Waking Olivia (16 page)

I
return
to my own place on Wednesday.

Both Dorothy and Will encouraged me to stay, insisted really, but I said no. It can’t be good for Will – he needs to be working on the farm instead of entertaining me, and he’s risking his job at the school every time he does it. I guess it’s also causing problems with Jessica, though I don’t care as much about that.

Will drives me back before that morning’s track practice, swinging my suitcase out of his trunk before he drives off.

I open the door and come to a dead stop before I’m even over the threshhold. It’s not the same apartment I left on Monday morning.

I call Will immediately. “I’ve been vandalized,” I tell him. “Someone broke into my apartment and furnished it.”

“That’s an outrage,” he replies. “I hope you called the police.”

I laugh, and then grow quiet. There’s nothing in the world harder for me than what comes next.

“Thank you,” I say awkwardly. “I don’t know what to say.”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” he replies.

“But all this stuff … Where’d you get it?”

“Almost everyone I know has something extra they don’t need. You were also offered a pie safe, whatever the hell that is, and a grandfather clock, in case you’re interested.”

It’s the first time since I moved out of the dorm my freshman year that I’ve had furniture. Now I have a couch, a table, a bed, and a nightstand. There’s even a TV. I wish he hadn’t done it. Not because I don’t want the stuff—I love it—but because of the feeling it leaves me with. The same way I feel after I spend time with Will.

Like I now have something to lose.

T
he following weekend
Will picks me up to go to Dorothy’s, and for once, it’s not an act of charity. At least I don’t think it is. Dorothy’s asked me to stay over and help with the horses because Will has to assist with school events for Parent’s Visiting Day. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I’m eager to be far away from campus this weekend, so I agree.

Brendan’s car is parked outside. “I didn’t know your brother was coming.”

“Neither did I,” he says, that muscle in jaw popping.

Dorothy and Brendan walk out together. “Olivia!” shouts Brendan as if we’re old friends, grabbing my suitcase and swinging an arm around my shoulder. “I’ll take this in for you. Who’s sleeping where?”

“Oh, Will’s not staying—”

“She’s in my room and I’m on the couch,” Will cuts in firmly.

I raise a brow. There is no meet this weekend for him to be concerned about. Does that mean he’s staying to protect his mom from
me
?

"Worried I can't keep my fists of fury to myself?" I ask dourly.

"Why would I be worried?" he smirks. "I've only witnessed you attempting to fight two people, excluding the time you took a swing at me."

“Come on,” Dorothy says, tugging Brendan in. “Let’s give them a minute.”

"I would
never
hurt your mother," I hiss after they’ve gone inside.

He looks surprised by my vehemence, and his face softens. "I know that, Olivia."

"Then why are you staying?"

"You seem to be forgetting that this is my mother's house. I don't need an excuse to be here."

I stop. “Fine, but I’ll sleep on the couch. It’s one thing before meets, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t have your own room tonight.”

“There are miles of woods around here,” Will says. “You’re not sleeping on the couch and that’s final.”

I sigh deeply. “It’s fine, Will. I haven’t been having the dreams as much, and if I do, I’m not likely to make it far. Running barefoot in the woods ought to wake me up pretty damn fast.”

“What if it doesn’t? Do you know how many miles of woods are out there? You think I’m gonna sleep for shit, worried that I’ll wake up in the morning and discover you’ve been lost in the woods, freezing for God knows how long? And if nothing else, I don’t want my horndog little brother coming out to the living room every morning and watching you traipse around in your pajamas.”

“I don’t traipse around, first of all, and second of all, I wear
running clothes
to bed almost every night so it’s not exactly sexy.”

“You wear a tight little tank with no bra,” he glowers. “That’s enough. Did you see the way he was looking at you just now? Multiply that times 10.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he sounded a little possessive. I like it. And I like that he seems so intensely aware of what I wear to bed.

“Okay.”

“Okay? You’re giving in, just like that?”

I shrug. “Sure. If it means that much to you, I’ll do it.”

“I guess that’s why it’s so much colder this afternoon,” he says, opening the door. Brendan and Dorothy stand right on the other side, and I suspect they were listening. “Hell must’ve frozen over.”

D
orothy takes
me into the kitchen, where she has a list of jobs for me. More than anything, she seems excited to have someone to cook for again. "You're sure this is okay?" she asks for the hundredth time. "I'm not keeping you from a date, am I?"

I laugh. "No."

"From what Will says, you have your pick. I hear you have the entire men's track team and most of the football team on a leash.”

“That’s a slight exaggeration.”

"No it’s not. I heard the football players were singing some song at you from the bleachers. It irritated Will to death."

"Everything irritates Will to death," I mutter. "And that song stopped a while ago."

She nods. “Will spoke to the head of the football program about it.”

“He told you that?” I ask, surprised the song annoyed him that much. And I thought
I
was irritable.

“No,” she says, suddenly turning pink. “Peter did.”

S
he asks
me to set the table, which I’m happy to do until she informs me we need an extra place setting for Jessica. I dread her arrival long before it occurs, bracing myself for her big fake smile and big fake laugh and big tits—sadly, those are probably real—and the way she’s always pawing at Will.

She shows up once again in a suit that looks super expensive—what the hell does she do for the university anyway? I feel young and silly in my sweater and jeans. She hugs all of us, though her hug for me is decidedly stiff with dislike.

“You always do such a nice job with dinner, Mrs. Langstrom,” she gushes as we sit down to eat. She glances pointedly at me. “If I’d known you had such a
crowd
, I’d have gotten here sooner to help.”

“I’ve been cooking for a crowd on my own for as long as I can remember,” says Dorothy.

“Well, you shouldn’t have to,” says Jessica, reaching beside her to clasp Will’s hand. “And besides, I want to learn how to make all of Will’s favorite things. Why don’t I come by tomorrow? We could make dinner together.”

I wish there were a vomiting trough someplace close by. I catch Brendan’s eye. It looks like he needs one too.

“It’s really not necessary,” says Dorothy with more certainty. “Besides, if I need anything, Olivia can help.”

Me? Help in the
kitchen
? I can’t think of a less likely candidate, but I like the way that Jessica’s smile seems to contort around something very large and very sour. It doesn’t even look like a smile anymore, more of a grimace with teeth.

“I’d
love
to help,” I coo.

Brendan disguises his laugh as a cough and turns to me. “So where are we headed tonight?”

“
We
aren’t headed anywhere,” counters Will. “Olivia’s not even old enough to drink yet.”

“You’re almost old enough, though, right?” asks Brendan.

“I turn 21 in December.”

“I can’t be seen drinking with my under-age student,” growls Will.

“It’s okay,” I say, waving them off. “You go out. I’ll stay home with Dorothy and watch TV.” I see a wistful look cross Will’s face and wonder if he might actually
like
our nights in.

“No,” says Brendan. “Will and Jessica can go to one place, and you and I can go to another. Problem solved.”

“But—”

“No, it’s okay,” Will intones suddenly, “we’ll just go somewhere away from campus.”

We go to a country bar far to the outskirts of town where Brendan seems to know just about everyone, which is interesting given that he goes to school three hours away. He drapes an arm around my shoulders and we walk away from Jessica and Will. Brendan introduces me to the staff as the next Mrs. Langstrom, and by the time we’ve ordered a pitcher, I’m fairly certain I’ve just met every semi-toothless person in the state.

“How do you know all these people?” I ask.

He grins. “I’m a lovable guy. Surely you’ve figured that out by now?”

“Yes, right around the moment you tackled my coach.”

“It’s so weird that he’s your coach. I mean, isn’t that weird for you?”

“Weird how?”

“You’re almost the same age, for one thing. And the two of you just have that vibe. You know, a couple vibe. When you guys argue, the air is just rife with sexual tension the whole time.”

“You’re watching too much porn.”

He smirks. “That’s entirely possible but irrelevant.
Something
is going on.”

“Nothing is going on.” I can’t help but notice Will, sitting in the corner booth, looking unhappy as he glances over at us. “Should we go sit with them?”

“Nah,” says Brendan. “My brother needs to realize how bored he is by Jessica on his own. And besides, it’s so fun making him jealous.”

“He’s not jealous.”

“Wanna bet?” he asks. “Watch.” He puts his hand on the small of my back and then slowly lowers it until it’s resting on my ass. Before I can smack his hand away, Will is there, pushing between us.

“What’s taking so long?” he snaps, grabbing the pitcher.

Brendan leans toward my ear as we follow him to the table. “Told you.”

I
t’s pretty damned awkward sitting
at the table, given that Brendan and Will aren’t getting along and Jessica and I clearly dislike each other. It’s a relief when Brendan pulls me out of the booth. “You know how to two-step, right?” he asks.

“I just moved here from Texas. I could teach a course on two-stepping.”

We get out on the dance floor and a moment later are joined by Will and Jessica. Will looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. Brendan spins me and then dips me so low my head nearly hits the ground.

He laughs. “You’re so into me right now, aren’t you?”

“Yes, there’s nothing hotter than a guy who gives you a concussion while you’re dancing.”

“You’re such a hard-ass,” he sighs. “No wonder my brother’s so into it.”

“Oh my God. Shut up about that already,” I groan. “You’re making it weird.” I give him my best stink-eye, but he’s as impervious to it as his brother.

“Believe me, babe,” he grins, “it was already weird.”

The next time we’re alongside Will and Jessica, Brendan pulls away from me without warning, grabbing Jessica’s arm. “Switch,” he says, and he’s the only one of the four of us who looks happy as he and Jessica dance away.

Will and I stand there awkwardly for a second. I start to turn back toward the table, but he stops me with a hand on my waist. “Fuck it,” he sighs, grabbing my other hand. “This goes no farther than this room.”

I roll my eyes. “Did you really think I was going to
brag
about dancing with you?”

He smiles. “They don’t call me the Two Stepping King of Colorado for nothing.”

I just witnessed his lackluster dancing with Jessica, so I’m finding this hard to believe. “
Who
calls you that?” I demand.

“You will,” he says with that cocky grin of his that could get him anything he wants from me, and I mean
anything,
“by the time we’re done.” He spins me one direction and the next, and the speed with which it all occurs leaves me unable to do anything but follow his lead.

“Holy shit,” I cry. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

“My mom. She taught us all these stupid dances under the impression that they were important skills to have.”

“And did they ever come in handy?”

“They’ve gotten me laid more than once,” he replies, spinning me, and I’m so shocked that I nearly fly free of his hand. He looks a little surprised himself. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”

I spin close to him, so that my chest is pressed to his and our mouths are just millimeters apart. “Will,” I whisper, “I already knew this could get you laid.”

His eyes meet mine and there’s something fierce there. He squeezes his eyes shut. “Don’t do that,” he hisses. He pulls away and walks straight to the bathroom.

I sigh, heading to the table alone. I actually allowed myself to believe Brendan. I won’t make that mistake again.

M
uch later
, I’m climbing into bed when there’s tapping on my window. I pull up the shade and find Brendan standing there with that mischievous smile on his face, holding a six-pack aloft.

I open the window. “I thought
I
was supposed to be the bad influence.”

He winks. “Got to be some benefit to growing up in a tiny one-story house.”

I slide sweats on over my running clothes and climb out. “I get the feeling you’ve done this more than once.”

He laughs. “Been caught for it more than once, too.”

We go down to the stables, where the shelter and the hay make it just warm enough to be cozy. “So that was fun tonight,” I say sarcastically.

“Fun is impossible when Jessica is around,” he retorts. “She’s so fucking fake.”

“I’m not sure why your brother doesn’t see that.”

“He used to,” Brendan says. “My dad was always all over him to ask Jessica out when they were younger and Will would make this face like my dad was asking him to eat a plate full of shit. Then my dad died and he started
dating
her. I don’t get it.”

“If you hate her so much, why’d you come out with us? Aren’t your friends around?”

He shrugs. “I had my reasons,” he says evasively. “What about you? Why do you sleep here before meets? And why the hell would you sleep here when you don’t have one?”