Forever Love (12 page)

I lie my forehead against hers and nuzzle against my nose against hers. Shes reminded me of my previous resolve to make everything perfect. After all, she only deserves the best.

"Lets get some sleep." I say as we both settle down.

I pull her back into my front, spooning her behind. I don’t think I've ever spooned someone before and I sure as hell haven't slept in the same bed as a girl. Nothing feels more right than Liv sleeping in my arms. I fall into probably the happiest, most content sleep I ever have, feeling as if everything in my world is right as I hold onto her. I'm definitely never gonna let her go, not ever.

Chapter 13

Noah (Again)

She's trying to kill me. Ever since the night of Brady's party, Liv has been slowly torturing me with her body. I have a hunch that this is my payback for that night I refused to sleep with her since she keeps using my own words against me. To top it all off, the more frustrated and damn crazy I get, the shorter her little skirts get and the tighter her tops get. I'm wondering if I should see a doctor or some shit because I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that your not meant to have boner for over four hours, I've had a constant one for fucking weeks now.

It probably doesn’t help that we spend near every spare moment together. After holding her in my arms the entire night a couple of weeks ago, I can't sleep without her now. Every night I sneak into her bedroom or she does mine, when our parents are asleep of course. Don’t think I haven't tried sleeping without her, I lasted two hours that first night, just staring at the ceiling before I high tailed it into her room and snuggled. Yeah apparently I like snuggles and so does she, what the fucks going on with that shit?

I'm pretty sure everyone at school has clocked onto the fact that we're together, if they haven't they're all dumber than I thought. Nobody's had the balls to come up to either of us and ask yet but I've heard whispers. I keep waiting for my Mom and Phil to find out but it seems that if people do know, they're keeping their mouths shut.

So basically, everything is perfect. I'm happy, most importantly Livs happy, especially seeing as though she's gonna be seeing her girl this weekend in Savannah. I've spoken to Trina a couple of times on the phone, seems like a stand up chick and I know that she thinks the world of Liv. I think it's hard for anyone not to like her to be honest. Sure, she can be a little guarded and defensive but once you get past those defenses, she's got a heart of gold.

Right now, I'm standing in the kitchen surrounded by Chases annoying ass friends. There's always at least one of them here and if before I had doubts they were here for the beautiful girl that’s currently upstairs, those have officially been put to bed. The little dweebs damn near fall over themselves every time she walks into the room and if they weren't so little, id have smacked all of them across their damn heads by now.

I notice one of them elbowing the other in the ribs and nodding in the direction of the door as Liv comes strutting in wearing some tightass jeans that could have been painted on. Her hairs in some kind of fancy plait to the side and the blue long sleeved t shirt she has on matches her eyes to a tee. Sometimes I have to blink a few times to make sure she's real, that something as beautiful as her can really exist. I'm sure I have an expression matching the infatuated boys next to me who are all but drooling over my girl. I'm giving them a little time to grow a few inches before I start kicking their asses.

"Morning Liv."

"Your looking mighty fine today Liv."

"Want any help with your bag Liv?"

Damn, give me a fucking break. I roll my eyes at the midget brigade mooning over her. I can see her mouth twitch as if she's stifling a laugh and Chase is none the wiser, as per usual. He has no idea that the only reason his three knucklehead friends are here at eight in the morning before school, is because he happens to have the hottie of all hotties living with him.

I nudge my way past the three stooges to my girl, grabbing her heavy bookbag out of her hand.

"Come on." I say breezing past her.

I really need to get out of here since I'm pretty sure you can go to jail for beating on fourteen year olds.

This shit is driving me fucking crazy and its only getting worse. I mean, I'm fucking jelous of kids now. As a guy whose never been one for jelousy before, this is fucked. I've never had reason to be jealous before, never gave a crap about anything much to care. Liv drives me crazy though, just the thought of someone looking at her has me losing my damn mind.

I just seem to be getting more obsessed by the day and at this rate I'll be tieing her ass to the bed when I'm not there, since I plan on keeping her for at least the next sixty, seventy years.

I put her in the Mustang, catching her looking longingly at her Mini which she hasn’t been able to drive in weeks. I'm letting her drive it to Savannah this weekend though, as a treat. Says it fucking all when my idea of a treat for my girl is letting her drive her own damn car.

"I don’t see why we can't go in my car for once." I hear her mumbling under her breath.

I doubt I'd even be able to fit into that clown car. I roll my eyes at her complaining, which has been a regular every morning. I have a feeling that eye rolling shit is catching since I know I'm doing it more and more. She fiddles with the radio as my eyes jump between her and the road. I can't even begin to describe the feeling I get at knowing she's all mine. I've never been one to think about marriage and fucking kids, Christ I'm only seventeen, I shouldn’t even be thinking about that shit. I always figured id be like forty years old with a shotgun held to my forehead, I know different now though. I haven't let her know that yet though, knowing my hardheaded girl, she'd be heading for the border.

***

I pull up outside school in my usual parking space. I look to my right and see that Brady's car is already here, though I'm surprised he's not sucking face with Cindy on the hood of his car, I don’t know where the hell he is. I can tell by the look of surprise on Livs face that she's thinking the same thing.

I climb out the car and head round to her side to let her out, holding my hand out to help her up. My phone rings and I pull it out my jeans pocket to see Dickwad, I mean Brady calling me. Shit, Livs habits must really be rubbing off on me. I bring the phone up to my ear and I don’t even get to utter a greeting before his voice has the blood in my veins turning to ice.

"Dude, get to Livs locker now and don’t bring her with you."

I get a really bad feeling about this but how the hell am I not gonna bring her with me. I look at Liv, whose none the wiser thankfully.

"Yeah dude, I'm here. I'm just standing with Liv by my car." I say nonchalantly, hoping he gets the hint that I'm stuck.

"Shit, wait there I got an idea." He hangs up. Well, what the hell was that?

Before I know it, Cindy's walking over here, her face a totally fake smile that I know Liv is gonna see right through.

"Oh no, you think she and Brady had a fight?" Liv says, out the side of her mouth.

I don’t like the look on Cindy's face as she gives me a quick glance. What the hell is going on? And why can't Liv know?

"Hey guys, Liv can I ask you a huge favor?" She whispers some shit into Livs ear that I probably don’t want to know.

"Noah, me and Cindy have gotta run to the bathroom real quick."

I gotta admit, sweet Cindy sure has surprised me. Who knew she could be so slick?

"Sure babe. I'm just gonna go and find Brady. I'll see you in a bit."

She shoots me a smile before grabbing Cindy's hand and dragging her in the direction of the girls bathroom. I make my way inside, my guard fully up. Brady can be as much a drama queen as a damn girl but I know he wouldn’t go to all this trouble for any old bullshit. What the hell does this have to do with Liv though?

I get my answer as I walk down by the lockers. Nearly the whole football team, well the good part anyway, are crowded around Livs locker as if shielding it. Brady notices me, his face a hard mask. As much shit as Liv and Brady give each other, I know he has a soft spot for my girl and I think she's definitely warming to him. I've even heard her refer to him as Brady instead of Dickwad a time or two, though she'd never admit it.

"Bro, what the hells going on?" I say, my eyes trying to see through the half a dozen tanks that are surrounding whatever's lying in wait.

"Now, dude, before you see anything, just know that I don’t think anyone else saw it."

Saw what?

"What're you talking about? And what's with the human shield thing going on?"

My guys part ways to show me the offending site and my hackles rise. Some fucker is definitely gonna pay for this shit. In big black letters on the door of the locker, it reads 'INCEST WHORE'. What the fuck?

Now, I'm pretty sure it isn't much of a secret about me a Liv. I nixed that shit when I started noticing all the eye fucking coming her way from other guys. I figure that we'll deal with Phil and my Mom finding out when it comes to it. We haven't come out and announced that shit though, only a handful of people know it from the horse's mouth so to speak. We spend every moment together through and it wouldn't be hard to put two and two together.

I look around the hallway to see who is already in as if the perpetrator is gonna have a big ass sign on their head announcing their guilt. Two names flash in my mind as and if I find out it was one, he's gonna catch a much worse ass kicking than the last twice I've had to beat his ass into line. If it’s the other, then some pretty slutty texts are gonna be made public that just might knock the queen bee from her top spot. She's pretty much hanging there my a thread anyway, ever since Livs come along. My girl isn't into all that popular bullshit though, its just one of the things I love about her.

"Who found it?" I ask, looking to all my guys.

Damon, one of our wide receivers steps forward.

"I came to put my stuff in my locker dude and saw it. Called Brady right away."

I nod, I know my guys are loyal to a fault. We're on the good side of the team after all. The rest are just assholes trying to climb up the social ladder and get extra pussy. Wouldn’t know what it means to be a team if it bit them in the ass, which if I find out they have anything to do with this shit, it very well might do.

Just as I'm about to order someone to clean this shit up before Liv sees it, I hear Brady utter an "Oh shit." and I spin round to find a Liv staring at the locker.

Of course at that exact moment, the viper herself has to make an appearance. The guys aren't quick enough in getting back into formation to hide the locker and she lets out a cackling laugh on seeing the offending scrawl on the door.

"The fuck you laughing at bitchface?" Usually I'd find it hilarious, the way Livs potty mouth really comes out to play when shes pissed, theres something in her eyes though when looking at Brandy that has me stepping in front of her.

"Liv." I drawl the word out, hoping she understands that however much she wants to, she cant go kicking Brandy's ass in the middle of the hallway before school.

"I wonder if Mommy and Daddy know how sick their kids are. Isn't it illegal or something?"

"Keep the smirk on your face bitch, I cant wait to fucking wipe it off." Liv takes a threatening step forward.

"You should really control that temper of yours Olivia. After all, what would Mark say about it? Or Aiden? Luke? Daniel?"

I watch the color drain out of Livs face. Who the hell are these guys anyway?

"Quite the little ho back in Atlanta weren't we?" Brandy says with a smug look of satisfaction on her face.

Its killing me not to blast this chick out but that'll just work Liv up even more. I can see my girls jaw working over time, the whole hallway is silent. Everyone's attentions are on the Mexican standoff. I see Livs posture relax and I breath a sigh of relief. Maybe there won't be bloodshed this early in the morning.

Shit! I think I spoke too soon as a whirlwind of blonde tight hotness flies past me. Livs fist shoots out and hits Brandy square in the nose as a sickening pop echoes throughout the hallway. I spring into action, grabbing her around the waist to pull her back before she lays into a screeching Brandy again. The twits slumped against her own locker, sounding like a dying cat as blood gushes from her nose, soaking the front of her shirt. Yep, I definitely don’t think I'll be upsetting this one anytime soon. Girl sure can pack a punch.

Chapter 14

Liv

"Miss Preston, we have zero tolerance for violence here at Franklin High." I roll my eyes at the Principles lecture, which I've been listening to for the last half hour since I was carried in here kicking and screaming. Definitely not one of my finest moments.

"Olivia." My Dad draws the word out in warning.

Damn I hate my name, soon as I'm old enough I'm changing it. I don’t know why I felt the need to hand Brandy her ass, maybe it was the whole locker thing, maybe her annoying ass laugh, maybe it was the way she said my name in the same snarky tone the Bitch uses, or maybe it was the look of confusion on Noah's face when she listed out those boys names. Whatever the reason, I'm finding it really hard to have an ounce of regret for my actions, bitch has been cruising for a bruising for weeks now. Hopefully, the two black eyes she'll get from her now crooked broken nose will remind her in future that it doesn’t pay to be a bitch.

It's not like I've been hiding my past from Noah, he knows full well that I'm not a virgin. He also knows that I didn’t do boyfriends before him. To have my dirty laundry aired out in front of most of the senior class though, in front of the boy that I'm falling harder and harder for by the hour, well that just pushed me over the edge. I don’t know if Noah has any idea what that ginger bitch has been spouting the last few weeks, since she only ever seems to do it when he's out of earshot.

"I have no alternative but to suspend you for a week, Miss Preston. Hopefully you learn in your time away, that violence is not the answer. If this happens again, I won't be so lenient and you may find yourself without a school place at all."

I nod. I can't even find it in myself to act apologetic, I'm still way too pissed.

I stand up with my Dad and we make our way out of the office.

"I can't believe you'd be this silly. You’ve only been here for a couple of weeks and already you've been suspended." He drags his hands down his face. "Why would you hit that girl?"

I shrug my shoulders. What am I meant to say? That she announced how much of a slut I am in front of everyone? That she basically called me a sicko for being with someone that is technically my step brother? Yeah I can see those explanation going down real well. I see Noah leaning against the wall directly opposite the admin offices. Upon seeing us, he lifts off and walks towards us, his eyes sweeping up and down my body.

"What happened?" He asks, not taking his eyes off me for even a second.

"She was very lucky, that’s what happened. She was only suspended for a week."

Noah's eyes shoot up in surprise to my Dad, he obviously didn’t think they'd be that harsh on me, even though my Dad seems to think I'm apparently lucky with the punishment I got.

"It's nice of you to wait for us and check but you should really get to class Noah. I think we've had enough trouble for one day. We'll see you at home later."

Noah looks to me, as if to check that I'm ok. I give him a slight nod and small smile before carrying on with my Dad towards the parking lot. I can feel Noah eyes staring at my back as I leave but I don’t have it in me to look back. After all, those things Brandy said didn’t just humiliate me.

***

I'm waiting for some tumbleweed to blow past and the music from the old Western movies to start, you know the one that’s just before the whole dueling scene. Me and my Dad are currently locked in battle of wills. He's pissed because apparently I embarassed him and I'm pissed because that fucker actually tried to ground me. I'm nearly eighteen for fucks sake, I'm pretty sure people get married at my age.

We are currently sitting in the living room, him on the big ass armchair, me on the sofa. My Dad's never been a yeller, he goes with the whole silent treatment but that doesn’t work on me. It didn’t work on me when I was six and tried to choke Declan Padgett for decapitating my Peppermint Candy Cane Barbie doll and it sure as hell isn't gonna work on me eleven years later, especially since he hasn’t seemed to of improved his technique at all.

"I don’t see why you had to stay home from work, it's not like I need a babysitter." Ok, maybe I'm not exactly making things easier on myself but if he's gonna be my shadow for the rest of the day, the least he could do is talk.

Nope, still the silence continues. I can't even watch TV since he seems to have hidden the remote and I'm not even gonna risk getting my phone since he's already promised to confiscate it as soon as he claps eyes on it. My Dads a gentleman, he would never go through a ladies purse so that’s sure as hell where my phone will be staying for the foreseeable future, at least until he leaves the room. The guy is gonna have to go to the bathroom some time today.

I may not have lived with my Dad for the past five years but he's a guy that’s stuck in his ways so I remember him pretty well.

"You told me when I was little that if some kids upsets me that I should hit them."

That should work, chucking his own words back at him.

"No I said if some kid hits you, you hit them back. That girl didn’t hit you though so your point is about as much use to your cause as a chocolate light bulb."

"A chocolate light bulb?" I'm barely restraining my laughter but I notice his lips do a slight twitch and I know I've got him.

Ain't nobody that can say I can't wrap my Daddy round my little pinky finger.

"I heard it on the TV and don’t try changing the subject. This isn't Atlanta anymore Liv, I don’t know what your Mother let you get away with but that stuff is dead here."

I barely restrain the rolling of my eyes as I attempt to look chastened. I was locked in a war with the Bitch for years, I'm pretty sure I could take on King Kong and not be scared of that shit. If it gets him off my back though and of course, if it gets that dumb grounding idea out of his head, I'm all for it.

"Liv, are you listening to me?"

"Hmmmm yep got it, no more knocking people out unless they hit me first."

"Please, enough of your sass, you could at least try to act remorseful."

I give a slight nod and look down in a bid to hide my smile. He sighs and stands up.

"You hungry? I managed to sneak in the new Avengers movie, might as well try and save this day from being a total bust and Pams at her Mother's so no Stallone." He rubs his hands together and I nod and give him a wide smile as he walks into the kitchen mumbling something about not being allowed to watch movies without Stallone in and Pam being a glutton for punishment.

As I said, I can wrap my Dad around my little finger.

***

I can hear to lock in the door from in the Living room and my Dad jumps up out of his seat, popcorn falling out of his lap onto the floor. He grabs the remote and switches off Grudge Match, the movie we're about halfway through.

"Crap crap crap, we need to clean this up, if they see this theyre gonna get ideas and Pam'll have my guts." He whispers as he tries to kick the pieces of popcorn under the chair.

I can't even keep the roar of laughter from coming out and I snort in a very unattractive fashion at the exact moment Noah comes strutting in. That soon has the laughter dying away and the blush creeping up.

"Kids, your back." My Dad says in a completely over-excitable tone as his shoulders jig from side to side.

This is definitely one of those times I wish I had a video camera. Noah looks from my Dad to me and then back my Dad again, who is still trying to look as natural as possible.

Chase comes in a few seconds later and straight away zooms in on my Dad.

"Hey, have you guys been eating popcorn?"

Huh? I should have figured the kid wouldn’t be able to tell his ass from his elbow most of the time, but as soon as foods involved he opens his eyes. I spend the next few minutes that my Dad spends digging himself into a hole, looking at the adonis that is Noah. I unconsciously lick my lips as I take in his wide built chest that is unfortunately hidden under his t-shirt, luckily I can use my imagination since I've seen it.

He looks right at me and gives me a look that tells me he want to talk to me. I look to my Dad and Chase who are now in some kind of heated discussion involving the hiding of popcorn, get up from the couch and walk into the kitchen with Noah hot on my tail.

Just as I turn the corner into the kitchen, I feel an arm grab the top of my arm and spin me around, where I come face to face with that same hard chest that I was ogling a few minutes ago. His lips come down on mine in a searing kiss that nearly makes me forget that my Dad is only in the next room. His tongue pokes past my lips, which I eagerly accept as he holds me so close I'm wondering if it's possible for him to absorb me.

He pulls away and my eyes stay closed a few moments longer, trying to recover from his onslaught. I feel the gentle brush of a hand down my cheek and open my eyes to stare into his beautiful deep green eyes.

"Are you ok? I've been worried about you all day. Why didn’t you text me back?"

My thoughts are muddled from that hot kiss.

"Ermmm, my phones in my bag, I haven't even looked at it." I say, he lets out a sigh of relief.

"I missed you today."

My stomach does that same backflip, youd think id have gotten used to it by now but no.

"I've missed you too." And I really did, which completely scares the hell outta me.

"You know, you’re the new hero at school."

Hero? The look of confusion on my face must show.

"You're not the only person Brandy has been a complete bitch to. At lunch there was a petition going around to get your suspension withdrawn."

I raise my eyebrows at that, though it just cements in my mind that punching Brandy out was the right decision. The returning memory of what went down this morning has my shoulders slumping though.

"Hey." Noah says pulling my chin up with his finger so I'm looking right at him. "Your lockers been cleaned up and what with you slugging Brandy, nobody's even mentioned it."

"What about the things she said?" I ask, though I fear the answer.

"Are you kidding me? All anyone's been able to talk about all day is Brandy's nose exploding. I gotta say, those freshmans have some pretty overactive imaginations, I've heard everything from you hit her with a hammer to Brandy got so angry that her nose just exploded right on her face."

I wait for the inevitable question to come as to who those names belong to that Brandy announced earlier, it doesn’t come through. Noah just takes me into his arms even tighter and gives me a little squeeze before letting me go. I don’t know whether to be grateful that he's not asking or worried. I know id be asking if I was him and I can't help but wonder what his angle is.