"Hey, Ollie! How's classes going?" I ask as I skip over to him and Angie, hearing him groan.

"I told you to stop calling me that. I'm not a kid anymore," He grumbles, and I can't help but laugh at him.

"Why? You're always going to be little Ollie to me," I tease, and he lets out a dramatic sigh.

"You're the only one who still thinks I'm little," he argues, and I grin.

"Nu-uh, even Ang-"

"No, babe, don't drag me into this. You should hear the way the girls on the team talk about him. No one sees him as a little boy," she says with a look of disgust on her face.

"See," he smirks, and I take a second to actually look at him.

Ollie had indeed grown quite a bit. At least 5 inches over the summer. I now had to look up at him when we spoke. His eyes look just like Uncle Tae's, they hold a bit of mischievousness in them. His lips are full and a little pouty. My eyes slowly rake down his body, and I can't help but notice how much he's filled out. He clearly goes to the gym, his arms look like they could choke a tiger, his legs are toned and his waist is snatched.

He catches me staring, and I blush immediately. "You might be right."

I quickly move forward and lock my arm with Angie. Ollie is like my kid brother and I can't look at him any other way.

"Do you have plans with Crixus this weekend?"

"No, he's out of town this week for a tournament. Why?" she asks skeptically.

"There's that paint party on Friday, and I really don't want to go alone," I give her my best puppy eyes.

"Oh, that sounds good! We'll have to go and get some new swimwear."

"I was actually thinking of doing a cute bralette and shorts," I explain and she eagerly nods.

Ollie chokes on his drink and we both turn to look at him.

"You good over there?" Angie raises a brow at him.

"You two are really going to go to that?"

"Yeah? most of the campus is," I point out and he nods slowly.

"Take me with you?"

"No, can do, little Ollie. I promised your mom not to let any of these girls corrupt her baby, and a party like that would definitely burn your virgin eyes," my cheeky response has him letting out a scoff and crossing his arms.

"I could always just go without you all," his voice deepens and I feel it in my bones.

"You wouldn't dare," I stare him down, and he just offers me a noncommittal shrug.

"I guess we will see huh?" he laughs and wraps his arm around me. "Come on we have Bio."

I playfully brush off his arm and head to class, wishing Angie a good day. Ollie comes in not long after, like he doesn't have a care in the world. I watch him stop and chat with a couple of people before he basically drapes himself in the seat beside me.

I find myself sneaking glances at him the whole class, not paying attention to a single thing the professor has said. The few times he catches me looking, I blush and turn back to the front, but I don't miss the smile on his face.

It suits him and causes my pulse to quicken just a bit. His smell engulfs me and I find myself leaning a little closer to him. By the end of class, my nerves are frayed, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm definitely wrong.

He isn't little Ollie anymore...

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Every time I hear Ara call me Ollie, I want to rip out my hair.

I spent the whole time she was gone working on myself. I wanted her to come back and see me as a man, not some kid who followed her around in high school.

I worked out religiously; I could easily bench 350; I made sure to eat right and dressed with care. I had Dad help me get a whole new wardrobe, and I knew my hard work was paying off because girls hounded me.

But not her. She came back and jumped right back into teasing me and goofing around just like I was still a kid to her, and I wanted to die.

Ok. I'm definitely being dramatic, but I'm honestly at my wit's end. What's a man gotta do? She came back from her trip more confident and comfortable in herself than when she left. I've watched her flirt and pay attention to other guys. Then I heard what she was planning to wear to the paint party and knew I had to go.

So here I am on Friday night, like a damn tool oiling up my abs in my car before I head into the party, hoping tonight will be the night she finally looks at me.

I've caught her staring a couple of times this week but she quickly plays it off and goes right back to treating me like a child.

"Damn, you almost done, dude? You don't need to be that shiny," Crixus laughs. I knew bringing him was a bad idea, but he got home early and wanted to surprise Ange, and the thought of having alone time with Ara seemed appealing at the time, but now I'm seriously rethinking it.

With a deep breath, I climb out of my car and leave my shirt in the front seat. The music is loud and Crixus is basically yelling as he leans over to tell me he's going to grab drinks. I weave through the crowd slowly; I easily tower over the majority of the crowd, I nod toward the friends I see, but my eyes search for bright auburn curls.

I pause as I see her in the middle of the crowd with Ange. They are both laughing, and Ara looks so carefree; she steals my breath as I take in her provocative outfit. the black lacy bra pushes up her breasts in just the right way that your eyes can't help but be drawn to them; her stomach is toned and covered in lots of bright colors. People have clearly touched her with several different colors of paint.

She turns and sees me. Her eyes light up and I see her whisper to Ange as they wave me over. A few girls run their hands down my chest and back as I get closer to them.

"Look at you, Ollie! You made it all on your own," Ara teases, and I clench my jaw.

"I told you I would," I say bluntly but step a little closer.

I look over to Ang and take in her outfit. "Crixus is gonna lose his mind when he finds out you came out in that outfit."

"Leave her alone! She looks amazing!" Ara scolds as she playfully hugs Ang.

I roll my eyes, but then both girls squeal as they spot Crixus and engulf him in a hug. I hear Crixus scold Ara, saying he's gonna tell Kook about her outfit, and she cutely pouts at him.

I step up and wrap my arm around her shoulder as me and Crixus make eye contact.

"You better watch her like a hawk. I'm gonna take my little troublemaker out of here," he says before scooping Ange over his shoulder and playfully swatting her ass.

Ara waves bye and looks back up to me, her eyes slightly dilated, lips parted, and skin illuminated with a slight sheen of sweat.

"You don't have to watch me, Ollie. Go enjoy your night," she goes to shake me off, but I tighten my arm.

"Come dance with me, Ara," I pull her closer and hear her breath hitch.

She nods and I see her visibly swallow before shaking her head and following me onto the dance floor.

I draw her closer, throwing caution to the wind. I can't stand staying in the box she's put me in and tonight I'm gonna break out. I start to move my body against hers sensually; it only takes a moment before she's moving along with me, dancing just a little closer than we were before.

As the night progresses, neither of us touches a drop of liquor. I'm drunk off the feel of her in my arms, off her laugh whenever I say something goofy, of just being in her presence.

I gently take her hand in mine and lead her out to my car. I tuck her into the passenger seat and climb into the driver as I start to drive her home. She happily sings along to the radio and lingers when I park in front of her house.

"Thanks for dropping me off Ollie," she says softly.

"Ara. Look, you gotta know that I like you. Not some stupid little crush like when we were kids, but how a man likes a woman. I think about you all the time; I want you to be with me and only me," I hold her eye contact, and she leans in closer to me.

"Oliver," she whispers like a prayer, and I lose my self-control.

My hand tangles in her hair, and I draw her closer to me, claiming her lips with mine.

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