“Wh—?” I snapped my head down and almost died right then. Looking back up at me was the face of a bulldog on a navy shirt with big block letters that said ENGLISH PREP in white. Oh my God, I should have burned this shirt! “I…”
The sound of my gulp echoed in the empty foyer as Ollie continued to stare at me f
rom across the hallway. My ears felt hot, and my face was surely one match away from actually erupting into flames.
“I can’t believe you’re wearing my shirt. You little thief.” He shook his head lightly. “Did you steal it that night you and Hayley stayed at my house?”
I totally did. Hayley and I stayed at Christian and Ollie’s the night she was attacked after one of the football games. It was a comfy shirt; of course I took it with me.
Speak, Piper. Deny, deny, deny.
Ollie pushed off from the wall, looking more smug than I’d ever seen him. “You did. You stole my shirt.” He sighed. “Naughty, naughty Piper. I knew you weren’t a good girl.”
My eyes narrowed, and I could tell by the instant spark in his eye that he enjoyed the rise he was getting out of me. “Well…” He chuckled, glancing away for a moment. “I kind of already knew you weren’t one of the good girls.”
I crossed my arms over the stupid shirt, ignoring that little snide remark. “What do you want, Ollie? Or did you come here just to feed your egotistical personality?”
He stared at me, still from across the hallway, wearing a dark-gray t-shirt and jeans with a smile that could dazzle me right off my feet if I let it.
A troubling thought seemed to flash across his face as his smile fell, and it surprised me at how much it bothered me to see him not smiling. I looked away quickly, annoyed.
Ollie’s voice was softer now, less playful. “I just came to check on you.”
I flashed him a look. “You’re lying. You want to know more about Jason.”
He shook his head, looking down at the floor for a second. “That’s not true. You know I’m not a liar, Piper. I came to check on you. It bothers me that someone came to the school to mess with you—especially on Christian’s and my watch.”
I snickered. “On your guys’ watch? What are you? The bodyguards of English Prep?”
Ollie’s naturally cheerful personality was replaced with something fierce. The planes on his face were drawn tight. “When it comes to you and Hayley, yeah, pretty much. I do remember, not too long ago, when you both were run off the road in what seemed to be a high-speed chase. Oh, and again, when Hayley was actually taken.” My heart thudded in my chest at the thought, but it burned with heat as I thought of Ollie feeling protective over me. I wanted to close the vulnerable part of myself off so I could bask in the warmth of his protectiveness, but I quickly shut that down.
I hated that I was like this. That I so desperately wanted to be alone. Invisible. Letting someone in was very difficult for me, and I recognized that. I guess it was the lack of love and attention my parents gave me growing up. Or maybe it was because Jason kind of just left me hanging—by myself. Regardless of the reason, I thrived in my independence. I didn’t need anyone’s help. There was no way I was getting close enough to Ollie so he could just leave me, too.
“I’m fine,” I finally answered, not daring to look him in the eye, too fearful he’d see right through the wall I threw up.
Ollie ignored me as he pushed off the wall, more than likely frustrated with my fake answer, and headed for the kitchen. “Alone again?” he asked over his shoulder. I watched as he took long strides down the hall, and again as he sat down at the kitchen island, waiting for me to follow.
“I’m always alone,” I mumbled, walking around the counter to stare at him. The island was a nice barrier between the pair of us—made me feel a little more grounded. There was just something about being alone with Ollie that stirred things up inside, things that I’d rather push away.
Ollie leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, tightening that steely jaw. “Precisely why I’m here. Do your parents ever come home?”
I shrugged as I stood back along the cabinets lining the kitchen. “Sometimes on the weekends. Just depends on their schedules.”
“And what about Jason?”
I swallowed to keep myself from cringing. I knew we’d have to touch on this subject eventually. “He’s not allowed to be here.”
Ollie raised one eyebrow as he leaned his long arms on the bar top. “Not allowed?”
I shook my head. “No. My parents kicked him out a little while ago and banned him from ever coming back to the house.” The secrets were coming out of my mouth effortlessly, and I was surprised at how good it felt. If I even mumbled Jason’s name to my parents, they’d instantly shut the conversation down. Jason was a no-talk zone with them—or anyone, really. He was cut out of our lives, forgotten. So, this actually felt good. Wrong, but good. “He stole from them the last time he was here, and when you add that to everything he’d ever done wrong...my parents were done. That was where they drew the line.”
I looked away from Ollie’s intense stare as I got sucked into the things I’d managed to bury over the years. A little bit of guilt started to seep in. I always felt the need to defend him. “My brother wasn’t always like this. He used to be good. Normal. We were best friends once.” A shaky sigh left my mouth as I pushed my back even further into the cabinets. “But he got in with the wrong crowd, and well…here we are.”
I heard Ollie shift, but I kept my gaze trained to the floor. “Yes...here we are, raising twenty G’s to pay back a drug dealer.”
My stomach dipped, and I stood up straight, placing my attention on him. “There is no we, Ollie. You aren’t getting involved. These people—”
He interrupted me, throwing his hands out. “Are bad fucking news, which is why I’m so intent on helping you. I don’t like that you’re near these people.”