by Bella King
I got out of bed to find myself in a set of what could only be Oliver’s pajamas. I remembered then that he had destroyed my dress in a sexual frenzy. Jesus Christ that had been a wild night. I needed to go find Mia and ask her what the hell happened.
Mia was predictable, standing in the kitchen again, making coffee. This felt like a repeat of what had happened the first time we had partied with Oliver, except far more extreme.
Mia spun around when she heard me enter the kitchen. “Fuck, Lydia! You almost gave me a heart attack,” she exclaimed, clutching her chest. “I thought you were still at Oliver’s place.”
“Huh? No, I was sleeping here. I thought you brought me back,” I said, growing confused.
I instinctively grabbed a bottle of pain medication from the counter and popped off the lid. This was becoming way too routine for my liking. I poured a few of the bitter pills onto my tongue and used the faucet to rinse them down my throat.
Mia grabbed another mug and poured coffee into two of them for us. “I guess Oliver took you back. I assumed you were sleeping with him.”
“So did I,” I said, rubbing the dry crumbles for the corners of my eyes.
“You had sex, though, right?” Mia asked, her face glowing.
I held my head in my hands and sat down at the table, slouching in the hard wooden chair. “Yes,” I groaned.
Mia shrugged. “I knew it was going to happen. Oliver is so into you. If it makes you feel any better, I shacked up with Jordan. Bigger talker, small wee wee.”
I laughed but quickly stopped as pain rushed back to my head. Sudden movements were a bad idea with this level of hangover. Once again, Mia seemed to have stayed more hydrated than me, and happily pranced over with two steaming cups of black coffee.
“How was the sex?” Mia asked.
I thought back to Oliver on top of me, pounding his massive manhood between my legs as he sucked on my nipple. “Fucking amazing,” I replied.
I lifted the too-hot coffee to my lips and let the warm scent waft into my nostrils before burning my lips on the edge of my mug.
Mia plopped down in the chair adjacent to me and blew the rising steam from her cup. “Lucky you. Jordan had one too many and couldn’t get it up. What’s worse was that his cock was kind of small. Not the best night, but not my worst either, I have to admit.”
I shook my head, not paying attention to Mia. I couldn’t with all that had happened. There was so much that I didn’t know, and the truth seemed to get further the more that I dug. “I don’t remember telling Oliver where I lived,” I said.
Mia shrugged. “You told him the wrong address last time.”
“Exactly. Why would he bring me here?”
“Because you told him the correct one when you were drunk?” Mia guessed.
The details were fuzzy enough when I was awake. If I was too drunk to remember what had happened after I fell asleep in Oliver’s bed, there was no way I had been able to talk to Oliver. I had to have been passed out. Things weren’t adding up.
“Mia, I think he’s stalking me,” I said.
Mia’s face deepened into a concerned frown. “We’ve been over this before, Lydia. One bad experience doesn’t mean every guy is like your psycho ex-boyfriend.”
“No, I really think he is. He sent Jordan to spy on me, and somehow he knows where I live even though I didn’t tell him. The only thing that throws me off is why he’s being so reluctant. It’s like he wants me, but he doesn’t at the same time.”
“The only way to find out if someone is stalking you,” Mia said, mischief crawling onto her face, “Is to stalk them first.”
“Counter-stalking,” I said with a grin.
“Exactly. If you want, I can help you,” Mia suggested.
I shook my head and took another sip of my scalding coffee. “No, I don’t want you to get pulled into this mess. I need to find out for myself what’s going on.”
“Fair enough, but don’t do anything dangerous. Keep an eye on Oliver and his boys, but if shit gets sticky, then call me.”
“I can handle myself. Better judged by twelve than carried by six,” I quoted.
“Nobody is dying, Lydia. You’re so dramatic,” Mia said, shaking her head.
I laughed, burning my tongue again with the coffee. It didn’t matter now, because I could barely taste or feel it anyway.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it. It was likely another email from my ex, and I wasn’t going to entertain his lunacy when I was dealing with another case of it here. I had enough on my hands already. It was time to get to the bottom of this once and for all.
Chapter 19
Oliver didn’t attempt to contact me at all during the remained of the weekend. I kept peeking out of the blinds in my room to see if his red truck was riding past my apartment or sitting in the lot, but I came up with nothing at the end of the day. I figured he wouldn’t be that dense to sit outside and wait to be caught, but I wasn’t taking chances. I would everything in my power to catch him stalking me.
On Monday, I had classes again, and I found myself seated in Professor Lyche’s class, listening to her dry lecture about chemical compounds commonly found in houses from the 70s. I didn’t see Oliver in class, which was unusual because he was Professor Lyche’s assistant and he never missed one of her classes. I wondered if he was avoiding me.
I must have downed my entire thermos of iced coffee in under thirty minutes, and by the end of the lecture, my bladder was about to explode. I watched the clock, crossing my legs tightly to keep myself from pissing my jeans minutes before class ended.
As soon as Professor Lyche concluded the lecture, I was out of there faster than a pizza at a teenage slumber party. I grabbed my bag and thermos and flew down the hall to the bathroom. I smelled Oliver in the air as I entered the bathroom, but didn’t have time to look down the hall to see if he was watching me. I was too concerned with having an accident to counter-stalk the bastard.
As I sat on the toilet, my phone buzzed in my pocket again. I reached down the check it and saw another email from my ex-boyfriend. Jesus, he was really ramping up with the harassment, but it had been over a year since I had opened anything from him.
I was aware that he tracked whether I opened emails, since it was possible to do so for marketing purposes, so I didn’t want to give him the impression that I suddenly cared what he had to say, but I was growing curious as to why his messages had increased frequency at the same time I started to hang out with Oliver. Did he know?
Staring at my inbox, I could see a preview of the most recent email.
FINAL WARNING
That wasn’t the first time he had used that phrase. He often pulled that shit to try to fool me into reading his message, like the kind of spam ads that pop up on your screen while you’re casually browsing some sketchy porn site.
I closed out of the email app and put my phone back down in my pocket. Not today. I had enough to deal with already.
I finished my business and opened the door to the bathroom stall. I could still smell Oliver in the air, but it was fainter. He was probably already gone. I poked my head out of the bathroom door, receiving a few odd looks from students walking down the hall. I didn’t care. It was more important for me to keep my eyes peeled for Oliver or anyone from his posse.
I slunk off to my next class, changing my route multiple times and watching other students with heightened senses. There was no way someone could be creeping up on me with how aware I was of my surroundings.
Fuck, that was him!
I spotted Oliver several yards away from me, talking to another student. I made eye contact with me, and he gave me a small nod. I changed course toward him, eager to confront him about what had happened on Saturday night.
Oliver waved the person he was talking to away, wrapping up whatever conversation they were having as I walked up to him. He looked handsome as always, but after what we had done, I was even more drawn to his dauntingly charming image.
&
nbsp; My palms were sweaty, and I even felt guilty for being suspicious toward him when I arrived in front of him, only for him to flash me a winning smile.
“You look lovely today, Lydia,” Oliver noted.
Heat rose to my cheeks. I had wanted him to think so, but I hadn’t expected him to say it outright. I dressed up because I knew that I would be seeing him today, donning a tight pair of jeans that accentuated my plum rear and a fitted t-shirt with a neckline that crept down lower than I would usually like. For Oliver, I would walk to class naked if that’s what impressed him. I had to admit that I was head over heels for him.
“You look nice too,” I said quietly, looking down at my feet. I hated being this shy, but Oliver had that effect on me. I looked back up at him, trying to hold on to whatever sliver of confidence that I had left in me. “You weren’t in class today.”
“Yeah, I had some car troubles,” he said, but I could see straight through that lie. He was a terrible liar, moving his hands up to his disheveled hair every time he said something untrue.
“Did you take me back to my place on Saturday?” I asked.
Oliver nodded. “I was wondering how much of that you remembered. We had sex, just FYI.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know that.”
“You fell asleep, but I had stuff to do in the morning, so I took you home.”
“I was sleeping?” I asked, trying to catch him in a lie.
“Yeah, totally passed out. I was a bit worried, but you were still breathing and everything. Probably just tired from that crazy night we had.”
There it was. He had no way of knowing where I actually lived after I had lied about it to him in the past. Unless Mia had told him, which she didn’t remember doing, he had to have been watching me in order to know my address.
I crossed my arms, coking my head to the side. I could tell by the worried look on his face that he knew he had said something wrong. “How did you know where I lived?”
“You told me. I dropped you of one time,” Oliver said, shifting his eyes left and right.
More bullshit. “I never told you where I lived, Oliver. You took me to the wrong place last time.”
“You lied to me?” Oliver asked, trying to shift the narrative.
“Oh no, buddy. We’re not playing that game. How do you know where I live?” I said, pulling a finger from my crossed arms and jabbing it at him.
“Woah, chill out, Lydia. You must have told me at some point. I don’t know,” Oliver said, holding his hands up.
I shook my head. “Listen, Oliver. I fucked you, yes, but that doesn’t mean I want you stalking me. Cut it out, or I’m going to call the police.”
Oliver laughed. “I’m not stalking you. Have you been taking crazy pills or something? Jesus, you’re like my crazy ex-girlfriend.”
I exploded.
I had enough of Oliver’s lies and mind games, and I burst into a fit of rage. “What girlfriend, Oliver?! Where?” I held my hand out, looking around us. “You don’t have one, and you never fucking did. Stop lying to me and tell me the truth,” I demanded.
“You’re off your damn rocker,” Oliver said, shaking his head at me like I was some kind of crazy person on the street.
I shoved him with an open palm, hitting his broad chest firmly, but he barely moved. “You’re a liar. If you ever want me in your bed again, you’re going to tell me the truth right fucking now.”
Oliver looked around, a panicked expression coming across his face. “Be quiet about that,” he whispered urgently.
I laughed angrily. “Why? Is your imaginary ex-girlfriend going to hear me?” I was growing hysterical and completely out of control. I would be late for class at this rate, but class could go fuck itself. Everything could go fuck itself for that matter. I wanted the truth, and I was going to tighten my hands on Oliver’s balls until I got it. It gave me pleasure to watch that asshole squirm.
Oliver winced as I grew louder. “Can we talk in private?”
“No,” I said firmly. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“In private,” Oliver insisted.
Outside of a tall gray building, Oliver and I stood locked in a heated battle of words. Neither of us wanted to give in to the other, but I knew that I had the upper hand. Compromise wasn’t on my list of options, but his offer to talk elsewhere suggested that I might finally know the truth. I agreed to it.
“Come with me,” Oliver said, walking past me toward the student parking lot.
I hurried after him, my sneakers sinking into the soft wet grass as I tried to keep up without running. I broke out into a backward jog just to stay at his pace, facing him and trying to continue our talk before we got to his truck.
“Why are you so shy about us? I know you’re into me,” I said.
Oliver shook his head. “I went too far. I’m sorry.”
“You’re not going to toss me aside like that,” I said. “Do you really hate me that much that you would just fuck me and try to cover it up?”
I was waving my hands around wildly while I talked, which was making Oliver even more uncomfortable. He was acting like he was afraid that someone might see us or overhear me, and I needed to know why.
Oliver walked up to his truck, opened the passenger’s side door, and pointed inside. “Get in,” he said in a commanding tone.
I didn’t argue. I hopped right in and waited for him to come around. Oliver climbed into the truck and started it up, pulling out of the parking lot without saying a word. It wasn’t until we were driving away from the school that he started talking.
“Alright, Lydia. I guess there are some things I can’t keep hiding from you,” Oliver began.
Chapter 20
I sat with my hands clasped between my legs, eagerly awaiting what Oliver had to say. After all this time, I still didn’t know a damn thing about him, and that had to change.
I had a lovely evening with him, and I didn’t want to lose what we had. It wasn’t much, but it was something special, and I knew that both of us felt it. Maybe I was just another cheap fuck for him, but to me, that night had proved that I could feel something for someone again. It showed me something amazing, and I wasn’t so ready to forget it.
Oliver’s knuckles were white as he gripped the thin leather steering wheel of his red truck. He stared down the road as though it was a thousand miles long. I knew there was something terribly wrong, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as Oliver started talking.
“About two years ago, my grandmother had a heart attack. After that, the hospital bills started piling up. That shit gets expensive. I don’t know if you know, but they had her on all kinds of medications on top of her hospital visit, and it was too much for her to pay.”
I thought back to my own grandmother passing away right before my 16th birthday. I had been devastated, so I knew how it felt. I would have done anything to keep her alive, but I was helpless.
Oliver sighed loudly, adjusting the AC in his car so that it blasted ice cold air in his face. “My grandmother raised me after my parents died in a car accident when I was little. I don’t really remember then that much, but that’s beside the point. My grandmother was the only person I had, and I felt guilty for leaving her when I started college.
“I thought I was going to have to choose between school and my grandmother, but something happened that changed everything for me. Did you know that we used to go to the same high school?” Oliver asked, looking over at me.
I was picking at the soft flesh beside my fingernails nervously as he spoke. My eyes lit up, and I stopped. “Yes, that’s where I know you from,” I said, waving a finger at him. “I knew I had seen you before.”
Oliver nodded. “Yes, which means I know all about your crazy ex-boyfriend and how badly he wanted to keep tabs on you. He wanted me to do it for him when he found out I was going to the same college as you, but I refused.”
“James asked you to stalk me?” I asked in disbelief. This was the first time I had used my ex-boy
friend’s name since I had left for college. It rolled off my tongue like poison, and I hated myself for even saying it, but I had to make sure we were talking about the same person.
“Yes, but I wouldn’t do it. He even offered me money, but I refused. I’m not that bad of a person, and I didn’t know what his intentions were,” Oliver said. “But…”
“But what?” I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice. My throat was tight, and my stomach began to feel sick.
“But when my grandmother had her heart attack, I needed the money. I needed it so bad, Lydia. I don’t expect you to understand, but I had to get it one way or another. Then, I remembered James.”
I shook my head. “What the fuck, Oliver? Please tell me you haven’t been working for him this whole time.” I was disgusted with what I was hearing. How could Oliver betray me like that? Didn’t he know how insane James was?
“I had to. James paid me good money to watch you, and to make sure you didn’t date anyone while you were at school. Things were going so smoothly until you started getting funny ideas about certain guys here.”
“That would be you,” I said. “You started it.”
Oliver chuckled. “It wasn’t just me. Do you remember Todd? I had to keep stepping in to stop you from getting carried away. That was the reason why I kept resisting you.”
“You’re a fucking creep,” I spat at Oliver. “How dare you interfere with my love life.”
“I am your love life, Lydia,” Oliver countered, turning the steering wheel aggressively. “I tried to resist you, but goddammit you’re just too perfect. I caved. I fucking caved and let things go too far,” Oliver said, his teeth grinding together so hard I thought they might turn to dust.
We were driving down streets I had never seen now, with no sign of slowing down or turning back. I didn’t know where we were going, but that wasn’t what mattered right now. I needed to know everything.
“I’m far from perfect,” I said, but I felt better now that he had admitted to having feelings for me. The mixed signals were getting old.
