Idols (Book 2)

Chapter 5

I walk up to the door and knock. I wait as patiently as I can as the sunlight makes my headache worse. Jace opens the door.
"So where have you been?" he laughs.
"I couldn't make it over here, so I went to Preston's house and passed out," I say.
"You mean to tell me you couldn't walk across a street?" He asks with a raised eyebrow, "Well come on in. I'll show you your room." He leads me down the hallway to their guest room.
"Thanks for letting me stay here," I say, "I'll get things sorted out soon and I shouldn't be here too long."
"Don't worry about it. It's great to have you back here. Gabby keeps talking about how much fun it's going to be having you right down the hall and Eileen was so excited when we told her last night that you'd be staying here," Jace reassures me with a smile, "I'll leave you to set everything up and make yourself comfortable." He walks down the hall and I shut the door.

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I take a shower and put on a pair of leggings and a tee shirt. I close my suitcase and remember Mark. It's really over. I know he could be a little annoying a times, but I still loved him. He changed here and I don't have any idea what caused it. I guess he just wasn't happy with the fact that I had a life before him.
I become a bit upset as I remember going with him to his ten year high school reunion last year. I went there without arguing or getting angry when his ex girlfriends gave me judgmental glances and he told me the endless stories of things he used to do. I went there to support him and he couldn't even visit my friends in my hometown with me.
I take a deep breath and pull out my phone. I need see if my old apartment is still open. My apartment building was a really nice and was in a good location. I've seen people move into apartments within days of the last tenet leaving.
"Hello, this is Enessa at Cresnelle Tower Apartments. How can I help you today?" A voice asks from the other side of the phone.
"Hi, this is Olivia Michaels. I recently moved out of apartment 182B. I was wondering if I could hopefully move back in? My new, um, living situation didn't work out as planned," I explain.
"182B? Let me check," she says as I hear her quick typing through the phone, "I'm sorry, there is a new renter that just signed the lease for that apartment."
"Is there any other apartments open in the building?" I ask. She types again. Please, please, please...
"I'm afraid not," she says.
"Okay, thank you for your time," I say as I end the call. I sigh and remember how hard it was to get a good apartment when I got that one. All my friends in New York are through Mark and I can't stay with them. My friend from work, Kyla, lives in a one room apartment that barely fits her.
I decide to go talk to Gabby and Jace about it. I walk out to the kitchen and see Eileen standing next to Gabby, who is making pasta.
"So how did you sleep last night?" Gabby teases as she sees me walk in.
"I passed out on his floor. Nothing happened," I say, "By the way, do you think everyone can meet up at DeMarco's today?"
"Yeah, Jace is on duty tonight though," she says.
"I'm going to ask everyone to meet up there for dinner tonight because we all have a lot to talk about," I say as I send out the text.
"So have you heard anything from Mark yet?" She asks.
"Yeah, he basically just confirmed that he was serious about everything and doesn't want to get back together. He pretty much said if he's available and I'm done having fun with my life, he'll think about taking me back," I explain as I roll my eyes.
"Wow, sounds like you dodged a bullet on him," she says.
"I called my old apartment complex and my apartment isn't available anymore, so I'll have to find a new one somewhere," I say as she finishes the pasta and puts it in three bowls.
"How hard is it going to be to find a new one?" She asks curiously as she gives me one of the bowls.
"In that area, it will take forever for something worth renting to open up," I groan, "I don't know what to do."
"Why don't you take some more time off work and stay here until you find something?" She says.
"Aunt Libby's staying longer?" Eileen asks in excitement.
"I'd feel bad for staying so long. It could take up to a month to find something," I say.
"That room hasn't been touched since last summer; you aren't disturbing anything," Gabby assures me, "How much of a choice do you have anyway?"
"I'll call my boss later and see how long I can take time off for," I say. Eileen puts her pasta and hugs me.
"Now we just have to convince Aunt Lola and Aunt Riley to stay here and it will be just like our trips!" She exclaims. I laugh and hug her back.
"I don't think they can do that," I say. I help Gabby with dishes and call my boss after.
"Hi Amanda, this is Olivia," I say as she picks up the phone.
"What do you need?" She asks in her normal monotone voice.
"I know I'm already taking time off, but I wanted to know how much longer I can take time off for," I explain.
"You have three weeks of vacation time left and that is after the time you have already taken for this week," she says. I cringe at the fact that I know I have to take it all off.
"Can I take those three weeks off after my time off that I already cleared for this week? I'm currently trying to find a new apartment and have nowhere to stay in the area," I ask. She sighs, clearly becoming tired of dealing with my issues.
"I'll let it slide this time, but next time please ask at least a week before. We are a large company and you are getting paid well for a 25 year old in New York. Don't think for one second that I don't remember every time an employee inconveniences me," she warns, her monotone voice not raising or lowering.
"Thank you, I'm sorry it's so soon. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," I assure her.
"I expect to see you back on April 6th," she says, "If you don't have a place to stay by then, you'll have to beg someone above me for extra time."
"I should be able to be there-," I say as I'm cut of by Amanda hanging up. Well I got my time. That's good I guess.

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"Hey Preston," Zac greets casually as he suddenly walks in the front door. I jump and curse myself for giving him a key to my house.
"You could knock, you know?" I say as I roll my eyes and get off the couch.
"Have you gone to the store since last Thursday?" He asks, ignoring my comment as he invites himself into my kitchen to raid the fridge. He returns to the living room with a piece of left over pizza.
"Why'd you come over again?" I ask as I pause the TV and he sits in the chair next to the couch.
"I was wondering what happened with you last night," he says.
"I got drunk, took a cab home, and woke up in my bathroom," I shrug, knowing he isn't going to drop it at that.
"And Libby just went to Gabby's house?" He asks, already knowing she didn't.
"She passed out on my floor," I say vaguely.
"And she was in your house because...?" He continues to press the subject.
"She was too drunk to cross the street," I say.
"Hm, that's weird because you just said all you remember after the cab ride was waking up in the bathroom. How do you remember that she was too drunk to cross the street?" Zac asks. Damn it. He knows something I don't.
"She remembered it," I lie.
"Are you sure?" He asks with a smile as he knows he caught me, "Lola said Libby woke up without any idea what happened."
"Well...I, uh," I try to think of another lie. I see the look in his eye and give up. "Clearly you know more than I do, just tell me already."
"I told Lola and Riley after I left to keep an eye on you guys for as long as they could after the way you were both acting. They texted me when they left and I called to check on you. You said you and Libby were taking a cab together and when I told you that she better be going to Gabby's, you just laughed before hanging up. You called me back right after and explained that-."
"Stop," I interrupt him, "Am I going to want to hear the rest of this story?"
"Probably not," he shrugs, "Either way, I think we both know you lied to me because you don't remember and don't want to remember. I think you know where the rest of the story is going. Just promise you won't be so stupid ever again? She just got out of a relationship last night and if you guys start anything, it isn't going to end well."
"I promise," I say. I feel like a child being lectured. He finishes the pizza and grins as he asks the same question he asked the day before Libby flew out to Sulphur.
"So tell me now that you've seen her again, do you still hate yourself for letting her go all those years ago?"