Love Me Always (I Hate You...I Think) (7 page)

"Hey?" Harper said softly lifting my chin.
"Why don't we get out of here? We'll get
something to eat if you'd like?"

"I just want to go home," I muttered
rubbing my eyes not even caring about smudging
my makeup. Hell it was probably running down my
face. Harper used the sleeve of his jacket and
wiped my face.

"I'll take you home then," he smiled.

"I live in Saldina, Harper. I'm not going to
let me drive all the way out there just to take me
home. Thank you though."

"It's no problem, really," he insisted
wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me
forward.

I wanted to protest but how else was I
getting home? I could call one of the guys. I know
Jake would be here in a heartbeat but did I really
want to face any of them? Maybe Kimmy was
right, I'm having a pity party and I don't need to
drag them in it further.

"Okay," I told Harper allowing him to
guide me through the nightclub to the back. The
halls were dimly lit but he knew where he was
going. We came to a guarded back door that
opened for us quickly.

"Would you like me to have a car brought
around Mr. Jackson?" the guard asked.
"No, I'm taking my own."

Parked in the back alley were a few very
nice cars one being a very sleek, very nice green
sports car.

"Wow."
Harper grinned. "It's a 2007 SSC Ultimate
Aero third fastest street legal car in the world."

I gaped at the car. Oliver had a poster of
this car in his bedroom but I wasn't about to tell
Harper that.

"What does Oliver drive?" Harper asked
opening my car for me.
"An Altima," I muttered. He smirked.
"But, I think he has a motorcycle too," I
defended.

Harper raised an eyebrow. My cheeks
reddened and I looked away. He shut my door and
headed for the driver seat. The car sounded like a
monster as it came alive. The rumble of the engine
made my heart flutter. Securing my seatbelt just in
time Harper threw the beast in reverse and I was
sucked forward but just as quickly, I was plastered
to the seat as he gunned it.

My heart just about exploded in fear, or
maybe adrenaline, as he took the corner onto the
main road. Sliding...yes sliding out on to the road
he stomped the gas again and I felt the power of the
car suck my stomach almost completely out of my
body.

I couldn't help the excitement bubble inside
of me. Sure, it was terrifying but I liked the feeling.
Before I knew it, we were on the highway headed
for home. He weaved in and out of traffic like a
pro.

"I really like you Ever," Harper spoke
glancing over at me. I looked away embarrassed.

"Maybe we could hang out again? I don't
mind coming and getting you. It would be like a
date."

"Umm..." I frowned. Did I want that?

“
No,”
a voice whispered in my head. I
thought about what Kimmy had said. Maybe I was
selfish. Oliver did care about me. Could I go out
with Harper? It would hurt Oliver so much.

"Oh come on," Harper encouraged. "Do
you still want them running your life? That girl,
Kimmy right? All mothering and bossy? Don't you
have a say in your life? When do you get to make
decisions to make you happy not everyone else?
You are entitled to be happy Ever."

I nodded. Don't I deserve to be happy? I
mean ever since I woke up I've been completely
depressed. Maybe I have been selfish, but I am
entitled to be happy ain't I? Kimmy could have told
me she was pregnant. I didn't need her taking care
of me. I don't need anyone babying me. I'm grown
I make my own decisions.

"A date sounds nice," I told him.
"Great. What are you doing tomorrow?"
I shook my head, "Nothing."

"How about I be at your place about seven?
I'll show you the best there is. I promise," he
grinned. The shadows in the car cast across his ace
as he said this and it made me want to shiver. How
was he so familiar?

I waved at Harper from the stairs as he
pulled out of the parking lot. Once he was out of
sight, I looked down at my cell phone. He had gave
me his cell phone number, told me to text him
later. Frowning down at my cell, I realized I had
four texts and three phone calls. Opening the first
text, it was from Kimmy.

"Ever, I'm sorry. Where are you? We're
waiting by the car." -Kimmy

"Ever, why aren't you answering your
phone we looked around the club but they said
you left." -Kimmy

"Ever! Pick up your phone!" -Taylor
"Hey Kimmy just called me freaking out
where r u?" -Jake
The calls were from Kimmy, Jake, and then
Oliver.
Just as I was about to listen to the voicemail
the phone rang again. Sighing I answered it.
"Hello?"
"Everlyn Ann Fox, where the hell are you?"
Kimmy exclaimed.
"I'm at home," I told her.
"He took you home?" she scoffed.
"Yes, he did," I told her.

She sighed. "Ever, I'm sorry. I was just
grumpy. I was a jerk for all the things I said. Can I
come over so we can talk?"

"I'm about to go to sleep," I told her glaring
at the elevator door as I pressed the button.

"Oh ok. Well maybe tomorrow?" she asked
sounding hurt. I pushed down my guilt. She had
hurt me just an hour ago. Maybe she apologized
but remember I'm selfish. The elevator dinged and
the doors slide open.

"No, I'm busy tomorrow. I got to go, really
tired," I hung up and slumped into the elevator.
The doors slide shut and my distorted reflection
stared back at me.

What had I become? Angry, bitter, and
mean? Maybe when I lost my memory something
inside of my head broke too? What if I never go
back to the way I was? I know I'm different. I
know I'm hurting people but I can't seem to stop.
What is wrong with me?
~~~

I was running through a forest. It was
pouring rain and I was so cold. Tripping I fell into
a mud puddle, footsteps were running up on me I
tried to dive under a bush but someone grabbed my
ankle and jerked me back out throwing me over on
my back. I was no longer outside but in a rundown
shed backing up against the wall, I stared at the
person before me. There face was cast in shadows.

“Stay away from me,” I threatened in a
weak voice.

They laughed darkly.
“I’m not going
anywhere Ever. I’m always going to be here. You
can never get rid of me.”

I cringed. Jason. I knew his voice. Stepping
forward there face no longer covered in darkness I
seen it wasn’t Jason at all. It was a boy with black
hair and a red streak threw it.

“
You’ll never get rid of me,” he leered
stepping closer. I drew my knees closer. In one
swift movement, he grabbed my hair jerking me off
the floor and tilting my head to look at him.

“I’m in your head, in your dreams, in your
nightmares,” he laughed.
I bite my lip so I would not cry out.

“
As long as I’m here you’ll never have your
memories. You’ll never have Oliver. He’s mine. He
always has been and always will be.”

The boy reared his hand back and punched
me I slammed to the ground and looked up at him.
Pulling out a gun, he pointed it at me. I screamed
and there was a pop.

~~~

I woke up screaming. Something was coiled
around my chest and I couldn't breathe. I fought
and clawed at it gasping for air. The blanket fell
away and I kicked it off then scooted back against
my headboard pulling my knees to my chest. I
hiccupped and sobbed hard into my hands. This
lasted for a few endless minutes until my breathing
returned to normal.

Reaching out in the dark, I grabbed my cell
from the nightstand. Opening recent calls, I
scrolled down to Oliver's name. I stared at in a
moment my finger hovering over the send button.
Sighing I scrolled down a little further to Leon. I
knew Jake was with Taylor and I didn't have the
heart to call Kimmy.

The phone rang a few times before a very
sleepy Leon answered.
"Huh?" he grunted.
"Leon?"
"Ever?" he questioned a little more awake.
"Yeah, it's me."
"Are you alright? What's going on?"
"I...I just needed someone to talk to-"
"I understand," he grunted some more and
shuffled around.
"Well it's six would you like to go get some
coffee and talk?"
I smiled, "Yeah. That sounds nice. You
really don't mind?"
"Of course not, Everlyn. You're family."
~Drug of Choice~

I opened my apartment door to find a tired
looking Leon standing before me. He had baggy
black pants and a hoody. Chains and straps hang
from his pants. I wonder how he walks without
tripping on those things.

"And I thought I was tired," Leon muttered
taking in my disheveled look. My uncombed hair
was tied in a messy bun. I had black sweat pants
and a blue jacket with white slippers. I knew my
eyes were puffy and red. I didn't even bother with
make-up.

Stepping forward he wrapped me up in his
arms and just held me tight while stroking my hair.
Pulling back slightly he looked down.

"Let's go get you some coffee. I know a
nice place we can go and hang out," he smiled.
"Thanks Leon," I told him rubbing my face
with the sleeve of my jacket.
Keeping his arm around me, we headed
down stairs to his car.

"How is Oliver?" I asked looking up at
Leon. A look passed over his face that I couldn't
place.

"What's wrong?" I questioned unsure.
He shook his head. "Oliver told all of us not
to mention anything to you."
I stopped in my tracks. "What? Leon tell
me."

He sighed running his hand through his
hair. All boys must do that when their nervous or
frustrated.

"Ever, Oliver has been in very bad shape
since you left, but we'll talk about it when we get
where we're going," he said holding out his hand
for me.

"Promise?" I muttered feeling miserable
again.

He nodded. I took his hand and got into the
car. Which was Tyler's little two seater. Kimmy
had told me before that this car was Jet's but he
can't drive anymore.

I figured Leon would take me to the coffee
shop down the road but when we passed it up and
started heading out of the gang territory I was
confused. We headed uptown onto the main street
with all the little shops and bars.

"This isn't your territory."
"Actually it is now. Oliver won it over last
weekend."
"What?" I was confused. I still didn't
understand all this gang stuff. Kimmy had tried to
explain but I didn't really want to hear.

"Well,” Leon started. “
Oliver has been
vicious, to say the least, this last week since you've
been gone. Last Saturday the day after the party,
we went to the tournaments. First time he has been
back since you two first started going together.
Rusty or not he obliterated anyone in his path.
With Jason gone Oliver is top of the leaders. Some
of the other gangs have been lax and thinking that
Oliver was getting weaker. I mean Jason had been
causing a lot of mayhem and Oliver hadn't stopped
it. So they have been getting off with trespassing in
our area. However, last Saturday things changed
very quickly. He almost took Sammy Gomez's
head off."

"Sammy Gomez? Who is that?" I asked my
head reeling from all the information.
"The leader or was leader of this area.
Oliver is now in control."

"So the guys, the gang from this area what
do they do now?" I asked looking out the window
as Leon pulled up to a small coffee shop.

"They join us. Sammy isn't in control
anymore Oliver put Georgie in charge over here.
He still reports to Oliver for important decisions
but he's the one who keeps Sammy's crew in
order."

"Gang politics are confusing," I muttered.

"You'll get used to it," he smiled opening
the car door. We headed inside. The shop was very
relaxed. There were couches and comfortable
chairs. It was more like a lounge then a coffee
shop. We found a spot in the back. Two bean bag
seats behind a wall divider.

Shortly after we settled in a blonde-haired
woman came around the corner tripping over
Leon's foot and stumbling a little. Catching herself,
she laughed nervously.

"Sorry about that," she smiled looking
down at Leon. Her cheeks went pink and her eyes
widened. Looking away, she looked at me.

"Umm...welcome to Java bean. My name is

Lauren," she spoke in an awkward voice. Clearing
her throat, she handed me a laminated page then
one to Leon. He made an effort to graze her hand.
She jerked it back startled.

Leon grinned while looking down at his
menu, "I'll just take coffee black and two glazed
donuts. My little sister here wants Café Mocha,
extra whip cream and a large chocolate chip
muffin."

She scribbled what he said and nodded, "I'll
be back in a moment," she smiled at me.
Once she was gone, I turned to glare at him.

"She's nervous, don't tease her. How many
times have you been here since Oliver claimed this
territory?"

With a grin on his face he raised an
eyebrow at me, "Whatever do you mean?"

"When she seen you her eyes got big. You
come here and mess with her a lot don't you," I
stated. It was too obvious not to notice.

He grinned like the Cheshire cat, "She's too
cute not to mess with."
"You're acting like Jake," I frowned.
"I'll take that as a compliment."

Leon looked around the divider and got up
on his knees waiting. I pulled my eyebrows
together confused. What is he doing now? Lauren
stepped around the divider Leon jumped up
startling the poor girl. She gasp falling backwards.
Leon stepped forward grabbing her waist and
catching the tray.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," he
chuckled. She let out a huff; puffing out her cheeks
in annoyance, she tried pushing him away.

"Leon Christopher Sullivan, you did that on
purpose," I scolded, then my eyes widened. He
looked down at me shock. I had remembered his
middle name. I don't ever remember him telling me
his middle name but I remembered it.

Lauren wiggled out of his arm giving him a
look; I had to admit it was more cute then angry.
Pursing her lips her bottom lip stuck out more in a
pout. Taking the tray, she handed me my coffee
and muffin then shoved his stuff at him. He sat it
down grabbing her wrist before she could storm
off.