by Bella King
I knew that I wouldn’t be so stressed after a few shots of sickly sweet flavored vodka, but the thought of having to see Oliver’s stupid face again was stressing me out now. Maybe a shot as I left work would do the trick.
Jesus, I was starting to sound like Mia. I punched in my number on the clock in the break room and switched my shirt so that I wouldn’t be mistaken as still being at work when I bought booze. It wasn’t a good look to have employees carrying a liter of vodka in either hand.
I checked my bank account on my phone as I walked down the familiar aisles of the grocery store to the adult beverage section. My check had already cleared, so all there was left to do was to get cashback at the register and bring it to Oliver’s place.
I scanned the shelves for what Mia had requested. Whipped cream was such an artificial flavor, but was surprisingly good in cola and took the edge off shots. I grabbed two bottles of it from the middle self and retreated to the front of the store to pay.
BREAK
The night air was cool on my face as I left work. The glass bottles weighed heavy in my purse, taking up all of the room and sticking out conspicuously as I walked down the road.
I was starkly aware of how dark it was already, and that I still had to walk to Oliver’s apartment, a place I had never been before. I was sure I could bash somebody’s brains in with one of these bottles if need be. I always told myself that I would buy pepper spray but had never gotten around to it. Woe is me, I guess.
I hurried down the old sidewalks that led back to campus. It was faster to cut through, but after being chased by the police, I thought it best to avoid campus at night. I chose the slightly longer path around.
I got to my apartment, greeting Mia at the door. “I got what you asked for, but wait until tomorrow to drink with me, please. I have work in the morning.”
Mia jumped up and down in the living room, clapping her hands like she had just won a game of Jeopardy while the two bottles clunked down on the kitchen counter. She was always so excited about stuff like this. It would be nice to share her enthusiasm, but I wasn’t so emotional of a person.
I never was. My parents weren’t either. I remembered showing them my acceptance letter to Briarwood college only for them to nod and give me one of those half-smiles that people give when you pass them at work. It wasn’t genuine pride, more like “See, I acknowledged you. Now let me go back to what I was doing before you decided it was appropriate to wave your accomplishments in front of me expecting something in return.”
I was never so keen on showing my parents how well I had done because they never celebrated any of it. Hard to please? Not exactly. They were easy to please, but hard to impress, if that makes any sense. I guess that got passed down to me.
Vodka. Pleasing, yes, but impressive? No.
Mia rushed over to the bottles and crammed them into our small freezer. “It’s better when they’re cold,” she said.
I nodded. “The less you can taste, the better.”
That was true. It was only drinks like mulled wine or fine whiskey that you would ever want to drink warm. While I was a fan of neither, I recognized that vodka didn’t fall into the same category of taste that the former did.
“I have to go give money to Oliver,” I said, pulling a wad of variously degraded banknotes form my purse and stuffing them into my front pocket.
Mia raised her eyebrows. “For sexual favors?”
I placed my hands on my hips and squinted my eyes. “For the cabinet that I destroyed,” I replied seriously.
Mia held up her hands, palms out, at chest level. “I know, I know. It was just a joke.”
“Try a different one,” I said, grabbing my phone from my purse and placing it in my other pocket. “I got to go.”
“Let me know if you’re sleeping over,” Mia said as I made my way past the pile of shoes in the hallway to the door.
“Mia,” I warned, pulling open the peeling white door and heading back outside.
Chapter 5
My shoes crunched against years’ worth of broken glass as I came upon Oliver’s apartment complex. The place had housed enough college students over its lifetime to permanently smell of weed and beer.
I glanced up from my phone at the building numbers. I was looking for unit 145, which was on the first floor. I always avoided the first floor because it was easier for bugs to get in, but the drawback to that was that you had to lug your suitcases up a flight or two of stairs because there were never any elevators at cheap college apartments.
I walked past 143 before noticing that the numbers were decreasing. I didn’t have time to turn around before I heard a deep voice from behind me.
“About time you got here,” Oliver said.
I turned around and let go of my breath when I saw him. I had been afraid that it would be some other creep in the night.
“You scared me,” I said, pulling the money from my pocket. “Here,” I walked up to him and slapped the cash into his large palm. “See you later.”
“Woah now,” Oliver said hastily. “Let me count it first.”
I crossed my arms and stopped beside him, waiting as he took his time thumbing through the mixed notes.
“Mia’s an oddball, isn’t she?” Oliver said as he counted the notes.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I replied, impatient from his slow counting. I knew he was drawing it out on purpose to keep some conversation going.
“I mean, she invited me to hang out with you two and keeps texting me all the time.”
“Wait, she’s texting you?” I asked, now engaged with the conversation.
“Oh yes, texting and making sure that I come. Does she like me or something?” Oliver asked, glancing up at me with innocent blue eyes before stuffing the stack of bills into his blue jeans.
“Maybe. I don’t see why she would,” I said sharply.
Oliver laughed. “You’re a funny one, Lydia. I’m not surprised you’re single either.”
I crossed my arms tighter. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Oliver shrugged. “You have some anger problems or something.” He paused. “But thanks for paying me back. I guess we’re even now.”
I nodded. “Now leave me alone,” I said, twirling around and walking away from him. I was glad to be done with Oliver for now, but I was sure this wouldn’t be the end of things. We shared a class together, and he had been invited to Mia, and I’s drinking party.
I needed to have a talk with that woman when I got home, but I wasn’t sure if I had the energy to do it. Texting Oliver should’ve been off-limits, but then again, who was I to tell her who she could flirt with? As long as I didn’t get dragged in, I would have to be fine with it.
I was almost across the parking lot when Oliver called out to me. “You need a ride?”
I turned my head to see him climbing into a dinged red pickup truck. I waited at the edge of the lot for him to circle around toward me and hoisted myself into the passenger’s seat when he pushed open the door for me.
“I’m only agreeing to this because I’m tired,” I said.
Oliver smirked. “No woman can resist a pickup.”
“I beg to differ.”
Oliver wiggled the stick shift and revved the engine, winking at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get us killed, okay?”
Oliver slammed his foot into the gas, pressing me against the seat firmly as he peeled out of the lot. He braked hard when he reached the intersection for the main road, flinging me into the dashboard.
“Jesus Christ Oliver,” I yelled, pushed the hair from my face. “Enough with the theatrics.”
Oliver pulled out into the rode slower, driving normally. “I just wanted to show you what she can do.”
Everything about Oliver bothered me. Calling his car ‘she’ bothered me, his crooked smirk bothered me, his messy hair bothered me, and his slight southern accent bothered me. Even his being stupidly handsome bothered me because I didn’t want to find
him attractive.
Oliver looked me up and down as I sat with my hands clasped between my thighs. “You haven’t given me your address,” he said in a low voice.
The way the words dripped from his mouth made me uncomfortable. I looked up at him and noticed a distant look in his eyes. My heart began to pick up the pace, and I felt hot.
Come on now, Lydia, I told myself, we’re going home. That’s all this is.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give him my address the way he was looking at me. His eyes followed my legs up, resting on my lap for too long, then they rose up to my breasts. Was my shirt too tight? Cleavage too much? I pulled the neckline up, frowning.
“What’s your address?” Oliver repeated.
Why had I gotten into his truck again? I could have walked home. I figured I could just get him to drop me off somewhere close and walk the rest of the way. He didn’t have to know my exact unit.
“Briarwood Lane,” I said softly.
Oliver raised an eyebrow and flicked on his turn signal, merging into the next lane. His hands were firm on the steering wheel, and that look had left his eyes.
I let the air escape my mouth slowly, remembering to breathe. If I held my breath for too long, I would pass out. I tended to do that when I was stressed out. I had nearly done it a few times during my exams, but I had learned to control my breathing better since then. Oliver was bringing back old habits, though, and I didn’t like it.
The truck rumbled to a crawl as we reached Briarwood Lane. Oliver turned to me again. “Which unit are you?”
“Here is fine,” I said.
Oliver didn’t stop. “Which unit?”
I sighed. “213,” I said quickly, making up a number. I prayed that 213 actually existed.
Oliver nodded, scanning the building for my unit. “Right here,” he said, stopping the truck in front of a group of units across the parking lot from mine.
“Thanks,” I said quickly, opening the door and hopping out.
Oliver’s truck sat in the parking lot, not moving while I walked toward unit 213. Fuck, was he going to wait there until I got in? I pulled the keys from my pocket and walked up the stairs to the door of an apartment I had never been to in my life.
I regretted telling him the wrong number. I glanced over at the red truck stalling in the parking lot. He was still sitting in it, watching me as I approached the door. I cursed myself, then cursed Oliver. This could have been a lot easier if I hadn’t lied.
I couldn’t stick my key into some foreign lock. For one, it wouldn’t work, and even if I knocked on the door to be let in, I would be facing a complete stranger on the other side. I battled in my head whether I should risk it. The alternative would be to admit that I had arrived at the wrong unit.
I mustered up as much courage as I could in the short period of time I had, glancing back at Oliver one last time before raising my hand to the door and knocking on it. I tucked my keys in my pocket, opposite from Oliver’s view. I could lie and say I forgot my keys.
I braced myself for whoever was on the other side of the door, but nobody came. Shit, were they out for the night? Oliver’s truck was still rumbling, not fifty feet away from where I stood. I groaned, knocking again louder. There still was no answer.
I turned around, walking down the steps back to Oliver’s car. Either I would have to admit that this was the wrong unit and look like a moron, or I could lie again and say that Mia was out. He had her number, though, so I would have to text her first to warm her about the situation. She would probably find it amusing.
I did the walk of shame back to Oliver’s truck, taking a deep breath in as he rolled down a window manually.
“What’s up?”
“I forgot my key,” I said, trying to sound convincing. It worked because the distress in my choice was real.
“Oh, I guess Mia is out then,” Oliver replied.
I nodded. “But she’ll be back soon. You can go,” I assured him.
Oliver shook his head. “No, it’s no problem.”
I wanted to reach through the window and wrap my manicured hands around his thick neck. I probably wouldn’t even be able to get them around with how muscular he was, but damn if I wouldn’t try to squeeze the life out of him.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him.
Oliver shrugged. “Alright, then. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said, switching his truck into drive.
Finally. I smiled at him sweetly. “Sure thing.”
I had no intention of meeting up with him, especially not when I was loose of clear liquor. No way was I going to risk embarrassing myself in front of him again. I didn’t like him, and I didn’t like the way he made me feel.
The moment I saw his taillights disappear around the corner, I sprinted back to my real apartment and jammed my key into the double-bolt lock, ripping the door open and charging into the unit.
Chapter 6
“Everything alright?” Mia asked from the couch as she flicked through channels on our old TV set.
I threw shoes into the pile that was building in the hallway. Between us, Mia and I had way too many shoes. Half of them I didn’t even wear anymore, but since we were the same size, both of us were reluctant to toss any pair in case the other needed it to complete an outfit.
“I just told Oliver that we were in unit 213. The dickhead waited in his truck for me to go in even though I couldn’t.”
Mia laughed. “You forgot where we live?”
I hopped onto the couch beside her and grabbed a fistful of the popcorn that was overflowing from a large metal bowl on the coffee table. “No, I told him the wrong address.”
“He drove you home? What were you two getting into?” Mia asked, turning her attention away from the TV.
“Nothing. I paid him what I owed him, and he offered to drive me home. It’s a long way, and I was tired.”
“Are you sure that’s all?” Mia asked.
“Yes,” I hissed. “I won’t be accepting a ride from him again because he was a total crepe the entire time.”
Mia shook her head. “He really doesn’t sound like a creep, Lydia. Maybe you’re mistaking his advances for being creepy. He’s hot as fuck, so I don’t see what the problem is.”
“Okay, one,” I said as I shoved popcorn into my mouth. “He isn’t hot. And two, he isn’t making advances. He hates me.”
Mia snorted air through her nose. “Sure he does,” she responded sarcastically.
“Can we forget about it? And please don’t invite him tomorrow,” I said.
Mia patted my thigh, reaching for the popcorn after me. “Too late for that, girl.”
I wanted to think that I was in the right here by hating Oliver, but inside I knew that the only thing he had done wrong was hiding my notes from me. I had been the one to smash in his filing cabinet and lie to him about my apartment unit.
I had a bad feeling in my gut, though, and I wasn’t ready to give that up. I would remain as civil as possible, but if he stepped out of line, that would be it. I wasn’t going to let another man try to ruin my life with his games.
Something about Oliver reminded me of a boyfriend in high school when I was 18 who terrorized me daily. I fell for him because he was handsome, just like Oliver, but he turned out to be a monster who used me for his own pleasure. I didn’t know better at that age, and my parents were friends with his, so I didn’t feel like I could just break up with him.
My ex-boyfriend had made it a point to belittle me and gaslight me so that I thought that I was the one who was wrong, not him. He constantly stole things from me, told me how ugly I was and that I was lucky to be with him, and worst of all, convinced me to give my virginity to him. I was disgusted with myself after that, and only after applying to a school across the country to get away from him did I manage to get rid of him. I hadn’t dated anyone since.
I had mentioned this guy to Mia a few times, but she always told me that I couldn’t live today by the misery of yesterday. She was right, b
ut the wall I had built around myself remained. Nobody was brave enough to knock it down, and I wasn’t ready to build a door into my heart just yet. I needed more time.
Oliver was my ex-boyfriend, but I didn’t want him to become that. I had a voice in the back of my head screaming at me to stay away from him, and I was going to listen to it. I hadn’t been hurt because I hadn’t stepped into danger. What good would it do to let my guard down now?
I joined Mia in watching some silly reality show to distract both of us from our real-life problems. It was weekend; we deserved some rest.
Chapter 7
One of the things I enjoyed about stocking shelves was that I could let my mind wander. It was a welcome break from classes and academic endeavors, but today was a little different. My mind wandered in the wrong direction.
Oliver had facial features like they were carved into marble, rugged, and flawless at the same time. I felt that if one were to lay their hand upon his face that it would be cool and firm as though he were truly carved from the earth.
His face floated in my head, along with the eyes that he gave me while he had looked me up and down in his truck. I was suspicious of eyes like those. Blue and innocent as they normally were, they changed into ruthless pearls when he checked me out.
My heart had beaten so fast in my chest when I was in his truck, nervous to his potential future actions. He could have lurched at me at any time, violating me in whatever way he wanted due to his size and strength. That was equally scary and somehow arousing in a sick way.
Perhaps my history painted everything in front of me in a tragic and hellbent light, but I wasn’t ready to trust a man as captivating and dangerous as Oliver. I hardly knew him, and what little time I had spent with him had been stressful and a tad embarrassing. I hardly imagined myself cut out to handle someone like him.
Maybe I didn’t have to worry about it. It was possible that Mia and Oliver would link up and ride off into the sunset without me. Only time would tell. Maybe this was even just a one-off thing that would happen. One drink and he would get bored of us when he discovered neither of us were sluts. Guys like him were always looking to hit and quit.
