I Hate You...I Think (30 page)

Chapter Eighteen

              Oliver and I had gone back to the hotel and opened the bottles of wine he had stolen the other night. It was eight and we were already plastered. We were in the Jacuzzi bath, bubbles were everywhere. I felt sorry for housekeeping when we leave tomorrow. Giggling I took another sip of my wine and watched Oliver shaping his bubble mustache.

             
"How do I look darling?" he questioned in a fake British accent pretending to twirl his bubble whiskers. Laughing I crawled across the tub and laid on his chest.

             
"Very sexy," I muttered kissing him getting bubbles on my face as well. Wrapping one arm around me he grabbed the bottle of wine and took a large gulp, then rolled the empty bottle across the floor. Laying against him listening to his heart beat was very soothing. Our time together these last two days was perfect. If the rest of our lives were like this I would be content.

             
Pirates of the Caribbean theme started playing suddenly. Reaching over Oliver picked up his phone looking at the screen then flipped it open.

             
"Jake, I said I didn't w-"

             
Oliver sat up suddenly causing me to slip down under the water. Flailing my arms he grabbed me around the waist and jerked me back up. Coughing a little I glared at him rubbing soap of my face.

             
"Is she in the hospital?" Oliver asked not looking at me. I sat a little straighter the glare whipped completely off my face.

             
"No, we'll be back tonight," Oliver finally turned to look at me his eyes hard and a twinge of anger adorned his face.

             
"Yeah."

             
Snapping the phone shut he stood up out of the water.

             
"What's going on? Who's in the hospital?"

             
I questioned standing as well. He didn't answer me as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

             
"Oliver?" I asked again scrambling to grab a towel and follow him out of the bathroom. He rounded on me then and I slammed into his chest. Grabbing my shoulders he held me at arm’s length.

             
"When exactly were you going to tell me something was going on?" he demanded.

             
"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

             
Snarling he spun around again grabbing his suitcase and slinging it on the bed.

             
"Kimmy, is in the hospital."

             
I gasp standing stock still. "Is she okay?"

             
"She's the best she can be after being beaten."

             
I had yet to move just staring at him. Kimmy was hurt. Eien...he had to be behind this. I told Kimmy! I told her not to be alone.

             
"Alex is with her as well. Apparently they got jumped by five guys. Alex is lucky to be alive."

             
As he spoke his voice rose higher and higher.

             
"God dammit, Everlyn!" He yelled throwing his suitcase in the floor.

             
"Why didn't you tell me about you fears?"

             
"W..what?"

             
"You told Kimmy to not be alone? Why?!" He was facing me now. His face torn between anger and anguish.

             
"I..."

             
Oliver stepped to me taking my shoulders again.

             
"Dammit, Ever. Please tell me," he breathed pressing his head to mine.

             
"It's Eien," I spilled. "I...he...last week when I was late for class. He pulled me into a room. He told me a lot of things. He threatened Kimmy. He told me not to tell you what we talked about or bad things would happen. I was worried for Kimmy."

             
Oliver who had stood tense the entire time pulled his head back and looked down at me.

             
"Ever, do you not trust me," he asked in a pained voice.

             
"No! I mean no, that's not it at all, Oliver," I exclaimed grabbing his face in my hands.

             
"I do trust you. I just...I don't know, okay," Sighing I turned away.

             
"What did Eien tell you?" Oliver grabbed my chin forcing me to look at him. "If you say you trust me the please tell me."

             
Biting my lip I looked up at him then exhaled slowly. "Eien said six years ago Jason was in the same gang as you. You're second in command."

             
Pausing I looked at Oliver for confirmation. He nodded.

             
"One night at a party Jason brought a girl and you didn't like it. You ordered Jason to take her home he didn't and they slept together and the next day her brother showed up," I paused. I wasn't sure how to go on.

             
"Let me guess. Eien said I killed him?" Oliver growled removing his hands from me and clinching them. I nodded slowly.

             
"No, I'll tell you who I almost killed," Oliver snarled. "Jason raped that girl. She was fifteen years old. We were seventeen at the time. The girl went home and told her brother what Jason did and when he showed up Jason and the boy got into a fight. Jason is the one who killed that boy. Murdered him with his own two hands."

             
I was shaking and I didn't even realize it till Oliver wrapped his arms around me and lifted me into his lap while sitting on the bed.

             
"I had to rip Jason off the boy and I beat the living hell out of him," Oliver held my gaze as he told me this. "I was so mad at what he done I planned on killing him."

             
"It took a lot of the guys to pull me off him. After that I turned Jason in as well as myself. That is why I was in jail for a few months. And, why Jason hates me. He went to prison for two years. That is how he met Aaron and Sam."

             
"What? But...how could he have only spent two years in there? He murdered that guy and raped the girl!"

             
"The girl changed her story, and he got off on parole. He had the judge and lawyer in his back pocket."

             
"But that's not right," I shook my head. I blinked back tears. I can't believe I had listened to Eien, believed that Oliver could have killed someone. It hasn't stopped how I fell toward Oliver but still.

             
"Hey," Oliver whispered lifting my chin. "I love you, okay?"

             
"I love you too."

             
"I'm sorry I snapped at you."

             
Nodding I leaned into him. "We need to get home. I want to see Kimmy. I need to apologize."

             
"You don't need to apologize. You thought you were protecting her," he said soothingly. It made me smile. Oliver has changed a lot. The Oliver of a few weeks ago would have still been angry and raving about me not telling him about Eien. I could tell he was still angry, just not with me. I can only imagine what Eien will look like when Oliver got down with him. And, I couldn't care less what happened to Eien either. He hurt Kimmy and Alex, or he had something to do with it.

             
"Since I'm telling you what all happened. You should know that at the party the other night. When you found me outside..."

             
"Yeah?" Oliver asked pulling his eyebrows together in confusion. I knew I was about to add fuel to the fire but a part of me wanted Eien to be hurt.

             
"Eien was the reason I was lying on the ground. He wanted to threaten me one more time before we came one this trip. He didn't want me to tell you what he told me. He slammed my head into the ground."

             
Oliver clenched his fist again.

             
"When we get back. Will you bounce his face off the floor for me?"

             
"That I will do," he muttered pressing his lips into my hair. "I'll do a lot more than that."

             
The hospital smelled of medicine, sweat, and sickness. Scrunching up my nose I pulled Oliver forward. His hand intertwined tight in mine. His usual mask for the public secure on his face. Anyone that looked at him didn't look long.

The scowl was deeper set on his face than usual today. The woman at the
nurse’s desk didn't argue with Oliver when he demanded Kimmy and Alex's room number. His posture screamed that he was in charge and no one better get in his way.

             
Turning down another hall I knew their room instantly. Two large rough looking guys were guarding the door.

             
"Boys," Oliver nodded stiffly as the one on the left opened the door for us. Stepping into the room my eyes watered. Kimmy and Alex were in two different beds. Alex closest to the door, both his eyes almost swelled shut. His right arm was in a cast and the rest of his body had deep blue and purple bruises all over.

He looked worse
than Logan had the night he got attacked. Kimmy looked a little better. One of her cheeks was swollen and she had large hand shaped bruises on her throat.

             
I broke away from Oliver and ran over to Kimmy hugging her first.

             
"Ever," she croaked, her voice was raw.

             
"Oh Kimmy, I'm so sorry. I should have said something. I should have told Oliver about Eien's threats. I'm so very sorry."

             
"Threat's?" Alex questioned. His voice was soft.

             
"What threats?" Jake asked from behind me. Turning around I seen Jake, Logan, Tyler and Jet sitting around a table. I smiled at the sight of them. I didn't realize how much I missed the guys and Kimmy so much while we were gone.

             
"Eien threatened Ever last week. Told her I killed that Trevor boy and that if she mentioned anything to any of us he'd come after Kimmy."

             
"Oh, Ever," Kimmy muttered sitting up and hugging me. I squeezed her gently not wanting to let go. I should have said something. I was so stupid to listen to Eien's threats.

             
"I'm sorry Alex," I told him looking up at him through tears.

             
"It's okay," he waved it off. "You did what you thought was right."

             
"It's not alright. You look like hell."

             
He laughed. "You should see the other guy."

             
"Guys," Jake corrected. "He stabbed the hell outta a few of them."

             
Kimmy sat back on the bed as I stared wide eyed at Alex.

             
"I didn't kill any of them," he told me.

             
"Should have," Jet frowned. He was glaring out the window. Tyler was looking on at Kimmy sadly.

             
"It's my fault," I whispered looking at Kimmy again.

             
She shook her head. "No it's not. Not like you telling us would have changed it. We thought we were okay. I haven't gone anywhere without Alex like you told me, and we were in our territory. We should have been safe."

             
"Where were you when it happened?" Oliver asked from his spot near the door.

             
"On the beach. Had a picnic down there. It was romantic," Kimmy grinned looking at Alex. Alex's ears turned pink.

             
Jake made a gagging noise while Logan was turned around pretending to make out with the wall.

             
"I'd say you've been around Jake to long," I laughed watching Logan amused.

             
"I taught him well," Jake clapped Logan on the back.

             
"This is getting annoying," Oliver growled through clinched teeth. He stood up.

             
"Ever stay here. You guys come on," Oliver said opening the door.

             
"What?! No, Oliver," I jumped up going after him. Grabbing his arm I stopped him.

             
"What are you going to do?" I questioned in fear. Beating Eien was one thing. I didn't want him going after Jason. Would this start a gang war now? That thought clinched my stomach.