Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 120

"That asswipe!" he thundered over the other line. "He even had the nerve to tell you he's breaking up with you via Messenger? Jesus! Look, Livvy, I got back from New York last night, but I didn't go home just yet," he told me in an angry rush. "So then this girl I'm currently seeing (cough) wanted to meet up with me at Rita's down by the beach for some midnight ice cream and sodas, very high school --"

"Oliver."

Now I knew he was nervous (and angry.) He only prattled on like Mom and Aunt Mary when he wasn't feeling comfortable or when he was in a rage. Or both.

"Sorry...just...we went there and I saw Brett" -- my heart rate sped up -- "practically sticking his tongue down this girl's throat --"

"Who?" I sat up and clutched the phone harder. "Who, Ollie?"

Silence.

"Oh my God, if you don't tell me now, I will seriously --"

"Katy Adamson."

I nearly dropped toward the edge of my bed at that name. Katy Adamson and Brett. For the love of...aarghh! I couldn't believe my ex best friend had snagged him from me.

Katy and I used to be super close until she became a major evil ice queen to me our junior year in high school. I didn't know exactly why but Oliver told me that it seemed like Katy was jealous, envious even. She used to be the pretty one of the two of us. She actually resembled a petite fairy with her willowy form and pale flaxen hair and large grey eyes. Little did I know that not only was she an actual witch but a snake.

"Oh, my God!" I whispered. "I can't believe they'd do that..." Now I knew why he also broke up with me, other than the whole engagement debacle! That hypocrite.

"I'm sorry, Livvy," Oliver said quietly. "But I have to let you know that when I saw that son of a bitch, I dragged him out of the booth and took him outside. I punched him; now he's nursing a black eye and a broken nose. Told him I'd toss him to the sharks if he ever came near me or you again. Never stopped him from posting pics with Katy, though. The asshole."

Despite my somewhat shattered heart and tears, which suddenly trailed down my cheeks like a broken faucet, I laughed. But it wasn't enough to lighten my mood. Then I started crying into my pillow while my brother was still on the other line.

"Oh jeez, no, Livvy," Oliver begged in a suffocated voice, but it was useless.

Then, suddenly, I could hear the voices of Giuliana Rancic and Cat Sadler in the background over the other line. I'd used to drag and beg Oliver to watch E! News with me, and now he'd gotten kind of hooked, even if he would never admit it.

"Another royal engagement has been announced, everybody!"

"Hmm, yes, G. A British lord -- oh my gosh, so exciting! -- and a lucky American girl are engaged to be married pretty soon. Very Julia Stiles in The Prince and Me, don't you think?"

My eyes rounded and I scrambled out of bed. Oh no. This was so not happening! Not now. Not while I just had news of my (now ex) boyfriend cheating on me with a silly cow!

"Oliver!"

"Hmm?" he asked distractedly.

I burst into tears.

"Oh, poor ducky!" she cried, gathering me into her arms as she sat with me on the floor. "What happened this time?"

It all spilled out of my mouth like a cascading waterfall, the words all tumbled and jumbled.

Aunt Mary rubbed my arms comfortingly, propping her chin on my head. "Poor ducky," she repeated gently.

For some reason that made me wail harder.

Uncle Eddie, who was usually up at freaking five in the morning all the time, came barreling into the room like a grizzly bear, his fuzzy face and hair in odd points with his glasses askew. It stunned me and my aunt so much that we huddled together like cornered foxes for a moment.

"Aw, gad," Uncle Eddie harrumphed, marching toward us. "You can't stay like that forever, Livvy!"

I wiped my wet nose with the collar of my shirt (aughh) and blinked up at him. He pulled me and his wife up in one swift motion, then he sat me on the edge of my bed and looked at Aunt Mary knowingly.

"It's time she gets a little country air, love," he drawled, arms akimbo. "Staying holed up in her chamber isn't going to do her any good. You know that, Mary."