Chapter 11
Eleven
Olivia
“You will be,” the words were said with venom, and I’m too scared to look at him, because I’ll only see hatred for me in his eyes I keep trying to remember Hayden who was my best friend, the one who made me laugh, or the one who wrapped his arms around me when I had a bad day.
I feel Hayden move a little closer to me, feeling his hot breath on my ear. My hands move to my laptop trying to focus on anything but him. “You need to leave.” Hayden stands up and walks away from me.
Jen stands up as he reaches her, and he wraps his arms around her, and squeezes her butt which makes her laugh.
That should have been me. We should have been laughing together. There are so many things I dreamed of which involved Hayden. Holidays, watching movies together, walking down the aisle and Hayden waiting for me.
Now, I watch him with another girl as my heart breaks piece by piece at the thought of him with someone else.
Hayden looks over his shoulder at me, and my finger moves to my necklace, but then a panic hits me.
Both my hands wrap around my neck feeling for it.
Looking around the floor, down my top, then it hits me and slowly my eyes drift up to Hayden watching me with a smile.
He puts his fist up in front of him then opens it, and my necklace drops in front of him.
My eyes snap wide, my breathing starts to hit me hard watching him take a step behind Jen.
No, no he wouldn’t. Not this, do anything to me Hayden but not this. Please don't do this. Please. I beg, but the words won’t come out, as I watch him putting my necklace on Jen, and a tear lands on my cheek.
Jen smiles watching me, and once Hayden has put it on, she turns around and kisses him, but his eyes are locked on mine as he kisses her.
He’s ripping out my heart and playing with it, before he crushes it. I wipe the tears away, grab my stuff and go to leave, but stop when Jen stands in front of me.
Her hand moves to my necklace, and smiles at me. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I glance over at Hayden smiling at me as he takes a step closer to me, then wipes the tear away.
“Doesn’t my girl look good in her new gift?” The question makes me sick, and my eyes are back to my necklace around her neck.
He’s stabbing my heart, and there's nothing I can do to save myself from the pain.
“I can—” I stop, no matter what I say now, nothing will help me.
Taking a step to the side, I leave the class, because no matter how much I hate leaving class, the thought of my necklace around her neck, the man I love kissing her, hurts more, so much more.
I stand in front of the mirror, I feel naked without my necklace. Since Hayden gave it to me, I’ve never taken it off. I didn’t take it off; he took it from me.
I wipe the tears away, which haven’t stopped since I left class and pretty much ran to my dorm. There is no way I can get away from him, he’s in two of my classes, Abigail will drag me everywhere, and her friends hang out with him.
Where the hell am I meant to run?
My phone rings on the bed, but I ignore it, because I can’t talk to my dad, not while I’m still crying, and he'll know I’m upset with only one word escaping my mouth. The moment it stops ringing, it beeps with a message.
Mr. Cain
Can you work tonight?
Olivia
Yes.
I wait to see what time he'd like me to start; anything is better than being on campus and running into Hayden, or even worse Jen. I have to see my necklace on her, and that kills me more than anything. I take a deep breath in, trying to calm myself down.
You knew this was going to happen. You knew he was going to make it horrible for you.
Mr. Cain
6
I look at the time on the top of my phone; I have six hours to kill.
He had to be in my morning class, and now I don’t want to even go to the next two classes.
Grabbing my laptop, I send out an email to both my teachers.
When I came to school and spoke to them about my mom’s situation, they knew there could be days I might not be able to come in.
I shouldn’t be using my mom as a reason to miss class, but after what happened there's no way I can be around anyone. But if they can send me the notes from the class, then I can go to the library, sit in the corner and work through it all.
I grab all my things and leave my room. The first place I need to go is the coffee shop.
I need some coffee, and a cake, anything sweet if I’m honest. My dorm is walking distance to everything, which is a huge help, because my car I’m sure will break down on me one day.
So, if I don’t have to use it I won’t in case my dad calls me and I need to get to the hospital or the house, I know my car should be able to get me there.
I walk into the coffee shop, smiling at the couple in front of me as I wait in line looking up to see what I would like to have. The café hums with quiet conversation, and smiles as my turn comes.
“Caramel latte and a cupcake, please, order under Olivia.” Tapping my card to pay, I walk to the other side and wait for it be made.
Sitting in the corner by the window, I open my laptop and stare at my essay which I've started.
I tap my pen against my lip, not being able to focus on the assignment, my mind is on Hayden. It’s always on Hayden. I’ve never been able to stop thinking about him, but the way he looked at me today, the way the words of hate escaped him, I know there's no returning to what we once had.
Slamming my laptop shut, because no matter how hard I try to focus on my work, the words won’t be coming.
Instead, I grab a book from my backpack and do what helps me forget my problems, and read a book about other people's problems, and how their love life is going.
Even though they always get their happily ever after at the end, it still makes me smile knowing these characters love each other and want to be together.
But my life is real, and I don’t see it happening for me.
The bass vibrates through the floor, a steady pulse of heavy beats and remixed anthems. Neon lights flicker between deep purples and electric blues, casting shadows that stretch and shift as bodies move to the music.
Skyline is packed.
Every booth is full, every floor swarming with people.
The second-floor balcony overlooks the chaos below, there’s a sea of dancers, flashing drinks, and too-loud laughter. The metal pole in the corner gleams under the strobe lights, girls spinning effortlessly, their laughter mixing with the music.
And outside? The line is still insane.
"Hey, Olivia, are you alive back there?" Jess, one of the other bartenders, nudges me with her elbow as she passes by, balancing a tray of shots.
"Barely." I flash her a grin, already reaching for the next bottle.
I knew this club was busy but fuck I haven’t stopped once since I started tonight. I’ll be sleeping like a baby tonight.
The bar is slammed, but I love it. The rush, the constant movement, the fact that it leaves me with time to think.
Another order rolls in. I twist the cap off a bottle of vodka, moving on autopilot. That’s when I feel it, a group of guys watching me.
I glance up. “Here we go.” I place the glass in front of the man.
"Busy night," one of them shouts over the music, and I turn to see who it is. My heart almost stops, what the fuck are they doing here. Leo and his friends. I look around to see if security is close to me. I don’t want them close to me, but I also don’t want to lose my job.
I keep my expression cool. "It’s a bar. What did you expect?"
He chuckles. "Feisty. I like it. You’re more beautiful than you were back then.” Leo leans in closer to me and brings the card machine between us.
I roll my eyes but hand him his drink anyway. "That’ll be fifteen."
"Bet you’d make more than that if you switched jobs." He nods toward the pole in the corner, smirking.
I don’t flinch. I’m not letting Leo win again, never fucking again.
Jess appears at my side before I can respond. "Move along, gentlemen." Her voice is all business, but her sharp stare says she’s one second away from throwing their drinks in their laps.
They laugh, shaking their heads as they wander off. “Another night, another round of entitled assholes.” Jess laughs as she walks to take the order from the next customers. I stay where I am for a moment, and my glance moves to Leo and his friends staring at me.
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, I keep telling myself.
I shake it off, refocusing on the bottles in front of me. But as I move, my fingers brush against my collarbone, where my necklace should be. The one thing which normally gives me peace but now it’s not there.
“Olivia!” Jess shouts my name, and I turn to her and she points to the two ladies trying to get my attention for their drinks.
“Sorry, what can I get you?” I ask.
I still have a few hours left of my shift, but my glance keeps moving to Leo and his friends watching me. And who do I have to call when I’m in danger? No one.
“Olivia,” my body tenses up hearing Leo’s voice again. I can’t lose this job, the pay is too good, so I smile and turn to face him, moving closer to hear his order. “Do you still think about me?”
“No, what drink can I get you?” I try to move away, but he grabs my hand and I fight for him to let it go. But it’s not working, until I see one of the security guys and Lincoln, I think his name was, coming up behind Leo. Lincoln grabs the back of his neck and pulls him away.
“You have one warning, the next one you’re out, and never coming back,” Lincoln shouts at him, then pushes him away back to his friends. “You okay?” Lincoln asks, and all I can do is give him a small nod, and smile.
They know where I work, is this the last time he'll be here? No. This is going to be great, well at least until Mr. Cain fires me anyway.
I get back to work, now knowing someone will be watching Leo to make sure he doesn't come close to me again.