Magnets

Olivia was rummaging through her closet, trying to figure out what swimsuit she should bring. She came up with nothing. The black one was boring, the orange one was too loud, and the pink one definitely didn’t look good with her fair skin. She started questioning her past judgment. But more importantly, why did she agree to go?

After letting out an irritated breath, she went through her drawer to see if a miracle was hidden. Anywhere. Then, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist from behind.

“You know it doesn’t matter. You look beautiful in anything,” Howard said, resting his chin on her shoulder. Her heart fluttered like a butterfly from his soft words.

“I’ve heard that a million times,” she said, letting him continue to hold her. He moved her long, reddish-chestnut hair out of his way.

“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true. You know me,” he said in her ear before kissing her neck tenderly. She closed her eyes and let him plant more kisses on her. His hands touched her neck and trailed down to her chest. “You’re always so soft,” he whispered in her ear. Howard tilted her chin up for a deep kiss as he towered over her.

“You’re going to make us even more late,” she said as she spun around and placed her hands on his chest. She started pushing him out of her walk-in closet.

“Who cares? Kendall is probably talking everyone's ear off right now.”

“I already can’t pick out a swimsuit, and we are the last to arrive. I don’t want to be unfashionably late, too.” Olivia grabbed the black one and threw it into her suitcase. “Now, take this to the car, and we need to leave. Like now,” she said while zipping up her suitcase. Howard tried to pick up the luggage but realized it was heavier than he thought.

“We will only be there for the weekend, Olivia. What in the hell do you have in this suitcase?”

“I like to have multiple options.”

“Well, it’s good this thing has wheels,” he said as he pulled up the handle and dragged it behind him.

They both go down the stairs to their car, and Olivia goes and sits in the passenger seat. Howard finally solves the jigsaw puzzle in the trunk and goes to the front to hand Olivia her pink carry-on bag.

“Why get a Mercedes if it can’t carry all our stuff?” Olivia asks jokingly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get a U-Haul next time.”

“Oh, shut up!” she squealed as they both laughed. Howard pulled out of their driveway, and they were on their way. Olivia was very nervous about going to meet up with their old friends. A lot of missed lectures, nights lost to memory, and things left unsaid, and she did not want any of it to rear its ugly head - especially not with Marco. Olivia and Stephanie were never really friendly. Rachel was her closest friend, but she stopped talking to her after everything, and Julia... was always Julia. Past events, like paid promotions on late-night cable, kept running through her mind. She turned up the music in the car to hopefully focus her mind on something else.

On the other hand, Howard was excited. This was finally a break from the daily grind of owning two car dealerships. A lot has been on his plate since he opened his second one three months ago. He had to work more hours than usual to have these two full days off. Now, he could relax and enjoy the fruits of his labor. Howard also knew this would be the perfect opportunity for them to spend quality time together. They needed it. He felt more distance between them, and Olivia urged him to fix his work-life balance. Maybe this was a step in the right direction? However, he could tell she wasn’t as excited as he was about the trip.

They made it to the lake house, and Kendall greeted them outside.

“It’s been too long, big boy!” Kendall said as he hugged Howard. “It really has,” Howard said as he looked at the expansive house nestled between the nature surrounding them. It was expansive, with huge glass windows and beautiful arches. Well-maintained shrubbery decorated the lawn.

“Well, you two look great. Everyone else is inside, trying to find alcohol. I rented this whole place for us, and they didn’t have the courtesy to give at least one complementary bottle?” Kendall said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Marco should. He always had a damn bottle of tequila on him. We’d get wasted at any party,” Howard said.

“Yeah, well, he's straight-laced now being with Stephanie. What brand did he have again?” Kendall asked.

“I never knew. Marco always took the label off, so if we tangled up with the cops, he could argue that it was just his water. Fucking dumb ass,” Howard said, and they both broke out laughing. He wondered why they stopped hanging out regularly like they used to. One more night partying with them would be something he'd enjoy.

Olivia was still looking at the untamed wilderness around them. She felt a sort of isolation in her stomach, knowing that the closest neighbors were miles and miles away. Desolate. A beautiful mansion in the middle of the woods. It didn’t fit there.

“Liv, get over here,” Kendall said, and she hugged him, trying to hide her reluctance. “So, glad you could make it when the divorce rate is up.”

Olivia chuckled, saying, “At least you don’t have to worry about that.” The last thing she wanted to think about was work right now. With three open cases and an unimaginable backlog, she wanted to escape family law's stress for the next two days.

“Hallelujah!” Kendall yelped with a big smile on his face. Kendall missed Olivia. To him, she was always the reasonable person in the group and talked him from going over the ledge many times; her presence made him feel better. And, of course, her large eyes and cute features were easy on the eyes. Kendall always considered Olivia the perfect girl next door, but now, she had an air of sophistication—a lot had changed in 9 months.

Olivia stood there and watched them carry her bags from the Mercedes trunk. She hoped she didn’t look awkward just watching them, but she did not want to walk in without Howard by her side.

“Aye! I see an asshole’s car!” Marco yelled, coming out of the house. Olivia’s eyes were wide. She put her hair behind her ear and tugged her ear while darting her eyes away. His thick, dark hair was as curly as ever. His fit, lean body was hiding under his clothes. Marco briefly glanced at her and said nothing as he approached the car. He hugged Howard, his old friend since high school.

“This isn’t a Mustang dummy,” Howard said. He missed his best friend, who was always busting his balls for fun.

“Either way, it’s real fucking nice, man. Look at the interior,” Marco said, admiring the vehicle.

“Hey, I bet you Stephanie could buy one of these. Not that you’d be much help with that,” Kendall said, jeering at Marco.

“If I had a rich daddy and a trust fund, I’d be just as much help as you,” Marco replied. Howard’s eyes widened as he looked at Olivia.

“I’ll beat your ass... after vacation,” Kendall said, smiling brightly. Marco looked him up and down, and they all started laughing.

The guys helped Howard with the luggage, and they finally stepped inside the house. Olivia admired the nice furniture and fabulous decor. She stayed behind as Kendal took Howard on a tour and to their room.

“Good thing about this house. No fighting over rooms. They are all fucking amazing,” Kendall’s voice echoed as they went up the stairs. Olivia stared outside the window and watched the sun fall further to the horizon as oranges, pinks, and purples burst out into the sky and reflected over the lake's sparkling waters. She was transfixed.

Then, a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Marco looking down at her. Her heart jumped.

“I know you want to avoid me. Can I just talk to you for a second?” Marco said in a low voice.

Author’s Note: Hey, thank you for reading! I really appreciate your time. I am new to this platform, and this is my first romance novel, but I have a lot in store. I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave any comments or feedback you may have.