The Unexpected Path

Chapter 17 - Lucas

I wake up to a fuck ton of missed messages. Well, wake up is the wrong term considering I never slept but I did turn my phone off a few hours ago. I'm well aware it's almost noon and that I was supposed to be in class four hours ago, and meet Olivia in the library one hour ago. I was awake through it all, laying down in bed and fuming.

She kissed him. She fucking kissed McCarthy.

She meant for me to see it too. Why else would she fucking do it right in front of my dorm? I'd heard her outside late last night and didn't think anything of it until I heard McCarthy too. I told myself, fucking told myself, to forget it but I couldn't. He ruined everything with my family and Olivia was still hanging out with him? And after she came to check up on me, I thought she was on my side. I thought she cared more about me than McCarthy. So what was she doing with him? I had to look. And the second I glanced through the peephole all I saw was those two sucking face. She kissed him. She fucking kissed him. After the shit he caused at dinner, why the fuck was she kissing him?

I don't know why I was surprised. It's classic Olivia — running into someone else's arms the second I show a little bit of vulnerability to her. She waits until I show her just a smidge of softness and then she throws it in my face, showing me she doesn't care by hopping on someone else's dick instead. I fucking swear she gets off on humiliating me.

Two can play at that game, Olivia.

And I'm going to play that game, alright. I thought we were done but if she wants to play some more, far be it from me to stop her.

I roll out of bed pissed the fuck off. I take my time in the shower, take my time getting ready, take my time grabbing breakfast. By the time I'm actually out the door it's half past one. Chances are I'll catch Olivia at the library where I was supposed to meet her nearly three hours ago. Our project is a lot of work so I have no doubt she's still doing it, all by herself no less. I'm not sorry.

As I walk to the library I go over the messages. I never gave her my personal number so she had to reach out to me through Instagram.

_Liv_West: Are you coming to class or not?

_Liv_West: Class is done so I'll just meet you at the library.

_Liv_West: It's been 45 minutes. Are you going to bother showing up?

_Liv_West: Seriously, Lucas? I'll do it myself. Forget it.

That last one was half an hour ago so there's a fairly good chance she's still there. I have no idea what I'm going to do or if I'm going to bother confronting her. All I know is that I'm riled the fuck up and operating on my emotions right now. It's a bad idea but I've never been known to make good decisions. Fucking whatever.

The library is quiet when I walk inside. I get a few stares as I saunter through and take a look around. In my four years at BU I've never actually been to the library before. It's pretty big but it still doesn't take long for me to spot Olivia.

She's sitting at one of the round tables at the back. It's just her with her headphones plugged in while she bops her head to whatever song she's listening to. She's in oversized sweatpants, a loose crop top, her hair in a bun and no makeup, and still she looks prettier than most girls on campus who dump a shit ton of makeup on their faces everyday. How in the fuck? I hate that I notice it, and I hate that other guys notice it. She's getting looks from all around her and she doesn't even realize it. She's just typing away on the laptop without a card in the world, completely oblivious to what she did to me.

My nostrils flare as I walk over to her. She only notices me when I pull out the chair in front of her and sit, her brows going up and the epitome of unimpressed.