Read Distractions (The Rebound Series) Online
Authors: Emilia Winters
They saw less of each other now, since Alex worked long hours, as did Luke, and their responsibilities were greater.
But Alex would always miss driving around aimlessly with Luke when they were in high school.
Anytime either one wanted to escape the confines of their homes, they would hop into Luke’s old Ford and drive until midnight, not really talking, but just listening to music and watching the passing scenery.
Alex missed how carefree they’d once been and the easiness of their friendship.
Now, he felt as though he had to carefully think about what to say whenever he was around Luke.
“I saw your mom today,” Luke unexpectedly said, nonchalantly.
His eyes were glued to Alex’s flatscreen, his feet propped up on the coffee table in front of him.
Alex usually would’ve frowned at that, especially when he saw the dirt encrusted on his boots, but Luke’s statement caught him off guard and a stab of longing hit him hard in the chest.
“Oh,” he said quietly.
“Where?”
“Her and my mom went out to lunch, to catch up.
I was at the house yesterday, helping my dad out in the back, when she dropped in.”
Alex was quiet for a moment and then asked, “How is she?”
“She seemed tired,” Luke answered honestly.
He was always honest.
“When was the last time you saw her?”
Alex had to think but finally settled on, “A few months.”
“Well, they’re hosting Beth’s engagement party, did you know?”
“I figured,” Alex said slowly, trying to swallow past the lump that suddenly lodged itself in his throat.
“Beth didn’t tell me but they have more room in the back than my aunt and uncle do.”
“Are you gonna be okay seeing your father?” Luke asked, taking another sip of his beer.
Alex smiled over at Luke, but it was bitter.
“Do I have a choice?
I was bound to see him this year anyway, with Beth’s wedding and my grandmother’s 90
th
birthday.”
“My dad said he was over a few weekends ago,” Luke added, shaking his head.
“I still can’t believe they’ve been friends for all these years.”
“Yeah, well, he’s always been a rotten father.
Doesn’t mean he’s not a good friend.”
His mood was soured.
His mood always was whenever his father was mentioned.
They fell silent again and watched the Packers score a touchdown, the sound of the cheering crowd filling Alex’s living room.
As the game cut to commercial break, Luke stood up.
“Want another one?” he asked, lifting up his beer bottle in reference.
Alex nodded wordlessly and stared at the screen, thinking about his mother.
He pictured the photograph of her on his fridge in his mind.
He remembered when Olivia had first seen it, how her curious, beautiful eyes had taken in every detail of his equally beautiful mother.
She hadn’t pried.
She hadn’t asked who she was, although she probably could’ve guessed.
Alex missed both of them, even though he’d only seen Olivia yesterday.
When Luke returned, Alex had almost convinced himself that he should call his mother soon to chat.
Right after he called Olivia to apologize.
“So, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Luke said, settling himself back onto the couch comfortably.
Alex’s defenses were immediately up when he detected the serious note in Luke’s voice.
Even though they had always been close friends, it still made Alex nervous whenever he heard that tone.
“Okay,” he said slowly.
“I’ve been a little worried about Caleb.”
Well, Alex certainly hadn’t expected him to say that, but it shouldn’t have surprised him as much as it did.
Even though Luke rubbed all of them the wrong way at times, he had always been a good, caring friend.
But Alex frowned, “Why?
I haven’t noticed anything.”
“Well, you wouldn’t since you’ve been MIA these past few weeks,” Luke said, smiling to soften the jab.
“Something’s wrong at the garage, but Caleb won’t say anything about it.
And he gets angry whenever I try to ask him anything.”
“That’s nothing new,” Alex pointed out.
But he racked his brain.
Caleb hadn’t said anything to Alex, but Luke was right…he hadn’t been around all that much.
He spent most of his time with Olivia.
He frowned, making a mental note to discover if anything was bothering his surly friend.
“What do you think it is?”
Luke shrugged, but his eyes held knowing.
“His uncle’s health isn’t the greatest, so I’m sure he’s just worried.
Caleb thinks he can’t run the garage by himself, but I know he can.
He underestimates himself.”
But that came from years of mental and physical abuse at the hands of his parents.
Alex nodded in agreement, “He always has.”
When Luke left about an hour later, having drunk all the beer in the house, Alex felt more relaxed than any run could ever give him.
His time with Luke felt like it had before Julia.
The only thing that would make him happier right now was if Olivia showed up and stayed the night.
But after their phone conversation yesterday, Alex knew that wouldn’t be happening.
When Alex woke up this morning, he’d been ashamed that he’d left Olivia without even telling her goodbye.
Instead, he had scribbled out a cowardly note.
She had every right to be furious at him.
But he hoped she understood why he felt it necessary to leave, regardless.
He would always manage to hurt her, if they continued their relationship.
Friday night wouldn’t be the last time he would make Olivia cry and he hated himself because of it.
But he was falling in love with her.
Even if he couldn’t admit that to her, he could admit it to himself.
And even though he was terrified of the power she could hold over him, he wanted nothing more than to be with her, to hold her, to make love to her, and to make her happy.
And it suddenly seemed like the question that weighed heavily on his mind all day was answered.
A few days later Alex was rushing home.
It was Wednesday evening and he was supposed to meet Olivia and her friend in less than a half hour.
And, of course, Alex got held up at work.
His boss decided to throw a last minute report his way and Alex somehow managed to scramble through it quickly.
He would double check it in the morning for errors because there were bound to be a few.
But it didn’t matter.
Not now.
On top of that, his phone had died earlier in the afternoon and he didn’t have a charger at work.
So he wouldn’t even be able to tell Olivia he was on his way until he got some juice into it.
God, today of all days…he could not screw this up again.
Olivia might decide he wasn’t worth it after all if he didn’t show up to this dinner.
That thought made him apply more force to the accelerator.
He was already going fifteen miles per hour above the speed limit, but there was no way in hell he wouldn’t make their dinner date.
The second Alex swung into his driveway, he pushed open his car door hurriedly and jogged up the front steps.
Once inside, he plugged his phone into the wall charger in his office and, while it charged up, he went to his bedroom to change clothes and work his hair into some resemblance of order.
The past few days he couldn’t count the number of times he ran his hands through it in frustration.
The urge to call Olivia had been a temptation that he almost couldn’t resist.
It felt like ages since he had last heard her voice or felt her soft lips on his or caught a glimpse of her beautiful blue eyes.
But he always managed to remind himself that she probably needed a little space.
Alex had hurt her again.
And it was best if the both of them took a step back from their relationship, not just Alex.
He could only hope that she wanted the same things he did.
After dressing into jeans and a fresh button-up, he shrugged on a jacket and made his way back to his phone.
He checked his kitchen clock on the way.
8:15
.
Fifteen minutes to drive downtown.
It would only take him about ten, but he needed to leave now.
Rushing to his phone, he unplugged it from the wall, noticing he only had a four percent charge.
But he frowned when he saw he had four missed calls and several text messages from his aunt and uncle.
Worried, he opened one of them from his aunt.
Alex, please call us when you get this.
Just as he was about to scroll through his contacts for her number, her name popped up on the screen saying ‘Incoming Call.’
Automatically, he pressed ‘Answer.’
“Aunty, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice concerned.
She’d been crying.
Alex could tell in the way her voice shook and her frequent sniffles.
“Alex, Beth got into a car accident a few hours ago.”
He clutched the phone tighter, his chest tightening.
“Is she okay?” he demanded.
“She’s in surgery now.
Nothing critical, but her left arm and her collar bone were broken.
They said her left arm must’ve hit the dashboard during the collision because the bone was completely shattered.
She’s been in surgery for an hour now.”
His aunt’s voice was bordering on hysterical and then she let out a small sob.
“They said she might not have the full range of motion ever again, even after physical therapy.”
Alex was already out his front door, his phone still pressed tightly to his ear.
“Which hospital are you at?
I’m on my way now.”
She gave him the name and filled him in on everything the doctor had told her and his uncle.
By the time she was finished, Alex had already been driving for ten minutes.
And just as the clock struck 8:30 on his dashboard, the time he was supposed to be at the restaurant meeting Olivia, his phone died again, cutting off his aunt.
“Goddammit!” Alex cursed loudly, throwing his useless phone into the passenger seat.
He ran a hand through his hair, speeding up, thinking about Olivia.
Olivia would forgive him once he explained.
He would call her later tonight once he got back home and he would explain everything.
He would tell her that he was falling in love with her and that he wanted to be with her because he was selfish and couldn’t give her up.
But it didn’t stop him from cursing himself for forgetting to charge his phone last night.
He usually always plugged it in before he went to bed so he would have a fresh charge for the morning.
But he’d been so tired the night before that he fell asleep at his desk and by the time he dragged himself to bed he wasn’t thinking about his phone.
With a heavy sense of dread and regret in the pit of his stomach, Alex flew down the freeway towards the hospital.
Right now, his family needed him.
* * * * *
He isn’t coming
, Olivia thought, staring at the door of the restaurant as the time on her phone read 8:52.
The thought sent her mind reeling in disbelief and shock.
The pain would come later, she guessed.
But for now, she just couldn’t believe that this was it.
He was ending their relationship.
And he couldn’t even show up to tell her.
Or call her.
“Is he running late?” Christie asked, noticing the look on her face.
Olivia hadn’t told her best friend about the fight she and Alex had over the weekend.
When Alex hadn’t called her, she figured he was just taking time to figure out what he wanted.
But now, he made it perfectly clear he didn’t want to pursue whatever they had.
Olivia could already feel her heart start to break.
Little cracks around the edges that made it hard to breathe.
She would cry later, but right now, staring into Christie’s expectant face, Olivia couldn’t bring herself to show how hurt she was on the inside.
Nor could she tell her friend that she and Alex were apparently over.
Olivia plastered on a smile.
It was a small smile, but it was the most she could manage right now.
“I don’t think he can make it.
He must have gotten held up at work.
This was going to be a busy week for him.”
Christie frowned, “Surely he would tell you though.”
Olivia shrugged and broke her friend’s penetrating gaze to look down at her menu.
They were at the same restaurant that Alex had first taken her to, the nice Italian one.
This time, Olivia was a bit more dressed up than she had been on that first date.
Her eyes ran over the slightly familiar menu, but she didn’t read one word of it.
The thought that he wasn’t coming kept playing in her mind on an endless loop.
Over and over again until she thought she couldn’t breathe.
The pain was starting to come and she felt helpless to stop it.