Sin of the Saint

CHAPTER TWELVE: GRUDGE

Liv woke up the next morning in her own bed. She remembered passing out in Axel's truck and her head hitting something soft and bony all at once. Her hand went to her head—did her head land on his leg?

How embarrassing...

She shook her head and sat up. She noticed she still wore her outfit from the night before and her old mascara caked her lashes together. Her brain pounded mercilessly in her skull.

"What time..." she looked over and saw the alarm clock on her nightstand read eight fifty-five.

She blinked a few times—it wasn't that late, was it? She would be late for breakfast at Danny's!

"Sugar!" she flew out of bed and threw her long hair into a tie while stripping her clothes off from the night before. She tugged on another pair of jeans and a loose v-neck tee while simultaneously putting on deodorant. She sprinted to the bathroom across the hall and began brushing her teeth while fixing her smeared makeup.

"Who was that boy that brought you home last night? Don't tell me you were drunk, Liv!" her younger brother, James, poked his head through the bathroom door.

"Of course I wasn't drunk—I got a migraine," she said through a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Uh huh...sure. Mom and dad were so pissed they weren't gonna let you go to the dance tonight, or whatever it is you're doing," he chuckled.

"They changed their minds, right?" Liv asked, then spat and rinsed. "Because I'm late for my day activity."

"Yeah, after that guy explained what happened—who was he anyway?" James pressed.

She fixed her appearance in the mirror quickly, her hands shaking. "Just a friend from school, James. Crap, I'm gonna be so late..." Liv said, looking at the clock in the bathroom. She gasped in sudden realization, "My car! It's still at school!"

"Mom and dad brought your car back last night after setting you down," James said, holding out her keys to her. "I figured you'd need these."

"Thanks James," Liv said and embraced him quickly with a kiss on the top of his head.

He shoved her off, "Ew! Just get going!"

"Yep! Love you!" Liv darted out of the bathroom and shouted into the house as she jerked the front door open. "Thanks mom, dad! I'm late! Love you! Gotta go, bye!"

Liv reached Danny's Diner about ten minutes after nine. She went inside and glanced around the restaurant and found her group seated at a corner booth, Auden and Felicity waving at her. Nathan sat, sipping his juice, stoic.

Nausea instantly hit Liv right in the pit of her stomach when she saw Nathan. She couldn't hide it from her face either and Auden arched a concerned eyebrow. Liv swallowed her disappointment, her anger...her utter storm of disdain for Nathan...and met up with the trio in the corner booth, putting on a smile as best as she could.

"We ordered you a juice since we didn't know if you wanted coffee or not," Felicity said, chipper as usual.

"Juice is great, thanks," Liv said, and fiercely broke open her straw whilst meeting Nathan's eyes from across the table.

"So...how about that game last night?" Auden chuckled, noticing Liv's passive aggressiveness and trying to diffuse it.

"Oh yeah, congrats on the win," Nathan said as he reached over and slapped Auden on the shoulder.