2

Chad smiled broadly as June ran to meet him and began to greet him warmly.

Ollie just watched for a moment, then his eyes began to wander around the cafe. They ended up stuck on me. I wanted to bite my lip, but I was able to stop it at the last minute. Instead, I fidgeted, and on that occasion I realized that David was holding me around the waist. When did this happen?

Ollie's jaw clenched strangely, and I preferred to look away from David. He looked down at me. How long have you been? "I'll have to go, honey. So he won't see me until next week, will he? "He pulled me close and kissed me. I felt like I was drowning. Too bad I don't have time to stop tonight. Dad and I are leaving in the afternoon. "

Damage. Maybe sex with my own boyfriend could distract me, at least for a while, from the bastard who kept my head busy, even when it wasn't appropriate at all.1

I nodded. "Yeah. Damage. But we'll make up for it next week. "We'll make sure up. I have to get this temporary craziness out of my head!

David smiled. "So enjoy the concert tomorrow." He seemed almost relieved that he didn't have to go there with us.

"Thanks. Let me know when you're there so I don't have to worry about you. "

"Of course," he said before turning to leave. He just waved at June and walked out the door.

I was probably red on my ass, because it seemed to me as if I could feel Ollie's gaze on me. And I hated him for it. I hated him for just thinking about watching my boyfriend.

I took a deep breath and was about to fit into the staff room, but June called to me, "Dad! Come here, damn it. The boys have great news! "

I'd give my whole paycheck for not having to go to them.

I bit my face from the inside and came up with the disjointed crowd. June looked like a blond angel between the two men dressed in black. And now her enthusiasm and pride shone in all directions. "Fallen will release an album! Do you understand? A real album! "She shouted before I could say anything.

I smiled broadly and this time it was real. I knew they had been working on it for over five years. They deserved it. "That's great. Congratulations! "I said mainly to Chad. I left Ollie somewhere in my peripheral vision.

"Nice to see you, Tate. How long has it been? Two years? "Jun's brother asked with a smile. His gray eyes twinkled. It almost seemed to me that he knew I was avoiding them all. In most cases, when they arrived in town, I preferred to go somewhere away. it worked so I saw no reason to change it.

I nodded. "Yeah, two years, Chad. By the way, you haven't changed at all. "

"But neither do you," he said amusedly. "Except for the blond, he's new."

I cleared my throat and shot Ollie. He stood there with his hands in his pockets and didn't seem to be listening to us. He looked through the shop window on the street.

"Yeah, it's David. I started dating him shortly after our last meeting. He's a nice guy, "I replied to Chad's note.

"She's wearing a suit," he said immediately, as if it were a disease.

June cleared her throat.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, he studies law and goes to court ..."

"So you've improved a lot." And this was Ollie. Ollie and his biting tone, which shone beneath my skin and awakened in me the desire to scrape the weight of the look he was now staring at me.

This time, Chad cleared his throat, and June said, "I have to show you something!" Before I knew it, she dragged her brother into the staff room.

Ollie paid no attention to them. He didn't take his chocolate eyes off me when he remarked, "I can't see the ring."

I tried to arm myself, but it hurt. "None, Ollie," I said abruptly.

Even though there were visitors in the cafe, it seemed to me that the two of us were on a desert island. There was no escape from him as he looked at me from under his long black lashes. How did he do this?

"You're staring," he said after a moment.

"No, I don't. I was just ... I was just looking at your neck tattoo, "I explained. It was a lie and we probably both knew it. But still ... at that moment I was struck by the choice of image. Why the anchor?

"Ah," he said calmly, taking a step forward, straight at me. The whole world shrank at the two of us. At Ollie. At the damn scent I never got out of my head. "What about you?"

What?

"Me?" I blurted out without thinking. He confused me, because I had just remembered one memory of driving out of town ...

"Do you have a tattoo, too?" He muttered, leaning forward a little.

He shortened the distance between us again.

Oxygen is just running out in our small world. I took a hard breath. "I have. Yeah. Yeah. I have. Even two. "

Why the hell did I say that?

Ollie pulled the corner of his mouth in a half-smile and began to study my body carefully from top to bottom. And back again.

I had to suppress a strong desire to cover my hands or run. Neither would be dignified. But the fact was, I felt naked in front of him. And what was worse? He knew how naked I looked.

He licked his lip and exhaled, "Where exactly?"

He didn't care. Nothing. And yet I tossed between the urge to bat him and the urge to tell him, and to unleash his imagination about what he couldn't have. In the end, reason prevailed: "It's none of your business."

He looked away and grinned. "And your doll approves of it?"

"What, please?" I shouted, perhaps too frightened.

He took another step forward and I hit my back on the counter. There was no escape. Ollie leaned over and snarled at me indignantly, "Dad, what the hell did he do to you? You're like exchanged. "

I shook my head. "I don't know what it's about-"

"But you know," he growled. "The girl I knew would have sent me to hell a long time ago. But you. You're insecure, confused and shy." It sounded like serious accusations from his mouth.1

I grabbed the counter behind me. "People are changing, they are evolving. I've learned to compromise and be nice to people, Ollie. "

He frowned. "You mean you can't stand your way and you're pretending."

It wasn't even a question. He just said it. As a completely unquestionable fact.

"I don't care about your wise advice in life," I snapped at him, still feeling cornered.3

He visibly tensed. "Of course not," he confirmed, stepping away from me.

I could finally breathe.

At that moment, I heard Chad behind me. "Dad, wouldn't you like to come to our rehearsal today with June? I need to fine-tune the playlist a bit, and it's been a hell of a long time since you've seen us play. I promise we've improved a lot, "he said with a chuckle. In the meantime, he walked in front of me and gave me a bright smile." Then we could go for a beer. " His tone was sincere, and I believed the offer was well-intentioned. We didn't talk for a long time - with him and the rest of the band.

But I had a desire to die at the thought. And the taste definitely grew stronger as Ollie grinned in annoyance.

June, on the other hand, looked like an enthusiastic dog just waiting for me to nod.

I might survive one night, right? And even if I go to that concert tomorrow, I wouldn't have to meet Ollie at all. I'll just go straight to the boiler and that's it.

Plus, I was really curious about how they actually played after that time. I've always liked their music. The boys controlled their instruments precisely, and Ollie's voice was simply ...

Okay, that's enough.

I sighed and nodded. "Oh yeah. I'll come. "As soon as I let the words out of my mouth, I felt like I was making a mistake.

Cardinal error.

But June shone like a smaller sun and she immediately told me she would pick me up at six. There was no going back.