Olive's P.O.V.
"A month later, mom left us. She didn't take me with her and she never contacted me again, until last week. Dad raised me from the age of 10 until the second I turned 18. He taught me to fight and he taught me how to be safe, but the man never showed any affection. Not a single hug or a simple I love you. He was cold and for the first few years he was determined to find my mother. I had to take care of myself since he had turned into an alcoholic. Eventually, he realized he wouldn't find her and gave up. Which only dove him deeper into the alcohol."
Leo and Lucas were so quiet, they were listening attentively. Leo looked at me with deep concern while Lucas had his hands fisted beside him, looking mad as hell.
"My 8th grade year a teacher noticed my giftedness and had me apply for a scholarship to a private high school that had a high rate for getting kids into Ivy League colleges. Dad started to sober up around then, realizing he was failing as a father. He had to drive me to the high school since it was so far and they didn't have buses. I would get picked on a lot by the students there, since I was the scholarship kid that came from nothing." I picked at the string poking out on my pants.
"I hate people like that. Money doesn't make a person. I am sorry you went through all of that, Liv." Leo told me, reaching for my hand and squeezing it.
"Thanks, but they definitely thought differently. I did well in my studies and worked part time to save for college all throughout high school. Eventually, I got my acceptance letter to Columbia and it made it all worthwhile. I was pretty sheltered in high school due to my lack of friends. So I never attended a high school party, or even really had a boyfriend. Hailey was the one to burst me out of my bubble freshman year of college." I smiled at the thought of her.
"She took me to my first party where I had my first kiss over a stupid pass the card game. The guy made the card fall so that he could kiss me. His name was Adam, and he was a senior at the time. He tried to get me to do more, but I refused, and when he didn't take no for an answer, I beat the shit out of him."
"Of course you did." Lucas smiled at me proudly, making me smile too.
"I am, to this day, still not allowed to any parties on the sorority row." I let a laugh out. "Hailey still found other parties for us to attend and in the second semester of freshman year I met Julius." I sighed remembering the feelings I held for him once upon a time. "He was my first boyfriend, but I was still a virgin at the time, and I didn't want to just hand that over after having held on to it for so long. We dated and eventually he asked me to be his girlfriend. I stupidly said yes and in the spring of sophomore year I slept with him for the first time. I should have known he had been cheating on me. I mean what guy would be with a girl for a year and be just fine and dandy not sleeping with her that entire time?"
"If it were with you, I would be." Leo quickly responded, making me blush a bit.
"Last Friday I walked in on him fu.cking my roommate, Clover, for God knows how many times. He tried to tell me it meant nothing, but it didn't matter. I don't forgive unfaithfulness, ever."
I looked at Lucas as I said this, I am not sure why I felt the need for him to know this. He nodded his head for me to continue.
"That's when Hailey offered for me to stay with her and forced me out to the club where I met this one." I pointed to Lucas with a smile. "It was meant to be a one night stand to show that I was just fine."
"Okay, wait, so you're telling me that I'm only the second guy you've slept with?" Lucas asked with a shi.t eating grin.
"Yes, that's right. Don't get a big head about it. Anyway, I met you and saw him again and here we are." I summarized.
"Wait, you didn't say why you're here though. What's going on with your mom?" Leo co.cked his head to the side.
"My dad called me the night you dropped me off." I told Leo. " He told me that my mom had gotten a hold of him. She is in hospice here. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see her after the way she left me, but I couldn't deny the little girl in me that just wanted her mother. My mom told me her side of things and now I'm using the little time I have left to catch up, and talk as often as we can. She has breast cancer and she's having me get screened. They took my blood yesterday and I'll have results in a couple of weeks, but she doesn't have that much time left. She probably won't be around by the time I get them."
Saying it out loud killed me, making my heart shatter. A dot of water fell on my pants making me think it was raining, until I realized it was a tear. I had started to cry without noticing. Leo knelt before me, pulling me in a tight embrace. I only cried harder in his arms. I hadn't realized how sad I had been. Between telling them my life story, the alcohol and the embrace, I was letting everything out.
"We're here for you, Rose." Lucas' voice came from beside me. He wiped at my tears as Leo continued to hold me.
"I'm sorry. I am supposed to be comforting you, Leo." I sniffled as my tears began to slow.
He pulled back, letting me go. I wiped the rest of my tears with my sleeve.
"You already have. I am sorry that I had you spill your life secrets to us. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be that way. You're such a bright person that I assumed you'd tell me these wonderful things about your life. Liv, you're amazing considering the things you've been through and still manage to smile beautifully and care enough to try to comfort someone you just met a week ago. Thank you." He whispered before kissing my forehead, surprising me.
His lips were soft and warm and I could still feel them on my skin when he pulled away.
The rest of the time was spent talking about frivolous things. We laughed at Leo and Lucas' expense as they retold embarrassing stories of one another. They wrestled with each other playfully when they got upset about the very embarrassing stories. I let out a loud laugh at them, making them stop. They both smiled at me with their arms around one another.
"I better head back down. Mom will probably wake up one last time before going to sleep again."
"Can we come?" Lucas asked.
"Yes, I would love to meet your mother before we can't." Leo added, getting a slap to the back of the head by Lucas.
"Idiot, don't word it like that." He scolded him.
I laughed again, feeling at peace for once. I thought about it for a moment. Maybe it was the alcohol in my system, but I nodded my head.
"Okay, but don't be loud, and remember she has cancer. She doesn't look her best." I pointed my finger at them in a sort of warning.
"Yes ma'am." Leo saluted, making me chuckle again.
"Come on then." I walked them down to her room.
We were all definitely a bit drunk as we stumbled a bit. Lucas and Leo sounded like school girls with their giggling and shushing. They sobered up when we got to my mom's room though. They stood straight, clearing their throats and pushing their hair back. They were almost like twins in that moment with the same mannerisms.
"Mom?" I called her name softly. I found her sitting up in her bed with a thick book on her lap.
"Hey, Livy, I was wondering where you wandered off to." She smiled sweetly at me.
"Are you feeling up for meeting a couple of my friends?" I asked her shyly.
"Really? You want me to meet them?" She looked so happy, almost as if I had told her she wouldn't be dying this week.
"Yeah, I mean, if you're up for it." I picked at the sides of my fingers as I spoke.
"Of course!" She smiled sitting up straighter.
"Come on in guys." I called out to them. "Mom, this is Leo and this is Lucas." I pointed to each of them.
"Oh, I see." Mom raised a brow, appraising Lucas since she partially knew what he was to me. "It's lovely to meet you handsome, young men. I am Abigail Rose, Olive's mother. You can call me Abi."
I forget that mom's maiden name is Rose. It's funny that Lucas calls me Rose.
"The pleasure is all mine, Abi." Lucas gave her a dazzling smile, making my heart skip at the sight.
"It's nice to meet the woman that created Olive." Leo added with his own sweet smile.
"You both seem polite enough, but sadly I don't have enough time to get to know you better. So, let me just say that if either of you hurt my baby girl, I will crawl out from my grave and drag you down to hell with me." Mom scared me for a moment with the casual way she just threatened them.
"I wouldn't dream of hurting her." Leo responded first.
"You have my word that I'll do nothing but please your daughter." Lucas told her seriously, making me blush deeply.
"Good." Mom nodded at them both.
We spent another hour together, the four of us talking. It was nice seeing mom get to know them both. I have to be sure to bring Hailey tomorrow. I need mom to meet my best friend too.
"We should go. It's getting late." I told mom, seeing her yawn for the 5th time now. She didn't want us to go, but I knew she was growing tired.
"Are you sure?" She asked, almost sad.
"Yeah, but I'll be back in the morning." I kissed her forehead as I told her.
"Are you sure that you should be missing so much school?" She was concerned for my studies.
"Yes, mom, it's fine. I've already spoken to my professors." I assured her. "Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay, Livy. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, mom."
I closed the door to her room behind us. Okay now how do I say goodbye to these two?