upset he was. I know it’s none of my
business and you certainly don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I’ve
always wondered.”
When the car in front of me stopped due to
traffic, I changed lanes and slowed down. Rubbing the back of my neck, I let
out a deep breath.
“You don’t have to answer,” she repeated
before I could form an answer in my mind. I didn’t have a good enough reason to
give to her.
“No, it’s okay, little one. I know it was a
shitty thing to do after everything your family had done for me. To be honest,
the first few weeks were really hard. Maybe you remember,” I said, glancing at
her. “My father and I were never close, and my mother’s death didn’t change
anything on that front. The day I left you guys, he didn’t even speak one word
to me the entire ride here. When we finally made it, he showed me to an empty
room in a big house and went back to his clients. Just like that. I barely saw
him, and he certainly didn’t care what I was doing. Unfortunately, it only got
worse after that. I didn’t want to be that kid who only called to complain.
And, don’t tell your mom, but I think if I had talked to Emily about how I was
doing, I would’ve broken down and cried like a baby when I heard her call me
sweetheart in that tone of hers. Lying to Dylan was surprisingly easier.” When
she didn’t say anything, I continued. “And in time, with school and then the
movie stuff…”
It sounded lame even to my own ears.
“I’m sorry you had a rough time when you
first got here, but you must be so happy now. I’m glad things turned out for
the better. When we watched your first movie, I think I saw Mom wipe away tears
more than a few times.”
“She cried for an action movie?”
“You were shot, and well, I think she cried
because she was proud of you.”
An arrow straight to my chest. When my
mother had passed out from her daily drinking, consequently locking me out for
the night, Emily had taken me in. After that night, I’d stayed at their house
more than I had at my own. She’d been a better mom to me than my own could ever
be. Dylan was my brother and Olive…well, Olive had been my friend, too. They
were the only family I’d known. It was as simple as that.
“You really didn’t miss me?” I asked,
trying to diffuse the heavy quiet in the car. “Didn’t wait by the phone for my
call? Come on, don’t be shy. You can tell me.” I watched her out of the corner
of my eye.
She laughed. It was beautiful to watch.
“I definitely didn’t wait by the phone.”
“But you admit to missing me, don’t you?”
“Maybe,” she said so quietly that I wasn’t
even sure if I’d heard her right.
When her phone rang, she gave me an
apologetic look and answered it.
“Where are you? No. Okay. Yes, the
meeting is over, I’m on my way back. Ok, I’ll be home soon. No! No, wait
inside. Lucy, I swear to god, if I find you outside—Hello? Lucy? Damn you!”
“Something wrong?” I asked, amused.
“No, it’s okay. Well, good news for you,
you don’t have to drive me all the way to USC. We’re closer to the house.”
“Lucy is your roommate?”
“One of them.”
“How many roommates do you have?”
“With Lucy, three.”
“Is it hard?”
“Not really. I mean, we’re all friends, so
I guess it’s easier than it would be if they were complete strangers.”
After she gave me the address, we were
quiet for the rest of the ride. Fuck, but I couldn’t stop glancing at her. She
had the same little nose, that same spark in her eyes, yet she was so different
than when I had last seen her. The worst part? She had boobs—boobs big enough
that they’d cushioned my arm when I had accidentally encountered them as I
secured her in.
Fuck me, but my little Olive—the same
little girl I had protected from shitty bullies—was not so little any more.
“Is this the right street?” I asked when I
took a right turn.
“Yes. You can stop here. I took enough
business and you certainly don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I’ve
always wondered.”
When the car in front of me stopped due to
traffic, I changed lanes and slowed down. Rubbing the back of my neck, I let
out a deep breath.
“You don’t have to answer,” she repeated
before I could form an answer in my mind. I didn’t have a good enough reason to
give to her.
“No, it’s okay, little one. I know it was a
shitty thing to do after everything your family had done for me. To be honest,
the first few weeks were really hard. Maybe you remember,” I said, glancing at
her. “My father and I were never close, and my mother’s death didn’t change
anything on that front. The day I left you guys, he didn’t even speak one word
to me the entire ride here. When we finally made it, he showed me to an empty
room in a big house and went back to his clients. Just like that. I barely saw
him, and he certainly didn’t care what I was doing. Unfortunately, it only got
worse after that. I didn’t want to be that kid who only called to complain.
And, don’t tell your mom, but I think if I had talked to Emily about how I was
doing, I would’ve broken down and cried like a baby when I heard her call me
sweetheart in that tone of hers. Lying to Dylan was surprisingly easier.” When
she didn’t say anything, I continued. “And in time, with school and then the
movie stuff…”
It sounded lame even to my own ears.
“I’m sorry you had a rough time when you
first got here, but you must be so happy now. I’m glad things turned out for
the better. When we watched your first movie, I think I saw Mom wipe away tears
more than a few times.”
“She cried for an action movie?”
“You were shot, and well, I think she cried
because she was proud of you.”
An arrow straight to my chest. When my
mother had passed out from her daily drinking, consequently locking me out for
the night, Emily had taken me in. After that night, I’d stayed at their house
more than I had at my own. She’d been a better mom to me than my own could ever
be. Dylan was my brother and Olive…well, Olive had been my friend, too. They
were the only family I’d known. It was as simple as that.
“You really didn’t miss me?” I asked,
trying to diffuse the heavy quiet in the car. “Didn’t wait by the phone for my
call? Come on, don’t be shy. You can tell me.” I watched her out of the corner
of my eye.
She laughed. It was beautiful to watch.
“I definitely didn’t wait by the phone.”
“But you admit to missing me, don’t you?”
“Maybe,” she said so quietly that I wasn’t
even sure if I’d heard her right.
When her phone rang, she gave me an
apologetic look and answered it.
“Where are you? No. Okay. Yes, the
meeting is over, I’m on my way back. Ok, I’ll be home soon. No! No, wait
inside. Lucy, I swear to god, if I find you outside—Hello? Lucy? Damn you!”
“Something wrong?” I asked, amused.
“No, it’s okay. Well, good news for you,
you don’t have to drive me all the way to USC. We’re closer to the house.”
“Lucy is your roommate?”
“One of them.”
“How many roommates do you have?”
“With Lucy, three.”
“Is it hard?”
“Not really. I mean, we’re all friends, so
I guess it’s easier than it would be if they were complete strangers.”
After she gave me the address, we were
quiet for the rest of the ride. Fuck, but I couldn’t stop glancing at her. She
had the same little nose, that same spark in her eyes, yet she was so different
than when I had last seen her. The worst part? She had boobs—boobs big enough
that they’d cushioned my arm when I had accidentally encountered them as I
secured her in.
Fuck me, but my little Olive—the same
little girl I had protected from shitty bullies—was not so little any more.
“Is this the right street?” I asked when I
took a right turn.
“Yes. You can stop here. I took enough
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