The Unexpected Path

Chapter 17 - Lucas

"I'm pretty sure I told you not to bother," She looks to her laptop screen again, dismissing me. My rage doubles.

"I do what I want," I throw back, leaning back in my seat with crossed arms.

Olivia snorts. "We all know that. So why are you here? Don't tell me you want to help with this project."

"I don't."

"So?"

"Not everything requires an explanation," I look away from her. The truth is I don't know why I'm here myself. I don't know what I'm looking for or what's next. I just need to do something and I need to do it quick. Seeing Olivia complete unnerved is bothering me. I'm bleeding open and I'm growing restless because I want her to do the same.

"You're being weirder than usual," She rolls her eyes. "Whatever. I picked our constellation and researched the story, the surrounding planets, and the galaxy it's in. I started writing about all the general information in the essay. I'm about halfway through so all that's left is the other half of the essay and actually creating the star map. We'll have to go for a bit of a drive if we want to see the constellation so when should we do it?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

She closes her eyes and pulls in a deep breath like she's trying to keep her patience. Now we're getting somewhere. I can feel my smirk start to form.

"Is this about this weekend?" She asks quietly and immediately my amusement fades. Why the hell does she always say and do the wrong things? "I heard you loud and clear. I'm pretending like our moment didn't happen."

Yes, she fucking is. So much that she went and fucked McCarthy, the same asshole that ruined everything. Everything was going fine until he showed up. I have nothing to say to her so I keep quiet, my jaw pulsing.

"How's your mom?" She asks after a few silent beats. This time it's me who closes my eyes. Shut up, Olivia. She's going to make me do something neither of us will like. "Have you spoken to your dad?"

"What are you doing?" I finally snap. I lean forward and shut her laptop, breathing hard. "What's with the questions and fucking kumbaya? We're not friends."

"How much longer are you going to bullshit yourself?" She hisses right back. "Cut the 'we're not friends' crap. Maybe not but we're still part of each other's lives whether you like it or not. Say what you want but I'm one of the few people that can understand you and what you're going through so that doesn't make me a nobody. That makes me somebody to you and you can't stand it."

"See, that's the thing about you Olivia," I lean even closer until I'm nearly standing, all up in her face. "All you do is brag about yourself and flaunt yourself in my face. Guess fucking what? You're not perfect. You fuck up too. You hurt me too. So get off your fucking high horse."

I sit back down and have to physically catch my breath. Fuck, she gets under my skin so easily. She's in my head and in my veins like my own personal brand of poison and I'm choking on her, letting her consume me until I go insane. Why is it so easy for her to do this to me? Why can't I stop it?

"I'm not brag—" She cuts herself off, massaging her temples. "You know what? Never mind. If you're here to help then great but if not, I'd rather just go work somewhere you aren't."

Figures. But I'm still not done with her yet so I jerk my chin at her notes. "Fine. What do I do?"

She seems surprised for a moment but quickly recovers, sliding her notebook my way. "If you could draw out how we're going to organize our visual board that would help. Also a rough draft of the sky map."