The Summer That Changed Me

Chapter 26

I open the door to Braden's truck and jump out onto the ground, which makes my head pound like a bitch. I walk over to Braden's front door and barge in without even knocking, and thankfully he's sitting at the kitchen table doing something on his laptop. This is actually the first time I've been in his house. He looks up from the table and stares at me. No smile or anything, what the fuck? He walks over to me and tells me to go outside on the porch, so I do. He comes out shortly after me and we both sit down on the front steps.

"Olivia, what were you thinking?"

"What're you talki--Fuck why does my head hurt so bad?"

"It's called a hangover, here take this and drink this."

Braden hands me two Advil and a glass of water. I take them and silently hope that they'll help.

"Hangover?"

"You don't even remember? Wow."

I close my eyes and rest my head in my palm and try to think about what happened yesterday.

"Is today Saturday?"

"No. It's Sunday. God, what do you remember?"

So today is Sunday, yesterday was Saturday. Saturday? What happened? I scratch my head and try to think extra hard. Oh yeah, Cory left. I think that's it though.

"Umm...Cory left?"

"Yep. What else do you remember?"

I try to think really hard again, but I really am having trouble remembering.

"I don't know. I don't remember anything else."

Braden sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"Cory left with Natasha and I came over to Sandy's because I heard you scream from in my bedroom. You were crying so I tried to comfort you, but you jumped up and drove away in your car. You didn't just drive though, you were going really fast and it scared the shit outta me. Almost two hours later, I got a call from you saying you were at the dentist office. You were either drunk out of your mind, Olivia. I don't even know how you got the alcohol but at least you were smart enough to call me instead of trying to drive yourself. Now would you like to tell me where you got the alcohol?"

I close my eyes again and think as hard as I have yet, and all of last night comes flashing back through my brain and I start to cry. Braden wraps me in his arms and rubs my back.

"I got it at the liquor store. I paid some guy $60 to buy it for me."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. I just found the first person that looked old enough to buy it and asked them."

"You should be glad you didn't get some pervert that wanted to have sex with you or something. God damn it Olivia, why didn't you just stay and talk to me?"

"I didn't want to!"

"Cory called me and he was fucking worried sick about you."

"What'd you tell him?"

"I told him I hadn't seen you all day and I didn't know what you were doing."

"Thanks," I say almost so quiet it sounds like a whisper.

"Mmmhmm. So are you ready to talk now?"

"I don't even know what to say."

"Why'd you do it? You know that I'm never going to be able to stop asking myself that question right? I could've stopped you."

"Braden don't even go there. No one could've stopped me. I was determined and honestly I did it because I fucking wanted to forget the fact that I'm probably never going to see my boyfriend again."