Chapter 5: Dinner.

Three years ago.

Jace's POV.

My Mom has never liked any of my friends, that includes Diego. She thinks my friends are a bad influence and that they make me do stuff that a person my age is not supposed to be doing.

But here's the thing, my friends are just idiots, the only thing that they've ever influenced me into was doing drugs, and I honestly think that we influenced each other, the rest was all me.

I know my mum thinks Olivia is just like the rest of my friends, I haven't been around the girl long enough to know what her personality is like but it's not rocket science, It's pretty obvious that she's nothing like any of my friends.

Olivia brought a side dish to this dinner, she helped my mum set the table and she offered to say grace before we started eating.

My friends are assholes, they would never.

We're all eating in silence which is a first for my family.

I have three siblings, Aaron, Marianna and Luna. Aaron and Marianna are sixteen year old twins while Luna is only five and together they make a loud bunch.

Not tonight though.

I keep glancing at Olivia from now and then since she's sitting next to me, she hasn't looked at me once, maybe it's because she's having a small chat with my sister Marianna or maybe it's because she's uncomfortable but either way, it's making my head cloud with questions cause for the first time in my life, I really don't know what a girl thinks of me.

"This salad is amazing." Says Aaron with his mouth full while looking at Olivia and pointing down at his plate with a fork.

"Thanks." She smiles at him.

"What'd you do, Force your mom to make it?" He asks playfully.

"No, I made it." She says.

"Oh, wow, that's impressive," Says Marianna from across the table.

"Thank you." She smiles again.

"Maybe you can teach Marianna how to hold a cooking stick." Mum speaks for the first time since we sat down.

"Hey!" Marianna pipes, choking on her food, Aaron laughs.

"So, Olivia, you live with your parents?" Asks Mum.

"Um, yeah but they're not around right now, my Dad's in Europe for his art exhibition and my mom's in Los Angeles, she's a movie producer." She informs.

I notice that she curled her fists on her lap while saying those words, like it was some kind of a nervous reaction or something.

"Oh, that sounds good, who's home with you then?" She fires another question.

"No one, just me and my dog, our neighbor Mrs Johnson used to look after me before but I'm old enough to look after myself now." She's now scratching the inside of her palm.

"Meanwhile, our Mom won't even leave us alone with Jace, who claims to be a big brother and an adult." Aaron jokes, they all laugh, including Olivia.

The laugh eases up her nerves, she leans her arms on the table and gleam flashes in her eyes.

"Well, Jace only ever thinks about partying, he doesn't sound as mature as she does." Mum looks at me pointedly.

I just know the comparison that's gonna be happening from now on is gonna be so fucking annoying.

"I love your hair, it's so dark and shinny." Marianna compliments Olivia, Olivia touches a piece of her hair and examines it.

"I was actually thinking of cutting it." She mutters underneath her tone.

"Are you JJ's girlfriend?" Asks little Luna in a high pitched tone.

The question makes Olivia physically uncomfortable.

"Wouldn't that be a miracle." Aaron breathes out a laugh, I kick him underneath the table, he whines in silence.

"No, pumpkin, she's not my girlfriend." I shake my head at Luna, she looks between Olivia and I and asks, "Why not?"

"He's still dating that mean girl, remember?" Marianna ruffles Luna's hair.

"We broke up, actually." I stare down at my plate.

"And you forgot to tell us? Dude! We would have celebrated." Marianna exclaims.

"Well, I'm telling you now." I point out, "I broke up with Sandra and doctor Williams said I can't play football anymore so I quit." I finally inform them.

They all pause and the gasp that leaves Marianna's mouth explains everyone's shock.

I roll my eyes.

"But you love football." Aaron states the obvious.

"Loved, past tense." I act like I'm over it.

I'm so not over it.

"So what do you love now if not football?" Asks Marianna.

"You better not say riding that bike." Mum points at me with a fork.

"Can we not talk about me?" I ask nicely, "Please?" I look at all of them.

They all go quiet and that's how the rest of the dinner goes, with everyone eating in silence.

Olivia checks her phone and glances at me.

"I have to go." She whispers, "Thanks for the lovely dinner, Mrs Rodriguez, it was delicious." She says to Mum as she withdraws from her seat.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." Mum stands from her chair and strides towards Olivia, engulfing her into a hug, Aaron and Marianna both look at me, I shrug. "Come by any time, okay?" She rests her hands on Olivia's shoulders.

"Okay." Olivia nods.

Mum sends me a look before sitting back down, I sigh, knowing exactly what that look is saying.

Jace, I know you used this innocent girl for your own selfish satisfactions cause there's just no way you have a decent friend like her.

Yeah, yeah.

I bring myself to my feet so I can escort Olivia out of the house, she waves and says goodnight to my siblings, they all wave back at the same time while I shake my head at their 'good' behavior.

I smile at the white Toyota Fortuner legender parked in my driveway.

"Let me guess, that's your Dad's car, the one that's never moved from your driveway." I stare at the car.

"Correct." She also stares at the car as we stand on the porch.

"I can't believe you live right across the street from Diego, he and I used to skate right by your house every day before we discovered girls and parties." I chuckle.

"I know, I watched you guys sometimes." She says, I turn my head to look at her, she's staring into the dark night.

"You did?" I ask suspiciously, she snaps her head to me and widens her eyes.

"Not in a creepy way, just in admiration, I admired how other kids could just go outside and ride their bikes or skate or sell lemonade." She explains in a hurried tone.

"Why couldn't you?" I curiously narrow my eyes at her, shoving my hands in my pockets.

She looks down at her feet, scratching her cheek then gliding her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face which gives me a clear view.

Damn.

I swallow.

"I used to have a hard time socializing." She tells me, "Still do." She adds, meeting my eyes.

For the first time since we met, we stare into each other's eyes for more than a minute.

I don't know what she's thinking at this moment but I'm not thinking of anything at all, I'm just here, living in the moment.

Whatever this moment is.

"Diego and I would have taught you how to skate." The words come out as a whisper.

"I would have loved that." She responds in the same tone, her blue eyes wildly searching mine.

God, I've never wanted to kiss someone so bad.

I break eye contact as soon as the thought crosses my mind.

I shut my eyes, gripping the back of my neck and twitching my jaw.

"Thanks for coming to this dinner, sorry about all the unnecessary questions they asked you." I say.

"No problem, I like your family, they're fun." She grins.

I have a feeling she means that.

"So when am I being summoned for the posing?" I ask.

"I don't know, when will you be free?"

"I'm not doing anything this week, infact, I'm gonna be bored out of my mind."

"Okay.." She pulls out her phone and extends it to me, I raise a brow, "So I can text you my address." She clarifies.

"I already know where you live?" I take her phone either way, she facepalms.

"Let's just pretend that you don't." She says with embarrassment, I smile at her while typing my number in her phone.

"I like you, Olivia Conner." I pass her phone back, she slowly takes it from me with her brows raised.

"Uh..." She trails, taken back by my words.

"Fuck, not like that, I meant as a person, not as..... Shit, I'm shutting up now." I run a frustrated hand on the side of my face.

"Still, we barely know each other." Her fingers fumble with the hem of her sweater.

"I know, it's just that you're natural, everything about you is simple. I like that." I say honestly.

We stare at each other again, this time, I feel it.

The attraction, the magnet, pulling me to her, heating up my veins, jump starting something in my chest.

It's weird.

She releases a shaky breath, her chest heaving. That's how I know she feels it too.

"Okay, I, uh, I'll see you later then?" She quickly descends the steps.

"Tomorrow, yeah, sure, definitely." I respond awkwardly, scratching my head.

"Okay, goodnight." She says before opening the car door and hopping in.

"Night." I give a little wave then regret it immediately.

Great, Jace, just great.

She pulls out of the driveway and drives off, Dad's car pulls up and parks on the spot where Olivia's car was a second ago.

"Who was that?" He asks in Spanish as soon as he gets out of the car.

"That was Olivia Conner." I respond.

"New girlfriend?" He walks up to me.

"No, just a new friend." I answer.

"Is she now?" He asks, patting my shoulder when he reaches where I'm standing.

"Why'd you say it like that?" I smile at him.

"Like what?" He walks passed me, entering the house.