick.
Even the thick material of my jeans isn’t enough to contain the effect she is having on my body right now.
I look down at the spot she just kissed to find a faint red imprint of her lips.
She straightens back out and flips her hair over her shoulder to expose all the bare skin that is glistening with sweat from where she’s been dancing.
She lifts that same shoulder, purses her lips, and scrunches her adorable nose.
“Looks like that does, in fact, say my name. In permanent ink.” I have to bite my lip to keep from giving her a reaction or laughing.
The girl crosses her arms, the alcohol making her brave. “What if he wants me there instead?”
“Ol?” Mia says my name without looking at me.
“Yeah, pretty girl?”
“Who would you pick?”
“Always you.” She knows that, she’s just having fun making a scene.
She wiggles her fingers at the group of girls. “Run along now.” This version of Mia might be my new favorite. The girls decide to go find a new group of guys to target and leave us.
Mia sits down next to me and immediately reaches for her drink. “Vultures.”
“Careful Mia, you look jealous.” I lean forward to rest my arms on the table and get closer to her.
“Just say thank you.” She rolls her eyes, “if I had showed up a few minutes later her tongue probably would have been attacking your throat.” She shutters and Eli laughs.
“Scoot over, Sunshine.” Maxwell moves in, overcrowding the limited space, and lifts Mia over to me. He reaches for my glass of water and gulps down the entire thing. I move her over to the other leg so she doesn’t smear the lipstick on her that she left on my pants.
Eli points to Mia’s purse still on the table, “Who keeps a sharpie in their purse anyways?”
“You never know when you need to write an asshole’s number on a wall to call for free blow jobs.” Mia is so serious when she answers him that it only makes us lose it even more.
My brother's eyes widen before he shakes his head. “You’re diabolical.” I catch Eli’s eye and silently plead for him to take Maxwell and disappear for a few minutes.
Thankfully, we are always running on the same wavelength.
“Let’s go get a round of water for everyone, Maxie.
" Max sends a quick glance my way and I catch his dimple pop as he looks at Mia. He gets it.
“It’s creepy when you all do that, you know.” Mia sips on her drink and looks over at me. The colors in her eyes dancing along with the different lights in the room.
“Do what?” I ask her softly.
“The triplet thing.” I laugh because everyone always says that. She picks up a cherry from the cup of cherries that Ty made her.
“This outfit is sinful.” I let my hand rest on the bare skin of her thigh. “I can’t believe you branded me.” She turns her head so she is looking down at me.
“You’ve offered for me to sit in your lap plenty of times. Figured it was okay.” She sucks on another cherry, never breaking eye contact.
I grip her leg tighter before assuring her, “it’s more than okay.”
“Don’t do that.” She shuffles in my lap and her ass is now resting in the crook of my arm.
“Do what?” I’m trying so hard to focus but her eating those damn cherries is distracting. All my attention is on how soft her lips look.
“Be nice. We aren’t nice to each other.” Rory’s words echo my thoughts. I can feel her putting something up between us.
Don’t quit trying.
“I’ve told you before. If you want to pretend you aren’t right where you are supposed to be, that’s okay.” I squeeze her thigh twice before saying, “Thanks for coming tonight. The fights feel different when you are here.” I decide to be honest.
She reaches up behind her neck and unclasps my chain. Then she easily puts it back around my neck. “Take me home?” She asks absently as she runs her finger over the metal resting around my throat.
I squeeze her closer before finding Eli and Maxwell by the bar. “Let’s grab my brothers. I’ll drop them off first.”
We all make our way out of The Poolhouse and something feels different as I make my way to the car. Something shifted tonight. I would have never imagined it would be Rory to make me see something new that I wanted to go after. But I’m in his debt for being the one to tell me not to quit.