Lethal

Chapter 13

Thirteen

Olivia

I lay on my stomach, my legs kicking up behind me, swaying in slow rhythm as I flip the page of the latest romance novel. I was putting my tips from work to the side to buy it. The afternoon sun is sharp today but shining bright through the wooden slat of the treehouse.

Hayden sits beside me, his back resting against the wall, fidgeting with his phone, pretending not to be interested in what I’m reading, but I know he is, because he keeps peeking over as I turn the page.

“Okay, so in this one, the girl meets this tattooed biker who turns out to be this undercover FBI agent,” I say, grinning, holding the book up so he can see the cover of it. “And she thinks he’s just some bad boy, but really, he’s risking his life for justice!”

Hayden groans, rubbing his face. “Olivia, I swear every book you read has a guy who’s either an assassin, an alien, or a billionaire.”

“And yet you still ask me what happens in them,” I smirk.

He chuckles, bumping my shoulder with his. “Only because your reactions are better than any review site.”

I laugh, closing the book and turning to look at him. “You love it.”

Hayden shrugs, the corners of his mouth lifting just slightly, but he doesn’t say anything.

There’s a moment of silence, but it’s not uncomfortable. We’ve always been able to exist in the quiet like this. I read, and he looks over hockey plays or something, but this time something feels off.

He finally shifts, like he’s trying to work up courage for something. “I wanna ask you something,” he says, his voice softer than before.

“Okay,” I sit up, folding my legs beneath me.

He clears his throat and scratches the back of his neck. “Will you go to prom with me?”

I blink, stunned into silence for a beat, because I don’t go to school with him, and I thought he'd have asked one of the cheerleaders or something. “Yes! Yes, of course!”

His smile spreads, and my heart flips. “Cool. That’s…cool.”

I sit back against the wall beside him, the book forgotten in my lap, and think about the possibility. What it would be like to be with Hayden not just as best friends, but…more. But the fear creeps in. What if it changes everything? What if I lose the only person who ever truly saw me?

Is this what it will always be for us, the what if?

“So,” he says, tapping his fingers on his leg. “you’re going to let me take you dress shopping, right?”

I snort. “No way. I’m not dragging you through racks of lace and sparkles.” Plus, I don’t feel right having him pay for my dress. “Plus, I can buy my own dress, I promise not to embarrass you.”

“You'll never embarrass me, so stop thinking you will.” I stay quiet for a moment, because I don’t know what to say to him. “Too late,” he grins. “I’m coming. I have a say in the color. Plus, I want to be there when you try them on.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re not going to be helpful.”

“I’m very helpful. I’ll hold your purse and tell you which dresses make you look like a cupcake.”

“And then I’ll hit you with a hanger.”

“Totally worth it.” He leans his head back against the wall, his smile soft. “It’s a date.”

“A date,” I repeat quietly, tasting the word on my tongue, wondering if he meant it the way I want him to.

But for now, I let it be simple. Let it be enough. Let it be him and me in the treehouse, with sunlight and romance novels, and the boy who always manages to make me smile.

Present day

The bass still echoes in my chest even after hours of being surrounded by it. I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to how busy this place can be.

My hands work on muscle memory alone now, pouring drinks, calculating tabs, and flashing tight smiles at flirtatious men, and some women too. Now, I do find that a compliment.

Leo had been here again tonight with his friends. There wasn’t a word from him, but his eyes never left me. That stare, it drilled holes into my back all night. It made me feel like I was balancing on a thread. I didn’t react. Didn’t acknowledge him. That was the win I needed.

I have no idea what game he is playing with me, but I wish I could punch him.

Jess finally waves me off near closing. I sigh, pulling off my apron and stretching out my arms as I walk toward the back office to grab my bag.

“You working tomorrow?” Jess asks.

“No, I've something after school, and I don’t think I'll survive another night, it was crazy tonight.” I joke with her and close my locker. “Just need to talk to Mr. Cain, see you later.” I wave to her, and make my way up to his office, as I see the cleaning crew have already started.

Knocking on the door, I wait for him to shout come in, and when he does I walk in. He’s talking to Lincoln, then his eyes move to me as I close the door behind me.

"You survived another night," he says, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Now I’ve seen some sexy men, hell I’ve read about sexy men, and Mr. Cain is someone who should be written about. He’s hot.

“Barely,” I reply with a tired smile. “I wanted to ask, can I forward eighty percent of my paycheck to my dad’s account? I don’t need much, just my essentials and books.”

Cain leans back, nodding slowly. “Done. You’re consistent, Olivia. I like that.” He pauses, his expression shifting, he takes a moment to look at me, and for some reason the look in his eyes shifts a little. “How are you finding the job? Any trouble?”

“It’s good. Busy keeps me sane,” I answer. “The staff are all nice, Jess is amazing, and as long as I can work and study, I’m good.”

His eyes narrow a bit. “What about Leo?”

My jaw tightens and Mr. Cain sees it. “Someone from my past I wish was dead. But he hasn’t done anything… yet.”

Mr. Cain studies me a moment longer, then nods. “You need anything, come to me. Security knows to keep an eye on him.”

I nod in appreciation and head out, wrapping my jacket tighter around myself as I step into the night. It’s cold. The streets are mostly empty as I drive toward campus. My stomach reminds me I hadn’t eaten since lunch, so I swing by a twenty-four hour taco stand a few blocks from the dorm.

I think I need to start bringing some food with me to work, maybe even a protein bar. Something so I don’t get light headed.

With a bag of food in hand, I climb back into my car and make my way to my dorm. As I’m driving through a quieter street near the student housing area, I slow down when I see a crowd outside one of the houses. There’s laughter, red cups, and the bass of some rap song thudding from inside.

I recognized the figures first by their builds, Mason, Miles, and then Hayden. He is leaning against the front porch railing, half-smiling at something one of his brothers says. He looks completely at ease, like the darkness that clung to him around me disappeared when he’s surrounded by them.

He still looks so handsome, he’s bigger now, but god he’s… Stop it Olivia, he hates you, remember that. I shout to myself.

So, this is where he lives. With them. So close. I’m not sure why his family home is about thirty minutes away from campus. He could have stayed home, maybe he wanted the college life for a bit.

I duck lower in my seat, not even sure why. Maybe because I don’t want him to see me watching him. Maybe because a part of me, the foolish part, wants to remember him like this, smiling and human, and not the venomous stranger who ripped my heart out at school.

Again, it’s something which is my own fault.

I press my foot on the gas and drive off before anyone notices me, the taco bag sitting untouched on the seat beside me.

I miss him. I miss him laughing with me, I miss the way he held me in his arms when I was cold. I just miss him.

The moment I step out of class, I can feel Jen’s eyes drilling into the back of my head like heat lasers.

She's been a bitch all morning, cutting into my answers in class, pretending not to hear me, and making snide comments under her breath that are clearly meant for me. Abigail’s been trying to help me, but Jen wants to be a bitch.

Abigail has stayed close, whispering reassurances, telling me Jen is just jealous, because Hayden isn’t giving her all his attention.

We walk to lunch, and I look around for her, she’s always the first one to be in here, talking about some party, or some stupid gossip crap no one cares about.

“She said she’ll be at lunch, she had to do something,” Abigail mutters as we walk across the quad. I don't even have to ask who. “Maybe she’ll forget.”

“She doesn’t forget, she’s a weirdo who remembers everything, I think she has a black book of the people she hates,” I murmur back.

By the time we sit down for lunch, the conversation has already shifted to a party happening this weekend.

How many parties do they need to attend?

This is our last year, all I want is to pass, and get out, but every party has been full of students.

Everyone is excited, already planning what outfits they will wear.

I wish one day I can sit here and not talk about a stupid party, but then again I wish I wasn’t sitting here at all and can hide in my room, so I don’t have to see Hayden.

I hate that I’m hiding from him, but hiding is better than listening to the words he says to me.

“Are you coming?” Abigail asks, nudging my side.

I shake my head quickly. “No, I've work.” I’m so happy I have a job where I can go when I don’t want to go to the parties. Leo might be there, but I have a feeling Lincoln will stop him coming anywhere close to me, and I’ve not seen Hayden there once, so it’s away from everything, and everyone.

Before she asks what time my shift is, Leo slides in beside me, draping his arm over my chair, his fingers grazing the side of my arm like we were something. We weren’t anything, and we never fucking will be.

I wonder if I could kill him and get away with it. The answer to that question is no. I’m hoping to be a lawyer one day, and the asshole has already fucked up one part of my life, I won’t let him fuck up another part.

“Get the fuck off me,” I snap.

His smirk doesn't fade. “Still got that mouth on you, huh?” He knows nothing about me, and he never will.

I stand up, grabbing my bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Abi.”

Abigail looks concerned, but she doesn’t follow. Leo just laughs like he’s won something. Abi has never asked me why I hate him, or she’s never pushed the subject about Leo or Hayden, and I’m grateful she hasn’t because I have no idea what I would say to her.

I storm across the quad, making my way to my car. I have to get to the hospital, I have an important update meeting with the doctor about my mom’s treatment, and there's no way I can miss it.

Dad has been doing most of the hospital appointments, but today he picked up an extra shift, and I have no classes this afternoon, so I told my dad not to worry about it.

Then I see all four tires on my car have been slashed.

Who the fuck would do this?

Is it crazy that the only person I can think would do it is Jen?

Panic rises like a wave, hot and sharp in my throat. “No, no, no,” I whisper to myself, fumbling for my phone in my bag.

I need to get to the hospital, and the only thing I can think of is to call an Uber, but even then I'll be late. Shit.

“I need to be there in twenty-five minutes, please tell me there’s a car,” I plead with the person on the phone. “Yes, yes, I’m outside the science hall, no I don’t have time to wait that long. I need to be there now.” I hear footsteps beside me, and I glance over to see who it is. Hayden.

He’s walking to his car, pauses for a moment, clearly catching the tail end of my conversation. For a moment, he just stares at me, unreadable. Then unlocks his car, slides into the driver’s seat, and without another look toward me, he pulls up beside me.

“I’ll drop you off.” His voice is cold, dead.

“It’s fine my Uber’s on the way.”

“I said I’ll take you.” This time his voice leaves no room for argument.

Grabbing my things from my car, I get into his, whispering a soft, “Thank you.” He doesn’t respond, I didn’t think he would.

The drive is silent. Tense. I don’t say a word. I don't want to test the line of whatever made him offer to help me in the first place. His jaw is clenched tight the whole way.

He hates that I’m in his car, yet he offered to help me.

When we arrive, he barely stops the car before speaking. “D will pick you up. When?”

“I can get the U—”

“How long?”

“One hour.”

I sit there waiting for him to say something, but when nothing comes, I get out of the car and watch him drive off. Not once did he even look at me, and it hurts so much.

The meeting with the doctors went better than expected. Mom’s latest tests were positive, clear margins, stable levels. We still have a long way to go, but for the first time in a while, there's light, and I’m so happy.

“Declan,” Mom beams when he walks into the waiting room, and a girl by his side. Little Declan has a girlfriend.

“Hi Mrs. B,” he grins. “Looking gorgeous as always.” He completely ignores me, and I’m not surprised about it.

“Declan, I always knew you’d grow up handsome. And you have a girl,” she says, her eyes landing on the girl.

He really has turned out to be very good looking, and he is as built as Hayden now. I think it’s the Crawford genes because they're all very handsome men.

The girl doesn’t smile, and Declan isn’t introducing us either. “Is Hayden still away?” Mom asks, her tone light, as Declan pushes the wheelchair out to his car. His eyes snaps to mine. Cold. Sharp. I shake my head slightly, but the damage is done now.

Once Mom is in the car, Declan grabs my arm, dragging me aside. His grip isn’t gentle at all, and I’m sure it'll leave a bruise.

“She doesn’t know the truth?” he hisses.

“No, she doesn’t know anything.” I couldn’t tell mom the truth, she loved Hayden, and if she knew what I did it would break her.

“Surprised he even helped you. You don’t deserve it.” Declan snaps and walks away.

“I know.” I whisper to myself wiping the single tear away from my cheek and get in the car.