No Regrets (A Stepbrother New Adult Novella)
by Emma Fawkes
Chapter One
Olivia
Olivia Radcliff was no stranger to hard work. Her entire life it had been one thing after another, but she knew if she just put in extra time and effort, good things would happen. However, her experience couldn’t have prepared her for the situation she was in now. She had to attend a black tie affair—a first such event in her life—and she did not feel the least bit comfortable. Not at all.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, hating the outfit she was forced to wear tonight. Her usual comfortable attire of jeans and a t-shirt had to be forgone in favor of something altogether different. She had to admit she was surprised at how striking she looked. She was wearing a black dress and four-inch heels, and her long, brunette hair was swept up in an elaborate twist. Her makeup looked flawless.
If it wasn’t for her best friend Ashley, she wouldn’t be caught dead in this get-up. Even her ever-present glasses, which always tended to slide down her nose, were traded in for contacts.
She had very few friends, some closer than others, but Ashley was her closest. She had always been there for Liv, and now, she would be there for Ash. Most of her other friends were overly engrossed in their relationships and scandals—something she simply didn’t have time for.
Her personal life was not a big deal to her at the moment. Sure, she made time for her friends; but the truth was, romance and sex would simply get in the way of her goals, and she had no time for it. What was really important was finishing school and getting a good job, so that she could pay off her student loans and take care of her mother.
Of course, it wasn’t like she didn’t appreciate a good-looking guy. She had dated here and there. But right now, nothing was more important than focusing on school, and most guys simply couldn’t understand that.
With one last glance at her reflection, she slowly made her way downstairs. Ashley owed her, big time, for this one. The charity benefit was one of her friend’s newest passions, and Liv had vowed to help in any way she could. Now, she found herself in this fancy borrowed dress, which was unfortunately a little too tight for her curvy frame.
She rolled her eyes as she entered the dorm hall downstairs and saw a couple making out in the corner: Ash and her boyfriend, Roland. Olivia coughed lightly into her hand, forcing the two of them to notice her standing there.
“Liv, I’m sooo glad you’re coming with us.” Ashley disentangled herself from Roland’s embrace and hooked her arm into Olivia’s.
“I’m always happy to help, Ash.” Olivia gave her a weak smile as they walked out of the dorm.
The three of them quickly walked to the parking lot and found Roland’s car. The ride to the restaurant was a quick one, and Liv was content sitting alone in the back. Apparently, they had to pick up one of Roland’s friends along the way. She briefly wondered which one of his friends was coming with them.
She glanced out the window as the trees buzzed past them, and the sun sank lower and lower in the distance. The charity benefit dinner they were attending was a black tie affair. She tried to wiggle her toes inside the tight, uncomfortable shoes. She never really understood why people put their bodies through this much pain, just to impress others. She found the entire idea stupid. But for Ash, Liv would tolerate the torture—just for tonight, though.
The car pulled smoothly into a building on the far side of campus, and she watched as a tall figure moved closer and closer to the car. She felt her blood run cold—Drew Jenkins, of all people, was apparently her escort for the night. She swore under her breath. Rude and snarky, he always did his very best to get as many female students into his bed as possible. Why all those girls succumbed to his advances, she would never understand.
“Roland, man, thanks for the invite.” Drew leaned forward to give Roland a handshake and then settled into the back seat. It was only then that he glanced over at Olivia.
“Is that? Wait...it is!” He gave her a winning grin. “Olivia Radcliff, I had no idea.”
She smiled back weakly. “Hello, Drew. I assumed you were sick today, since you weren’t in class.” She crossed her arms in front of her as they rode on.
“Nah, I had a situation I had to take care of.” He smiled at her again. “Wow. You look beautiful tonight.” He gave her a wink, and she looked away from him, out the window.
“Thank you,” she replied through gritted teeth. Thank goodness the drive wasn’t going to be long.
After they arrived, she felt his hand on the small of her back as he led her into the hall. She flinched, but he was technically within his rights—he was her escort for the night. She glanced up at him as inconspicuously as possible. He wasn’t bad looking, really. He had a flare for the eccentric and loved to wear black, but Olivia had to admit—he was rather striking in his tux. He noticed her appraising him, gave her another wink, and then a tiny pat on her butt. It was all the confirmation she needed to remember exactly why she avoided guys like him. Nope, never going to date him, Olivia thought.
Thankfully, the night passed quickly, and she found that despite her earlier misgivings, she actually enjoyed herself. She really needed to get out more and have fun. It wasn’t something she did often.
She cringed inwardly at the memory of why she avoided going out, meeting guys, or falling in love. Once she’d had her heart broken, she had thrown the idea of dating out the window.