Forever and Always, Olive

Chapter 19: No Excuses

"Will do," I mutter as I lean against the arm of the couch, watching the show that she has on.

"Are you dating Maddox yet?" she continues the conversation with a casual glance in my direction.

"No," I answer as I swirl the cup of juice in my hands. I want to ask why she's minding my business but she hasn't said anything snarky to me so I see no reason to.

"Why not?" she continues curiously.

"Well, he doesn't exactly like me back—why am I telling you this?" I grunt when I look up at her.

She glances at me before looking back towards the television. "Make him like you."

"It's not that easy," I scoff with a shake of my head. It's actually quite impossible.

"You can make anyone like you," she informs me as if there's a secret formula to it.

"You couldn't make Maddox like you," I mention without thinking. I cringe slightly when I realize how rude I must've sounded and she lets out a slow breath, which sounds something like a chuckle. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah, I asked for that, didn't I?" she trails as she grabs the remote from the cushion beside her.

I shrug back. "Well, you kind of had it coming," I confess when I think back on how she treated me early on solely based on the fact that Maddox acknowledged my presence.

Her mind seems to be on the same track because she turns the television down a bit. "Er, sorry about taking advantage of you when you first came," she apologizes awkwardly and her face goes up in red blotches. We must get our blushing from our mother's side. "But then again, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be with Maddox, so you're welcome."

Ignoring the burning of my cheeks from this awkward conversation, I look at her with a skeptical look on my face. "Where is this apology coming from?"

"My heart? I don't know," she shrugs before continuing, "I realized that we're going to have to be in the same house together for a few more months and we might as well get along."

"You think one of my friends is cute, don't you?" I ask her with slightly narrowed eyes.

"What?" she replies with raised brows and pursed lips. Her voice is high and I can tell that she's lying.

I sigh loudly as I hoist myself up from the couch. "And I thought this was genuine."

"It is genuine, I swear!" she responds, jumping forward a bit.

"Which friend?" I wonder as I walk back to the kitchen with my cup.

"Jackson," she answers quietly.

"Of course," I mumble. I thought she was going to say Abel at first. Thankfully, she didn't.

"So...is he single?" she presses once I reach the living room. I give her a shrug. I actually don't know the answer to that question

"I don't know. I can find out," I assure her. "But you have to do something for me."

"And what is that?" she questions cautiously while tugging her hair into a bun.

"Keep your mouth shut," I insist with a point of my finger.

"About what?" she asks. I simply stare at her and she comprehends my words. "Oh- Maddox!"

"Yeah, Maddox," I nod. A horn sounds from outside and I sigh, get up. and turn to her. "I'll find out for you."

"Don't be frank," she calls out as I approach the door.