My Roommates Brother

Olivia

Alex’s face paled at the mention of Olivia’s name. I almost felt guilty for bringing her up at all. I had to know, even if it meant backing Alex in a corner to tell me. We had just shared this incredibly intimate moment with each other that wasn’t supposed to happen or I would be breaking a promise to Mere. If Olivia was the reason why Mere felt so ill at ease about allowing Alex and I to date, I felt I deserved to know the reason why. And since Mere wouldn’t tell me, I was going to have to drag it out of Alex.

Alex tried to ignore my question and leaned to kiss me. I allowed it thinking it was going to be a brief display of affection to bridge him into this story. However it wasn’t. Alex’s tongue swept over my lip begging to play with mine. And for a moment I got lost in his love and forgot what I was really trying to accomplish. His touch was inviting and warm. I didn’t want it to stop but I knew if things progressed he would somehow weasel his way out of it.

“Please Alex.” I murmured pushing him away from me. “I need to know why…” I pleaded.

“Why what?” He tried to escape my question.

“I need to know about Olivia. I want to know what has Mere so damn upset. Why does she feel so strongly against us?”

He pulled away from me and laid flat on his back. His hands covered his face and he took in a huge sigh. Was this it? Was he finally caving?

“I don’t want to tell you.” He protested.

“How come? How bad can it really be?” I turned on my side to face him.

“It is worse than anything that could be going through your mind right now.” He refused to look at me. “It is so bad that I fear you’ll never speak to me again Stella.” He finally glanced over at me to gauge my response. My mouth dropped.

How bad could it really be to make me never want to speak to him again?

“I want to know Alex.” I made my final plea. “I need to know.” I begged.

He sat up and crossed his legs in front of him. I grabbed some extra blanket and covered myself up and did the same. The saddened look that swept across his handsome face was heartbreaking.

“You have no idea how hard this is for me to tell you.” He started. I waited for him to continue speaking but he seemed to need a bit more encouragement.

“No I can’t.” I sighed unsure of what else to say.

“I’ve never told anyone about what happened. I never really wanted to relive this. There are some times where I wonder if I dreamed the whole thing. Once I start you can’t stop me. Once I get the nerve to start talking if you stop me… I may never… “

“I understand.” I reached out and grabbed his hand in mine.

He laced his fingers through mine and pulled my hand up to his lips. His mouth softly traced alongside the tops of my knuckles causing my breathing to hitch. He was very good at causing that reaction.

“I told you about how I ended up dating Leann.” He began unsteadily. “Leann and I were good together for a while. She was more to me that just my girlfriend. Leann was my best friend. I didn’t want or need anyone but her. I turned away my friends, sports I played and things I wanted because I was so blinded by her. She was evil in her purest form. I would never listen to anything my real friends had to say on the topic however. In my heart she was my world and I didn’t have a need for anything outside of my world.”

This was not the beginning I honestly thought he would start with. But I kept true to my promise knowing he would eventually get to Olivia.

“Have you ever just known deep down that no matter how perfect something feels that it’s going to fuck up? I had begun to feel us drifting. We had plans to spend that New Year’s together at our annual party but last minute she claimed she had to work. I knew it was bullshit. Leann’s job was closed that night but I didn’t have it in my heart to call her out on it. Call it blindness.” He signed putting his head in his hands.