Page 146 of To Love Jason Thorn

“Did you feel anything for her when we werekids?” Dylan asked.

I had asked myself the same question overand over again, but I still didn’t have an answer.

“I don’t know,” I said with a sigh. “Idon’t think so. I mean she was my Olive, too, you know. I was your friend, butI enjoyed being around her as much as I enjoyed being around your sorry ass.”That made him chuckle, so I relaxed more. “But, no. I wouldn’t call it love.She was too young. Yeah, maybe she had a crush on me, but it was probablybecause I was the only boy that was around. I don’t think it was anything big.”

“You would think so,” he said as he kickeda small stone with his foot.

“What does that mean?”

He shook his head and rubbed his face. “Itwas more than just a crush, man. I was constantly warning her away from youwithout being too obvious about it. Do you remember a girl texting you, justbefore your…before you had to move?”

I thought about it, but I couldn’t rememberanything specific.

“Someone from our class?”

“No. A random girl.”

“How the hell am I supposed to rememberthat?”

“It was Olive.”

“What?” I turned my head to look at him sofast that I heard something snap. Then I chuckled. “I think I would know ifOlive texted me. I had her number.”

Another annoying sigh. “I think sheborrowed the phone from her friend or something. My point is, she was trying totalk to you. Even back then, she was taking risks just to be close to you. Ihave no idea what her plan was with texting you, but—”

“And you know this how, again?”

“I’m trying to tell you, you idiot. Youtold me you were texting with a girl, then when you were downstairs I went intoOlive’s room to check on her and found a phone in her bed. Since it wasn’t herown phone, I poked around, and imagine my surprise when I found your texts.”

“What did you do, Dylan?”

“What do you think I did? I took your phoneand texted her.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Olive

When I first realized that I’d fallenasleep, there was still daylight outside and I could hear Dylan’s raised voicecoming from downstairs. Ignoring him, I pulled the covers over my head andresumed my sleeping. I didn’t want to do anything else anyway.

The second time, I woke up because I wassuffocating under the covers and it was still daylight. Switching to a lightercover, I lost some of my clothes, too.

The third and fourth times were because Iwas uncomfortable in my own skin.

Then I started tossing and turning toomuch. I simply hated everything. At least it was finally dark outside.

The fifth time… The fifth time I woke upbecause someone was getting in bed with me.

I didn’t open my eyes, but I knew it wasJason; I’d know his scent anywhere. My body tensed, but I tried not to make ittoo obvious and tried even harder to keep my breathing under control.

Dylan was pissed off enough for the entirefamily; he wouldn’t have let him in the house, let alone climb up in bed withme, so what was he doing here? I didn’t have to wait too long for an answer.

“Your mom fixed me the couch, but I sneakedup to your room,” Jason whispered. “We have to be quiet so your idiot brotherdoesn’t bust in here trying to protect my wife from me.” He paused. “You haveno idea how weird it is to be back here, Olive, but to be sneaking into yourroom like this…for some reason that doesn’t feel weird.”

I didn’t move, but he continued.

“Olive…” There was a long sigh. “When did Istart missing you this much, sweetheart? When did I…” Another sigh. “I was soworried when Alvin said they didn’t know where you were.”

More silence.

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