Page 5 of Wicked Dreams

She grabbed the door handle but didn’t open it. “You went in there willingly, Liv. Youknewwhat you were doing.” She opened the door and climbed out then leaned back in. “I thought we were friends.” She let out an irritated laugh. “What was Ithinking? You’ve always been jealous of me. I’m not surprised you went behind my back to steal the guy I’ve been trying to date for months now.” Without another word, she slammed the door and marched to her front door.

I sat, motionless, watching as she dug around in her bag for her keys. Once she was safely in the house, banging the door behind her, I shifted into drive and hit the gas.

How did things end up this way?There I was at home, in bed, completely happy being alone, and the next thing I knew, I was harassed by a bunch of jerks, felt up by Mr. Hormones, and fighting with my best friend.

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head at the whole situation.Why couldn’t I be like normal girls? I wanted a best friend who trusted me. I longed to act like all the other girls and hang out at parties. Maybe even have a boyfriend to talk to and share things with. Instead, I was a loner with my nose stuck in a book, getting picked oneverydamn day.

Walking back into my room, I didn’t bother changing back into my pajamas. I flung myself onto the bed and curled up into a ball, throwing yet another pity party for myself. I closed my eyes and pictured the perfect life I could’ve had if I was like everyone else. I saw myself walking into school with a cute guy on my arm, all my friends gathered around my locker, waiting for me to arrive. I saw myself at that party. But I’d go because I wanted to hang out with my friends and have fun, instead of being the loner who wasn’t invited and only showed up to pick up her more popular, beautiful but drunk best friend.

Things came so easy for Anita. She never got called a freak for being smart. She wasn’t called a loser on days she decided to dress in jeans and a hoodie instead of showing off every inch of skin the school would let her get away with. But most of all, she wasn’t picked on every single fucking day for wanting to keep quiet and fly under the radar.

Finally, the tears I’d been trying to will away got the best of me, and they flowed hot and heavy over my cheeks. I didn’t even bother to wipe them away. There was nothing I could do about any of it anyway. I couldn’t change the way my classmates saw me. I couldn’t stop the bullying because every time I tried, it only made it worse. And, I couldn’t exactly fade away while nobody was looking either. All I could do was pray for a dreamless sleep — a sleep so deep and dark, even my subconscious couldn’t find me.

* * *

I was sittingat the kitchen table, picking at my pancakes when Mom plopped down beside me.

“What're your plans for the day?” She offered up a wide smile, making her chocolate brown eyes gleam with excitement.

I shrugged and dropped my fork onto my plate creating a clatter. “Nothing much. I figured maybe I’d read ahead in history or something.”

She frowned and squinted her dark eyes. “It’s Sunday, Olivia. Why don’t you get out of the house for once? Go hang out with your friends. It’s not healthy for a girl your age to be shut inside all day.” Standing, she walked around the island to clean up after breakfast. She picked up the box of pancake mix and placed it in the cabinet. “I’m serious. Get out of here. Go have some fun for once. I don’t want to see you again until dinner. And that’s an order.” Giving me her sternmomlook, she pointed her long, index finger at me from across the room.

With a sigh, I pushed away from the table and grabbed my keys, heading for the door. Mom just didn’t understand. I couldn’t go to the mall or the diner without the risk of running into my tormentors. Since Anita wasn’t exactly talking to me, I found myself pulling up to my hideout: the town library.

When I walked in, the librarian wasn’t behind her desk, which wasn’t unusual since she was always busy putting away books. The room was deathly silent—a nice break for me since it meant there was nobody around to give me shit.

I walked to the very back of the building, behind the rows and rows of books, to my favorite table. No other tables were around, and there was an old, Tiffany-style lamp that hung directly over it, offering plenty of reading light. It was always my go-to spot when I wanted to be alone. Nobody ever went that deep into the building because they werenormaland preferred the company of others. I took my seat and flipped open the history book I grabbed from my car.

Just as I found my page, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Someone was watching me. My head jerked up, and I looked all around me as goosebumps prickled my skin. “Who’s there,” I asked, my voice cracking with fear. If Brent found me I was going to be so pissed. He’d already chased me out of our local bookstore, coffee shop, and thrift store in the past.

Someone cleared their throat. “I’m over here.”

I jerked my head to the left just in time to see a guy come to a stop between the rows of books with his hands in his pockets and his head dipped slightly forward. “Sorry if I scared you.” He walked forward, looking as if he was trying not to run, the space between us quickly disappearing. I caught the glint of surprise in his dark eyes before he stopped in front of me.

I waved my hand through the air nonchalantly, hoping my voice didn’t give away how nervous I was. “I wasn’t scared. I just thought I was alone, that’s all.”

The closer he got to me, the more light shown down on him. His black hair was shaggy, nearly hanging to his dark eyes that seemed to be set on me, his expression twisted into one of awe.

I swallowed down a feeling I’d never felt before as I took him in. I couldn’t force myself to look anywhere other than his perfectly sculpted face: sharp, angular jaw; thick, plump lips; and a small dimple in his cheek when his lips twitched up.Who was this guy, and why hadn’t I ever saw him here before?

“I’m Donovan. Mind if I sit?” He motioned toward the empty chair across from me with a nod of his head. His voice shook slightly, putting me at ease. Maybe he was as socially awkward as I was. I almost snorted out loud at the idea. A creature as beautiful as he was definitely couldn’t be socially inept even if he tried.

“Um… Su-sure.” I nodded while swallowing the excess saliva pooling in my mouth from the sight of him. “I’m Olivia. Everyone calls me Liv for short.” I forced a smile on my face, even though I was sure it looked more fearful than inviting.

He smiled back, and I think I stopped breathing. His entire face lit up, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “That’s a beautiful name.”

Embarrassment stained my cheeks. “Thank you.” I glanced down at my hands in my lap, but I could still feel him watching me.

“You come here often?”

My head popped up in time to catch him peek around the library before bringing his eyes back to mine. Under the glow of the bright light, I saw the faintest hint of gold flakes in his dark eyes.

“Yeah, this is my favorite spot.” Even though I was trying my hardest to control my voice, it still betrayed me, nervousness breaking through my tone.

He cracked another grin. “Like, in the whole world?” he asked, quirking his eyebrow.

A nervous laugh escaped me as I shrugged. “Well, I haven’t gone far from this town, so yeah, I guess. A-are you new here?”

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