Bad Boys Do Cry

54: Not Yet

He still hasn't said it. Why.

It's almost dinner time. The rest of my birthday was spend playing board games, video games, card games, and talking. It was honestly the best birthday I've ever had. I didn't need a trip to Mexico or a massive drinking craze to have fun. I just needed these few people that I'd grown close to in such a short time. I felt happy, at peace with my life, finally relaxed.

Levi texts me, a happy birthday text followed by many many pictures of us through the years, each with their individual captions judging how ugly we looked. Yep, that's my birthday present from him, and I loved it. Levi knew that ever since my dad left I really didn't like getting presents or doing anything to really celebrate. But every year he'd still come up with a not-so-present present for me.

"What're you looking at?"

I lift my head up to look at Oliver. He'd gone with Grayson and Tyler to pick up the massive amounts of food they'd ordered for dinner. Ryder and Maddy had stayed here with me. He's staring down at me with two to-go boxes in one hand and two beers in the other. I give him a small smile and turn my phone around.

"Levi's birthday present."

He sits down beside me, taking the phone from my hand and exchanging it with the food. I keep looking at him, unbothered by his actions. The whiff of fried rice hits me, making my mouth water, but I hold back and wait for Oliver to finish looking through the pictures. His eyes fill with amusement as he's scrolling.

"When's this from?"

He turns my phone around to show me a picture. It's me in my mom's lingerie when we still lived in our high class home close to the Grey's house. I was supposed to be getting ready to leave for one of the the famous Grey family parties, but instead I stole what, at the time, I thought was one of my mom's dresses. It was a dark blue lacy piece with a mesh skirt. I remember that little lingerie dress as if it were yesterday. Although, I don't think my mom ever wore it again once she saw me spinning around in it.

"That's from when I was eight."

"Lingerie at eight? Who were you trying to seduce?"

"It was right before we left for one of your family's parties."

He lets out a small chuckle as a smile grazes his features. Oliver looks at the picture one last time before shutting off my phone and handing it back to me. I take it back, our hands brushing past each other. We may be pressed up against each other but every new touch fills me with electric anticipation. I feel like an electrical socket, it can't be good for me.

"Hazel, what time were you born?" Maddy asks from across the room.

She's sprawled on top of Ryder. Half the couch empty as she's more on Ryder than the rest of the large couch. Ryder looks unbothered, used to Maddy being cuddled up on top of him. I wait for Oliver's inappropriate remark, but then I remember I'm in my own head.

"Oh, 11:21pm," I tell her.

She looks at her nonexistent watch then to me then to Ryder who shows her his watch. She smiles and grabs his wrist, bringing the watch into her line of sight.

She's all giddy with her next sentence, "Ooo, three and a half hours, exciting."

I smile to Maddy, but she's not looking at me, already laying basically lifeless on top of Ryder. Oliver gives my hand a squeeze, bringing my attention to him. He's staring at me, intently with that stone cold glare of his.

I'm still trying to figure out when his lighthearted third grade persona changed into this bad boy Oliver Grey everyone praises. He looks so different from then, not just because of puberty. He seems different, more walled up. I just wish I knew why. What happened to Oliver Grey?