Thanks so much to all reading this fic and especially those who favorited and are following it!
This chapter is set a week into the future from the previous one. Liam and Annie are still living together and Naomi and Annie are becoming friends but are still a little competitive.
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"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who deserves to be with Liam most of all?" Naomi asked Annie while they sat people watching at the Oceanside Oasis..
Eating, shopping, beach, clubs it was becoming their routine. Two weeks elapsed and Dixon was still MIA, but promised he'd be back Saturday.
"Whatever," Annie said not amused, stirring her strawberry smoothie.. She refused to play into Naomi's hand without a fight. A few minutes ago Liam had shown up with some beach bunny and Annie had been on edge ever since.
"Why are you acting like someone laced your drink with cyanide?" Naomi asked, as she finished applying a coat of cotton candy lip gloss. "TADA! Perfect!" Her smile broadened considerably at her own reflection, she was wearing a low-slung denim skirt, black tube top exposing her pierced navel, and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail showing off black door knocker earrings.
The skyline and shimmering ocean blended together across the horizon. Too bad Annie's view was spoiled by Liam and his date lunching on the terrace. She cringed as the fun size blond girl clasped her hand dramatically over her heart, leaning into Liam affectionately. She was wearing a hot pink mini dress with matching sandals, headband, and a white-knit sweater. She clearly worshipped pink.
"I'm not," Annie lied, as two more text messages from Patrick alerted menacingly on her cell. Why did she always attract the wrong guys? "I'm just wishing I had ordered something stronger."
"I don't get it," Naomi said, "if you want to be with Liam that bad, now is the perfect opportunity."
"Seriously? He'll think I'm purposely trying to sabotage his date."
"Are you kidding? Not with that innocent look you pull off so flawlessly. Besides, you need to destroy the competition before she becomes a real threat."
"I don't know.." Annie said doubtfully, cursing Liam for parading his model girlfriend around in front of her. Just a week ago she was waking up next to him and, now, that might as well have been another lifetime.
"You know he's probably only with her because he wants a date for Adrianna's 21st birthday party at Stardust Saturday."
"So that's why Dixon's making a point to be home by then. He wants to hit up new clients. He couldn't care less about seeing me," Annie fumed. She couldn't look away fast enough as Liam's date dipped a tortilla in spinach and artichoke dip and daintily fed it to him.
"Oh don't look so heartbroken. Dixon's no different than any other guy ...I mean almost any other..." Naomi broke off mid-sentence, having inadvertently triggered a cascade of painful memories.
Annie knew Naomi was referring to Max, the two of them had bonded over their previous bad relationships and Max was the only ex Naomi was clearly still carrying a torch for. Not that she ever admitted that, but it was obvious to Annie.
"Besides Liam is probably purposely cavorting around here to make me jealous," Naomi quickly added, sassily, before Annie offered her some Max sympathy.
"Sure he is."
"Too bad Silver got held up at Teddy's tennis match, she could have filled us in on all the details of Ade's party."
"What's her deal anyway? Did she and Liam really date before I got here?" Annie asked curiously.
"Well, for a minute. But now she's with Teddy and they're totally solid. Even to a fault, look she can't even hang out anymore."
"It just seems like ...I don't know," Annie felt incredibly frustrated.
"Like Liam will date everyone but you?" Naomi offered.
Annie shrugged. It did seem that way.
"You know your problem is you have history with Liam," Naomi continued, figuring she hit the mark in reading Annie's emotions. "And guys would rather go for someone new than someone they knew. I mean its kind of the opposite of how girls operate," she explained sagely.
"And where did you learn all this?" Annie asked.
"My older sister. I mean, true, she's kind of a flake but she does have her moments."
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Soon, Liam and Jasmine were done lunching. They rose in tandem and at that moment Liam's eyes met Annie's. Not realizing she had been there the whole time, he bolted apart from Jasmine. Continuing to hold Annie's gaze, he ushered Jasmine forward toward where his motorcycle was parked. The girl smiled angelically and gave him a peck on the cheek before heading off.
Annie felt all the blood rushing to her head as Liam converged at their table.
"Hey," he said. "I didn't realize I had an audience."
Annie's face flushed upwards of a million degrees. "We didn't know you were here either."
"Really?" Liam cast her a strange look.
"I mean at first..."
"She means ...we just noticed you too," Naomi interjected not missing a beat.
Annie nodded.
"So is she the lucky girl that's going to be your plus one at Ade's party?" Naomi asked.
"Maybe," Liam looked uncomfortable. "I haven't asked her yet. Jasmine and I are...just...in the moment. I may be better off going as a free agent."
"Right," Naomi laughed like he'd said something ridiculously funny.. Gazing into his gorgeous hypnotizing eyes, Annie felt like she couldn't form one intelligible remark.
"Well don't think about asking me. I have plans." Naomi informed him promptly.
"I bet," Liam responded. "Not that it matters since Stardust is 21 and over."
"So otherwise I'd be your first choice?" Naomi deduced cattily.
"Don't read too much into what I say, I'm not a girl."
"If by that you mean you have no filter, I couldn't agree more," Naomi responded.
"Well, Naomi, always a pleasure," Liam said sarcastically, backing away. "Guess I'll see you back at our apartment Annie."
"Okay," Annie smiled. Liam had said our apartment! He could have just as easily, not to mention more accurately, said his apartment or the apartment. It was unfathomable what one little pronoun could do to her heart.
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Liam stopped his motorcycle in front of Jasmine's job where she worked at a flower boutique. Jasmine had a terrible habit of catastrophizing everything and right now she couldn't get her mind off the gorgeous brunette Liam had interrupted their fabulous lunch for. Liam leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.
"Liam," she began sweetly. "Why didn't you introduce me to your friend before?"
"Who?" Liam asked,
"Liam!" Jasmine shrilled, stopping kissing him abruptly. "You know who I mean...back at Oasis," she prompted becoming irritated by his evasiveness.
"Oh, yeah that's just Naomi and Annie."
"Who?"
"Uh.." Liam looked away. "Aren't you gonna be late getting back?"
"I don't care!" Jasmine crossed her arms. "I'm waiting! How do you know those girls?"
"Well Annie lives with us and Naomi -"
"SHE LIVES WITH YOU? You never told me that."
"Well we've only gone out a couple times," Liam protested. "Obviously you don't know everything about me."
"Well I think you should have at least mentioned that detail. It's pretty important."
"Not really. She's Dixon's little sister and f.y.i. I didn't have a choice in the arrangement."
Jasmine studied his face unconvinced.
"Seriously. She's only staying until she starts at California U. I mean Dixon insisted. Come on babe you have no reason to be upset." Liam kissed her neck softly.
"Well my last boyfriend said the same thing, while his bedroom was a revolving door to sluts."
Boyfriend? Liam stopped listening after Jasmine dropped that bomb. Was Jasmine seriously comparing him to her boyfriend? Because he definitely was not her boyfriend and he definitely did not appreciate her possessive attitude. "Jasmine listen I think you have the wrong idea-"
"Don't put this on me Liam! You should have been honest about Annie in the first place. Lies are no way to start a relationship."
"But I told you the truth when you asked and besides I wouldn't say we are starting -"
"Liam I need to get to work. Just text me later. Ok?" Jasmine kissed him deeply, caressing the back of his neck before flouncing off towards the boutique entrance.
Liam stared after her, feeling like he just got bulldozed. True, Jasmine was ridiculously hot, but her clingy attitude was completely unattractive.
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Later that night, Jasmine was facebook chatting surrounded by lacey bordering, teddy bears holding hearts, and various flower arrangements. She always made it a point to appear busy in case the night manager dropped by unexpectedly.
Suddenly, someone was repeatedly ringing the front desk bell.
"May I help you?" Jasmine asked flatly, strolling up to the counter.
The gorgeous guy - at least 6 feet tall with spiky brown hair and green eyes - stared back at her. "I want to order something for someone special."
Jasmine rolled her eyes, another love sap. Not that she wasn't mildly jealous Liam never thought to buy her flowers. "Of course you do."
"Yeah, for my girlfriend Annie," he said her name like she was a princess, Jasmine found his affection nauseating.
"Yes.." she prodded.
"I want to have something gorgeous sent to her."
"Delivery address?" Jasmine asked coolly, tearing a fresh order sheet off the stack.
"160 Gold Crest Beverly Hills, 90210."
Jasmine copied half of it down before something struck her about the address.
"And I want the card to read 'Annie, you're always in my heart and on my mind. Love Patrick' or wait maybe 'Annie I'll always love-"
"Hang on," Jasmine interrupted rudely. Patrick was so lost in sentimental overdrive he hadn't noticed she stopped writing. "What's the address again?"
Patrick looked a little irritated, but repeated it.
Jasmine gasped. "And you said your girlfriend is Annie?"
"Yes."
"Did you know this is my boyfriend's address?" Jasmine demanded. "And your girlfriend is the slut trying to poach him away from me?!"
At the word slut, Patrick's face contorted into an evil scowl. "Listen here bitch," he yelled slamming his hand over the order sheet, causing Jasmine to jump back. "No one talks about my girl that way!"
"S-sorry," Jasmine replied cautiously, wishing the night supervisor was making rounds tonight, now that she was alone with and at the mercy of this volatile stranger. "It just caught me by surprise. Do you have a picture by any chance?"
Patrick considered her request a minute, then whipped out his blackberry. He scrolled through several shots of him and Annie. Annie was most definitely the girl who had stolen Liam's attention during lunch.
"That's her, the girl living with Liam," Jasmine confirmed.
"No. That can't be right. Her mother said she was staying with her brother Dixon."
"Well Liam lives with Dixon too."
"Damn!" Patrick brought his fist to his mouth irately. Anger clenched his heart, making him feel out of control.
"Hey! I'm not any happier with this arrangement than you are," Jasmine snapped.
"Are you sure about this?" Patrick reeled.
"Yes duh I saw the sl-, er, Annie with my own eyes."
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Patrick cursed repeatedly.
"Now, why don't you stop doubting me so we can decide how to fix this problem." Jasmine suggested lowering her voice conspiratorially.
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Hope everyone liked this chapter. The next is Adrianna's 21st BDAY! Although some people won't be celebrating as much as others. Stay tuned!
