“Oh.”
“If you’re mad, can you just…you know…say that you’re mad? I’ve been tense for the last hour trying to figure out how you felt about the whole thing.”
She sighs and sits on the newly-made bed before telling me about her conversation with Roxie.
“Damn. And I thought I was being nonchalant about the whole thing.” Chuckling, I sit down too.
“You apparently asked way too many questions, and she got suspicious.”
“So she knows nothing happened here last night?”
“She stopped herself before asking outright, but after we kissed in front of everyone, I’m guessing they all think something happened between us.”
It gets so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and now that it’s out there, I’d like to know what we’re supposed to do. I’m not used to being in a fake relationship, and I was really just winging it with the kiss, but moving forward? I’m clueless.
The silence drags on until I can’t stand it anymore.
“Are we a couple, then? A fake couple? A couple who only acts like a couple when we’re in front of everyone?”
Olivia shifts on the bed and lies back against the pillows with a long sigh. “I really messed this up for you. Here you were just wanting to hang out with your friends and…”
“And I knew exactly what I was doing. And we’ve been over this, Liv. Stop apologizing. We’re going to get trapped in a continuous loop if we keep fixating on whose idea this was or whose fault it is or whatever else. We went into this with a plan that only had two potential outcomes. This wasn’t the outcome we would have preferred, and…we’ll deal with it. Nothing has to change. I think you mentioned last night how we’re all not joined at the hip, so I’ll just make sure me and the guys are out of the house more. And if you want to try sleeping in your room at any point, then you should.”
“Thanks. And I’m really hoping to dive into this book this week. If that happens, I’ll be off by myself a lot. So I guess there’s nothing really to worry about then.”
Turning her head, she looks at me with a small smile. I shift and end up lying next to her, on my side, so I can face her.
“I’d say we need to get to know each other a little more, but I feel like I learned a lot about you on the plane.”
Her eyes close as she groans. “I really wasn’t myself that day, but I vividly remember oversharing.” She opens her eyes again. “Sorry. You must have been praying that someone wanted to change seats with you.”
“Nah. I was perfectly content where I was. Talking to you was a great distraction.”
“How come?”
“I had been in Denver for three weeks and I spend a lot of time working by myself.”
“You’re a…wait a minute…I know you told me…” Squeezing her eyes shut, she shakes her head. “It’s something techy. You’re a …network architect? Is that it? Is that even a thing? Did I imagine that?” Blinking up at me, she looks adorable.
“That is exactly what I do,” I assure her. “I’m responsible for planning, designing and implementing data communication networks that meet a particular organization’s needs. It’s not glamorous, and it involves a lot of hours sometimes. When I got on the plane that day, not only was I mentally exhausted from the job I just finished, but I hadn’t been home in weeks, and I was going home for a funeral. So listening to you talk about your life—the good and the bad—was very helpful.”
“Because it made you realize how awesome your life is?” I can tell she’s teasing, but I also hear a hint of vulnerability.
“I was thinking about how I was feeling unfulfilled, and then I felt ungrateful for feeling that way. Listening to you made me realize we all feel like that from time to time. You were really going through a lot and yet you were still looking for the silver lining. You were kind of inspiring.”
There’s a hint of a blush creeping across her cheeks and it looks good on her. “Stop. I was not. I was having a breakdown, and the wine wasn’t helping.”
“You were entitled. You were dealing with a lot before you ever stepped foot in the airport, and then you had a lot of crap happen from there.”
Rolling onto her side, she props her head in her hand so we’re facing each other. “Did I tell you my luggage didn’t arrive in Raleigh?”
“Seriously?”
She nods. “I was just like…stick a fork in me. I’m done. Luckily it all got to Vanessa’s the next morning, but by the time I got in the car with her when she picked me up? I was like a deranged lunatic. It’s kind of amazing that she still wanted me to come on vacation.”
“I’m sorry that happened, but it worked out. And of course they all wanted you here. They’ve missed you.” I pause and study her face for far longer than I should. “And I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Because you enjoy watching a train wreck?” she whispers.
