Present
Oliver's right. I have my mobile in my pocket so I can tell Dora I'm hanging out with him for the rest of the night. I can see how ridiculous this sounds. I should be saying no to a night adventure with the guy who hated me not so long ago, but the idea of being together messes up my head.
We stop in front of an old VW Golf parked by my apartment.
"Get in. We're going for a small trip." He smirks, winking at me. God, he looks so handsome in his leather jacket, thick scarf around his neck. An idea of doing something out of the ordinary gets me going, but I know this is completely crazy. We don't talk while he reverses and drives off the campus. Braxton is surrounded by fields and farms. There is a small town at least twenty miles north, but other than that, it's not a very inhabited area. As we both sit quietly, I begin to wonder if he ditched his girlfriend to be with me tonight.
"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I ask just to avoid thinking about his cologne that infuses the air inside the car.
"Somewhere special. I think it's worth me showing you this today. It's a perfect birthday present." His voice is controlled and firm, no sign of reluctance or hesitation. This is the Oliver that I knew before the party, before everything went terribly wrong.
After a long and uncomfortable drive, Oliver stops the car in the middle of nowhere. In front of us is complete darkness.
"I know it's freezing cold, but we can't miss this. I got some thick blankets in the back."
"Blankets, what for? You don't expect me get outside. It must be like minus five!"
"Trust me, you will love what I'm about to show you. I've got some vodka to keep you warm."
I can't help but roll my eyes. Oliver's idea seems completely insane, but I get out of the car, trying to reason with myself that this is not crazy at all. If this is one of his pranks, then I'm going to forget he ever existed. The silence buzzes in my ears, and I search for Oliver in the gloom.
"Come on," he says, taking my hand. His touch warms me up in an instant. He's confusing me even more right now. I have no idea what he's planning, but I'm strangely excited about this.
He leads me in front of the car.
"Sit on the top and take this," he says, passing me a warm, thick blanket.
"Oliver, come on. This is insane!" I protest.
"Yeah, it is, but just shut up for a moment."
I do what he says and sit at the front of the car, wrapping myself with the blanket. He climbs next to me.
"Look up at the sky and wait for your birthday present."
"Am I supposed to look for something specific?" I ask, trying not to laugh. When the heat from his body reaches me, my breathing becomes heavier, more laboured.
"Yeah, in couple more minutes."
Oliver unscrews the cap of a small bottle of vodka and hands it to me. He doesn't even ask if I want a drink; he just assumes I won't say no. I take a generous gulp and swallow because I don't want him to think I forgot how to have fun. The alcohol burns my throat, but it warms me up. For a moment, we sit in silence, lost in our own thoughts.
"Come on, it's starting. You need to look up," he says, sounding excited. I pull a face and look at the black sky scattered with stars. The view is breathtaking. Then I spot the shooting star. My pulse starts racing when I see more and more. The glowing streaks cover the sky, and I gasp in amazement.
أنت تقرأ
All About You
العاطفيةstart hating Oliver just after his older brother Christian's death. I drag him down a road of humiliation and pain to try to cope with what his brother did to me. A few months after Christian's passing, Oliver leaves town, and for the next two years...
