Page 55 of To Love Jason Thorn

“Okay,” agreed Olive and turned to face me.“You should take you home before somebody recognizes me, Jason.”

I smiled. “Okay, let’s get you home then,you little drunk.” My eyes fixed on her lips, I reached up and wiped themoisture away, dragging her mouth open slightly.

She bit down on her lip where I had justtouched her.

Holding back a groan, I looked at herfriend. “Thank you, Lucy. I’m sorry if I intruded upon your night. I was justworried about her.”

“It’s okay. We can do this any time, andshe’s already on her way over to a major hangover, better we cut her off now.She is a lightweight.”

I could see that, and for some reason, Ipreferred a lightweight Olive to a heavy drinker. Nodding, I gripped Olive’shand to steer her away from her friends, but her other friend, Charlottestopped us.

“Here,” she said, handing me a key overLucy’s shoulder. “Olive doesn’t have one on her.”

“Char, I love you,” Olive exclaimed, andpushing Lucy out of the way, gave her friend a big hug.

“Hey,” Lucy yelled.

“I love you, too, Olive.” Charlotte laugheda little stiffly. “I’ll see you back at the house.”

She nodded and came back to my side,holding her hand out just like she had done when she was only ten years old.

The memory hit me in the back of the headout of nowhere. When Dylan and I had found her sitting on the school steps, shewas silently crying because some kid had made fun of the burn scars on her mom’sarms. While Dylan had flown up the steps to find the little shit who had upsethis sister, Olive had simply held out her hand, silently asking me to stay withher.

My eyes on her upturned hand, my mind stuckin a memory I hadn’t even been aware I remembered, I reached for it, just likeI’d done years before, and held on tight.

I felt more eyes on me, so I looked toLucy’s left and saw the guy, Marcus, sizing me up with a not-so-happy look onhis face.

Ignoring him and saying goodbye to herfriends again, I pulled Olive out of the bar and onto the street.

Clean air.

When we reached the black SUV, Olivesuddenly stopped. I looked back at her.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

“No.” She squinted her eyes. “I don’t thinkso. Where is your car?” She looked to her right and left, trying to spot mySpyder.

“I didn’t take the Spyder out tonight, thatwould be too telling. Come on, this is mine, too.”

“Oh, man,” she groaned, her face crestfallenas she started petting the car. “This monster is yours, too? How many cars doyou have?”

“Five,” I answered, amused at her tone.

She groaned louder and her shouldersslumped, but she didn’t object when I unlocked the door and helped her in.

“You’re getting farther and farther awayfrom me, Jason Thorn,” she mumbled as I was trying to buckle her in.

Misunderstanding her meaning, I laughed andsaid, “That’s because you are drunk. I’m right here. Let’s get you to your bedso you can sleep it off.”

“Let’s,” she murmured, right before Igently closed the door.

***

Our drive to her apartment was quiet as shedozed off in the passenger seat. I parked the car in front of the building andjumped out to help her down before she fell on her face. When I slowly openedthe passenger side door, she was still sleeping. I was considering whether Ishould carry her upstairs or if that would be pushing it when some jackass droveby us and someone leaned out the window and shouted something at us.

Fucking idiot.

Olive’s eyes opened with a small frown.

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