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Olivia

M y mother was pronounced dead at 3:06 AM. She died in this hospital... and it's one of the many reasons I couldn't find it in myself to come back. To face the motions and come when my best friend needed me.

Now, I watch as the doctors finish adjusting the cast around her wrist while Skar signs the discharge papers. I barely signed my own more than thirty minutes ago, but I’ve lingered around in hopes that I might talk to her.

I meet her eye through the door, and the doctor leaves after a few moments. Charlotte smiles at Skar, saying something that has him leaning down to kiss her. Skar nods as he passes me. I step inside, trying my best not to fidget as I sit down on the table beside her.

“How’s your head?” she asks, and if the bandage wrapped around my scalp isn’t indication enough, I’m feeling like shit.

“I’ll make it. What about your hand?”

She proudly brandishes it. “Broken in three places, but I’m free to go.”

I nod, shifting on the uncomfortable paper laid out on the table. It’s quiet- almost awkward for two long moments. It’s never awkward- or at least, it wasn’t before. But somewhere along the way, I’ve found that I need to let go of my pride..

The words spill out of me:

“Charlotte, I’m so sorry I didn’t come after… after what happened.”

“Don’t apologize.” She’s looking down at her hands. For the first time since I’ve known her, I see a single tear roll down her cheek. “I was the one in the wrong. I’m sorry that I lied. I’m sorry that I left. I…”

“I understand,” I whisper. “I knew what your parents were doing- even if it was indirectly. But… I knew. It just… hurts… And… after my dad…” I don’t even realize I’m crying until two warm tears slip down my face. “I didn’t know how to deal. I’m so sor-“

Charlotte pulls me into a hug, effectively silencing me as we wrap our arms around each other and squeeze. She’s warm and the longer we sit like this, the more I realize just how much I missed her.

“No more apologizing,” she whispers into my hair, and I pull her tighter at the words.

“You and Skar seem happy,” I say as I draw back to look at her.

She laughs, swiping the tears from her eyes. “September 28th was a year, you know. That man- He drives me crazy.”

I smile, remembering the first few times seeing them bicker and fight when they always thought no one else was listening. “He always has.”

She smiles, sniffling as she looks at me again. “You realize that you’re gonna have to update me on what’s going on between you and Warden, right?”

I shake my head at thought, brushing my hair over my shoulder. “He told you?”

She chuckles. “No, you’re both just obvious as hell.” She shakes her head, leaning her head back against the wall. “I hate this place.”

“Yeah,” I nearly laugh.

We both have our reasons . It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to guess why.

I sigh. “I think I’d like to go home now.”

“Have you talked to your father yet?” she asks.

I shake my head. The thought hadn’t even occurred to me, but I know I’ll have to sooner or later. He shot someone, and even if it had been life or death, it doesn’t change the fact that things are different.

“Part of me doesn’t want to. But I’ve done a lot of avoiding lately… and that needs to change,” I say instead.

We have a lot to hash out.

She nods, and when her eyes lift over my shoulder, I know that it’s because we’re not alone any more. Crew stands outside, talking with one of the doctors though I’m sure one ear is on at least part of our conversation.

The sight of him has a wave of longing tugging at me, and Charlotte must see it because she squeezes my hand again. “I think I’ll give you two a minute.”

She nudges Crew’s shoulder as she leaves, and Crew dips his head as the doctor says something else before leaving. Now it’s just him and me. He leans against the doorframe, dark bags under his eyes and five o’clock shadow more prominent than usual.

There’s no sign of the blood that had been covering him the last time I saw him, but I know the doctors had to patch up a bullet wound or two. The memory of it has a crushing sense of relief falling over me as I stand. His eyes follow the movement.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Princess,” he sighs, and I smile at the sound of that nickname on his tongue.

I can’t name the wave of emotion that overwhelms me in that moment. All I know is that it’s terrifying… and amazing… and so many other things, all at once. Yet only Crew Warden has ever made me feel any of them.

I clear my throat, trying my best not to think about everything that’s waiting for me back in reality.

“How would you feel about a drive?” I ask, watching his brown eyes sweep over me.

Instead of answering, he uncrosses his arms, stepping aside to allow me ahead of him. Normally, the silence between us is never heavy. I never feel the need to fill the space with words, but as we step outside and the setting sun warms my skin and the breeze tugs at my hair, I can’t stop myself from asking the question:

“When are you leaving?”

It’s only been a matter of time, and I’ve known that from the moment we first touched. But now the thought of him leaving makes tears brim the corner of my eyes. We stop walking, and he turns to look at me head-on.

I can read the question clearly on his face, and I continue, explaining, “I know that what happened complicates things. But since we got back from Credence, I’ve known.” My voice ends in a whisper, and I shake my head, forcing myself to plow forward. “I know that you’re going to leave. And I shouldn’t ask you to stay. I know that. But I don’t want to say goodbye.”

“Olivia….”

“I’m asking you to stay,” I say finally. “I want you to stay.”

“As your bodyguard?” he says carefully, and I feel myself stall at the question. I hadn’t expected to get this far..

“I- I don’t know. I just know that I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s getting ridiculous at this point,” I say on a laugh, but what I don’t expect is for him to nod.

He doesn’t say anything, and part of me wants to just quit now while I’m ahead because maybe he doesn’t feel the same and-

“I can’t work for your father anymore.”

He leans against the seat of his bike, putting him directly at my height. I swallow down my pride at the words, but I can’t find it in myself to accept them. He doesn’t want to stay.

That’s fine , I assure myself, but then he surprises me again by saying,

“I gave your father my notice the day we came back.”

I feel my breath stall in my chest.

“I’m in love with you.” He says the words so casually. As if hearing them doesn’t set my skin ablaze. “I’ve known since the very first moment you lied to me at Skar and Charlotte's wedding. Do you remember?"

I shake my head, still is disbelief.

"You were alone in the chapel after the ceremony... It was dark. Everyone else was too busy watching the first dance, and I saw you sitting at the foot of the altar."

I remember that day. It was a whirlwind. I was so focused on getting Charlotte down that aisle that nothing else mattered. That one moment before the reception was the only moment to myself. And even then, I was barely keeping it together.

The one moment I had alone, I spent crying.

Some of it was grief. Most of it was just being so goddamned tired of having to brave face.

I thought he'd forgotten.

I laugh, my throat tight as I look up at him. "You asked why I was crying."

He hums. "You looked me right in the eye, wiped your tears, and said-"

" 'I'm not crying,' " we say together.

He laughs, finishing, "And then you stood tall and walked right back out to the party. I almost wondered whether I imagined it. You looked happy. You were smiling and laughing- and no one could tell otherwise. But the one time you caught me looking at you, you had the deepest frown. And I thought you looked so fucking pretty."

The words make my head spin, and I’m not quite sure my knees haven’t given way.

“I can’t work for your father and pretend that I’m not in love with you. It’s clear in the way that I look at you. My parents called me on it… and I tried my damn hardest to tell them that things were just…” he rubs his neck before shaking his head and gazing at me again. “Things were just what we agreed, but I can’t lie to myself anymore. I can’t lie to you either.”

I don’t realize that I haven’t said anything until he stands to his full height and bridges the gap between us, cupping my face in his hands.

“I’m so in love with you, Olivia Hughes.” His nose brushes mine in the barest of touches. His next words are soft. Slow. “You make me feel more like myself than I ever have in my life.”

He kisses the need for words away, hands guiding me up onto my toes to kiss him. I can’t help the sound that escapes me. Something between a sigh and a gasp, and he smiles, walking me back until my thighs hit the back of his bike. I’m propped against the seat as he kisses me deeper, but this time, I don’t worry about whether this will be the last time.

I grip the hair at his nape, pulling him infinitely closer until kissing him leaves me dazed and more than a little drunk. I laugh when he leans in to kiss me again, a smile playing at his lips.

“I knew I’d get a real smile out of you,” he says softly, and when he gazes down at me again, I know I could spend the rest of my life living for just that. For his smiles, for his laughs, for every secretive glance and inside joke…

“Does this mean you’re going to stay?”

His nose brushes mine as he tugs a strand of hair behind my ear. “It means Taylor and I are out of a job.”

I nearly jerk as the words knock into me. So much has happened the past few days that I let myself forget reality.

“Shit,” I say as it all slowly starts coming back to me.

“What?” he asks suddenly.

Today’s Friday… Which means-

“I have a wedding tonight.”

For a second, he scans my face as his thumb sweeps the side of my neck.He suddenly breaks out in a laugh. “Not even being kidnapped stops you, huh?”

“It’s not funny!” I insist, but the more he laughs, the more I realize I can’t stop my own smile from taking over. "Wait- where's Ricky?? I haven't seen him-"

"Easy," he tells me. "He's back at the apartment. I think he's had enough of all the excitement. He's watching Chesna."

I feel myself relax again, but I still have the pressing urge to call and make sure he's okay. It's the least I can do after everything he did.

Without him...

I don't allow myself to consider the thought.

Crew's hands tighten around my waist, his eyes flickering with something devious. “Just wait until you see the mess Chesna made of the apartment.”

At the look on my face, Crew Warden laughs again. I can’t find it in myself not to laugh with him.