one night at my place. She was also the person who chased my drunken-ass father off with a baseball bat after he smashed in the windshield of my truck.”
I took in a deep breath and shook off the sick feeling in my stomach. Every time I thought of my past it made me feel disgusted, but right now it was just something I had to suffer through. If I wanted to hold on to Olivia, she needed to know the things I went through. She deserved to know all this had nothing to do with how I felt about her. It was because I cared for her so much that I chose to hold back. I didn’t want my tainted past to dim her light. She was too fucking good.
“Baby, my past is not pretty,” I whispered, pulling her in just a little closer. “My mom left when I was young, and though we talk on occasion, it is nothing like a relationship should be between a mother and a child. I left my father’s three weeks before I started college, and have only gone back over time to gather my things that were still there. But that hasn’t stopped the two of them from making my life hell.”
“They’re evil,” she whispered. “And I won’t say that I’m sorry you had to go through all those things, because it’s the last thing you want to hear from me. But I will hope that karma comes back and bites the both of them in the ass, because they deserve to suffer for what they’ve done to you over the years.”
I smiled, but never felt its full effect. I knew there were still things hanging over us and those things had to be sorted out.
“You have to understand that before I met you, Lacy was who I counted on.” She immediately looked away; I placed my hand against her cheek and forced her to look back at me. “As a friend.” I allowed my hand to fall away and when she didn’t look away from me I continued. “She takes Duke out for me before she heads to work because I get home from work so late. That’s all.”
“I could’ve taken Duke out, but you never asked.” I sensed her nervousness with how her voice vibrated when she spoke. I shouldn’t have found her reaction cute, but I did. Not very often did I witness Olivia in a timid state. She was always so wired and straight forward.
“Sweetheart, if you want to take Duke out, you can.” I smiled, standing up in front of her as I gripped her hips and held her close. “It was easier because she is right there. I never thought of asking you to do it every day, and I’m sorry that created a problem.”
“I know I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it did. She doesn’t like me much and I’m not gonna lie and say that I’m her fan either, because I’m not.” Olivia loved everyone; well, almost everyone with the exception of Jeanette, but we all felt that was warranted. “She said things she didn’t have to Friday night and she loved the fact that I knew nothing about you.”
Her words hurt me, because she did know me. “Liv, you do know me.” I told her. “You may not have known about the hate from my past, but you know me. You know the man I am and want to be every day for the rest of my life. I’m still that guy, and no amount of shit my father or brother throw at me will change that.”
I lifted a hand from her hip and curled it around the back of her neck as she tilted her head upward to look at me. “I don’t like the way things went down the other night, and I plan to make sure something like that never happens again. You come first, Liv.” I paused, resting my forehead to hers. “You’re my girl.”
We remained in this position for a few moments without speaking. Her eyes were closed as her soft breaths fanned out over my face.
And then she took in one last deep breath before pulling back and opening her eyes. The look she gave me made my stomach tense with worry once again. “If she ever attempts to talk to me that way again, I can’t promise I’ll keep my mouth shut. It may lead to violence, and I won’t be held responsible for my actions.” She held my gaze
I took in a deep breath and shook off the sick feeling in my stomach. Every time I thought of my past it made me feel disgusted, but right now it was just something I had to suffer through. If I wanted to hold on to Olivia, she needed to know the things I went through. She deserved to know all this had nothing to do with how I felt about her. It was because I cared for her so much that I chose to hold back. I didn’t want my tainted past to dim her light. She was too fucking good.
“Baby, my past is not pretty,” I whispered, pulling her in just a little closer. “My mom left when I was young, and though we talk on occasion, it is nothing like a relationship should be between a mother and a child. I left my father’s three weeks before I started college, and have only gone back over time to gather my things that were still there. But that hasn’t stopped the two of them from making my life hell.”
“They’re evil,” she whispered. “And I won’t say that I’m sorry you had to go through all those things, because it’s the last thing you want to hear from me. But I will hope that karma comes back and bites the both of them in the ass, because they deserve to suffer for what they’ve done to you over the years.”
I smiled, but never felt its full effect. I knew there were still things hanging over us and those things had to be sorted out.
“You have to understand that before I met you, Lacy was who I counted on.” She immediately looked away; I placed my hand against her cheek and forced her to look back at me. “As a friend.” I allowed my hand to fall away and when she didn’t look away from me I continued. “She takes Duke out for me before she heads to work because I get home from work so late. That’s all.”
“I could’ve taken Duke out, but you never asked.” I sensed her nervousness with how her voice vibrated when she spoke. I shouldn’t have found her reaction cute, but I did. Not very often did I witness Olivia in a timid state. She was always so wired and straight forward.
“Sweetheart, if you want to take Duke out, you can.” I smiled, standing up in front of her as I gripped her hips and held her close. “It was easier because she is right there. I never thought of asking you to do it every day, and I’m sorry that created a problem.”
“I know I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it did. She doesn’t like me much and I’m not gonna lie and say that I’m her fan either, because I’m not.” Olivia loved everyone; well, almost everyone with the exception of Jeanette, but we all felt that was warranted. “She said things she didn’t have to Friday night and she loved the fact that I knew nothing about you.”
Her words hurt me, because she did know me. “Liv, you do know me.” I told her. “You may not have known about the hate from my past, but you know me. You know the man I am and want to be every day for the rest of my life. I’m still that guy, and no amount of shit my father or brother throw at me will change that.”
I lifted a hand from her hip and curled it around the back of her neck as she tilted her head upward to look at me. “I don’t like the way things went down the other night, and I plan to make sure something like that never happens again. You come first, Liv.” I paused, resting my forehead to hers. “You’re my girl.”
We remained in this position for a few moments without speaking. Her eyes were closed as her soft breaths fanned out over my face.
And then she took in one last deep breath before pulling back and opening her eyes. The look she gave me made my stomach tense with worry once again. “If she ever attempts to talk to me that way again, I can’t promise I’ll keep my mouth shut. It may lead to violence, and I won’t be held responsible for my actions.” She held my gaze
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