When We Touch (Whiskey Creek 0.5)(13)
Author: Brenda Novak

But Olivia couldn’t go back there quite yet. Telling herself she’d have just one drink, she drove down the street and parked in front of the bar.

Chapter 6

Brandon’s phone woke him. “Hello?” he muttered, squinting to see the time displayed on his digital alarm.

He was pretty sure it read 1:10.

“Brandon?”

Olivia. He recognized her voice immediately—although he could tell there was something wrong. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry, Brandon.”

She sounded genuinely distraught. “For what, honey? It’s okay that you didn’t come over. I wasn’t really expecting you.”

“I meant for b-bothering you in the middle of the night.”

When she sniffed, he gripped the phone harder. She was crying. “That’s okay, too. What’s wrong?”

“Um…do you think…would it be too much trouble…I hate to ask this, but…”

“Where are you?” He was awake enough to hear that she was slurring her words. That, together with the loud music in the background, indicated she was at a bar. But, if so, where? In Sac? Or in Whiskey Creek?

“S-s-sexy S-s-Sadie’s!” she announced, laughing. “I think I’m drunk. I was only going to have one drink, but…I don’t know what happened.”

“You had more.”

“Yep.”

He’d assumed she left town. He’d known she’d never show up at his place. “Do you need me to come get you?”

“Would you?” She seemed infinitely relieved.

“Of course.” He rolled out of bed and began to dress. “Where’s your car?”

“Out front. But I don’t think-I don’t think I should drive, Brandon. It wouldn’t be safe. I might hurt some-somebody. I wouldn’t want to hurt anybody.”

“You’re not going to get behind the wheel, sweetheart.”

“No, but…I shouldn’t have called you. Today’s the first time we ever really talked since prom so…it’s rude, right? To do that to a new friend?”

“Is that what we are?”

“Aren’t we?”

He smiled at her distress. “Of course we are.”

“Okay, good. Anyway, I’d call someone else but…all my other friends belong to Kyle.”

“They what?”

“They’re his friends. Callie and Eve and Riley and Ted and Cheyenne…”

She seemed to lose her train of thought before she could name all the members of the tight clique Kyle had belonged to since grade school. Rattling them off by memory wouldn’t be that easy to do sober, since there were at least ten.

“Losing them, along with everything else, must’ve been hard.” Her own friends had gotten married or taken jobs elsewhere, but most of Kyle’s had remained here in Whiskey Creek and were as close as ever. A lot of people envied the support and friendship they gave each other. He doubted they liked her any less, but he could see why she could no longer hang out with them.

“Cheyenne’s so nice,” she was saying. “Even with that monster of a mother. Can you believe she grew up living in motels and clunker cars? That she had to beg on street corners? What kind of life would that be?”

He found his shoes and headed to the kitchen for his keys. “Cheyenne’s nice,” he agreed.

“And here I am wallowing in self-pity because my boyfriend got my sister pregnant. I should be more grateful.”

“You’ll get through this.”

“Do you think she did it on purpose?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“Me, neither,” she responded. “I wish I could talk to Cheyenne about it. But…it’s not the same with Kyle’s friends now. They have to be…have to be loyal to him. They were his friends first. I know they feel bad about what’s happened, but…what can they do? No more Fridays at the coffee shop for me.” She’d added a singsong quality to her voice, but that quickly fell away. “I wish…I wish it could be different. I wish—”

“Olivia?” He interrupted because he’d heard her voice crack and knew she was about to break down again. “Don’t think about Cheyenne or any of Kyle’s other friends—”

“Who aren’t my friends anymore,” she broke in, but he didn’t let her distract him.

“I’m coming, okay? I’ve got my keys in my hand. I’ll talk to you when I get there.”

“I’m sorry, Brandon. You shouldn’t have to come out so late.”

“I don’t mind,” he said. “Just stay put. I’m on my way.”

“Thank you. I’m so tired. Maybe if I get some sleep tomorrow will be better.”

“Of course it will. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of you.” He strode to his front door. “Now let me talk to Fisk.”

She didn’t need to ask who Fisk was. He’d been bartending at the Sexy Sadie since they were kids. “Sure. Goodbye, Brandon. You’re coming for me, right? You’re coming now? And you’ll show me the stars?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “If that’s what you want, honey. Give the phone to Fisk.”

“Okay…”

The music got even louder as the phone changed hands. Then Brandon heard the boom of Fisk’s deep voice. “‘Lo?”

“Fisk, Brandon Lucero.”

“Oh, hey, Brandon. What’s up?”

“I wanted to ask if you’d keep an eye on Olivia until I get there. Can you do that for me?”

“I would, but—”

“No buts. Don’t let her go anywhere.”

Fisk lowered his voice. “I doubt she could make it to the door. That’s why I called Kyle a few minutes ago. I know he’s seeing her sister these days—what a mess that is—but as soon as I said I was going to call Noelle she wouldn’t give me her phone, and I didn’t have the number for any of her friends or family. So it was Kyle or no one.”

Brandon had been jogging to his truck. At this, he stopped. “Don’t let him take her.”

“I just wanted someone to get her home safe.”

“I’ll see to that.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop him, Brandon. You’d better get here quick.”

“Shit.” Brandon hit the end button as he fired up his truck and roared out of his driveway.