When Summer Ends (27 page)

“Olly, get a grip, he’s a friend.” I rolled my eyes. He’d
been shooting little glares at Nick all week too. Every time Nick touched me or
something Olly would kiss me or pull me away from him or something. I thought
he was just being cute at the time, but was it something else? Was he being possessive?

“You can’t go to a party with him, Chloe, that’s out of
order and you know it. How would you feel if I went to a party with my ex’s
sister?” he asked, throwing his hands up dramatically.

I thought about it.
How would I feel? I wouldn’t mind because
I trust him, and he should trust me too.
“Olly, I wouldn’t mind. It’s just
a party with a friend, it’s no big deal.” I shrugged, picking up my bag so I
could walk away from him.

He made a scoffing noise. “It’s a big deal to me. All week
I’ve had to bite my tongue when Nick’s been draping his hands all over you, and
now you expect me to let you go to a party on your own with a guy?” he growled.

“
Let me?
No I don’t expect you to
let me;
I
don’t need your damn permission to go. Jeez, we’ve been going out for less than
a week. I don’t need to ask your permission to do stuff, that’s stupid.” I stood
up and shouldered my bag.

“So you think I’m stupid?” he challenged, stepping closer to
me, frowning.

“Right now, you’re being childish. I’m not talking about
this, call me Sunday if you want to.” I shrugged and walked past him heading
for the building.
Hopefully I’ll be able to find Amy or Nick and grab a ride
home; if not then I guess I’m walking.

Olly’s fingers wrapped around my wrist, pulling me to a
stop. “Don’t walk away. We can’t just have a fight and then you walk off,
that’s not how a relationship works.” His voice was softer than earlier.

I looked back at him. “People don’t tell people what they
can and can’t do in a relationship either.”

He sighed. “Okay I get it. I pissed you off, I’m sorry. It
just drives me crazy these guys hanging around you all the time.” He pulled me
back to him and slipped his arm around my waist.

I smiled weakly and hugged him back. “It’s okay, but there’s
no reason for you to be jealous. I’m not a cheater, I promise,” I mumbled,
pressing my face against his shoulder.

He stroked my back softly. “Yeah I know. Listen, how about
we go out tomorrow night instead of you going to the party. We can go anywhere
you want,” he suggested.

I shook my head and pulled back. “I can’t I promised Amy we
could go to the party, it’s been arranged for over a week.”

He huffed dramatically and let his arms drop from my waist.
“Nice, so you’re choosing a party over a date with your boyfriend,” he spat sarcastically.

I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to be having this
conversation with him; there was nothing to talk about. “Look, I understand
that you feel jealous, I get it. But that doesn’t mean you can get angry with
me for doing something that was arranged before we even got together!” I cried.

“You know what? Just do what you want, I’ll see you Monday.”
He snatched his bag from the table and turned on his heel, stalking off towards
the parking lot.

I watched his back as he walked away.
So much for ‘we
can’t just have a fight and then you walk off, that’s not how a relationship
works’. Fine, screw him. I’m not the one in the wrong here, I’ve done nothing
wrong.
I could see why he was a little annoyed, but he needed to get over
it and learn some trust if he wanted this to work. Will never would’ve said
anything like that to me, ‘you expect me to let you go’.
I don’t need his
damn permission to go out!

I stormed off towards the building, resisting the urge to kick
things as I walked past them. I headed in to the building looking down the
deserted hallways for someone I could get a ride from, but by the looks of it
Olly and I had been talking for too long and everyone had already left. I
sighed and turned back, deciding to make the forty-five minute walk home.

I pulled out my iPod and shoved in my headphones as I power walked
down the road, letting out all my frustration. After a couple of minutes a car
horn blasted from next to me making me jump a foot into the air and yelp with
fright. I turned round to see Will’s silver jeep creeping along the side of the
road next to me. He waved me over so I headed to his open window.

“What’s pissed you off?” he questioned, looking at me
curiously.

How does he know I’m pissed off?
“What does that
mean?” I asked, flicking my eyes to the passenger seat of his car to see there
was no Miss Teller with him today.

“You’re marching, so you’re obviously annoyed. For once it
doesn’t look like it’s me that’s upset you.” He shrugged, smiling guiltily.

“No, it’s… nothing. It’s nothing.” I shook my head, frowning,
trying not to think of Olly again.
Stupid boy.

“Want a ride home?” Will asked, flicking his head to move
his hair from his eyes.

Actually I would love to not to have to walk home, but do
I really want to be trapped in a car with him?
I weighed my options. Just
as I was about to decline the offer, a drop of rain fell on my head. I nodded
quickly. “Yeah if it’s all right.” He smiled and reached over to the passenger
side, flicking the lock for me. I ran round the car and jumped in as the drops
started to fall harder. “Thanks, Will.”

“No problem.” He threw the car into drive and pulled away,
heading slowly down the road as the rain continued to fall. “So what’s rattled
your cage then?” he asked, flicking his eyes to me for a second.

I sighed and rested my head back against the seat. “Olly. He
actually had the nerve to tell me I couldn’t go to the party tomorrow with Sam.
He said I had enough male friends and that I was choosing to go to a party over
going out with him. Stupid ass,” I ranted angrily. The sound of Will’s laughter
made me open my eyes and cast them in his direction. He was grinning happily
but stopped when he saw me looking. “What’s funny about that?” I asked,
frowning.
There’s nothing remotely funny about that at all.
 

He shrugged. “Nothing. So you two broke up now then or
something?” he asked, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

I shrugged, not knowing the answer to that question.
“Doesn’t look good. I mean, you just don’t do that! He has no right to be
annoyed with me about it; you know what he said to me?” I ranted. “He said;
you
expect me to let you go to a party on your own with a guy?
I mean, let me
go? What is he now, my keeper?” I threw my hands up in exasperation, and Will
started laughing again. I glared at him and he stopped laughing but looked like
he was struggling a little.

“Sorry, it’s not funny. I just can’t imagine him telling you
what to do. I tried to stop you going out with Sam once; it didn’t go down too
well then either.” He shrugged.

“But he’s being out of order, isn’t he? I’m not in the wrong
here, am I?” I asked curiously.
Am I just seeing this as an excuse to break
up with him? Am I being extra stubborn because it would be easier without him?
I don’t think I am. No man should tell a woman what they can and can’t do.

He shook his head. “You’re not in the wrong, Chloe. He
shouldn’t be telling you that you can’t go to a party. I was wrong when I did
it, and so is he.” He pulled up outside my house and I turned to look at him,
smiling gratefully.

“Thanks for the ride and the ear that I talked off.”

He smiled his nice smile, the one I swear he only has for
me. “Anytime. Have a nice time tomorrow night with Sam. Be careful okay?”

“I will, thanks. Have a great weekend.” I pushed the door
open and held my bag over my head as I ran inside with a smile on my face. I skipped
to the kitchen to get something to eat thinking about the party tomorrow. I
hadn’t actually wanted to go before, but now that Olly had made a big deal out
of me not going, I actually wanted to go. Sam was fun, and Amy was looking
forward to it so I’d make myself have a good time there too.

Chapter Eighteen

A car pulled up outside my house, and a second later a horn
blasted. I cast a quick glance out of the window to see Sam’s car sitting
there. We’d already agreed he shouldn’t knock for me because I’d told him what
my dad was like. After shouting a quick goodbye to my parents, I headed out of
the front door with my overnight bag. I was staying at Amy’s after the party
tonight because her parents were a lot more lenient with curfews than mine
were.

I skipped to the car excitedly. I hadn’t been to a party for
ages, the last one was actually another one of Will’s friends that he took me
to. Sam smirked at me as I got in the car, looking me over obviously.

“I pass the inspection or should I change?” I asked
sarcastically. I hadn’t dressed up too much tonight, but I was still pleased
with the outcome. I had on black tight pants that were cropped just below the
knee, a killer pair of black heels, and a gold sparkly top that hung off of the
shoulders and had a matching tank top underneath. Amy had helped me pick it out
today while we were shopping.

He smirked at me. “You definitely pass. What about me? I’m
guessing I pass too, hell, I always pass.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “You don’t need my comments to
build up your already overinflated ego so I’ll just stay quiet.” I stuck my
tongue out at him. He laughed, heading in the direction on Amy’s house as I
told him where to turn.

“Will’s definitely not going, right?” I asked worriedly as
we pulled up to Amy’s street.

“Definitely, I promise.” He nodded, looking at me seriously;
he knew I would be angry with him if he was lying so I didn’t think he’d do
that to me. I smiled gratefully and he pulled into Amy’s drive honking the
horn.

She walked out of the house wearing a jean skirt and black
top, her hair all pulled up nicely. I smiled. She really was pretty and would
have the guys fighting for her tonight. I’d always secretly wished I looked
like her. Her hair was always straight, even when she woke up in the morning,
and the colour of it was beautiful - unlike my dirty, straw coloured hair that
seemed to have a mind of its own.

Sam whistled appreciatively as she walked to the car. I
slapped him in the stomach, glaring at him. “If you make a move on my best
friend tonight, Sam Morris, I swear I’ll never speak to you again, and that’s
not me being melodramatic,” I promised.

He pouted. “She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself,”
he whined.

“I’m serious. Do it if you want but don’t ever expect to see
me again. I’ll take the side of my friend, and as her best friend, I’ll have to
take part in the torture of the Sam voodoo doll,” I warned, trying not to smile
as he burst out laughing.

“Fine, I guess you’re right. I won’t make any attempts to
hit that tonight,” he confirmed somewhat grudgingly as he watched Amy’s every
move while she slid into the back seat of the car.

I smiled at him gratefully before turning back to Amy. She
was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement and it actually made me
more excited too.

I glanced nervously at Sam as we walked into the packed
house. The party was crazy already even though it was only nine o’clock. People
were drunk, staggering around, talking animatedly. I honestly didn’t know where
to look because it seemed that every wall had someone dry humping against it.
Amy squealed and squeezed my hand tightly. “This is going to be awesome!” she
squeaked.

Sam grinned and threw his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll
show you girls how to have a good time.” He winked at her and guided her
towards the kitchen as I lagged behind, praying that he would keep his promise
and not hit on my best friend tonight. She didn’t need a player like him
hanging all over her - not to mention the fact that he was Will’s brother.

As I walked into the kitchen I spotted a couple of guys that
I’d met before, a couple of Will’s friends. Jack smiled at me curiously as we
walked in. His eyes flicked to Sam questionably before returning to me. “Hi,
Chloe, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“She’s with me,” Sam chirped, grabbing three Smirnoff Ices
and passing one each to me and Amy.

Jack raised one eyebrow. “Really?”

“Not with me, with me, just accompanying me tonight. She’s
Will’s girl,” Sam clarified, doing air quotes around the ‘with me’ part. He
nodded to Amy. “This is Chloe’s friend, Amy.”

Will’s girl? What the heck does that mean?
I frowned
at Sam as I drank half of my bottle of drink. I was planning on getting wasted tonight;
hopefully I’d even throw up in his car on the way home for that little dig
about Will.

“Where is Will tonight?” Amy asked.

Whoa. What on earth is she asking that for? Maybe she’s hoping
to meet him or something so she can kick his ass for hurting me.
I looked
at her confused as I downed some more of my drink. Hopefully this Will
conversation would finish soon, and that would be the end of it. Best to get it
all out in one go then we could enjoy the night.

Jack shrugged. “He’s working at the club.”

I snapped my eyes up to him, confused. “I thought he didn’t
work there anymore?” Why would he still be working there if he was a teacher
now? I knew he still worked at the ski slope - surely he wasn’t holding down
three jobs.

Jack looked at me knowingly. “He’s working there every weekend
for the next month to pay for the concert tickets he got.”

I choked on my drink and almost spat it everywhere; Amy
rushed over and patted my back while I tried to catch my breath.
Will is working
there to pay for the tickets for me? He said he didn’t have to pay for them!
Why on earth would he give up four weekends just to buy me some concert
tickets? That’s just stupid. Incredibly sweet, but stupid.