To Love Jason Thorn (36 page)

“Who says we can’t do anything about
it?”

He gripped my chin, a little more aggressively
than I was expecting, which only caused more wetness to seep into my panties.
He kissed me until I was seeing stars behind my closed eyelids. When one of his
hands skimmed my dress and cupped one of my breasts, I moaned into his mouth
and threaded my fingers into his hair.

When we separated to take several gasps
of breath, I was smiling.

“What are you smiling at?” he asked, his
voice raspy from all the kissing.

“Nothing.” He gave me a disbelieving
look. “Nothing,” I repeated. “It’s just, I think I like kissing you a little
too much, and somehow you seem to like it almost as much as I do.”

“And that surprises you?”

“Yeah.” He wouldn’t understand, but
yes…finally kissing someone you’d longed to kiss for so many years and actually
having him kiss you back with just as much passion…it was indescribable. The
only thing I could say was that it did something to your heart, something that
knocked you on your ass with the unexpected force of it.

“My heart is beating just for you,
Jason,” I whispered against his lips as I made sure to look into his eyes. Did
he understand how much I loved him? How long I had loved him? Because I could
almost feel it pouring out of me.

The door opened and the connection
between us broke.

Lucy’s head appeared in the doorway. “Is
it okay if we come in?”

I took a step away from the hot body
that was plastered to my back and went to open the door wider so the girls
could get in. Lucy had the biggest grin on her face, but managed to keep her
mouth closed.

Two tequila shots and one and a half
Long Island Iced Teas later, Char pulled me away from our little group to the
small bar at the corner.

“I know Lucy told you that she saw us,
but it’s not what you think, Olive,” she said, putting down her pink cocktail
on the glass surface.

“Honestly, I’m not thinking anything.
I’m trying not to. If you guys have started something, I’ll be happy for you.”

Her eyes hardened for a moment, but
before I could even guess what it was that I saw in her eyes, it disappeared.
“You don’t understand, Liv.”

Again with the name…

When Lily let out a big laugh that
reached across the room to us, I looked over my shoulder to see her laughing
with Jason and Lucy. I smiled when Jason caught my eye, took a sip of his
drink, and gave me a wink.

Char touched my arm so I turned back to
her again.

“Marcus and I…” Stopping mid-sentence,
she picked up her drink and took a big swallow. “We might have slept
together…while you were still with him.”

My stomach dropped and my eyebrows
reached almost up to my hairline. I swallowed and gently put my drink down.

“Please say you didn’t do that.”

She gave me a small, sad smile. “I don’t
know how it happened, Olive. I swear to you, it wasn’t more than a few times,
but I know that doesn’t make it any better. I’m sorry I haven’t told you before
today.”

A few times?

“You slept with Marcus while I was still
with him? When you knew I loved him? No way Charlotte. You wouldn’t do that
to.”

“You guys were growing apart.” She took
a deep breath. “Remember the time you went back home to San Francisco for a
week, after one of your fights?” I didn’t say anything, didn’t even nod. She
sighed. “It happened then. We were both half-drunk the first time it
happened—not so drunk that we didn’t know what we were doing, but you know…it
made it easier to overlook the fact that you were together, I guess.”

How nice of them.

“I’m assuming not so drunk the other
times it happened,” I said in a stony tone.

She shook her head and looked down. “I’m
sorry, Olive. I never thought this would happen to me.”

“To you? What happened to
you
,
Charlotte?”

“You’re my best friend, Olive. Do you
think I was thrilled to realize I had feelings for my best friend’s boyfriend?
Can you understand how much it hurt to see him with you after what happened
between us?”

“Wow. Should I say sorry for the
inconvenience?”

I took a step back.

She grabbed my arm and stopped me before
I could get away from her.

“Please don’t be angry with me, Olive.
You didn’t love Marcus. We both knew it. You never loved him like you love
Jason.”

“How can you decide that for me,
Charlotte? Of course I loved Marcus. Maybe I should remind you that he was the
one who dumped me, not the other way around.” I pulled my arm back and she
dropped her hand. “Why did you think it was a good idea to tell me this now?
Why bother? So much time has passed and you can actually have Marcus all to
yourself. Why not just keep it to yourself?”

“I think Marcus is holding himself back
because he thinks you’ll go back to him. Whatever you decide I wanted you to
have all the facts. We got together—”

I lifted my hand up and cut her off. “I
don’t think I want to hear anything more Charlotte.” I shook my head in
disbelief. “Are you about to tell me that I should talk to Marcus and tell him
that we are never getting back together? Is that why you told me this? To make
sure I would never go back to him if Jason dumped me?”

“Girls? What’s going on?” Lucy came up
behind us. I hadn’t realized that our voices were carrying over to them.

“Olive,” Charlotte said, ignoring Lucy.
“It’s not like that. I didn’t think you—”

“That’s the problem, I don’t think you
are thinking at all,” I said and turned my back to her. “Can we go down to the
bathroom or something?” I asked Lucy. I was just realizing that my hands were
shaking. She looked into my eyes and nodded without asking anything.

My eyes were starting to water.

I glanced at Jason, but he was in a
conversation with Lily, his brows furrowed, so I slipped out before he could
see the state I was in. I didn’t want him to think that this was about Marcus.

Lucy grabbed my hand as soon as we were
out of the room and steered me downstairs.

We found a bathroom one floor down that
was just for the private rooms, so as soon as we got in, Lucy guided me to sit
down on the bench in front of the mirrors. If my mind hadn’t been reeling with
what Char had just told me, I would’ve enjoyed the décor in the bathroom, but
unfortunately, I could barely see Lucy kneeling in front of me.

“What’s wrong, Olive? What did Char
say?”

A few tears escaped my eyes and slid down
my cheeks before I could wipe them away. “She slept with Marcus while we were
still together.”

Lucy straightened up then sat down next
to me. “Say that again?”

I nodded and wiped away more tears. Why
was I even crying? Was I really sad because Marcus had lied to me, had cheated
on me with my friend? I thought about it, but it didn’t take hold. It wasn’t
what Marcus had done that was breaking my heart. It was Charlotte.

I got up and started to pace in front of
Lucy. “Why am I even crying? This is so stupid.”

“Can you start from the top and tell me
exactly what she said to you?”

I nodded and told her everything Char
had said.

“I’m sorry, Olive. I don’t know what to
say. All I can think is where the hell was I when they were sneaking into each
other’s rooms?”

“Looks like I was wherever you were. I
would never have thought Char would do something like this.”

“Are you going to talk to Marcus?”

A girl stumbled into the bathroom,
heading straight toward the stalls.

“Why would I?” I asked, getting out of
the way before she could take me down.

Lucy’s phone started to vibrate in her
hand, so she held up a finger to me and answered her phone.

“Jameson, where are you?” Her brows drew
together and she shot up from her seat. “What? Which hospital?”

At her words my body froze.

“Yes. I understand. Thank you.”

Ending the call, she sat back down, then
shakily tried to stand back up.

“Hey, easy there,” I said, helping her
up. “Tell me what he said.”

Instead of answering me, she said, “He
was supposed to be here by now.”

“Lucy,” I snapped my finger in front of
her face a few times. “Focus. What did Jameson say?”

“It wasn’t Jameson. It was a nurse.
Jameson was in an accident, he…he is going into surgery in half an hour.”

I waited to hear more, but she just
stood there, staring at me helplessly.

“Come on, we are leaving,” I said,
pulling her along with me.

We exited the club in a hurry and jumped
into the first cab we saw sitting at the curb. Thankfully, there were no
paparazzi around to capture our departure.

“Jason,” Lucy said in a tearful voice.
“You didn’t tell Jason you were leaving.”

“I know. I don’t have my phone with me
so I’ll have to text him from your phone. Let’s just focus on getting to
Jameson before he goes into surgery, okay? The hospital is close enough, we
should make it there in time.” I gave her hand a squeeze. She hadn’t let go of
it ever since we’d run out of the bathroom.

Her grip tightened on mine and I heard
her breath hitch.

“Can we please go a little faster?” I
begged the cab driver.

Lucy dropped her head on my shoulder.
“You were right, the other day. I love him,” she confessed, then more heatedly,
added, “And I hate him for making me fall in love with him.”

“Baby,” I said gently, trying not to
laugh. “I’m sure he is already aware of that fact. Even your professors know.”

“I always push him away.” Her voice
broke. “I didn’t even tell him that I hate him. He should know how much I hate
him for making me fall in love with him.”

Maneuvering my arm from under her head,
I hugged her to me and held on. “If he doesn’t know—even though I’m pretty sure
he does—you’ll tell him before he goes into surgery okay? He’ll be happy to
finally hear the words from your mouth. We’re almost there, sweetheart.”

As soon as the cab dropped us at the
emergency entrance, we rushed inside and found a nurse that could help us. We
made it to his side just before they took him into the operating room, but
seeing him unconscious and all banged up didn’t help Lucy calm down at all.
Before they could wheel him away from us, I heard Lucy’s heated whisper,
since
you made me fall in love with you, you better get well soon so I can torture
you for what you did to me!

His doctor assured us that even though
his injuries were serious, they weren’t life threatening. Apparently, his
motorcycle had collided with a speeding car. He had a broken leg and multiple
fractures to his shoulder blade and forearm along with various cuts and
bruises.

“Tell me he is going to be okay, Olive,”
Lucy said once we sat down in the waiting room.

“He
is
going to be okay, Lucy.
You heard his doctor, he is in good hands.” She nodded and kept silent.

“You should call his friends,” I said
after some time. “I’m sure he’d like to see them once it is okay for him to
have visitors.”

“Here, I forgot.” She handed me her
phone. “You should call Jason first. I’m sure he is wondering where the hell
you are. I’ll call Jameson’s friends after that.”

I took the phone. “I’ll be right back.
Don’t move from this seat.”

Meeting my eyes for the first time since
we’d gotten the phone call, she gave me a small smile. “Thank you, Olive.”

I huffed. “For what?”

“For holding me up. For running out of
there without a second thought.” Her eyes started to water, but she had a small
grin on her face when she said, “I’m not sure I could’ve left Jason Thorn behind
for you.”

“I’m sure enough for both of us. You
wouldn’t leave his side for a moment. You made that pretty clear.” I said. “And
save those crocodile tears for Jameson; I’m sure he’ll be happy to see how much
you care.”

She gave me a laugh; it was shaky, but I
would take it. “That bastard would like that, wouldn’t he? He would probably
puff out his chest and let everyone know that I cried for him.” Sighing, she
shook her head. “Go ahead and call your husband. I’ll wait right here.”

Not wanting to go too far away from
Lucy, I found a quiet corner where I could still keep Lucy in sight and quickly
dialed Jason’s number. It rang several times and then his voicemail picked up.
I left him a short message that explained where I was and what had happened and
asked him to call me back before he came charging in there. It was his friend’s
night and he didn’t have that many friends around him; I didn’t want him to
leave abruptly when there was nothing he could do at the hospital.

Taking my seat next to Lucy again, I
shook my head at her. “He isn’t picking up. I left him a voicemail and I’m sure
he’ll get back to me when he sees it.”