You'll Think of Me

by Franco, Lucia

  Shit… She knew where this was going and had to do something to stop him. Now.

  Pushing forward, Olivia parted from Nate and made her way through the crowd. She yelled for John, but he didn’t hear her over his own yelling. She reached out to grab for his shirt, but he swatted her hand away and kept walking to where the other guy was waiting for John.

  “JOHN!” Olivia yelled and grabbed for him again. He went to push her away but she held on tighter and yelled his name again until he looked at her. “JOHN! It’s Livy. Olivia!” she exclaimed, stumbling into him.

  Recognition finally formed in John’s green eyes—eyes so similar to Luke's she thought. A sneaky lopsided grin slid across John’s baby face as he drawled drunkenly, “Well, hey there, Livy. Whatta ya doin’ here?” He placed his arm around her and pulled her snugly to him.

  “What’s going on, John?”

  “Livy…ain’t nothin’ goin’ on here, doll, except for my girl fuckin’ around with this low life scumbag…”

  “I’m not your girl, Johnny,” Olivia heard Alyssa yell. He looked up with eyes thinned into slits and snarled.

  “It’s John! You fuckin’…”

  “John! How much have you had to drink tonight?”

  John shuffled side to side. “Not much, doll. Coupla’ beers.”

  Yeah, right.

  “How about I—”

  “Go with it,” John whispered and she smelled the vile stench of alcohol on his breath.

  “Huh? Go with what?”

  “This.” John planted a wet kiss on her lips.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  Olivia pushed on his chest trying to pull back. After what seemed like minutes, she finally was able to free herself from his drunken kiss.

  “John! How dare you! What the hell?”

  John didn’t hear her. Instead, he looked over her head at Alyssa and she saw the gleeful revenge dancing in his eyes as he did so.

  “Alright, let’s go, John. We’ll take you home.” She took his hand and pulled him from the swarm of people surrounding them. Making her way to the entrance, she looked for Nate every few steps she took.

  “You gonna stay if you take me home? Luke’s home you know. All he’s been doin’ is talkin’ about you since he saw you. I’m sick of hearing it, to be honest.”

  Olivia’s body tensed. Luke was still home and he’d been talking about her? She prayed Nate hadn’t heard what John just said…

  As if he could hear her thoughts, she felt a searing glare on the side of her face. Olivia looked over her shoulder and found Nate watching her. His eyes became intensely hot, matching the redness that most likely graced her cheeks.

  “Let’s go.”

  “So you’re stayin’ then? Thank fuck,” John drawled.

  “Staying where,” Nate questioned as he approached, eyeing John.

  “Nowhere. I’m going to take John home. So if you could, can you please take me home so I can get my car? It’s a long drive to where he lives.”

  Nate stood silently watching Olivia. “I’ll drive you both.” She could tell there was a lot more on his mind than just annoyance at ending the date early.

  “Who’s this guy?” John asked, sizing him up and down.

  “Nate.”

  “Her boyfriend,” Nate chimed in.

  “My boyfriend.”

  “Well, well, well…”

  “Shut up, John. Let’s go. I think you’ve caused enough trouble for one night. Can’t imagine your mother would be happy right now if she knew.”

  John stopped walking to the truck and pulled back. “What’s going on with her? Why did you come over? And don’t worry about takin’ me home. I can get a ride. Go chill with your boy.”

  Nate stepped in this time. “Who’s going to drive you? I bet all your friends are probably as drunk as you.”

  John stepped up to Nate, looking as if he was ready for a fight. This was utterly ridiculous and needed to end now.

  “John, who would be driving?” Olivia put the emphasis on who.

  “Me.”

  “Oh, hell no, you’re not!”

  “John, you heard Olivia. We’ll take you home.”

  John snickered at Nate’s comment. “Olivia?” he said as if it sounded foreign to him. “Nah, I’m good. I’ll see you around, Livy.”

  Reaching for John yet again, she demanded his phone from him. If he wasn’t riding with her and Nate, then she’d get him a ride. The problem was, she could only think of one person to call to come out and get him at this time of night. Chills broke out over her skin just thinking about calling him. She didn’t want to call, but what choice did she have?

  Olivia ignored both John and Nate’s stares as she swiped her finger along the phone to look for the number. Her heart battered against her ribs, fingers trembling as she scrolled through his numbers to the letter L. Olivia looked up at John as she found his brother’s number. His shoulders relaxed and his eyes danced with mischief as he looked back at her.

  As her shaky thumb hovered over the number, Olivia took a deep breath then looked at Nate. He was completely closed off and difficult to gauge.

  Olivia pressed send and brought the phone to her ear. The pounding in her chest was making her nauseated and jittery as she waited for the other line to connect. She began pacing back and forth, hiding her face as the line picked up.

  “Yeah…what’s up, John?”

  Good God. His rough voice rolled over her heated skin and she felt it down to her belly. She must have woken him for him to sound so hoarse. Olivia could just imagine him rolling over and reaching for his phone, hair all messy around his face and probably shirtless to boot. A thin sheet barely covering him slowly falling around his perfectly cut stomach, sitting extra low on his waist. Her stomach clenched…

  “John?”

  Olivia’s thoughts were interrupted as Luke cleared his throat.

  “Luke.” It came out as a soft whisper, which was not her intention.

  “Livy… Livy? Is that you? Wait. Who is this?”

  “Luke, it’s Olivia.”

  “Livy? What’s happening? Why are you calling me from John’s phone? Everything okay? Where are you? What’s going on?” Luke threw a million and one questions at her before she could even answer the first one. She heard a shuffling in the background, most likely from Luke sitting up in his bed. That roughness in his voice disappeared and now he sounded wide awake.

  “Relax, everything is fine. I, ah, happened to run into John tonight up here along the Savannah—”

  “Savannah! The fuck…”

  “River. To make a long story short, he needs a ride home. I told him we’d take him home but he said no. I didn’t know who else to call…”

  Luke sighed and asked as calmly as possible, “Jesus H. Christ. Is he okay, though?”

  “Oh yes, he’s fine. He just had too much to drink tonight. I’m not going to replay it all. I’ll let him tell you. Are you able to come and get him?”

  Olivia rolled her lip between her teeth. It just dawned on her that Nate and Luke would be meeting face to face. Maybe she needed another rum bucket.

  “Yeah, just text me where you’re at and I’ll jump in the truck. And Livy? Thanks for calling me.” Olivia heard shuffling in the background and a faint soft voice before Luke clicked the line dead.

  About an hour later, her past was meeting her present.

  Olivia had decided that another rum bucket was not the best idea. She could handle a glass of whiskey, but six different flavors of rum in a sand bucket was enough for one night.

  Luke walked up to Olivia like he owned the place. His tired eyes were trained on hers and she felt it to her core. He took one last puff of his cigarette and flicked it ahead of him, stepping on it as he continued walking. His eyes were mostly covered by his hat that was pulled low, but she could still feel them on her. Sand fluttered onto his light colored jeans with each step he took. For rolling out of bed, Luke looked damn good. She may not be in love with him any
more, but she sure wasn’t dead either.

  Nate wrapped his arm possessively around Olivia’s back. He leaned into her ear and whispered, “That’s Luke? Your ex, Luke? As in Luke, the country singer, Luke Jackson?”

  Shoot. Had she not told him that little tidbit? “Um, yes, that’s him.”

  “And you didn’t bother to tell me that he’s somewhat of a celebrity here in Georgia? Are you fucking kidding, Olivia? What else are you holding back from me?” Nate’s amber eyes pierced Olivia with dark suspicion, his deep voice cutting through her angrily. When she didn’t reply, his eyes rolled closed and he shook his head at her. Nate was pissed off and knew she screwed up royally by not telling him who Luke was.

  Luke stopped in front of them. He shoved his hands in his pockets and said hello to Olivia then looked at Nate curiously.

  Olivia cleared her throat. “Hey, Luke.”

  Luke bobbed his head. “Livy.”

  “This is Nate.”

  Nate shook Luke’s hand and said, “Hey, man.”

  “Thanks for coming out, Luke. We told him we’d take him home, but he refused.”

  “Of course, Livy. He’s my brother. Stubborn as fuck and always wanting to rebel. Ah, so where is he now?”

  Olivia looked over her shoulder. “He’s off sitting in one of the chairs, pissed at me for calling you now that the alcohol has worn off. I could give two shits—”

  “Pissed off at you? That’s fucking rich,” Nate heatedly said. “I should be the pissed off one here.”

  She looked at Nate, embarrassed over his outburst and saw his jaw flex. Oh, he was angry alright, but was it aimed at her or John, or both?

  Luke crossed his arms against his chest defensively, his head cocking to the side. “Oh yeah? And why’s that, huh?”

  “Why’s that?” Nate barked back. “Because that little punk ass brother of yours put Olivia in harm’s way trying to act like hot shit. Olivia could’ve gotten hurt when he pushed her. He’s lucky—”

  “Well, in his defense, he didn’t realize it was me,” Olivia said quietly, cutting Nate off. She bit down on her lip and looked at Luke whose face had changed to concern, his eyes traveling the length of her body. She could feel Nate’s glare scorch the side of her face as he continued. “And then he had the nerve, the nerve to fucking kiss her. He kissed my girl in front of a crowd of people.”

  Luke’s lips slowly tipped into a devilish smirk, and for the love of God she didn’t want to find his grin incredibly sexy, but she did.

  “If he wasn’t a kid I would’ve knocked him the hell out—”

  “Knock him out? Knock him out?”

  Jesus Christ. Two grown men acting like children. Maybe she should have had another rum bucket after all.

  “Yeah. That’s right. It’s too bad Olivia was genuinely concerned about his wellbeing that she attempted to break up a fight he was about to start. Someone needs to keep that boy in check. No one touches Olivia but me. And no one puts their mouth on Olivia but me and they sure as hell don’t put Olivia in a situation like that!”

  “Is that right?” Luke retorted coldly, slowly drawing out each word as if he was ready to test that theory. Nate tightened his arm around Livy, and that only seemed to taunt Luke more. The air thickened around them and crackled with tension.

  But Nate wasn’t backing down either. “You got that right.” The past and present were about to collide in a matter of seconds, and Olivia’s one goal at the moment was to stop it from happening.

  “Alright,” Olivia said calmly as she stepped in the middle of them. “Luke, get your brother. I don’t know what your problem is, but just get John and go.”

  Luke wasn’t sure what his problem was, either. He should’ve been mad at John, and here he was throwing it at Livy and this Nate guy. He turned and walked toward his truck as a loud whistle carried through the air. “John! Let’s ride.”

  “What the hell was that about?” Olivia demanded from Nate, slamming his truck door loudly.

  “You tell me, Livy.”

  Livy… Nate was mocking Luke. Nice.

  “Tell you what? What the hell did I do? You’re acting as if what happened tonight was my fault!”

  Nate started the ignition quickly and drove out of the parking lot, the tires spinning and spitting the gravel.

  “Slow it down, Nate.”

  Scoffing, he said, “Well, for starters, it is your fault. You should’ve just left that kid alone and stayed with me, but you didn’t. Then he puts his hands on you, kisses you and I find out your ex-boyfriend is a celebrity. Real nice, Liv. Real nice. You fuckin’ kept out important shit about your past. How could you not tell me who he is? I knew he did a number on you emotionally from what you told me, but for Christ’s sake, him? You didn’t think you needed to let me know? Oh, and let’s not forget the part where you saw him recently. Tell me, when did you have time for that little rendezvous? When? Are you seeing him behind my back!” Nate yelled as he punched the steering wheel twice, his fist springing back. “Fuck!”

  Olivia cringed as Nate’s voice reverberated within the confines of the truck.

  “I never mentioned it because I never thought I’d see him again.”

  “Olivia, he lives in your hometown. Your small hometown! How did you not think you’d ever run into him again? Are you serious or just deluded?”

  “Don’t be asinine, Nate.”

  “Don’t tell me how to be. I’m allowed to be whatever the fuck I want to be right now. You purposely withheld that part. Now he’s back…or you’re back… Are you seeing him? I’m not quite sure and don’t know if I can even believe anything that comes out of your mouth right now. How do I know he’s not back for you?”

  “He’s not.” That ship sailed long ago…

  “You don’t know that. I saw him look at you. It’s how I look at you. Shit, he’d be stupid not to go after you. He eyed you like a piece of candy. Did you see him when you went home? Is that why you went back? Were your parents just a cover to see him?”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. Nate was being completely ludicrous. “You’re jumping to conclusions, Nate. Have I ever given you any reason to doubt me?”

  He paused. “Not until tonight. I feel like I don’t even know you right now.”

  “Just stop. You sound absolutely ridiculous and taking it all out of context. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Nate.”

  “The fuck I don’t! You both have history. And I’m not stupid. He’s a famous country singer with girls chasing after him. Why did you see him?”

  Olivia brought her leg up and propped it against the door. “I can’t tell you, Nate. Please understand that I’m not hiding anything from you, I just can’t tell you. You have to trust me on this.”

  “You actually expect me to trust you right now?”

  “Yes, I do. Again, I ask, have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?”

  A cold, unspoken feeling drifted through the air when Nate didn’t respond. And for once, she was content with the silence between them. It might only be for a matter of minutes, but she didn’t have anything left in her to fight. She was hurt over the fact that Nate suddenly lost his trust in her, but she couldn’t tell him about Luke’s mother.

  “Just take me home, please. I’m done with tonight,” she said softly, her head resting against the passenger window.

  “No, you’re coming to my place tonight.”

  “I really don’t want to. I just want to be alone.”

  “Too bad. Plus, my place is closer.”

  Olivia sighed heavily. She was only five minutes from where he lived. “Fine. I’ll walk home.”

  “As if I’d let that happen. Either you’re at my place or I’m at yours. That was the plan, and we’re finishing this wreck of a date.”

  past

  Drunk. Inebriated. Smashed.

  That was the state of mind Luke was in. Drunk as fuck but damn it all to hell, he fucking wanted Livy bad. He leaned against the brick wall in Chase’s backy
ard thinking how much this night had taken a nasty turn. Livy was like a tattoo under his skin. He couldn't even begin to describe the anger or confusion he felt inside after what happened earlier. His chest ached and tightened with each breath. Never had Luke thought Livy would leave Georgia. Leave him.

  The heated argument they had. She fucking lied to his face four weeks earlier at the lake. This whole time… This whole time she knew she might be leaving and never said anything to him.

  What the fuck? He grabbed another beer, popped it open and downed a long swig while pacing back and forth.

  But if he was being honest with himself, there was a part of him happy for her. He always wanted her to have everything. He understood why she wanted out, the shitty childhood she had and all. He wanted to grant every wish Livy had, and he would if she let him, but this one he refused to. He just couldn’t. It wasn’t as though he didn’t trust Livy. Luke just couldn’t deal with the idea of her being so far away from him. What kind of relationship was that? He wanted them to grow closer, not apart. And with her hundreds of miles away, that’s exactly what would happen.

  What hurt the most was that she hid it all from him. The studying, the test, and the excitement when she received her acceptance letter. Everything. How could she?

  Trying to ignore the pressure building in his chest and the need to go to her, Luke kept downing cold ones as he watched Livy with her friends by the fire pit. He hoped that coating his blood in alcohol would help ease the pain of the situation. There was a good possibility she was telling Tessa what an asshole he’d been, and he had been one, but she deserved it. Luke wasn’t sorry for what he said or did, and sure as hell wasn’t apologizing, either.

  They were all chilling at Chase’s house tonight, but Luke was so worked up that he separated himself from Livy as much as he could stand. By the look in her eyes and how relaxed her body was in the lawn chair, she’d been drinking too. Possibly as much as him after the bone jarring decision he’d made. He wanted her so bad, even if just to hold her, but couldn’t.