You'll Think of Me

by Franco, Lucia

  Luke held still inside of Olivia while he caught his breath. His cock twitched from the orgasm he just had while he floated high as the clouds. Man, it just got better and better for them. It was an unexpected moment that happened to play out quite well. He hadn’t planned to have another go around, but he wasn’t complaining.

  Looking down at Livy, her face was beautiful in the afterglow. Her chest rose slowly as she took deep breaths. Dark, thick eyelashes lay closed together forming half circles and her cheeks were flushed with the slightest blush of pink. Her lush lips were parted and swollen from kissing. For Luke, Olivia was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. He loved her so much at times it hurt just looking at her.

  Leaning down, he whispered against her mouth, “my girl,” kissed her softly before withdrawing. He rolled to the side and headed toward the bathroom.

  Olivia was unable to move. She was completely and thoroughly depleted of any energy after their second tumble in the sheets. She decided the most she was capable of doing was turning her head to watch as Luke’s muscled legs took him into the bathroom. His backside was a work of art, sculpted to just the right balance of muscle and definition. A faint tan line sat low along his waist from the days they spent by the lake, and in her eyes, he was perfect.

  Olivia heard the shower turn on while she lay there. She pushed the hair from around her face and then toyed with her necklace, tracing the heart shape with her finger. She thought back to last night when she missed a phone call at the bar right before Luke had snuck up and teased her. There were so many reasons why she could not have answered it.

  A muffled ringtone distracted Olivia from her thoughts. She leaned over the bed and grabbed her purse, pulling her phone from it. Her long hair fell around her shoulders as she brought the comforter up to cover her body as she looked at the number on the screen.

  Shit.

  Shit.

  Shit.

  Her heart beat rapidly against her ribs. She couldn’t ignore the call this time and knew she had to pick it up. Panic started to set in knowing Luke was in the shower and could be out any minute. She hadn’t planned to be around Luke when she took the call, but now she had no choice.

  Olivia chewed the inside of her lip and silenced the ringer. She needed to get her emotions under control before she picked up.

  Taking a deep breath, she answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Olivia King?”

  Olivia rolled over to the other side of her bed, her back to the bathroom. She needed to make this call as quick as she could and keep her voice down.

  “This is Olivia King.”

  “Hello, Olivia. My name is Mark and I’m the assistant to Dean Richard here at Columbia University. I hope I’m not bothering you and that you have a few minutes to speak. I tried to call last night but got your recording.”

  A few minutes…

  She perked up. “Yes, I’m available right now. I didn’t see your call and heard the message earlier this morning. I apologize about that,” Olivia lied.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “No worries. I wanted to congratulate you on being accepted to Columbia University. Every year we review thousands of applicants and only a fraction are accepted. That being said, we grant scholarships to students for a number of reasons. Your MCAT scores along with your undergraduate transcripts were quite impressive and we would like to extend an offer to you. What really moved us was a call from one of your professors from Georgia Southern, who happens to be a colleague of the dean. He spoke very highly of you and insisted he be included as one of your recommendations. He emailed a letter to the dean to have it on record.”

  Olivia’s mouth hung wide open while she stared at the wall, incapable of forming a sentence or even thinking straight. She was speechless. She couldn’t afford to pass up an offer like this. It was the chance of a lifetime and she’d be stupid not to take it. It’s what she wanted…right?

  Perplexed, Olivia asked, “Which professor of mine was it? I’d like to thank him.”

  “I’m sorry, but he actually asked if we could keep it anonymous. Only that you were one of the most ambitious students he had and saw a great deal of potential in you.”

  Olivia was stunned into silence. If her heart was beating hard before, well, it was nothing compared to how fast it was racing now. This is what she wanted, what she worked so hard for, and she wasn’t even sure how to feel about it. Too many emotions were running through her veins to comprehend what she had just been offered.

  “Wow. That was very generous of him to do. I’m a bit shocked right now.”

  Mark chuckled. “You should receive the scholarship papers in the mail in the next few days. Please review them and send them back as they are time sensitive.”

  Closing her eyes, she rolled onto her back. “Alright, I will. Thank you for calling. I wasn’t expecting this one bit. I don’t think it’s even hit me yet,” she said softly, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

  Mark gave a heartfelt laugh. “That’s understandable. I’m glad to hear that you’re coming on board. It’s a great opportunity, one that shouldn’t be passed up, truthfully. We think you would excel with us, especially after your professor’s glowing letter. Have a great afternoon, Olivia, and welcome to Columbia.”

  “Thank you, Mark. You have a great afternoon as well,” she responded, pulling the phone away and blindly pressing the end call button.

  “Who was that?”

  HOLYSWEETJESUSMOTHEROFALLGODS!

  Luke scared the shit out of her. He stood holding the towel wrapped around his waist with one hand. Water dripped from his wet hair onto his shoulders and trickled down his body, past his six-pack abs and into the towel. When had the shower turned off? She hadn’t heard it, but she had been so caught up with the conversation to become aware of anything else around her. How long had he’d been standing there?

  “Who, Olivia?” Luke bit out in a low tone. “What did you just accept?” he asked confused.

  Olivia laid there looking up at Luke. She had to choose her answer carefully. Biting her lip, she contemplated her response, knowing there was no good way to really go about it.

  “It was a school.”

  “A school? For what?”

  Olivia closed her eyes briefly before opening them and slowly answered Luke. “It was a medical school I was accepted to in New York City.”

  “What…what are you talking about?”

  Luke couldn’t believe his ears. Shock hit him with a force so strong he could barely form a sentence. Was she serious?

  “You heard me, Luke. I said, New York.”

  Unbelievable. He was furious, fucking pissed off. When had she applied to medical school without mentioning it to him? And of all places, New York? Accepting an offer to medical school meant one thing… Olivia was leaving.

  “Are you going?”

  When Olivia didn’t answer his question, Luke shook his head, water dripping from the ends of his hair. Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable. He couldn’t even look at her right now. She’d straight out lied. Not only had she lied, but she kept a huge secret from him. Looking around the floor of Olivia’s bedroom, he eyed his balled up pants from where he dropped them the night before.

  “You lied.”

  “I did not, Luke,” she countered.

  Dropping the towel, he skipped his boxers and reached for his jeans. He slipped them on but didn’t bother to button them.

  “Oh, no? That day you said moving was a mere thought, that’s it. That it was nothing more. Obviously it was. And it’s not just a move. It’s medical school in New York! That’s called a lie, Olivia.”

  “No it’s not, Luke.”

  “Fine. You omitted a few details,” he said sarcastically using air quotes.

  Luke couldn’t deal with this unexpected news. He was seething with anger and needed to get the hell out of her house before he said something he’d regret. She lied. Flat-out fucking lied to him. And if she said she didn’t li
e again, he couldn’t be held responsible for his words.

  This moment would change everything for them. Luke couldn’t even stomach looking at Livy so the only thing for him to do was to ignore her.

  “Luke,” Olivia breathed, gripping the sheet to her chest, “please, talk to me.”

  Stopping dead in his tracks, questions popped into Luke’s head that baffled him.

  “When the hell did you have time to take that test for med school? And without me knowing? When did you submit your application? And where was I when you did all of this? Because If I remember correctly, we were always together at GSU.”

  “The MCAT? I studied at the library or in my room when we weren’t together, any chance I could. I always had my nose in a book, so you didn’t notice it.”

  Luke huffed in disbelief. “I can’t believe you. I can’t believe you hid something like this from me. Olivia, did you really think you wouldn’t have my support?” he asked, hurt that she thought she couldn’t tell him. “You know what? I’m done. Done with this, and done with you.”

  Olivia’s heart cried out knowing Luke was upset. This wasn’t the way she wanted it to happen. The plan had been to ease into it. Hurting Luke was the last thing she ever wanted to do.

  “Luke, Columbia is a top rated school. I can’t afford to pass it up. Plus, it’s in one of the biggest, most vibrant cities to live in. There isn’t a dull moment there like there is here. I want to attend this school, and you should want it for me. Not to mention, they’re offering me a scholarship.”

  “I don't see why you can't go to a medical school like that here or even in Tennessee so you’ll be close. Why do you need to go hundreds of miles away? What happens after the four years of medical school?”

  “It's not the same and you know it. You're not seeing it from my point of view. You know I’ve wanted to get out of Georgia for some time now. That’s no surprise to you.”

  “What happens after four years, Livy?”

  “Luke, you know how hard I’ve worked for this!”

  “Olivia, what happens after four years? Stop trying to dodge the question.”

  She treaded carefully. “Medical school is longer than four years, Luke. But I guess I would either stay there or come home once it’s complete. It’s up to me.”

  Dumbfounded, he stated with a bite, “So that's what it comes down to? Only what you want and not a fuck about what I want? I can give you everything. Just give me a chance, Livy.”

  “Oh, come on, Luke! It's not like that, not even close. I don't doubt that you could give me everything and more. I know you can, but I need this for me. I need to do this to prove I can make it on my own. It’s not about you or money or anything else. It’s about me planning out my future and my career. I need to provide for myself so I never have to rely on someone to take care of me again. I worked my ass off at Georgia Southern, you know this.”

  “You're being completely selfish and not seeing it through my eyes. What happens to us? Do I suddenly mean shit to you because all I heard was ‘I, I, I, I,’ in that sentence. Your decisions are going to hurt people. Can’t you see that? Why can't you rely on me and let me take care of you? You’re not even giving me a chance.” Luke’s temper rose as he fought with Olivia to change her mind. He felt like a bolt of lightning struck his chest over this mind-blowing news.

  “I’m not that woman who’s going to end up barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen two years down the road in some hick town. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, it’s just not me. Never has been. I want a career. I want to continue school, and the way you’re behaving right now is unbelievable.”

  “I understand that you want to go to school, Livy, but why didn’t you tell me? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. And in New York? Why can’t you stay closer to me?”

  Olivia shrugged sadly. “I was scared to. I think because I worried about your reaction? I had a feeling you wouldn’t want me to go so far…”

  The more upset Olivia became with Luke, the more her bones began to rattle. Tears of frustration were making their way up and forcing themselves to sit on her eyelids, but she wouldn’t allow them to fall. She worked hard and she shouldn’t be made to feel ashamed for wanting it. How could he not understand how much this meant to her knowing so much about her past struggles?

  “I guess I am selfish then...because I plan to accept their offer once I receive it. I want this really bad, Luke.”

  “Yes? Yes... You said yes? Without even thinking about us or discussing it with me?”

  “There was never anything to really discuss with you,” she stated pointedly.

  “Bullshit,” Luke mumbled under his breath. He spotted his shirt and fisted it. Fuck this. And fuck her. He needed to get out fast and find something to punch and then a few beers to ice his hands.

  “This is fucking bullshit. What have I been this whole time to you? These past four years in college and before that? A piece of meat to fuck whenever you want?”

  Olivia flinched, her heart shattering. Her voice dropped as she said, “You know that’s not true, Luke. You know how much you mean to me, more than anyone.”

  “Yeah? Because it sure as hell doesn’t sound like it if you thought there was nothing to discuss with me.”

  “I thought I'd have your support in this, that you'd be happy for me knowing how much I hate it here and the family I had growing up. I assumed we’d continue our relationship, but it'd be a long distance one.”

  “Well, Olivia, you assumed wrong. If you thought you’d have my support in this, why the fuck didn’t you tell me from the beginning? You’re not making any sense.” Luke never called her by her full name. “You know what, if you hate everything here in this bum town, then go on up and become a city person.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “You know exactly what I’m saying. Read between the lines, baby. The fact that you knew this weeks ago and never told me has my blood boilin’. Fuckin’ boilin’. You led me to think it was settled and we were okay. You lied to my face!” he roared, his green eyes lit with fury. “Excuse me, withheld some major details,” he said sarcastically.

  Flustered to the core, Livy shook on the inside. This wasn’t what she wanted, but she was so upset and hurt that she couldn’t help what flew from her mouth.

  “Who are you to tell me I can't leave? That I’m stuck here forever? What’s holding me back? Nothing!”

  “The one who loves you, that's who! The one who wants to make you his wife one day! Me, that's who! Damn woman, you know how to get under a man’s skin like no other. Fuck!”

  Olivia cringed. “I never lied to you. So stop insinuating I did.”

  “But you held back though, didn't you? You left out a few things for the sake of stringin’ me along. It’s the same damn thing, baby.”

  “I never strung you along. It’s not the same thing at all. Not even close.”

  “If I remember correctly, you said something like, ‘It was merely a thought…honestly…nothing more.’ Nothing more. Nothing more, Livy? Obviously it was.”

  “Luke, it’s done. I’m sorry, but it’s done. Can we stop arguing? I want to spend the little bit of time I have left with you before I have to leave for New York.” Standing from the bed, Olivia wrapped the white sheet around her body and walked over to where Luke was standing.

  “You’re really doing this? You’re really going to leave?”

  She nodded.

  “Fine. How about we just break it off now? Let’s end this—us—right here and save us from the heartache. You go your way, I'll go mine.”

  Luke saw no reason to keep on going. If she wanted to go to New York, then he would get out of her life now.

  Her eyes prickled as tears threatened to fall. Blinking rapidly, she whispered, “No,” under her breath. “You can't possibly be serious.”

  “Dead. Serious. Like a heart attack.”

  “Luke, there has to be a way we can work through this. Can’t we try a long distance rela
tionship?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? Why are you being so irrational?”

  “Irr—Too bad, Livy. We're…through.” He was fired up, pissed off and needed to stop before he said something he would regret.

  “Please, don't end this. Please...” her voice cracked with despair.

  Luke bent his head down as she craned her neck to look up at him. A lone tear trickled slowly down her cheek and he wiped it with his thumb, hating to see her cry. Trying to calm his temper, he took a deep breath.

  Kissing Olivia’s forehead softy, he whispered, “Goodbye, Care Bear.”

  present

  It was about time she went home to visit with her parents.

  A million emotions were running through Olivia during her drive. South Fork was a place filled with memories, both happy and sad. She hadn’t come home much over the years, it hurt too much.

  “Mom?” she yelled walking through the front door.

  Olivia’s mother rounded the corner. She wiped her hands on her jeans then pulled Olivia into her arms. “Olivia!”

  “Hey, Mom.”

  Hugging Olivia tightly, Jane said, “I’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe you’re finally back in Georgia.”

  “I know. It’s kind of surreal, but I’m happy to be back. I feel bad for not coming here sooner, though,” she said apologetically.

  “Oh, honey. I know you were busy but that you’d come when you could. A move like that takes time for the dust to settle. How about you go get situated and come back down so we can catch up over supper?”

  Olivia nodded and grabbed a hold of her bag. The wheels from her suitcase rolled up each carpeted step with a thump.

  Plopping her luggage on her bed, Olivia sat down and scanned her phone.

  Nate: Hope you made it there safely. Now hurry back.

  Olivia: I did, she texted back rolling her eyes.

  Nate: Good. Don’t forget about me while you’re there.

  Olivia: HA! As if I could. You’re either harassing me or trying to seduce me any chance you get.

  Nate: You like it. Say it.