Page 23 of Not Made to Last

He doesn’t like that. Not one bit. The next punch cracks my nose wide open and forces my head to hit the wall behind me with so much force I black out for a second. When I come to, I’m on the floor again, kick after kick, blow after blow. I crack one eyelid open just enough to see her picture hidden between the mattress and the bedframe, a reminder of who she is and why I’m here.

“You’re a hundred percent of my fifty, Rhys.”

I gasp awake, my eyes snapping open. I’m in a pool of sweat, and the first thing I do is make sure I haven’t pissed myself. It’s been a while since I’ve been in this state—both physically and mentally, and the only reason I know it was a dream and not a memory is because I laughed in the face of my attackers. In real life, I cowered in the corner like the pathetic, weak little bitch that I was. Sweat coats every inch of me as I fist the sheets beside me. “Fuck,” I spit, throwing the covers off me. I make my way to the bathroom, the harsh lights burning into my irises the instant I flip them on. I go straight for the sink and run the cold water, cup my hands beneath the stream before splashing it on my face, ignoring the scars on the “pretty boy” face he loved beating on.I grip the edge of the counter, my head between my shoulders, and I try to settle my breathing.

For seconds that feel like minutes, I keep my eyes closed, my grip firm, and my breaths weak. Then, slowly, slowly, I allow myself to go back there.

“You’re a hundred percent of my fifty, Rhys.”

13

Rhys

It’s incredibly rare for someone to exist in this day and age and leave very little digital footprint behind. Unfortunately for me, Olivia Delgado is one of those people. No matter how many filters I applied to the searches, I couldn’t find her. I tried, though. A lot. To the point some might even consider it stalking. But it was the only way I could satisfy the curiosity that’s been building since the night we spent together. That was over two weeks ago, and in that time, I’ve spent way too many hours thinking about her.

Fantasizing about her.

Jerking off to her.

Oh, and I’ve watchedLilo and Stitch.

Twice.

Consider me a fan.

The only thing I could find was from a few years ago—a single picture of her and Dominic from his middle school website. From what I could gather, Dominic and Liv grew up in Wilmington, but they left so Dominic could begin his high schooljourney at Philips Academy, a standout basketball-focused, private prep high school that hands out scholarships to only the best of the best—the elite. And as much as I want to deny it—Dominic Delgado falls into that category.

The only mention of Liv is the photograph of Dom with his arm around her.

So, they are siblings… somehow.

And it’s not that I didn’t believe her. It’s just… not the entire story.

And it’s not as if I want the complete story from her right now. But… I don’t know. Like I said, I’m curious.

There’s no mention of the “off-limits” boy in the written piece, or their parents, or anything else that could give me a clue into Liv’s life, her past, orherspecifically.

And I’m fully aware that I could solve all my issues by simply knocking on her door and asking her, but I don’t think Dominic would like that too much, and I’m not here to cause problems, especially for Olivia.

So.

I don’t have her number, and showing up at her house is out of the question.

Therefore, I’m left with no other option besides what I’m doing now: ordering food non-stop, from multiple places, over and over, in the hopes she might be the one to deliver it.

I don’t even know if she’s working.

Whenever an order’s accepted and a driver who isn’t Olivia shows up on my screen, my hopes die a little.

Not enough to make me stop.

Even if she isn’t on shift, surely she’d be getting the notifications. I don’t think she’d know my specific address even though she’d delivered here before, and to prevent her from purposely avoiding me, I used my mom’s maiden name to set up the account. Sneaky, right? Also smart.

Olivia can’t hide out forever.

I crack a smile.

We have unfinished business…

---