Back To You | complete

Chapter 02| Traipsing Down The Memory Lane

Chapter two: Traipsing down the memory lane

O L I V I A

It was a few months after my break-up with Kai. I had been depressed and I had most definitely been at my lowest. My way of coping with my abysmal situation had been casually dating a random guy on campus. It was purely physical, which suited my purposes perfectly. He was gorgeous and wanted nothing serious either, which definitely helped. My only condition was that it would not be an open relationship. It hadn't taken much to get him to agree.

It was meaningless. But after seven months of fucking around aimlessly, I just couldn't bring myself to do it anymore. The attraction was fading and my guilt, which had no right to pop up and bother me, had been flaring unnecessarily. And so, I had talked to Carter and called it off. On the phone.

A casual relationship called for a casual breakup.

Or maybe I was just heartless by then.

But that couldn't be true when it still hurt in there, could it?

My answer had crashed down on me when I had visited Samantha about a month after I had called things off with him.

"Griffin!" I screamed, banging at his dorm room. "GRIFFIN!"

"Jesus, woman! I'm coming!" He huffed, yanking the door open. His hair was wet and he had a towel around his waist, meaning he had just come out of the shower. Behind me, I heard a thud. I turned around in amusement to see a flustered girl rushing to pick up her books.

I laughed, my mood lightening.

"Let's take this inside." I pushed him in and shut the door behind us. "Where is Liam?" I asked, taking in the empty room.

"He went to the Library to work on his paper," he answered with a scowl.

"What is it?" I asked, grinning.

"You know what." He scowled deeper, grabbing his clothes and disappearing into the bathroom.

I plopped down on his bed, playing innocent. "I don't."

"You need to stop doing this to me, Liv," he said.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, you don't?" He challenged, coming out.

"That was quick," I said appreciatively.

He ignored my attempt to change the topic. "It's a six-hour drive, Olive."

"I'm aware. That's why we need to start as soon as possible!" I replied, undeterred.

He groaned, sitting down beside me. "We will have to drive back too."

"I know. I can drive us back." I shrugged.

"Livvy!" He whined. I stiffened a little automatically but quickly forced myself to relax.

Gets easier every time.

"Do you want to see Samantha or not?" I demanded.

"Of course I do," he said immediately.

"Then it's settled," I declared, grabbing his hand and hauling him out.

* * * * *

"Liv!!" My best friend squealed, jumping onto me. I fell back on my butt with her on top of me, both of us a laughing mess.

"How are we even friends?" Griffin muttered, looking at us. Though his face portrayed disapproval, his eyes told another story.