Chapter 17

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NORA

"What the hell?" a familiar voice breaks the silence, making us jump apart as if we've been electrocuted.

My shirt has ridden up and I quickly pull it down as we turn to face the person who just interrupted us.

Olive is staring at us with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. Right, I never told her about the kiss.

Evan is standing next to her, looking amused, of all things.

I can feel my cheeks redden and Tyler scratches the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.

"Uh," I start, but don't really know what to say. "We're just as surprised as you are?"

Evan bursts out laughing and the three of us turn to look at him.

He takes a while to recover and when he does, he shakes his head, "This is just priceless."

Tyler and I exchange a glance. Huh?

"I mean" Evan laughs. "You two... I can't!"

Olive looks at him like he's crazy, but then just giggles. "I would've never seen this coming."

"Yeah, well, me neither," I shrug my shoulders at her, avoiding looking at Tyler. I have no idea what that was and what it means, and I don't really care to sort it out in front of an audience.

She looks at be disbelievingly. "How? What? You don't just make out with your sworn enemy just like that."

"Well..." I lift my arms at my sides, "We kinda just did."

"About damn time!" Evan hollers, clapping Tyler on the back and winking at him mischievously. Tyler sends him a warning glare but Evan keeps going. "I knew there was something other than bad blood between you two!"

My mouth drops open at his insinuation. Umm...

"Uh" Tyler's eyes widen. "There's really not."

"Totally not," I hurry to confirm. "That was just..."

"A heated moment that..:"

"Grew more heated," I finish. "It's not what y'all think. We don't like each other. I mean, I can only speak for myself but—"

"Still don't like you either" Tyler is quick to add.

"See?" I tell my best friend. "Nothing going on. So if we could just all forget what you think you saw here..."

"Like that's ever going to happen" Evan grimaces. "The image is burned on my brain."

"Yeah" Olive shivers. "Like, couldn't you have found a bit more private place to suck face?"

I open my mouth to argue but Tyler beats me to it. "It wasn't planned! It was a mistake, okay?"

A horrible, really horrible... sexy mistake. I'm just about to say I need to get going home when a thought crosses my mind.

"Wait a minute," I frown, looking from Evan to Olive. "What are you two doing together, anyway?" I cross my arms expectantly, hoping to divert the attention away from myself.

Tyler catches on quickly and imitates my stance, staring at his friend.

"Uh..." Olive's cheeks get a faint pink taint and I immediately grow more suspicious. 

I direct my gaze to Evan, who is looking quite happy with himself. Oh gosh. No...

"We kind of had the same idea you two did," he smirks with no shame.

Tyler looks a little surprised. By what, I have no idea. Evan goes through girls like an alcoholic goes through whiskey.

I groan loudly. It's not like it's a surprise, considering how he's been flirty with her and how she's expressed interest in him, but I've kind of hoped they'd kept it at that. I do not need to hear Evan boasting about whatever he's done with her or worse... see them make out. Ugh.

"Just to remind you once again," I say instead, "we had no such idea. This was an accident. It wasn't planned. Period."

"Sure" Evan winks at me conspicuously and I feel like banging my head against a wall.

Olive shakes her head at him, though the wide smile on her face only makes it endearing, before turning to me. "He's teasing you. We didn't come here to make out or anything. We were actually looking for you two. I would've told you if there was something going on between us. You know that."

"Yeah, I know," I assure her, feeling a stab of guilt. I usually tell her everything but for some reason I haven't been able to form the words to tell her about the first kiss.  I guess I just haven't known how to tell her when I don't know what it means, myself.

Evan rolls his eyes at that. "You chicks really need to share everything, don't you?"

"No!" Olive and I answer at the exact same time. We really don't talk about the details of our sex lives, for instance, because those things are private and should be just between the couple in question, not all their friends. I for sure would hate if Zane told everything we did to his mates.

"Fine, okay" Evan raises his hands in surrender and shares a skeptical look with Tyler.

I'm suddenly feeling tired and just want to get home to my own room and sleep. And not think about what this all means. "Well, now that that has all been sorted, I'm going to head home and get some well-earned rest."

"I'd say" Olive grins. I fix her with a sour look and turn around and walk fast to my car, very aware of the three pairs of eyes on my back. I hop in and start the engine, then get the hell out of there.

---

When I wake up on Sunday, I still remember my last dream vividly. I kind of wish I didn't. It was a really hot dream about Tyler. Why, of all the guys at school, does he manage to invade my dreams? Now I'm left with an aching core and dirty thoughts about the guy I've hated for years. How is that fair? Like for real, life, give me some of the good stuff, too.

I roll over to my stomach and scream into the mattress. I hate my life.

My phone buzzes just then, interrupting my internal agony. I search for it blindly, taking a good two minutes to locate it and bring it to my face. Six new messages, all from Olive.

-Omg!

-I can't get over this!

-You and T!

-Like WHAT?

-I need the deeds!

-Call me when you wake up!

I groan and bury my head in the pillow. Why me? I wallow in my misery for some time but eventually sit up and call her back.

"Hi girl!" she screams in the other end. "So, tell me everything? How did it happen? Was it good? It looked like it was good. How—"

"Olive," I interrupt her blabbering. "Can we like, go out to brunch or something? I need to get out of this house and get some fresh air."

"Sure thing," her voice is annoyingly bright to my ears. "I'll pick you up in an hour!"

"Perfect," I say and we hang up. 

I climb out of bed and brush my teeth and get a shower. When I'm done, I gather my hair up on a messy bun. I also apply some concealer under my eyes, trying to cover the dark bags I've been sporting the whole week, and add mascara and blush.

Then I head to my closet to pick an outfit. It's seventy degrees outside so I decide on light denim shorts, a simple black crop top and a sheer white mesh shirt over it, which I leave open. I pull on black heeled ankle boots and snatch my sunglasses from the top of a drawer.

HONKKK!

I grab my keys and and hurry outside, where Olive is waiting in her baby blue Toyota. I get in and she checks for traffic before pulling off the side of the road.

"So, where to?" she asks, adjusting her sunglasses.

"The ice-cream shop?" I ask. I always eat ice-cream when my life's a mess. Which is pretty much all the time. Sue me.

Olive just laughs. "I was sure you were going to say that, hence" she takes a left turn, "that's where I was already heading."

"You know me so well," I grin at her.

"Duh," she flips her blonde hair.

She soon comes to a stop by a pier, where people are already going about their day. The ice-cream shop sits near the water and we get out of the car and head inside.

"This is so not a healthy breakfast" Olive smiles as I hold the door open for her.

"It's brunch," I grin at her. "A completely different thing."

"Of co—" she stops in her tracks and I walk into her. I really need to stop doing that.

"Why did you stop?" I ask her, trying to peer inside.

"Uh," she turns around, looking apologetic. "Guess who's manning the register?"

"Huh?" I frown and she moves aside so that I can see inside. My heart stops. Oh hell no! "He works here?"

She shrugs, her eyes glinting mischievously. "It seems so. Come on."

"What?" I panically look from her to the dark-haired Adonis behind the counter.

She rolls her eyes. "We're getting our ice-cream. We're already here. We're not turning away because your... whatever he is to you... is here."

"Ugh, fine," I groan and reluctantly follow her to the counter. Tyler's eyes snap up to us and widen in surprise.

My cheeks heat up as my mind wanders to the way he kissed me yesterday. His does too, judging by how his eyes are lingering on me.

He takes a second to compose himself, then moves closer to take our order.

"Hi," he says, looking warily from me to Olive, who's having a hard time holding back a smile.

I nudge her side, trying to get her to stop acting so conspicuously.

"Hi there, Tyler," she smiles up at him. "Since when have you worked here?"

"Yeah," I say. "I thought you work at the diner on sixteenth." I want to make sure he knows we didn't come to his workplace on purpose. I'm not some crazy ass stalker.

He looks a little uncomfortable. "I do. I've been doing some hours here, as well, since last week."

"Oh."

"Well, that's nice" Olive tells him and he nods.

This is so darn awkward. He seems to feel so, too.

"So, what can I get you guys?"

I jump at the chance to get this interaction over as fast as possible. "Three scoops in a cup for me, please. Chocolate chip, strawberry cheesecake and... red velvet."

He nods and starts scooping ice-cream into a big cup. Olive orders vanilla and pear, taking hers in a waffle. I pay for us both and we say a quick thank you and bye and take our dessert outside. The sun is out and the sky is cloudless. We sit down to eat, and then Olive bombards me with questions.

"I don't know what it was," I tell her truthfully. "I mean, we were just arguing and then... I don't know."

"Do you like him? I know you said yesterday you don't but was it just because Tyler and Evan were there or...?"

"I don't like him," I say immediately. "I mean, yeah, it was sexy as hell and he is pretty hot..."

"That's the understatement of the year."

"But I don't have a crush on him. I mean, we have so many issues that needs to be sorted out before anything could ever happen. Not that I want anything to happen!" I'm quick to add. "I just... I guess I want him physically, but not emotionally, if you know what I mean."

She grins, "You want just the benefits. I hear you, girl."

I can feel my cheeks heating up. "I just, god I wanted him so much last night! I think I've been celibate for too long. That's got to be it. That's the only explanation."

Olive snorts. "Yeah, sure. Whether you want to admit it or not, you two have crazy chemistry. And maybe you kind of hate each other, but you're clearly both attracted to each other, as well."

"I guess," I scrunch up my nose. "Why can't I be attracted to... I don't know, anybody else?"

She laughs, "Beats me. So, what are you going to do?"

I glance up at her from my icy deliciousness. "What do you mean?"

She very clearly restraints from rolling her eyes. "About Tyler!"

"Why do I have to do anything about it?"

"Because you're not going to be able to keep your hands off his delicious, sexy body for long."

I huff. "Puh-lease. I just have to think about how much I hate his stupid face, and I'm over it."

"Uh-huh," she shakes her head at me. "Let me know how that works out for you."

"I will," I hold my head up. "I can resist him. I mean, it's Tyler, for god's sake!"

"Mhhm."

"I'm doomed, aren't I?"

"That, my beautiful friend, you are."

---

TYLER

I'm doomed. A lost cause.

Memories of last night have been bombarding my mind all day long, not helped by the fact that she showed up at my work in those short shorts that showed off her long legs. I wanted to take her then and there.

Even now, laying on my bed, sending dirty texts backs and forth with Shannon, I can't stop thinking about Nora. The whole day I just wanted to pull her flush against me and feel her perky tits against my chest. Bring that soft mouth to mine and make her forget her name. And that ass... damn that's one fine ass. What I wouldn't give to have her writhing under me, moaning my name as I fuck her senseless.

The strain in my boxers is becoming unbearable. Fuck. Even thinking about her is making me rock hard.

And that's a problem. Because she still hates me. Said so herself last night. Not that I blame her. I've been an ass. Still am. But she wanted me last night just as much as I wanted her. There's no denying it. I could see it in her eyes, feel it in the way she rocked herself against me. Yeah, she was into it.

And I need to forget about her. No way in hell am I going down that road. Not with her. She's not like the other girls I sleep with. I can't just fuck her and forget her the next day. Fuck it, I need a distraction.

Ignoring the messages Shannon's sent me while I've been fantasizing about Nora, I type in four words:

-My house. 15 minutes.

She answers immediately.

- I'll be there ;)

---

NORA

"What about..." I tap the pen against my lips, thinking. "Rotten in the core, you only drove for success. You didn't care who you hurt in the process. Left me behind like I didn't matter, in your search for a better daughter."

Evan laughs. "Not bad."

I make a face. "Ugh, it sucks. Sounds like a bad rap. I'm horrible at this. Like seriously, I cannot write lyrics to save my life."

"Well, I'm not arguing that," he chuckles. "But I'm not doing much better. This is hard."

"We're never going to get this done."

"C'mon now! We've already got most of the music."

I played the piece over and over again, tweaking it here and there, while he sat with a guitar, coming up with a way to make the two instruments mesh together. The piece is almost finished and actually quite beautiful.

"Well, I guess we can always just leave it at that."

"True," he smiles. "But we aren't giving up just yet. We still have time."

"I think we need a break," I say, getting up and stretching. "We've been working for hours."

Evan checks the time. "Damn. I didn't notice it was that late, already."

I came over right after Olive dropped me back home, wanting something to occupy my mind with. Unfortunately Evan then teased me about the kiss for an hour, until finally giving it a rest. It was only then that we started getting any work done.

"So..." he stretches his arms and looks at me side-ways. "You and Tyler, huh?"

I groan and cover my face in my hands. "I though you were over it."

He smirks devilishly. "Oh, I'll never be over my best friend and my new little friend sucking face publicly," he winks.

I make a face. "Little friend?"

"Well," he rests his elbow on my shoulder, "you are quite small."

"I am not!" I argue. "I'm tall."

"Fair enough," he chuckles. "But seriously, what's up with you two?"

"Shouldn't you ask Tyler that, not me?"

"I already did," he says proudly, then frowns. "But he's not telling me anything."

I scowl at him. "Neither am I."

He shakes his head. "I don't get you two."

"Well, welcome to the club," I say wryly and pick up my stuff and start heading to the door. "I'm going to escape now."

He laughs. "Fair enough. But I'm not done with my questioning!" he yells at my retreating back.

I look over my shoulder and flip him off, but can't help but smile. I never though Evan and I would be friends, and now I count his as one of my best. He's fun to be around and we have a lot in common. Why can't I be attracted to him? Would be so much easier than this thing with Tyler.

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