Olive's P.O.V."Hailey?" I called out to her as I approached the bomb that must have gone off in the kitchen. The house was a complete disaster. "Hailey, did you try to cook again?" Hailey cannot cook to save her life, but she still tries anyway. She swears she just needs more practice, but I think she's cursed because everything stops working when she touches it in the kitchen or starts working in a weird way. I narrowly avoided being splattered down on by some odd substance that clung to the ceiling. Lucas was suppressing his laughter behind me, picking up what looked like an attempt at brownies, maybe? He eyed it curiously, looking at me with pressed lips. He was trying to be polite by not laughing, but he couldn't hold it in anymore. His laughter filled the apartment and my heart. It was the best sound I had heard in a while. His laugh was perfect and fit him exactly right. It was contagious too, making me laugh alongside him. Hailey stepped out of her room, with a towel on her

Olive's P.O.V. Lucas froze stiff behind me as we both stared at the tall blonde in his recliner. The woman had on a trench coat, and I'm positive there was nothing beneath it. Her features were stunning, sharp with wide eyes. She exuded confidence by lifting her head. It did not embarrass her to be sitting there, in just a trench coat, in front of me. She displayed her long legs by crossing them. She was like a model in her beauty and perfection. "Janessa." Lucas let her name slip from his lips. My chest tightened. I was an idiot to think he liked me. He has options and I'm just one of them. I had opened up to him today, letting myself feel so alive with him by my side. Being back in the ring was amazing, and I had been riding that high since we left the warehouse. Reality slapped me hard in the face in the way of a stunning woman. She got up, her eyes assessing me, not impressed by what they found. Even though I felt like an ugly toad beside her, I held my head high, refusing to s

Olive's P.O.V. The man that makes you scream: What is my Rose up to today?I have yet to reply to his text. I had been staring at it for hours, deciding on whether I should respond. I had ignored it earlier because I wanted to focus on mom. Now that I am back at Hailey's penthouse, we are weighing my options. "He could very well like you. I mean, look, he's texting you the very next day." Hailey argued. She was obviously team get-together-with-Lucas. "I don't know, Hails. I feel like I should just avoid him right now. Between school and my mom, now isn't the time for a boyfriend." I sighed. "Fine, no boyfriend, but you can still sleep with him. Didn't you say he was the best sex you'd had?" She tapped her elbow on me playfully. "Yes, but I'm worried I'll get too attached. I keep hoping there will be more, but it really shouldn't be. It's just complicated with him, and I don't need that." I shook my head. "Well, uncomplicate it. Do what you did the first night, make it only about

Olive's P.O.V.I over-thought my outfit about a million and one times. Not wanting to dress up just for a hookup, but also not wanting to look like a slob. Deciding on something to wear felt like an impossible task until Hailey entered the room. She gave me a sweet, sleeveless, dark blue sundress that was both cute and casual. It was just right.There seemed no need for me to do my makeup, since all we would do was have sex. I kicked myself in the ass when I realized I had showed up early. The traffic was lighter than I thought it would be, causing me to be early. Lucas opened the door, shirtless, with damp hair, clearly having just showered. He looked hot as hell as usual.I caged my bottom lip between my teeth, admiring his chiseled abs and tattoos. The heavens must have sent this man down because of how damn handsome he was. That sexy smirk of his was ever present as he reached for my hand, pulling me into the apartment. The moment the door closed behind me, he pinned me against th

Olive's P.O.V. Dad had called, but I ignored it. I didn't want to talk to him right now, especially not by mom. It's his fault I missed all these years with her. It's his fault that she had to run away. How could he ever hurt her like that? I watched mom sleep, wondering how she endured him for 10 years. She was strong in her own way.I decided to use this time to call my doctor and get myself checked. She placed an order with the hospital I was at, to take my blood and have it tested. I would have the results in two weeks, and we'd talk about options once she had them. She then scheduled me for a breast screening at the end of the month. I checked in on mom again, seeing she was still asleep."Sorry to bother you, Nancy." I spoke to the nurse at the round desk. "Can you please let my mother know that I went to get my blood drawn if she wakes up wondering where I went?""Of course, darling. No problem." She answered in her sweet southern accent. I'd only ever heard it in movies, havi