Son of the Boss

Sweet Eighteen

O L I V I A

Two months had come and gone.

Things were going great and I was in love with my life. I was excelling at Westview, my art was being noticed and I even got to participate in a local art show, I was growing closer to Kimberly, and I even started up a new relationship.

Tucker had asked me out about 3 weeks after my first day. I spent most of my shifts with him and Kim.

It just felt right. Tucker was sweet and he was always going out of his way to do things for me.

We would go on little dates to a local diner to stuff ourselves on burgers and spend our weekends at his apartment watching shitty movies.

Plus, he respected me. I didn't feel any overwhelming pressure to have sex with him.

We were taking it slow and I was so grateful for that. I worked up the courage for my parents to meet him and they were sold.

I had a good boyfriend, great friends, and I finally was finding my way. I had a plan for the rest of my life after Westview and the thought of Tucker possibly moving with me to New York when I started in the Summer was fueling me even more.

I needed this. I needed a normal, happy life for a very normal and average girl.

I'd be lying though if I denied that I didn't think about Alessio anymore.

The last day I saw him was when he came to the cafe that first shift. The next day he still wasn't at school and my calls and texts were never returned.

I even tried Anna but that never got me anywhere.

I didn't know where he was and I sure as hell didn't know how to find him. The feeling that Alessio had used me and blown me off for something else tore me apart.

I really had just been a game for him and the others. I was the sweet, average girl that he played like a violin and tossed to the side like garbage.

I shouldn't have been surprised. Alessio Romano isn't the kind of person to have relationships with quirky, art school girls from New York.

He is with girls like Monica from the masquerade. Beautiful, Italian women with supermodel bodies and lots of money and class.

The only time I felt any hope was about a week after I had seen Alessio when Beto finally showed up at the high school and I caught him going into the office.

He had several envelopes in his hands and tried to act like he hadn't heard me when I called out his name.

When Beto did turn around, he didn't react like I hoped he would. He was dismissive and very cold.

"Beto, what is going on? Where's Alessio?" I begged him.

He sighed and tucked the envelopes under his arm. "Olivia, it just didn't work out, alright? There's nothing else to it."

"Don't lie to me, please. I know something is going on. Where is he? Why haven't you guys been in school?"

He sighed and brushed his hair back. "We aren't coming to school anymore. We finished early and we are moving on."

"Just moving on? I don't under-"

"Olivia," Beto snapped at me. "Stop asking questions! Alessio doesn't want you. You need to move on and forget him and the rest of us. Do you understand?"

My mouth fell open and I felt the tears burn my eyes. "No...I don't."

"That's not my problem."

With that, Beto turned around and stormed out of the school. I stood there in the hallway by myself as the tears fell. I was so sick to my stomach and confused.

Why would he do this to me? What did I do wrong?

As those weeks went by, I was constantly thinking about him. I only felt normal when I was with Kim and Tucker.

I was struggling to focus on school and spent night after night in my room. I was just so hurt and so lost.

I had no answers and it killed me.

As the days went by, it eventually got easier.

I opened up to Kimberly about it and she had been doing her best to keep me happy. Alessio never left my mind, but it started to hurt a little less.

I was now preoccupied with my 18th birthday coming up and prom. School would be ending within just a few months.

I was so ready to go back home to New York. Kimberly knew I'd come see her on breaks, but I missed my friends. Finishing my senior year without them had been really hard.

Plus, I needed to spill myself to someone who knew me since the diaper days.