15. Lexie

Chapter 15

Lexie

I expected the sex to be rough and dirty, but when we got inside, Oliver pulled away, taking my hand and leading me to the bathroom.

I went limp as he sat me down on the toilet and started a hot bath. He undressed and got in first, then I shed my clothes, stepping in and sitting in front of him. He put his arms around me, my back against his bare chest.

He'd raided my cabinet for bath salts and bubble bath. The water smelled amazing and felt even better on my sore muscles. Oliver took a wet cloth and started to wash my legs, my thighs, my abdomen, eventually moving to my breasts, which made me gasp.

But he didn't linger, disappointing me slightly.

He washed my back, my hair, cleaning himself as he did so. He pampered me, massaging my shoulders as we sat in the hot water.

By the time the water was cold, my fingers and toes were pruning.

"Time to get out, sweetheart," Oliver murmured against my bare shoulder, and God, it felt like I was back in time instantly.

Oliver had always been good at pampering me whenever I was sick, tired, or just plain down in the dumps. He always knew exactly what I needed, anticipating it before I even had to ask.

That was one of the things that made him such an amazing boyfriend. If it weren't for his trust issues....

But he still had those so it didn't matter. I could enjoy the moment for now, but I had to remind myself that it wouldn't last forever.

Oliver got out of the bath, and I followed on slightly shaky legs. I wasn't used to so much standing and walking around. The night had been good and bad in many ways, but I found I liked the fast-paced environment.

And I really liked the extra money. If I could make this much or more every shift, I'd be able to get out of Wagontown a lot faster than I had thought.

Oliver led me into my bedroom and hesitated slightly at the door, a towel slung low over his hips.

"Can I stay tonight?"

"If you don't mind hearing me snore," I joked, and Oliver laughed.

"Never bothered me before."

"You teased me about it enough," I argued, and Oliver grinned as he climbed into bed with me.

He drew me into his arms. "You do snore like a bear, but you're pretty, so I let you get away with it," he mumbled.

I nuzzled against his neck, feeling for all the world like I'd never left his arms. This was dangerous. I knew that I should pull away, ask him to leave.

But if this was all it was, shouldn't I enjoy it? There could never be anything else between us, not after what happened, but at least I had this moment right now.

It was only a few minutes before I fell asleep.

When I woke several hours later, the sun was high in the sky, and I was sure it was late. I reached for Oliver but found only empty sheets. I sat up, frowning and feeling disappointed, but I didn't know what I expected.

He had a son to go back to. A family.

I took a deep breath, trying not to feel upset, and headed to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.

When I padded down to the kitchen, the smell of bacon hit my nose and I perked up.

But sadly, Oliver wasn't downstairs, shirtless, making me breakfast. He'd already made me a plate, covering it with a paper towel and leaving a note.

Eat up. - O

I sighed, wishing he was still here as I sat down and started to eat my bacon and eggs—over easy—just how I liked them. He remembered.

Things like that shouldn't make my heart soar but they did. Which was why I had to end all of this.

Not only was he my ex, he was my neighbor, and now, also my boss. Things had always been too complicated but this was getting ridiculous.

My phone buzzed on the table, and I picked it up without looking at the screen.

"Hello?"

"There you are," Gillian said, all in one breath. "I haven't heard from you in days."

I blinked. It had only been three days, what was she so worried for? We didn't talk for years .

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I've been busy. I started a new job, you know, the one Oliver offered me."

"Oh, that's right! Do you still have the job at the store? Thought you liked it there."

"I do. The Pig is just a second gig, to earn more money."

"My sister, the bartender," she crowed. "Does that mean you could slide me free drinks if I come down on Thursday nights?"

"Maybe a couple of beers," I hedged. "So what's up? You seem a little... manic."

"Well, I got dumped before I could do the dumping," she admitted. "And I guess I've been feeling a little restless. I wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping."

Shopping could be dismal when you only had twenty bucks to spend, but the time with my sister might be fun.

"All right. Where are we going?"

"Wilmington, of course!"

I scoffed. "I can't afford anything in Wilmington, Gilly."

"My treat," she said. "I got a promotion at work and I've got money to burn. Please , Lex. I need this."

"All right, but only if we can have brunch and mimosas and not have to drive."

"Perfect. My neighbor offered to pick us up anytime we need it. I can grab my car tomorrow." Gillian sounded excited, and her exuberance was contagious. I smiled.

"See you in a bit."

"Half an hour. Be ready!" she chirped and then hung up the phone.

I finished my breakfast, slamming down a cup of coffee to wake up a little bit. It was a rare day off for me from both jobs, so why not do it up with my sister?

It's been nice getting to know her all over again. I'd judged her too harshly before. It wasn't her fault that she was our parent's favorite.

Parents shouldn't have favorites, anyway.

I dressed in a simple pair of high-waisted shorts, a cute tank, and casual flats and put my hair up in a high ponytail. I headed out to her car with a smile when she beeped the horn in front of the cabin.

As we were leaving, I spotted Oliver at his pool with Trent, the little boy doing a cannonball and yelling for his father to watch. But Oliver's eyes were on me.

A shiver ran down my spine and I waved briefly as we drove past.

She looked at me sideways. "What was that?"

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"That was Oliver, right? He waved at you."

I shrugged. "So? People wave all the time," I said flatly.

Her eyes narrowed. "There's something more going on than what you've told me so far, and I want to know what it is at brunch."

"Shopping first," I pleaded. "I need a new pair of shoes for work."

Gillian's face softened. "Of course. You should have mentioned it before now."

"I didn't want to be a bother. You've already offered me so much."

"And you didn't take it, so this, you have to," she said firmly as she pulled out onto the highway.

The drive to Wilmington, the next town over, was blissfully filled with small talk. It was nice, chatting with Gillian. I should have reached out to her years ago, but Dick had isolated me from my family and friends. In fairness though, my relationship with Gillian was already strained, at least on my end, so I couldn't completely blame that one on him.

I didn't even notice how bad things were until I was away from him, away from the relationship. It was like I was stuck in this little bubble with him, and everything else faded away.

I supposed I just thought that was what love felt like. I certainly felt that way with Oliver, but it'd been a different kind of bubble, one filled with smiles and laughter and lovemaking, not criticism and insults.

We arrived at a department store in Wilmington, a place where we'd loved to come as kids, and we walked immediately to the shoe section.

I picked out a pair of comfortable shoes, groaning as I tried them on.

"These are going to be so much better, and I can wear them to both my jobs," I said excitedly.

Gillian frowned. "I don't know how I feel about you working so hard all the time," she admitted. "I worry about you."

"It's all right, Gilly. The hours add up to one full-time job, I'm not overworking myself." I wasn't exactly lying. The hours added up to around fifty a week, which was just a little more than a full-time job, but I needed to save up and get out of Wagontown before everything started to fall apart all over again.

Gillian hummed, sounding like she was still on the fence, but then I pointed out a pair of low-heeled boots I knew she'd love, and the subject was instantly changed.

We spent another couple of hours shopping, and Gillian forced me to pick out a couple of fun outfits I could wear to work. Of course, I had the grocery store t-shirt to wear to the store, but there was no strict uniform for the Pig, and I found a pair of cute black shorts and a classy, but sexy, white top that I thought would look nice.

Looking nice meant better tips, Krista had said, so I was going to try and look my best.

The brunch spot was a place simply called Bacon and Mimosas—two of my favorite things.

Gillian was all but drooling as she looked at the menu. "I skipped breakfast."

I grinned to myself, not wanting to tell her that Oliver had cooked me breakfast. I hadn't revealed that he had stayed over last night, and I wasn't sure if I was going to.

Based on what she said earlier, I was sure she was going to try and get it out of me, though.

"Tell me what happened with Gray," I said after we had our first sips of our mimosas.

Gillian sighed heavily. "I was going to break things off. I really was. But then he called and wanted to come over. He was being so sweet..."

"And you hooked up again," I said dryly.

She groaned. "Yeah, exactly. And then after, like some messed up pillow talk, he told me that he was seeing someone else, and it was getting serious."

"Oh, my God," I breathed. "What an absolute ass."

"I know, right? So of course, I kicked him out of my bed and out of my life." She paused, looking down into her half-empty mimosa glass. "He's still calling me, though."

"Do you answer?"

She shook her head. "I have more dignity than that. So, what's it like, working for your ex-boyfriend?"

I blinked. "It's not so bad."

"And he's your neighbor," she pointed out.

"He is," I said slowly, taking a bite of my avocado toast.

"Look, Lex, I'm just going to ask you flat out." She said, and then took a deep breath. "Are you going to keep hooking up with Oliver Stanhope?"

I winced, not wanting to answer but knowing I had to. "Yes, probably," I admitted quietly, and Gillian gasped.

"This is big, Lex. Really big."

I sighed. "You already knew we hooked up."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you were still hooking up!" she exclaimed. "Last thing I heard you were going to break things off."

"I didn't say that, exactly," I hedged.

"Lexie, you know you're playing with fire."

"I do," I said, huffing out a breath. "He stayed over last night. Made me breakfast this morning."

Her eyes widened. "That sounds like more than just hooking up."

"Doesn't it?" I sighed heavily. "He's confusing me. Because I know that he doesn't want a real relationship with me."

"How do you know that?"

"Come on, Gilly. You know how things ended. How angry he was."

"But that wasn't your fault?—"

"Wasn't it though? There was something about me that made him not trust me."

Gillian frowned. "I think he was just young. Insecure."

"Maybe," I muttered. "But I'm not sure whether or not anything has changed since then. I don't need to be dating another person who tries to control me. I get to have friends, even if they are men."

"He grew up," she pointed out. "And so did you."

I shook my head. "Maybe, but that doesn't mean we can be together now. He has a son, a whole other life. I'm a much different person than I was back then. I honestly just want to save money and get the hell out of here."

Gillian looked slightly hurt. "Will you call me and keep in touch?" she asked softly. "When you go?"

"Oh, Gilly." I reached over and took her hand. "Of course I will. I promise not to cut you out anymore."

She sniffled. "That's good. Because I need my big sister."

"And I need my little sister," I replied with a warm smile.

In the end, we didn't drink much and didn't need a ride home after all.

I looked out the window as Gillian drove us back to Wagontown, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over me.

Did I really want to leave here? For good?