Last Kiss

Chapter Six

Olivia Lane

Chapter Six

Cameron, I called a taxi to take me home after you fell asleep. Thank you for a great night.

I frantically scribbled the words on a piece of paper, rushing the words onto the paper before it became stained with teardrops. My vision was as unclear as my thoughts, but the words turned out legible and slipped the note onto the nightstand. I had considered waking him up and asking him to take me home but after one look in the mirror, I knew that was not an option. Tears were still leaking from my bloodshot eyes and my breathing was coming in ragged gasps. I stared into the mirror at the crying girl and tried to calm her wild features as I encouraged slow breaths. After a few moments the gasping stopped and cheeks found a break from the flooding, signaling it was time to face the night. I slipped from Cameron’s hotel room and trudged my way to the taxi line waiting outside the hotel. The line was desolate at this hour and a man willing to take me away from this place immediately greeted me.

The drive was short and silent, he didn’t ask any questions, and I didn’t volunteer any information. I kept my gaze locked on the lonely moon illuminating the night and I warded off the thoughts creeping towards the front of my brain. I fought against the memories, evading them until I escaped the company of the taxi driver. As I slipped from the car, I raced into my temporary and straight to my bed. I enveloped myself in the blankets and wrapped them tight against my body, searching for some sense of security. As my body curled into itself, the crying girl from the hotel room crept out again and moisture returned to my cheeks. The loneliness surrounded me and forced me to sort through my thoughts. The memories attacked me in this moment of vulnerability and I lacked the strength to do anything but sit back and watch them play. The first tormenter was memory of the night it all began.

*Flashback*

The sun was beating down on another carefree summer day as the warm wind whipped through my hair. Tessa and I were wandering aimlessly, seeking amusement as we spent the day at the baseball fields. Her little brother’s tournament was barely halfway over and we had already passed three hours talking under the pavilion.

I sighed and let my head tip back out of boredom. "Can we walk to Rita's?" I suggested and let my head roll so I was looking at Tessa.

"Yeah, let's go," she responded, lazily standing and stretching her arms out. I followed her lead and as we were making our way out of the pavilion two guys on longboards came rolling by.

"Hey Tess!" The taller one with dark brunette hair shouted as he stomped his foot down to slow his board.

"Hey jack!" she waved as he walked back to us with his board tucked under his muscular arm.

"What's up?" He grinned a brilliantly white smile that contrasted with his perfectly tanned skin.

"Me and Liv were just about to walk to Rita's," Tessa informed him and he nodded. The smaller boy with dirty blonde hair finally made his way back to us.

"Do you mind if Sam and I join?" the one named Jack raised his eyebrows and tilted his head towards the dirty blonde haired boy named Sam.

"Nah, not at all." She shook her head and we all began walking along the path that led us to the end of the baseball fields. We started talking about how great summer break has been so far and an easy conversation followed.

"They really need to make wider sidewalks," Jack randomly exclaimed. "Me and Olivia both have to walk in the grass," he pouted.

"No one’s making you walk next to me..." Sam muttered and I chuckled at how offended Jack looked.