I watch Ollie stretch and take in a deep breath as I unstrap the bag I brought along off my bike. Her long limbs poke out from under the dark sweater making my cock throb. The ride over with those slender legs wrapped around me already gave me a semi, but now's not the time for that. I want to make this moment romantic for her. To make her feel as special as she is.
That's why bringing her to the beach is the perfect spot. The ocean is her element, and the salt air blows around her in a welcoming hug. I know that the off-season for surfing has been killing her. She spends almost every day at the beach on her board through the summer.
We don't have her board today, but we might be able to steal a few moments in the waves, even if it's just wading in the surf. With the duffle bag slung over my shoulder, I walk up behind Ollie and place my hand on the small of her back. My stomach is a bundle of nerves as I guide her down to the beach, but I don't think Ollie has noticed.
Once down on the sand, Ollie helps me spread out one of the quilts as the waves roar. It's later than what I intended, but the setting sun has most people heading home, leaving us on the beach alone. It's perfect, romantic, and just how I was hoping this moment would go. Ollie slips her black converse off and takes a seat in the middle of the blanket, just staring at the waves as the sky turns purple with the sun dipping into the horizon behind us.
Ollie pries her gaze from the Atlantic long enough to watch me take a seat next to her. "It's beautiful tonight."
"Yeah." I stare at Ollie. "It is." The way the sun sets makes the fizzy bits of her hair glow. She looks like an angel that's too pure for this world.
Ollie giggles and shakes her head. "You're not even looking at the scenery." I notice her nimble fingers pulling at a loose strand at the bottom hem of her sweatshirt dress and her teeth gnaw at her full bottom lip. She looks as nervous as I feel. "You wanted to talk about something?"
"Yeah." I clear my throat. Now that the moment is here, I can't seem to find the words to say. I thought we'd hang out for a bit and relax a little, maybe play in the water before I brought it up. When Ollie turns toward me, giving me her full attention, I know I need to find the words and quick. It's time to lay it all out in front of her. My gaze drops to the patchwork quilt we're sitting on, and I start to pick at the yarn worn yarn ties nervously. "Things have been really strained between us lately, Ollie."
I hear her sigh and catch the tips of her beaten up, black Converse shift in front of me. "Yeah, I know."
"I'm sick of it," I flatly tell her. I'm used to seeing and talking to her every day. I want my girl back, but not just as a friend. I want all of her. Every piece she'll give me. "I don't want to be friends anymore."
"Wh-what?" I heard the disbelief in her voice.
My gaze quickly darts up to hers. A tempest of emotions swirl on her face as the whites of her eyes start to redden. She's upset?
"You don't want to be friends anymore?" Her brows pinch together, and a fat tear pools up before dropping onto her cheek. I don't think I've ever seen her cry before, and the sight slaughters me.
"No!" I quickly realize she's misunderstood me. Way to go, Zander. "That's not what I meant. I mean I don't want to be just friends with you anymore. God, Ollie-" I scoot closer to her and wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Please don't cry."
"You don't want to be just friends anymore? What the hell does that mean?!" Ollie's voice hitches as she tries to get control of herself.
"I mean, I want to be with you." My hand cups the back of her neck as I run my thumb over her soft skin.
"You are with me." Ollie frustratingly throws her hands out to the side. "We're at a freaking beach together!"
Great, we've fallen into the realm of irrational thought. Ollie's so worked up she's not completely hearing what I'm saying.
"Sunshine. Listen to me." I chuckle and pull her closer so I can wrap my arms around her. "I want you to be mine. I want you all to myself." My smile widens as I run my thumb along her lips. Unable to resist any longer, I lean in and plant a gentle kiss on her soft lips. Need jolts through me, and soon I'm running the tip of my tongue across her mouth, begging for entrance.
A sharp gasp escapes her lips, and to my surprise when she pulls back. Confusion floods her features as she searches my face.
My brows pinch together, trying to figure out what's wrong. This isn't exactly the reaction I was expecting. "What's wrong, Sunshine?"
"You want me all to yourself?" She repeats my words slowly as if chewing it over in her head.
I'm not sure if she's just not getting what I'm trying to say, but I nod. The confused look on her face only grows, though, and she starts to look agitated.
"Why?" She asks, catching me completely off guard.
Out of all the questions, I thought she might have, a simple, why, wasn't on my list. My mouth drops open and shuts a few times as I try to find the words to explain how her bright smile gives me a reason to wake up every morning, how I look forward to her quirky attitude and off-the-wall comments every day, and how every night I fall to sleep thinking about her gorgeous face. But they don't come. I just sit here looking like a dying fish gasping for air.
Ollie grabs her shoes and slips them back on while I just gape like an idiot. "Is it because Creed's started showing interest in me?"
"What?!" I jerk back like she's slapped me in the face. My hand drops from off her jaw, and I back up. "What the hell does he got to do with it?"
"You tell me! It wasn't until Becca dumped Creed that you started showing interest in me. That goddamn rivalry you too have, I can only assume that fighting over Becca got boring and I've become the new prize." Ollie tucks her feet under her before rising to her knees. "Is that it? Am I some kind of race to see who can get me as their girlfriend first?"
"What the fuck, Ollie! No!" What kind of asshole does she think I am? Her words cut deep. She thinks I'm just trying to out fuck Creed. Do I want to lose her to him? No. But that's different. I want her because we belong together, not because he's trying to get her too.
"No? But yet you just had to make sure you asked today, knowing I'm going to his house tomorrow." She raises a brow, daring me to argue with her on that, and by God, I will.
My lips thin before I quickly get to my feet. A sudden realization makes my stomach turn. She thinks I'm trying to beat Creed in asking her out, so does that mean- "Creed's asking you out tomorrow?!"
Ollie scoffs and gets up. "And there's the truth." She looks hurt as she dusts the sand from off her dress.
"What fucking truth?" I grind out. This isn't how I planned this evening to go at all. Heavy petting? Yes. Making out? One-hundred percent. Her yelling at me and bringing up Creed fucking Navarro? No, not at all.
"That this is just about him?" I spit as my blood boils. He's not even fucking here, and he's still ruining this. "I've been obsessing over you for months! I fucking slept with you!" My voice raises louder than I intend, catching a few stragglers' attention. I probably should tone it down, but I'm pissed.
Ollie takes a step back and wraps her arms around herself. "That was an accident and you know it. You said I fucking took advantage of you, so don't pretend like you wanted that to happen." I notice her bottom lip tremble as she closes herself off to me. It cuts deep, but I can't argue my own words that I threw at her that day.
She turns on her heels and starts toward the concrete stairs that lead up to the parking lot.
"Ollie!" I shout out as I take several long strides to catch up to her. I notice her pace quicken, digging the knife in deeper. "Olivia! Goddamn it." I reach out and snatch her arm, making her face me. Pain riddles her faces as tears streak the light amount of makeup she has on. The sight makes my gut twist. She should never hurt or cry. "I want you."
"No." Her glossy eyes turn up to me, digging into my soul as her voice chokes out, "You want to win. I'm not going to be some fucking prize for the two of you." She jerks her arm from my grip and storms up the steps.
"Olivia!" I call out as I eye the bag and blanket we left behind on the beach. I can't just leave them there, but I need to chase after her. Unsure of what else to do, I high tail it back to our stuff and grab it up as fast I can before booking it up to the parking lot.
I fully expect to see her standing by my bike, but it's just sitting there alone in the almost vacant parking lot. My stomach drops. She must be walking home. Her house is close, but it's still a few miles up the coast and not exactly a straight shot from here. Mer Harbor is a reasonably safe city, but not so safe that I'd want Ollie walking around alone at night. "Olivia!" I call out, hoping she'll step out of the shadows as I hurry to my bike and quickly get the bag strapped back down.
I gotta find her. That girl attracts trouble like a flame attracts bugs. As soon as I get the bag strapped down, I hop on my bike and take off toward Ollie's house. She could take so many different ways to get home, and if she cuts through yards and parks, I might never find her. The best hope I have is to stick to the more direct route and call out to her as I slowly ride through the streets.
Everything she said runs through my mind, and I grow more frustrated with every passing second. Pour my fucking heart out to her, and she thinks I'm only doing this to one-up Creed?
Was I worried he'd get here before me? Yeah. But not because of some fucking silent competition. Then bring up Becca. I didn't lose interest in Becca just because Creed did. I lost interest in her because of Ollie. I haven't been able to push her out of my mind since the first of October. The woman has been driving me fucking wild, and everyone seems like a dim candle compared to her. Just basking in Ollie's light isn't enough anymore. I've tasted the sun, and now I need to feel the burn for her to consume me with her fire. I need her.
The closer to her house I get, the more concerned I become that I've somehow missed her on the way over or taken a different route. The thought of her in trouble alone floods my mind and makes me panic.
It isn't until I turn the corner to her street and see her tiny frame walking the path toward the concrete steps in front of her house that relief passes through me. Irritation soon follows, though. I'm about to give the woman an ear full for taking off and scaring the shit out of me.
My bike skids into her driveway, throwing bits of gravel into the yard. Ollie's head whips my way. As I kick the stand out to prop my bike up, I notice her eyes go wide. Her gaze darts from the house to me, a look I know all too well. She's trying to decide if she can make it to the house before I can catch her.
Not today, Sunshine.
Just as I swing my leg over the bike, Ollie breaks for the front door. A twinge of annoyance racks through me, pulling a sharp cold, "Olivia Blue Gallagher don't you fucking run away from me!"
She stops just short of her door, dropping her head, before slowly turning on the last step to face me. My boots thud against the heaved pavement as I storm up towards her.
"First of all, don't ever take off on foot at night again. You scared the living shit out of me. Second we are not done with our fucking conversation." I come to a stop on the bottom step, making us eye level with each other. "I'm not competing with anyone, Olivia. If you would have let me finish, I would have told you, I fucking love you! That's why I want to be with you."
"Prove it!" She screams back. "I'm tired of getting dangled along only for you to push me away. If you love me, prove it, Zane."
Before she can say another word, I close the gap between us, capturing her lips with mine. My long fingers tangle into those wild golden locks as the other jerks her into me. Our kiss quickly deepens, and Ollie doesn't fight me. Instead, her arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me in as a whimper escapes her lips.
Her body melts into mine, to the point I can feel her heart pounding against her chest, or maybe that's mine. I can't tell anymore. Not with the swirling heat and blind lust between us.
My lips dance across her in a fervency that I can't contain. The way her hands dig and tug on the back of my shirt only pushes me on, and I find myself pawing for the handle on the screen door.
Before I can, Ollie pulls back, gasping for air. Her gaze doesn't leave my lips, and I even see her debate diving back in for more before she bites her swollen bottom lip. My arms tighten around her, making sure she knows I'm not going anywhere. I'm not ready to let her go.
"Zany." She softly whispers when I rest my forehead against her. I know she can tell how bad I want her, especially how her hips are moving against my hard-on. She swallows hard and starts to push away from me.
Reluctantly, I let her go.
"I need some space," she tells me as she takes a step back. I instantly feel cold and empty without her against me, and it's all I can do not to grab her and hold on forever.
"We've had space, Ollie. Months of space!" I can't go through that again.
"Zany, please." she begs as she reaches for the sceen door to slip into her house and away from me.
I don't budge, though I want to. I want to go after her, but I stay grounded as I watch her turn her back on me and close me out, leaving me alone in the dark.
Thank you so much for reading! Sorry for the long break, but holidays, what are you going to do?
I'm hoping I can get back on more of a set schedule, but to be honest... we are almost at the end of this book. I think we have about two more chapters! I'm really hoping you're enjoying it so far and that you'll stick with me until the end!
So chapter questions, were you expecting that from Ollie? Think she's being unreasonable? Since we are so close to the end, is there anything you're hoping to see?
Again, thank you so much for reading, and if you enjoy it, please let me know by hitting that star. Or by leaving a comment for me. Ya know, I love hearing from you all.
Till next time.