5. Olivia #2
“A shitty diner, Liv? Shit must have gotten serious,” he half-jokes, taking my full coffee cup and guzzling it down. “Jesus. Black coffee? No sugar? Creamer? Everyone needs creamer. Especially you!” He sticks out his tongue, scooting my now-empty coffee cup toward me.
“Must not have bothered you too much, dick,” I huff, leaning back into my chair and preparing myself for this conversation. “Get your own,” I half-heartedly say, sticking my tongue out.
“So, you rang?” he asks, wiggling his brows, and then stops.
His head cocks, and he examines my face.
“Care to elaborate on why you look like I kicked your puppy or why you’re a slightly girlier version of the Oliver you’re meant to be?
Out of disguise, Liv? Tsk. Tsk. Come on. Tell your favorite Jordy everything.”
I blow out a breath, darting my eyes around the diner. Despite it being full, Jordy and I are off to the side near a large window overlooking the outskirts of Greenwood. Near the damn warehouse, Jonathan broke the news to me.
“One of them recognized me. I…” I suck in a breath as images of JJ’s heartbroken face flash through my mind again.
Jordy stiffens. All traces of humor drop off his face, and he leans in as a breath shudders through me.
“You’re telling me that one of those murderous fucks…they…they recognized you? How? You’re the perfect dude!” He throws out a hand, angrily waving it in my direction. “I mean, your face is a little feminine, and your boobs are…well, boobily when they aren’t trapped behind that binder…”
“Stop talking about my boobs, Jordan,” I whine, throwing my head back. “And boobily? What the hell is that?”
Jordy rubs his chin. “You know…when you walk into a room, and they boobily bounce or…” He moves his hands up and down, trying to mimic the bounce of boobs or whatever the hell he’s doing. “Boobs bounce, damn it. And yours…”
“Enough talking about my boobs,” I growl, sternly.
“It’s going to make me think you like them.
” He fake-gags across the table and coughs slightly when Mona the waitress stares at us from behind the counter.
“This conversation is weird. You want to talk about boobily boobs and not…JJ, knowing who I am?” My face twists as massive amounts of grief slam into me, like I’ve opened the door and welcomed the feeling back after avoiding it for five years.
Grief for my sister and mother. Grief for a relationship that was betrayed and burned to ash.
I’ve tried so hard to separate myself from the Olivia I was before—pretty princess Olivia, dressed in pink and bows to meet her boyfriends at the treehouse.
Pretty Mafia princess Olivia, trapped in her room, watching the world go by through the bars on her window.
Well, until her three deceiving prince charmings coaxed her out and broke her free.
Freedom was never won, though. All those years, I thought they were giving me a taste of what a normal life could be like. They were liars, crooks, and fucking assholes.
“I’m sorry, Liv,” Jordy murmurs with sincerity.
He reaches over and puts his hand palm up, wiggling his fingers until I place mine in his.
Reluctantly, might I add. “Now, tell Jordy all about what happened while we gorge ourselves on massive amounts of pancakes and bacon. God, I need bacon.” He lovingly squeezes my hand in reassurance. “And all-day breakfasts.”
I recoil slightly. “Bacon? The only time you need bacon is when…”
He winks at me. “Yupppp!” he gleefully adds and then shakes his head. “I mean… Nope. We are not talking about me docking my ship into the perfect port.”
“Ew. Really? A ship reference?” I fake gag.
“I could call it my happy cock, if that makes it better?” He laughs when I retract my hand in time for our waitress to make her appearance.
“It doesn’t,” I hiss at him.
“Are you two ready?” Mona asks with a slightly harder tone than before. She pulls a small notepad and pen from her apron pocket, looking between the two of us with something strange sparking in her eyes.
How odd. She was so nice before Jordy got here. Now, she’s looking at him like he ruined her entire day. Hell, maybe he did somehow. He is obnoxious. Maybe she heard the boob comments and thinks he’s a jerk. She wouldn’t be wrong, but whatever.
Jordy purses his lips and nods. “Yeah, we’ll have two big plates of pancakes, slathered in maple syrup, and at least ten pieces of bacon on the side. Oh! And two more cups of coffee. With sugar this time.” He grins at her, batting his eyelashes as she writes everything down.
“Sure,” she says through slightly gritted teeth and turns on her heel, heading behind the long counter and putting our order on a small turnstile.
“I don’t think she likes me very much,” Jordy pouts, pursing his lips. “She looks familiar, though.” He taps his chin a few times and leans back to inspect our waitress as she bends over, and he huffs. “Slightly familiar, but not quite. I can change that, though.” He grins.
“Ugh. You’re impossible. Do you only think with your flagpole?”
I love him and hate him all at the same time.
He brings joyful conversation to me. Well, as cheerful as talking about his disgusting dick is.
Internally, I shiver. This is basically my brother telling me about his latest hookup.
Fuck. I need some girlfriends. It does the trick, though.
My mind is officially off JJ and the sadness and fear caving in my chest.
“And maybe include please and thank you the next time you order.” I roll my eyes when he throws a sugar packet straight at my chest, where it lands and falls into my lap.
“Maybe.” He shrugs. “So, onto the little fuck that recognized you. Do you know how? Have you told uncle about this? Surely, he’ll send you packing.” He sounds so confident. A confidence I felt, too. Until I talked to Jonathan myself and instantly deflated at his words.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “That’s the thing, I don’t understand how he knew. He came into my dorm room when I was binging shows with Simon and he…”
Said my name. Said I was alive. Looked me in the eyes and knew exactly who I was.
Jordy nods a few times. “And Jonathan is sending you home, right? You won’t have to deal with the fallout of that. Then you can get on assignment with me.” His grin grows. “You can help me find this elusive little thief who has slipped right between my fingers.”
“No,” I breathe. “I’m not…” Leaving. He won’t let me.
There’s something here that he wants me to find.
Something I’m not sure of. “He was acting so weird, too. Like…desperate for me to stay and continue my investigation.” My mind drifts back to the warehouse where Jonathan’s indifference grew to impatience, twisting him into a man I didn’t recognize and still don’t.
“No?” Jordy’s brows furrow. “What do you mean, no? You’re on another case now, right?
He can’t seriously keep you here after someone found you out.
” His jaw falls slightly open. “And weird? What do you mean weird? Uncle doesn’t do weird; he does straightforward shit that drives us crazy. ” He dramatically rolls his eyes.
“He’s sending me back,” I say slowly, cutting off his words.
“Back to Greenwood University. Back to that.” I wave a hand toward the window, gesturing to the town that tried to kill me five years ago and eagerly awaits to swallow me whole again.
Will I make it out this time? Only time will tell.
I attempt to swallow the thick lump of panic lining my throat, ignoring the anxiety creeping higher and higher inside me as I realize I have to return to my dorm room.
Breathe Liv. You have to make it through this conversation and back to your dorm without freaking out more.
Jordy completely freezes, even when our massive plates of food materialize on the table in front of us. He blinks several times, staring at me with an unfocused gaze and processing the information.
“I’m sorry, you said… Gah!” he hollers when the waitress shrieks, accidentally spilling coffee all over his lap. “Hot, hot, hot!” he hisses, grabbing a napkin and dabbing the front of his pants.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry!” Mona cries out, grabbing a large linen napkin from the front of her apron, and cleans up the mess on his lap with a pained expression.
“It’s okay,” Jordy squeaks out, attempting to bat her hands away, and gently grabs her wrists. “I promise,” he says, looking deep into her eyes. He swallows hard and then breaks his hold on her by shaking his head.
“I’ll get you more coffee,” she squeaks, turning bright red.
“How’s the flagpole?” I smirk when Mona is far enough away behind the counter.
“Hurting,” he grits out and blows a breath. “I swear…” He looks at the counter again, licking his lips. “I know her from somewhere.”
“Maybe she looks like someone you know?” I ask, taking a sip of my coffee and setting it down. “God, you didn’t boink her, did you?
“What? No! At least, I don’t think so. My girl was a brunette,” he huffs, darting his eyes toward the counter and taking in Mona, our blonde waitress with assessing eyes.
His head shakes. “I think I’d remember her.
But baconnnnn,” he groans, shoving two pieces into his mouth at once.
“God, so good,” he garbles through a mouth full of food.
A man approaches the table. “I am so sorry, sir. Here is your new cup of coffee, and consider this on the house. I’m Charlie. The manager.” His voice shakes slightly with fear.
Jordy waves the manager off, pouring three sugar packets and a cup of creamer into his new coffee. He groans when he swallows down a few gulps, finishing with a loud “Ahhh.”
“It’s cool, dude,” Jordy says unbothered. “It was an accident.”
The manager swallows hard, twiddling his thumbs in front of him. “You’ll be okay, right? I’m so sorry she dumped the coffee on your lap. She’s new and…” His brows furrow as he looks over his shoulder, probably searching for the poor soul who made the mistake.