To Love Jason Thorn (Page 4)

Me: There are always so many people around you. Doesn’t give many opportunities for new people to introduce themselves, I guess. But then again, maybe you already know me.

Jason: That’s interesting. Our friendship is so new, Michelle who is not really Michelle, and you’re already lying to me?

Me: I wouldn’t say it’s lying. Let’s say I’m one of your many admirers and a little shy one at that. Just wanted to talk to you.

Jason: Let’s play your game. What would you like to talk about?

Me: I have no idea. Maybe you can start with where you are and what you are doing?

Jason: Easy enough. As I’m already sure you are not a Michelle, you must already know my friend Dylan, I’m over his place.

Me: I know of him and I know that you are close friends, that’s about it.

Jason: Would you like me to introduce you two? It’ll be like a second introduction for us, too.

Me: Not necessary.

Jason: As you wish, new shy friend. What else would you like to talk about?

Me: Do you have any guesses as to who I could be?

Jason: Oh, another game. You sure are full of games tonight, mystery girl.

Me: It’s not exactly a game for me.

Five minutes passed but no texts came in. When it hit the ten-minute mark, I got anxious, worrying if he already knew who I was and had put a stop it. Getting up from my bed, I started pacing my small bedroom. When the space wasn’t enough, I sneaked out of my room and quietly went downstairs to grab a bottle of water and distract myself with something else.

Padding into the kitchen in a tank top and pajama bottoms, I stopped short when I found Jason staring out the small window over the sink.

“Jason?” I whispered.

Turning to me, he whispered back, “Hey, little one.” His chocolate eyes looked tired for his young age. “What are you doing up so late?”

Spying his phone on the kitchen counter, I forced my gaze away. “Bad dream, I guess. Couldn’t go back to sleep.” Acting nonchalant, I opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. “What were you looking at?”

“Just at my house.”

“Your mom okay?”

“I don’t know, Olive. I really don’t know.” Letting out a deep sigh, he absently reached for his phone and walked over to me.

“You can talk to me if something’s on your mind.”

He stopped right in front of me, his eyes almost invisible in the dark.

“I can?”

“Of course. I know you worry about your parents sometimes. I can listen if you need to.”

“You’re right, little Olive. I do worry about them, but they are the last thing I want to talk about.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, looking down at the floor.

“No need to be. Come and get us if you need anything, all right? I don’t think we’ll go to sleep for a few hours yet.” A gentle tug at my hair and he was gone.

I waited a few minutes before I padded back upstairs.

Just as I was about to go into my room and run for the phone, Dylan peeked out of his room.

“What are you doing, Olive?”

Damn it! Didn’t he have anything else to do other than make my life miserable?

“What are you doing?” I asked back, a little peeved and a little nervous.

He cocked his head, his eyebrows knitted.

“Go back to bed, Olive. It’s late.”

“I was doing exactly that before you stopped me.” I lifted the water bottle in my hand so he could see. “I went downstairs to get a drink, Dylan. I wasn’t doing anything.”

Neither one of us backed up. Just because his friend was staying over, I couldn’t leave my room to get a drink?

“Leave her alone, man.” I heard Jason’s voice coming from behind Dylan.

“Goodnight, Dylan,” I said at last, then slipped into my room without waiting for an answer. Who knew what was up his ass…

Jumping into my bed, I searched for the phone under my covers and had a small freak out when I couldn’t find it. I relaxed when I realized it was under my pillow.

The silly excitement rushing over me once again, I checked the messages only to find no new text messages from Jason.

Settling down, I told myself that I would only send one other text and then maybe try my luck in the morning before Amanda came to get the phone.

Me: What? No guesses? I’m surprised.

Jason: Sorry, I was busy. Which game were we playing again?

Seeing my first opening, I couldn’t help myself and jumped on it. Would he mention me?

Me: Busy? Busy with what? Already found a new friend, huh? You really are quick.

Jason: You amuse me. I was cornered by Dylan’s sister. Not exactly in the arms of another girl.

Not knowing my heart was about to get broken for the very first time, I swallowed the pain the word ‘cornered’ had caused and forced myself to text him back.

Me: It’s almost 2 AM, and you were with Dylan’s sister? This sounds good. Do tell me more.

Jason: She is just a little kid. A clingy one maybe, since she always follows me around, but still a kid. She sometimes forgets that. I’m much more interested in who you are. I’m ready to play. Are you ready to be discovered by me?

I read the text a thousand times, or maybe it was a million. A tear escaped from the corner of my eye, and I drew the covers over myself and lay back.

Gently, I put the phone down and pushed the covers off of my face to stare at my dark ceiling. At some point it buzzed with two new messages, but I ignored them. No, that’s not true, I remember reaching for the phone and deleting everything before the unexpected words could hurt me again, but at that point it was all blurry for me. I couldn’t read them even if I wanted to torture myself.

Clingy?

Cornered?

My heart broken into pieces, suddenly I couldn’t bear to see Jason in the morning. Couldn’t bear to sleep in the room across from him again.

Swinging my legs down from the bed, I didn’t realize I had kicked my own phone into my closet door.

Seconds later, Dylan burst into my room.

“Did you hea—Olive, what happened?”

Wiping at my tears, I looked up at my brother and more fresh tears slid down my already wet cheeks.

When he sat down on my bed and gently put his hand on my back, I threw my arms around him and hid my face in his neck. His arms came around me.

Warm and safe.

I heard footsteps at my door, but I was too scared to lift my head and come face to face with Jason. I didn’t think I would ever be able to look him in the eye again.

My breath hitching against Dylan’s neck, I said, “I’m sorry, just a bad dream.”

“It’s okay, little sis,” Dylan said. He hesitated, then added, “I’m sorry, too.”

The next few days were pure hell for me, having Jason sleep right across the room from mine, sitting right next to him at the dinner table. The worst was when I looked at him and found him smiling at me but knew it meant nothing at all.

Maybe it never had.

Chapter Three

Jason

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Emily’s worried face hovering over me.

“Good morning,” I said, yawning through the words. “What time is it? Did we miss breakfast?” Sitting up on the makeshift bed I’d made use of almost every other day for the last seven years, I rubbed my eyes and tried to wake up.

“Jason. Honey.” I heard Emily’s struggle with those simple words and became alert at once.