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“Nice, Oliver. Real nice.”
“You and Sam are always breathing down my neck. And Mum hovers over me like I’m going to disappear. You all need to back off.”
“We’re worried about you. You haven’t been sleeping properly since the accident. You don’t hang out with any of your mates anymore…” he pauses before adding, “Besides Hannah.”
I freeze at the mention of my name.
“We used to talk about everything, but now you’re freezing me out,” Jake says, sounding defeated.
“Dadjustdied, Jake. I was in the car, and I couldn’t save him. He died because I wanted a new pair of footy boots.” Oliver’s laugh holds no humour. “A new fucking pair of footy boots. Like it couldn’t wait for another day. We were already running late to go to Nan and Pa’s, but I couldn’t wait. For fuck’s sake, how should I act?”
“Is that what you think?”
Looking over my shoulder to the door behind me, I’m torn between going in to check on Oliver or leaving him and Jake to sort this out themselves.
“Shit, Oli. Why didn’t you say something? The accident wasn’t your fault. It was wrong place, wrong time. That’s all.”
“Whatever,” Oliver mutters. “Let me just enjoy my party that you all insisted I have.”
“Oli–” Jake starts.
“I mean it, Jake. Back. Off.” The fridge door slams shut and a bottle top clinks on the marble bench top.
Jake almost collides with me as he storms out of the kitchen.
“See if you can talk some sense into that idiot friend of yours,” he mutters with a scowl. I stare after him as he storms out the back door.
I hesitate before stepping into the kitchen. Oliver looks up from where he leans on the kitchen bench. He gives me a lazy grin as if he hadn’t been having a heated conversation with his brother only moments ago.
“There you are!” I opt for casual as I grab myself another bottle of water. “Why’re you hiding out in here?”
“I’m not hiding.” He takes an unsteady step toward me. “I was getting another drink.” He holds up his beer as proof and tips it to his mouth.
“What was all that about?” I nod at the door Jake had just exited.
Emotion flashes across Oliver’s hazel eyes. Fear or anger? It’s gone before I can decipher it. “Nothing.”
I choose not to push. He would tell me if he wanted me to know, and I already feel guilty for eavesdropping. “Having a good night?”
“I am now.” The air is sucked out of the room as Oliver reaches over, grabbing my waist and pulling me towards him. My stomach flutters as I stare into his eyes. They’re full of desire and I have to remind myself to breathe. I bite my bottom lip wondering what the hell is happening.
He rubs his thumb over my lip and murmurs, “It really drives me crazy when you do that.”
Time slows down as he runs his hand through my hair, brushing it back off my face. “You are so incredibly beautiful.” He watches me carefully, waiting to see if I will pull away, but it’s like I’m a magnet and he can’t ignore the pull any longer. He closes the distance between us and presses his warm, soft lips against mine.
Heat rushes through my body and I close my eyes, leaning into the kiss. His tongue swipes across my bottom lip. I reach up and wrap my hands around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. My brain doesn’t even stop to consider the consequences of kissing my best friend. It’s happening, and I’m surprisingly okay with it.
Oliver lets out a small moan, and thank goodness he is holding me up, because I go weak at the knees. It never even crossed my mind whether he was a good kisser or not, even with all of Ashley’s subtle hints, but it shocks me the way his mouth moves perfectly in sync with mine.
I’m completely breathless as his lips trail down my jaw to my collarbone, and I let out a small moan of my own.What is happening to me?!My brain has turned to mush as I realise how turned on by my best friend I am right now. I weave my fingers through his hair, feeling the curls at the nape of his neck wind their way around my fingers.
“Oli,” I somehow manage to whisper. I need to feel the pressure of his lips back on mine, but his name seems to act like a bucket of cold water being tipped on him. His body tenses, and he steps away from me so quickly I stumble.
“I’m sorry,” he chokes out. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Oli–” My stomach clenches as I watch him turn and walk down the hall toward his bedroom.
What just happened?I reach up and run a finger over my tingling lips. I have no idea where the kiss came from, but my knees are shaking, and my skin is flushed.What the hell?Needing to know what was going through his head when he kissed me, I follow him, knocking quietly before letting myself in.
