I have to.
28
Luke
What were the chances of me and Alex ending up in the same place as Olivia? We’d managed to successfully avoid each other at work for the last four weeks, but it seemed that my luck had run out. I’d been okay for the most part since we’d ended things, staying away from her and immersing myself in work. The misery was always there, though, bubbling under the surface, waiting to erupt. I felt it during the dark nights, alone in my empty flat, her vanilla scent still on my hoodie, the toothbrush she’d bought, that I’d been unable to throw away, next to mine by the sink.
She stood directly in my line of sight, up at the front of the crowded bar, talking in a low voice to the DJ. He smiled down at her, and she batted her long lashes at him, twirling her hair around a finger. He leaned over to speak into her ear, and I could see her eyes sparkling with laughter as she gave him a thumbs-up.
Fuck this shit. I abruptly pushed back my chair and strode to the bar.
“Jägerbomb, please, mate.” The barman slid two glasses in front of me, and I downed the drink, sighing in relief as the alcohol burned a path through my body, numbing the pain. Slightly.
“Same again,” I instructed, ignoring Alex’s disapproving gaze as his eyes darted from mine to a spot behind me, where I knew beyond any doubt Olivia stood on the dance floor. Spinning around, I watched the DJ chatting to her, flirting with her. I clenched my fists, anger and hurt coursing through me, unable to tear my eyes away. Everything I felt for this woman was magnified, seeing her across the room, torturing myself in the knowledge that I was unable to go to her, to touch her, to see her smile at me.
I’d fucked everything up.
She was better off without me.
Sam Smith’s “Dancing with a Stranger” began playing, and I saw Avery and another woman rush over to the dance floor to join Olivia. They moved to the beat, attracting quite a bit of male attention.
I felt the exact moment Olivia noticed me all the way to my core.
She spun around.
Our eyes met.
She stopped dead.
Shock, anger, and pain wreathed across her face. Even from my position on the far side of the room, I could see the tears form on her lashes. She blinked furiously, biting her lip hard.
Avery glanced up, noticing me, and her face fell. She leaned over to Olivia and spoke into her ear. Olivia shook her head emphatically, then squared her shoulders. Her expression turned to pure ice. She spun away from me and danced, swaying her hips suggestively.
It was too much to deal with. Gulping my second Jägerbomb, I turned back to the bar.
“Mate, you need to slow down on the drinks.” Alex’s firm grip landed on my arm. “Let’s go somewhere else, yeah?”
“No. We’re staying here.”
Alex huffed loudly. “Fucking great,” he muttered. “I’m getting you a Coke, but I need something stronger if you’re putting me through this.”
I barely registered his words. Some smug-looking fuckboy was dancing behind Olivia, eyeing her ass in appreciation. She stared straight at me, icy contempt in her gaze, then purposely took a step backwards so she was right up against him. His hands landed on her sides, and she gave me a savage smile, baring her teeth. Fuckboy leaned down to speak in her ear, and she narrowed her eyes in concentration, then half turned, standing on her toes to speak into his ear. He nodded, and she turned around, moving to the music with him.
His arms slid around her.
I saw red.
Lurching to my feet, I shoved my chair away violently. It skittered across the floor, crashing against the wall and turning the heads of a number of patrons. I barely noticed, my whole being focused on Olivia and the man who had his hands on her.
Vibrating with anger, I stalked across the dance floor, heading straight for them.
Real fear entered her gaze when she saw me coming. She moved out of fuckboy’s grip as I reached her.
“Can. We. Talk,” I bit out through gritted teeth. She stared at me silently, her mouth set in a flat line, so I gripped her arm, moving us away from the dance floor and the curious gazes surrounding us. She let me pull her along without resistance, and I hauled her outside into the empty courtyard that was normally used by smokers.
“What are you playing at, Olivia?” I snarled, leading her into a shadowy corner of the courtyard, partially hidden by one of the tall planters that dotted the space. “Using fuckboy to make me jealous?”
I stared into her eyes, breathing hard.