Book of you and i when t.., p.12
Book of You & I: When Two Souls Collide, page 12
“I don’t know, Maia. You’d have to ask him. But I’m pretty sure he won’t give you a straight answer.”
“He won’t; even I can see the big-ass wall he puts up. And I’m not even close enough to try and break it anyway, so...”
“Let’s just stay here for the rest of the day and relax. Because we fucking deserve it.” She leans closer to me. “And why haven’t you poured the wine?”
I throw my head back, laughing. “And she’s back.” I hand her a glass. “But what about the pictures and videos?”
“Let’s worry about that later. We have plenty of time before the concert at Rockwood tomorrow tonight. Today is just for us to relax. You, me, this wine, the hot tub, and the wonderful view of the city. No better way to make me forget…”
“¡Salud y amén!”
“All I am is music, and you’re my favorite fan. But all you are is stupid, for loving me so bad.” ~ Symphonic Orchestra, Alexandra Kessler.
OLIVIA – NEW YORK
BRANDON STORMS INTO THE APARTMENT after dropping his girlfriend off at the airport, a fuming look on his face. Sam and Scott exchange weird glances and take off after him as he stomps up the stairs.
What the fuck was that? Maia and I stay still, looking at each other as we finish cleaning up after breakfast.
“Do you think they’re just going to blow over whatever shit this is?” she asks, but it sounds more like a statement.
“I’d be more surprised if we ever find out.” I sigh, still stunned.
Shortly after, Sam walks down to help us with the clean-up. He’s quiet, adding to the awkwardness.
“Hey, Sam?” I call out to him. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah, it’s nothing important. Just some stuff about the band for when we get back.” He rubs the back of his head.
Damn it, Sam, I want to know.
“Okay.”
Scott and Brandon come back, bags in hand. We all head down and put everything in the trunk. Then we settle in.
“Let’s go home,” Sam says with a sigh.
“We’re not buying that, right?” Maia whispers to me as we drive off.
I shake my head. “Nah, they wouldn’t have looked worried if it were about the band. I’m not sure what it is, but something’s off,” I whisper.
I take out my phone to tell Ella we’re on our way back, and she tells me they’re leaving soon.
“Do you think we’ll meet Noah?” Maia asks teasingly.
“This whole Noah thing is so funny. Like, what are the odds that he’s Scott’s brother?” I say a little too loud.
“What’s that about my brother?” Scott turns to us. Ooh, someone’s protective.
“It’s nothing, just laughing about the whole thing with him and my sister.” I shrug.
“I guess that is a pretty big coincidence. He lives with us too. He kind of got as sick of our parents as I did.”
“Don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing...” I trail off. He shrugs and turns back around to give Sam directions.
I notice Brandon’s been quiet for a while, so I nudge his arm to get his attention.
“Hey, are you okay? You haven’t said a word since you got back from the airport.” I lean closer to him and whisper.
“Nothing you need to worry about. It’s just band stuff,” he whispers back.
I sigh, not believing his answer. This has nothing to do with you; let it go. I give him a slight smile. But what if it is…?
“Did you and Maia at least have fun on the trip?” he asks.
“Oh yeah, we loved it. I don’t think we’ll ever get tired of New York; we took so many pictures that we could fill the walls of our studio. It was about time we got new material for our portfolio,” I smile as I answer, and Brandon chuckles.
“What?” I can feel my cheeks getting red.
“No, no, it’s nothing. Just that you got so excited about the pictures,” he quickly replies. “I think it’s kinda cute.” He smiles, and we look at each other a little longer than we should, again.
“Anyway, we need to get most of them developed. Hope we didn’t have our fingers on the lenses,” I joke, but he barely lets out a puff of air—lousy comment, dumbass.
“Well, let me know if at least one of them comes out decent,” he tries to joke back, and I can’t help but chuckle at how stupid we sound.
“Are you going to make those terrible jokes the whole drive home? If so, I’ll turn up the music,” Scott complains.
“Ugh, thank you! One more, and I was going to jump out of the car,” Maia groans, throwing her head back on the seat.
I lean back too, closing my eyes and enjoying the drive home as the music echoes in the background.
∞
OCEAN CITY
“Hey, we’re almost there.” I hear someone say while slightly shaking me.
I open my eyes, stretch my arms, and yawn. The sunset’s by the bay as we cross the bridge into Ocean City. I’ll never get tired of this view. The sky is beautifully colored with blue, red, and orange tones, reflecting over the water.
“Home, sweet home,” Sam says with a hint of a smile.
I take in the views through the window as we drive by, completely zoning out. Every time we cross this bridge, I’m reminded of why I love living here and how peaceful this marvelous oceanic scenery is.
“Ollie, do you need me to drop you off right away, or can we take a detour?” Sam asks, pulling me back from the trance.
“No, there’s no rush to get home. Ella’s class took off around the same time as us, but they’re still on the road. Why? What do you have in mind?”
“Thought we could show you where we live?” He looks back at me through the mirror, waiting for an answer, and I nod.
Now that he mentions that, I notice he was already driving right toward the marina, where we live. Maia and I look at each other. There aren’t many buildings around that area. Meaning: they could be our neighbors, and we didn’t even know.
“Hold up. You live by the marina too?” Maia asks.
“What do you mean, too? You guys live there?” Scott turns around in his seat.
“Yeah, in the White Marlins.”
“And we’re in Emerson Towers…” Scott trails off as he slowly turns to look at Sam.
“Sam! How could you not tell us that you’re practically our neighbors? You even picked us up,” I exclaim, baffled by this brand-new information.
“Umm, I guess I was so overwhelmed with everything else and getting ready for our trip that I forgot,” he says with a guilty expression. Boy, how can you forget where you live?
We all burst out laughing. As the laughter dies down, Sam pulls up in front of their building; right across the dock from us.
It has beautiful blueish-gray tiles, white frames, and cozy balconies overlooking the docks. The building’s also surrounded by little gardens and bushes, giving it a homey feeling. Their view of the sunrises and sunsets must be amazing.
“And this is us. How do you like it?” Brandon asks, leaning closer to me.
“Looks nice! We can see it from our apartment.” I laugh.
“So, where are you guys?”
“Look to your right. Do you see that white and brown building across the dock? That’s it!” I point through the window.
“Oh, yeah! We considered that one, but these apartments had more rooms. And you know…we’re four guys.” Brandon shrugs. "We need the space."
“That’s understandable. We got lucky to score one with three rooms. You guys would’ve been very cramped.”
Ping. My phone’s notifications interrupt our conversation. “It’s Ella. They’re crossing the bridge, and Noah’s driving her home,” I read out loud. Sam heads back to our building.
“Aww, look, even your little bro is more of a gentleman than you… What went wrong there?” Maia teases Scott.
“Well, he has a reason to: he wants to impress Ollie’s sister. Meanwhile, I don’t have to impress anyone here,” he says without looking back at her. Ouch.
“Oh, so you’re only nice when you want something? What a gem of a human being,” she replies sarcastically.
“Okay, we’re here! Scott, help me with their bags. Thanks,” Sam cuts them off and gives Scott a shut-up look. He turns off the car, and we get out.
I breathe in, looking up at our building and already feeling calmer now that I’m back home. I must’ve zoned out again because I didn’t notice Brandon standing before me.
“Huh, sorry, were you saying something?” I blink.
“Just how weird it is that we’ve never met yet live so close.” He pushes his hair back. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s done that at this point. I’ve lost count of how many times it’s made me blush.
“We would’ve met eventually, crossed paths or something.” I shrug, kicking up some dust with my shoes. “Who knows? Maybe we weren’t meant to meet until now.”
“Hmm,” he hums. “Do you believe in destiny, then?” He tilts his head, a dreamy smile on his face, sporting a confidence he wasn’t showing off before. Where was this until now?
I open my mouth to answer, but Maia interrupts before I can say anything. “Here comes the lovebirds,” she says in a sing-song voice.
We turn around to see Noah pull up in his car, parking a little further from the door. They get out, he takes Ella’s bags out of his trunk, and they walk toward us. Very close to each other, might I add…
I look at Maia: So, he is cute. She looks back: I know, right?
He looks like a mini version of Scott but with less curly hair. His expression looks bright, like he has no worries in the world. They’re laughing, probably at us, and how creepy we all must look while staring at them.
I assume she rolls her eyes at Maia and me for giving her suggestive looks. We need to have our weekly girls’ night, like right now.
“What’s up, guys? So nice to finally meet you.” She smiles. “And—”
“So, this is Noah, the new student?” Maia cuts her off. “I bet he taught you a lot about camping…”
“Of course he did. I’m sure my little bro did everything I taught him!” Scott throws an arm across Noah’s shoulder. “You work fast, little man. You just came here and already have a girlfriend. I’m impressed.” He ruffles his hair a bit, clearly annoying him, doing his job as older sibling.
“Shut up, dumbass.” Noah pushes him off, but he keeps roughing him up.
“Come on, let’s go home.” Scott starts walking backward to the car. “Nice meeting you, Ella. We’ll probably see a lot more of each other.” He throws her a wink before turning around.
“For sure. See you around, guys! And guess I’ll see you Monday?” Ella laughs it off before looking at Noah.
Noah hugs her goodbye. “Of course!”
“Hey, listen! Thank you so much for helping us out this week. You’ll receive your payment by tomorrow,” Sam says as he hugs us goodbye. “Also, we have our weekly meetings every Monday in the recording studio at four. Does that work for you?”
“Yeah, that works!” I smile. “Text us the address.”
“Sure thing,” Sam replies as he gets in his car.
“See ya Monday.” Brandon smiles as he opens the passenger door. “Don’t forget you owe me an answer,” he hollers at me from the car. I shake my head as we watch them drive.
“What was that about?” Ella asks with a confused look as we walk into the building and toward the elevator.
“Something stupid he asked me right before you walked up to us, and I didn’t get to answer,” I say, brushing it off. “And don’t think you can distract us with questions; you’re telling us everything that happened on your trip, okay?”
“But not before you tell me what went on during yours! I saw a lot of tension going around today. We all need to spill the tea.”
∞
“Okay, hold up! Let me see if I got this right…” Ella blinks a couple of times. “So, Brandon is the same guy you chickened out on in the gas station and who you bumped into at his concert. And you had all these moments, flirting, touching, and even almost kissing?!”
“Sí,” I nod.
“But then his ‘girlfriend’ from London came back to surprise him and acted all weird? And he pretended like nothing happened between you two? This shit’s a lot to process, dude.” She lies back in the chair. Ugh, you’re telling me!
“Sí, it’s all a big mess. But he did apologize for the confusion and acting weird.” I take a sip of my wine.
“Yeah, because that makes everything better,” Ella scoffs.
“What was the question? The one you owe him an answer to,” Maia asks.
“We were talking about how weird it is that we’ve never met, even though we’re neighbors. I said maybe we weren’t meant to meet yet, and he asked if I believed in destiny.”
“But why would he ask that if he’s supposed to be dating this Hannah girl?” Ella exclaims.
“Anna,” Maia and I correct her at the same time.
“Lo mismo (Same thing).” Ella waves her hand around.
“He might not have meant it romantically, you know? Sometimes you feel that way when you form friendships spontaneously. But he was acting pretty sketchy this whole day,” Maia shrugs.
“Right? He came back from the airport looking like someone died but didn’t say anything about it to us.”
“Yeah, the guys just told us it was just band stuff, but we’re not stupid. Something happened, and they won’t say what it is,” Maia snickers.
“What about Sam? He was being kinda flirty that day on the beach, no?” Ella waggles her eyebrows.
“Funny story, he told us he had a crush on Ollie all through junior and senior year. And I’m pretty sure he’s still crushing on her,” Maia teases me, and Ella immediately agrees.
“No, come on! I’m pretty sure he got over his silly high school crush; it’s been years. Also, he was just being nice to me. He was so not flirting,” I protest. But was he?
“Hmm,” they both say with pursed lips, and I roll my eyes.
“I just need to figure out this Brandon shit. He’s been confusing me since day one.” I sigh and lean back.
“I mean, you do seem pretty interested in him,” Maia teases.
“Shhh, I’m done! Your turn now. How was your camping trip?” I ask Ella. I need this conversation about my lack of a love life to be over already.
“Well, you better pour yourselves some more wine…”
∞
Ella smiles at Maia and me as we stare back, mouths wide open. “And that’s what happens when you’re not too scared to make a move.”
“Ayy, cállate. You did nothing. It was all Noah.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“At least I got kissed and had cute little moments at the lake and campfire. You got played, and Maia just got insulted by a rock star.”
“Do not drag me into this! I am not the one with boy problems; that’s on you guys. My love life is simply nonexistent,” Maia protests, and Ella shrugs.
“I still can’t believe all that happened… We kissed again before he dropped me off, but I can’t process that yet.”
Maia and I look at each other as if saying, aww.
“Nah, I can’t get mad. That’s the cutest story anyone has ever told me. I will admit it makes me just slightly jealous, but you will not see the light of day if you tell anyone outside this room,” Maia laughs. “Cheers to at least one of us having a love life!”
“Cheers to that!” Ella almost squeals. Oh, how I missed my girls’ night this past week.
Chapter Seven
“I’ve never been in love, never even tried. Not because I don’t want to, but because I don’t know how to act.” ~ Lovesick, Alexandra Kessler.
OLIVIA – OCEAN CITY
MAIA LOOKS AT MY OUTFIT AS WE GET IN THE ELEVATOR. “Huh.”
“¿Qué?” I give her a side-eye.
“Are you dressing to impress, honey? I know the first meeting got canceled, and we haven’t seen the boys in a week, but this is another level.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Who would I even want to impress, anyway?”
“I was just teasing! Yes, we dress for ourselves, but I wasn’t expecting you to get all shy and shit.”
“Let’s just go.”
We settle into my car and set the GPS, realizing the studio is just a few blocks away. We could have walked. But we’re too lazy today. During the entire drive, I could sense Maia’s accusatory gaze, but I was still hung up on my outfit choice.
“Maia, this is ridiculous. All I did was put on a simple dress and a jacket. Is it really that different from my usual?”
“Girl, yes. We wear jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers to our office.”
“Can’t I dress nice?”
“Yes, you can! But don’t lie to my face and say that you don’t have any ulterior motives.” She narrows her eyes at me.
