Page 1 of Oliver

Prologue

Coveringayawnwithmy hand, I pressed the backspace bar and considered my wording,again. Maybe twenty years from now, knowing who fought what skirmish in a war from two hundred some years ago would seem valuable.

Right about now, I didn’t fucking care and when Dixie appeared around the corner, tapping away at her phone I jumped on the opportunity to ignore my homework for a few more minutes.

“What’s up?” I asked and she mumbled something I couldn’t hear, shaking her head.

“Dix?” I said, eyeing the furrow between her brows.

Although my little sister could be moody, she usually bounced back to her effervescent self quickly. Not so, lately where she’d been distracted and grumpy for weeks and every time I tried to ask, she shut me down.

“Dix?” I said again, my irritation clear and she finally looked up from her fucking phone.

“Huh?” Her dark eyes met mine, clouded with an emotion I couldn’t define before she blinked, and it was gone.

A shiver crawled down my spine, and I pulled my sweater tight, glancing at the thermostat.

“What?” Dixie said and when I turned back, her head was buried in her phone again.

“Hey,” I barked. “Think you can tear away from your phone for five fucking seconds?”

With a toss of her head, she grabbed her bag by the door and said, “Whatever.”

“Jesus, you don’t have to be a bitch,” I mumbled, and she spun around, waving her arm.

“What did you just say?”

“What is your problem?” I said, wiggling my mouse to keep the screen open.

“Nothing. Nothing is my problem. Will you get off my ass?”

“Are you kidding me?” I pushed back from the table, and she paused, her lower lip quivering.

“Dix,” I sighed, collapsing in my seat. “What’s wrong?”

Nothing broke me down faster than my baby sister’s tears and if this dude she mentioned was the cause, I would fuck up his world.

“It’s…I don’t know. It’s fine,” she said, rubbing her forehead.

“Is this about that guy?”

“What?” she said, her eyes wide. “What about him?”

“Okay. Now I know something is going on. Sit.” I pointed to the seat across from me, but she shook her head.

“Tomorrow. I promise but I have to go.”

“Okay but you’re not getting out of this. Youwilltell me,” I said, and she slowly nodded.

“Okay.”

“Pinky promise?” I asked, my heart warming when she grinned. I hoped the reminder of our juvenile antics would pull her from her bad mood.

Raising her pinky finger, she wiggled it in the air. “Pinky promise.”

“Good,” I said, turning my attention back to my report. Fuck but I hated history.

“Pen?” Dixie said from the door.

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