didn’t ask him to. He just did it!”
Olivia made a face like she didn’t really believe me. “Usually people give off signals that they want to be kissed.”
I stopped and stared at her . “Are you saying it was my fault?”
Olivia held up her hands. “I’m not saying it’s anyone’s fault. All I’m saying is that he kissed you because he most likely thought you wanted him to.”
I turned away from her, my face burning with anger. How dare she suggest such a thing! And yet . . . she was right. I had wanted John to kiss me out there on the patio. I had wanted him to kiss me more than anything in the world .
“Are you mad at me?” I asked Olivia, facing her head on .
“Mad at you? Why in the world would I be mad?”
I splayed my hands. “Because I’ve ruined our group. It was always you and Gabe, and me and Zach. But if Zach and I are no longer a couple, things will be weird. We won’t be able to double-date anymore.”
Olivia threw back her head and laughed, the slight Adam’s apple in her long, slender throat bobbing up and down. “Gabe and I will get along just fine without you and Zach, not that we don’t love you,” she said, when she’d finally recovered enough to talk. “But thank you for thinking of us.”
“It’s more than just that,” I said. “I’ve really made a mess of things.”
Olivia quirked an eyebrow. “You haven’t made a mess of things. The problem is you feel guilty for having feelings for John, which is completely normal . Al though I can’t understand why him . He’s kind of a strange duck .”
“He’s not,” I muttered under my breath.
“ Whatever. The thing is that y ou and Zach have been together for a long time. And while you two are, like, the cutest couple ever, you’re only seventeen. You should be dating as many guys as possible right now and having fun. Don’t settle down yet. Do you honestly think Gabe will be the last guy I ever date?” She snorted. “God, I hope not.”
“But we were going to go to college together,” I said. “We were going to get married and buy a house.”
Olivia waved her hand again and sat down at the vanity. She unsheathed a tube of red lipstick and rolled it up all the way before applying a heavy coat to both her upper and lower lips. I watched in fascination as she leaned forward and kissed the mirror, leaving a perfect impression of her generous mouth.
“Get real,” she finally said to my reflection, as she ran her fingers through her long white- blonde hair. “Happy endings like that only happen in the movies. If it’s meant to be between you and Zach, you’ll get back together. In the meantime . . .”
Olivia swiveled on the stool . She grinned , the redness of her lips against the pale white of her skin giving her a sinister, vampire-like appearance. “You might as well have a little fun, right? Now, tell me all about John.”
I couldn’t help but smile as his name conjured a heat that flooded my entire body. But the truth of the matter was I still didn’t know much about him. “He works at The Marauder’s Cove . ”
“ Does he now? ” Her eyes twinkled with something sinister . My defenses went up at once.
“ What is that supposed to mean? ”
She leaned forward, as though about to impart some juicy morsel of gossip. “My cousin used to date the bartender. I went there once with her to play pool. T otal Freakville .”
“ Really ?”
“All I know is t he place gave me the creeps. You couldn’t pay me enough to go there again. ”
I blew a raspberry. “John only buses tables. I don’t think that makes him much of a freak.”
There was a knock at my bedroom door, and my mom poked her head inside. “Are you staying for dinner tonight, Olivia ? We have plenty of food.”
Olivia glanced at me as she rose from the chair. “I’d better get going. Mom had a really rough day with the twins, so I should get back and help her put them to bed. But thanks for the invitation. Maybe
Olivia made a face like she didn’t really believe me. “Usually people give off signals that they want to be kissed.”
I stopped and stared at her . “Are you saying it was my fault?”
Olivia held up her hands. “I’m not saying it’s anyone’s fault. All I’m saying is that he kissed you because he most likely thought you wanted him to.”
I turned away from her, my face burning with anger. How dare she suggest such a thing! And yet . . . she was right. I had wanted John to kiss me out there on the patio. I had wanted him to kiss me more than anything in the world .
“Are you mad at me?” I asked Olivia, facing her head on .
“Mad at you? Why in the world would I be mad?”
I splayed my hands. “Because I’ve ruined our group. It was always you and Gabe, and me and Zach. But if Zach and I are no longer a couple, things will be weird. We won’t be able to double-date anymore.”
Olivia threw back her head and laughed, the slight Adam’s apple in her long, slender throat bobbing up and down. “Gabe and I will get along just fine without you and Zach, not that we don’t love you,” she said, when she’d finally recovered enough to talk. “But thank you for thinking of us.”
“It’s more than just that,” I said. “I’ve really made a mess of things.”
Olivia quirked an eyebrow. “You haven’t made a mess of things. The problem is you feel guilty for having feelings for John, which is completely normal . Al though I can’t understand why him . He’s kind of a strange duck .”
“He’s not,” I muttered under my breath.
“ Whatever. The thing is that y ou and Zach have been together for a long time. And while you two are, like, the cutest couple ever, you’re only seventeen. You should be dating as many guys as possible right now and having fun. Don’t settle down yet. Do you honestly think Gabe will be the last guy I ever date?” She snorted. “God, I hope not.”
“But we were going to go to college together,” I said. “We were going to get married and buy a house.”
Olivia waved her hand again and sat down at the vanity. She unsheathed a tube of red lipstick and rolled it up all the way before applying a heavy coat to both her upper and lower lips. I watched in fascination as she leaned forward and kissed the mirror, leaving a perfect impression of her generous mouth.
“Get real,” she finally said to my reflection, as she ran her fingers through her long white- blonde hair. “Happy endings like that only happen in the movies. If it’s meant to be between you and Zach, you’ll get back together. In the meantime . . .”
Olivia swiveled on the stool . She grinned , the redness of her lips against the pale white of her skin giving her a sinister, vampire-like appearance. “You might as well have a little fun, right? Now, tell me all about John.”
I couldn’t help but smile as his name conjured a heat that flooded my entire body. But the truth of the matter was I still didn’t know much about him. “He works at The Marauder’s Cove . ”
“ Does he now? ” Her eyes twinkled with something sinister . My defenses went up at once.
“ What is that supposed to mean? ”
She leaned forward, as though about to impart some juicy morsel of gossip. “My cousin used to date the bartender. I went there once with her to play pool. T otal Freakville .”
“ Really ?”
“All I know is t he place gave me the creeps. You couldn’t pay me enough to go there again. ”
I blew a raspberry. “John only buses tables. I don’t think that makes him much of a freak.”
There was a knock at my bedroom door, and my mom poked her head inside. “Are you staying for dinner tonight, Olivia ? We have plenty of food.”
Olivia glanced at me as she rose from the chair. “I’d better get going. Mom had a really rough day with the twins, so I should get back and help her put them to bed. But thanks for the invitation. Maybe
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