Oli's POV:
I hadn't left Leo's bedroom in two days. After I'd left Garrett's stupid white house, breaking a few of his ugly white vases on my way out, I'd ran the whole way back to Leo's normal red bricked house. I'd been a sobbing mess by the time I was pounding on the front door. Now I laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he stroked my hair. There was a large void where my heart had once been but I couldn't bring myself to feel angry anymore. Or hurt. Or even upset. I was overcome by a placid acceptance; I had known Ash would cheat on me eventually so it had come as no shock. Well, a bit of a shock... The image of my Ash beneath that man-whore Garrett was burned into my mind. I saw it every time I closed my tired eyes.
Leo had been really supportive the last few days and even Mr and Mrs De Luca had offered a few consoling hugs.
"Oli..." Leo whispered, gazing down at me sadly, "You're seeing your dad today." He reminded me. I nodded slowly, looking up at him to offer an encouraging smile.
I was excited to meet my dad. He hadn't contacted me to check our plans were still in place but hopefully they hadn't changed.
"Where are you meeting him?" Leo asked. He'd eventually come to terms with me wanting to meet my dad but he was still refusing to come with me.
"In town. At a restaurant, I think. I don't know, Rachel's never been good at passing on messages." I cringed inwardly at the mention of my mum, still unable to think of what happened without crying. Pathetic, I know, but I can't help it.
"Okay." Leo answered with a sigh.
"If you keep sighing your soul will escape." I muttered, quoting the cute guy I'd met in town. Apparently he'd made an impression on me.
"What?" Leo asked, confused. I just shrugged and sat up. I shook my legs to wake them up then climbed off the bed and announced I was going to shower. Leo nodded and turned his x-box on, putting some kind of zombie game into the player.
I saw my reflection in the bathroom mirror and almost laughed. I looked horrifying. My hair was greasy and sticking up in all directions, my face was tear-stained. It still hurt whenever I thought of Ash, but I would have to get over it. He was moving on so I should too. I forced a smile, distracting myself with random funny thoughts until the smile became genuine. I quickly undressed and hopped into the comforting shower, scrubbing my body roughly as I started singing the most upbeat song I could think of, which happened to be Bad Enough For You by All Time Low. Before long I was dancing along to the song and my volume had increased dramatically as I reached the second chorus. I had sung the song a few times over by the time I'd finished washing, and I was still singing it as I walked back into Leo's room. He turned his head and raised an amused eyebrow at me which encouraged me to sing louder as I came to the end of the song, adding in my own dance moves as I hummed the outro. I finished with jazz hands, conscious of the towel hanging precariously from my waist.
"That was beautiful, princess." He mocked, throwing his controller at me with a grin. I caught the controller in midair and stuck my middle finger up at him.
"Asshole..." I muttered, pouting.
"I've lost my fucking mind, it happens all the time, cause I can't stand myself. I'm an asshole, baby." Leo sang, bobbing his head to the beat. I laughed, throwing the controller back at him. He choked back a scream and flinched away from it, hiding behind his bed frame. Still chortling to myself, I scurried to the dresser to pick out my clothes. I settled on a pair of electric blue skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. Hadn't that kid from town been wearing similar jeans? I smiled, jokingly deciding he would be my future husband.
"Leo, I'm getting married." I announced as I pulled on a pair of boxers.
"You're what?!" Leo yelled, pausing his game to stare at me in shock. I smiled at his concern and booped his nose affectionately, letting him sweat a little before elaborating.
"I met this guy the other day and, ohmigod, he's perfect. He's my soul mate. My one reason to live." I mock-swooned, clutching my heart dramatically, "His hair, and his eyes and, oh, his smile. His smile is heavenly. It's-it's-"
"You're a dork." Leo said expressionless. Then the smile he'd been holding back broke onto his face and he ran to me, tackling me to the floor. I squealed as he started to tickle me, pinning me beneath him as I tried to squirm away. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe and I was soon begging for mercy. He stopped tickling me and instead bent down to lick my nose.
"Ewww! Icky!" I yelled, wiping my nose frantically with my sleeve.
"That'll teach you to 'boop' me." He growled with a smirk, climbing off me and walking back to his x-box slowly. I stealthily crept up behind him, yelling a battle cry as I launched myself onto his back, instantly wrapping my legs around his waist. He steadied himself then flipped me onto his bed, laying on top of me until I stopped struggling. We eventually were able to control our hysterical laughter and Leo reminded me that I had to meet my dad in half an hour. I checked my watch.
"Shit, I have twenty minutes to get there." I groaned, rolling off the bed. I shouted goodbye to Leo and his parents as I ran out the front door, taking a sharp left from the driveway. My pace returned to normal and I made my way towards the restaurant I was going to meet my dad at.
My dad...
It hadn't quite sunk in yet. I was finally going to meet my father.
I arrived at the restaurant I was supposed to meet my dad at and stood outside awkwardly, looking around. Then I realized... I have no idea who I'm looking for. He could be any of these creeps. That stuck-up business guy could be my dad. No it's not him, he's walking in the other direction. Maybe that cute guy over there, he could be my- No, he's too young. I sighed and pulled my phone out, scrolling through Facebook to pass the time as I waited. After what felt like hours - but had probably been only five minutes - I was beginning to wonder if he was going to show. Did he know what I looked like? Was he stuck with the same problem I had of not being able to recognize him? A few more minutes crawled by as I watched a music video on my phone, one headphone sitting in my ear. In my peripheral vision I saw feet stop in front of me but I didn't look up. I took a step backwards to move out of the man's way, continuing to watch the video.
"Oliver?" I heard a voice ask. Why did that voice sound familiar? I shut my phone off and pulled my earphone out. I slowly looked up. A small gasp escaped me when I saw a very familiar aged tanned face smiling down at me. The familiar blonde hair now speckled with gray, the crystal blue eyes that were highlighted by his laugh lines. I blinked, unable to believe my eyes.
"Rick?!" I squeaked out, refusing to take my eyes off the man in front of me, afraid he'd disappear. His muscles had lost tone and he was now sporting a small bulge where his six pack used to be. The fun-loving, adventurous man now seemed drained and tired but his smile hadn't changed a bit. His eyes still held all the love they'd had for me when I was growing up.
I threw my arms around him, holding him tightly like I was a kid again. I could feel the nostalgic tears burn my eyes and my breathing became laboured. He smelled exactly like I remembered. I hugged him tightly, my tears staining his shirt.
"Rick, what are you doing here? I've missed you so much! I'm so glad you're here, I've really missed you, but it's kind of bad timing. I'm meant to meet my dad. Can you believe that? My dad! I have a dad and he's-"
"Oli..." Rick cut me off, giving me an amused look. I stared at him in confusion for a few seconds until my brain finally grasped what he meant. Rick is my dad?! I gasped loudly and squealed again.
"You mean-?"
"Yes, Oli." Rick laughed, ruffling my hair, "You're slow, kid."
I was too overcome by elation to be offended. Rick lead me into the restaurant and we were seated by a brunette waitress. She was very cheery and took our orders down in her notepad before hurrying back to tell the chef our order. Rick and I chatted easily, catching each other up on last few years. It must be about three years since I left Australia but it feels so much later. I had lost contact with my friends in Australia but Rick still saw a few of them frequently and assured me they were all doing okay.
"When do you see my friends?" I asked, confused.
"They come over every so often. Connie, Dylan, Samuel, Tommy. They're friends with my step son." Rick explained, thanking the waitress as she set down our food. We'd both ordered a hamburger and chips. Connie and Dylan were twins and the three of us had been friends since we first started school. Sam and Tommy had joined our small friend group when we started secondary school at 12 years old. The five of us had been really close, it had been so difficult to leave them.
"You have a stepson? When did that happen?" I asked, suddenly worried. Rick had his own family now?
"I have two actually. A few weeks after you left, I met the most amazing girl. Her name's Teresa. Terry, as we call her. We've been together two years and we're engaged now," I congratulated him before he continued, "She has a son called Silas, who's fourteen, and her other's called Vincent, who's your age. They go to your old school."
I forced a smile, but I felt strangely jealous that this Vincent guy now had Rick as well as my friends. They were mine first. Rick smiled back at me then picked up his burger, staring at it intently as he thought something over. After a few seconds he looked up at me.
"Do you want to meet them after we've eaten?"
No.
"Okay." I answered, eating a mouthful of burger before Rick could ask me anything else.
"There's no need to be nervous, they're very nice." Rick assured me, taking a bite of his own burger. I smiled to prove I wasn't nervous.
We fell back into casual chatter and soon finished our meals. Rick paid the bill and we walked me to his car. It was a small five-seat rental car but it was nice enough. Rick pulled his phone from his pocket and started dialing a number.
"I think Terry and the boys might be out. I'll give them a call." Rick said, pressing his phone to his ear. We climbed into the car as he spoke. I watched out the window at the people who were walking the streets. I exhaled deeply as I waited for Rick to hang up. Eventually he did and turned his attention back to me.
"They're in a coffee shop at the minute, we're going to meet them at the park that's opposite." Rick told me, then he put the car into drive and pulled away from the restaurant's car park. He tuned the radio into a random station as he drove.
We sat in silence for the majority of the car ride. I was starting to feel anxious about meeting Rick's partner and her boys. What if they don't like me? I took a deep breath and ran hand through my hair. I pulled down the mirror to check I looked okay. I could feel a spot breaking out but luckily it wasn't visible yet. Five minutes passed before Rick pulled the car over. Looking around I saw we were outside a small coffee shop and, just as Rick had said, there was a park opposite, shrouded by tall bushes. I followed Rick as he made his way towards the park and, as I got closer, I could see a woman in her late thirties sitting on a swing with one boy sitting on her lap and the other on the swing next to her. I assumed they were Rick's family. They were facing away from me as they slowly rocked back and forth, conversing casually with each other.
"Terry. Boys." Rick called, waving to his family as he pushed the park gate open. Rick held the gate open for me before letting it fall back with a bang. Three heads turned and my breath caught in my throat. My pulse quickened as I locked eyes with a familiar face. A smile brushed his lips telling me he recognized me too. It was the guy from town, the one who'd asked directions to the hotel. His dark brown hair lay messily on his head, his blue eyes creased at the corners as he smiled. His muscular golden arms were covered by a white long-sleeved top and he was wearing dark blue jeans. He stood up as I approached him and closed the distance between us, extending a hand towards me. I put my hand in his and he shook it slowly.
"I recognize you." He smiled slyly with a wink, "You must be Oli. I'm Vincent."
I loved the sound of my name on his lips. Blush crept into my cheek, I couldn't take my eyes off him. We were smiling at each other for a long time before I realized everyone was staring at us in amusement. I pulled my hand away, embarrassed, which caused everyone to laugh.
"Um, hi Vincent." I responded, turning to Rick for help.
"Oli, this is Silas." Rick gestured to the fourteen year old who was grinning knowingly at me, which made me uncomfortable. He looked like a miniature version of his brother, only scrawnier. His hair was dyed green and spiked into a small Mohawk, which complimented his bronze skin.
"Hi Silas." I greeted with a wave. Silas smirked at me crossing his arms over his chest.
"You're gay?"
I almost choked at the words that came out of Silas' mouth. My mouth hung open in dumbfounded shock and Rick apologized to me. Terry scolded her son and clipped him round the ear. Silas rolled his eyes.
"Uh- Um.. yes?" I answered, confused. Silas grinned in satisfaction and gestured towards Vincent.
"So's he." Silas stated. Vincent turned bright red and I could see he was trying his hardest to not hurt his little brother. I blushed a similar shade as Vincent.
"Sorry about my son, Oli" Terry spoke for the first time, scowling at her son, "He doesn't know when to shut his fucking mouth."
"It's okay, I don't mind him asking." I half-lied awkwardly. I don't mind them knowing I'm gay but Silas' bluntness had stunted me. I started to shake slightly as my nerves started to build up. Rick looked between the four of us nervously before speaking.
"Well, shall we go somewhere? We could see a film or go for a walk or..." Rick trailed off as he glanced between us, hoping for someone to give him a suggestion. It was Terry who finally spoke up.
"How about we go back to the hotel, play a board game, have some family-bonding time. It will be nice for us to get to know Oli, and for him to get to know us." She suggested, smiling brightly at me. I nodded in agreement and Terry ushered us out of the park before anyone could object. Vincent rolled his eyes and Silas groaned loudly. Rick chuckled at them and put an arm around my shoulder.
"I hope you boys get on. I was hoping you'd come and live with us." Rick smiled down at me. I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart caught in my chest for a moment and I forgot how to breathe.
"W-What?" I choked out, eyes wide as I looked up at Rick.
"I know you're kind of 'between homes' at the moment, so I was hoping you'd come home, Oli. I want you to live in Australia with me. I want my son back. " Terry and the boys were already in the car. I could barely process what he was telling me.
"It can't be that easy. There must be some legal stuff-" I started to make excuses but I was cut off.
"It's all sorted. Rachel's on board, she's signed the documents. If you agree, it will be a really simple process," Rick gave me a reassuring shoulder squeeze and pulled me into his arms again, "I've missed you kid. I'm sorry your mother didn't let me have you when she died." He whispered.
I hugged him back tightly before pulling away and heading towards the car, Rick following behind me. My head was spinning. Rick was asking me to give up my life in England and move back to Australia with him. It was actually a very appealing offer. All I had to keep me here was Leo and Kara. They were my best friends and, although they'd be sad I was leaving, they'd want me to be happy. Leo's parents' lives could return to normal if I stop lodging with them. Ash wouldn't care either way. I'm sure he never wants to see me again. He hasn't tried to contact me at all since I caught him cheating on me. He didn't try to apologize or beg me not to leave him. He doesn't care. Also, it would be great to finally have a relationship with my dad. Rick had been with me through everything when I was growing up and I owed it to him to at least give living with him a shot. I've always loved Rick like a father, and I'm so glad that he is. He's asking for the chance to raise his child, which was a right my birth mother and adoptive mother had both denied him. It would be nice to have a fresh start. Australia is my hometown and I have missed it so much. I'd be able to go home to a family. My family.
"I'll think about it." I told Rick, a small smile settling on my lips. I need to talk it over with Kara and Emilio before I make any decisions.
"We're leaving in four days, you have until then to decide." Rick smiled back, visibly more relaxed. I climbed into the back seat of the car next to Silas and watched out the window as I weighed up my options.
Should I stay here or move back to Australia with Rick?