"I wish you loved me." Olive Snook mumbled as her tired head crept closer and closer to the stone brick wall of the rooftop of their joined apartment building. Found by the Pie Maker only 30 minutes earlier, despite the fresh air and the massive amounts of coffee, Olive felt the affects of alcohol wash away any boundaries she had where her feelings for Ned were concerned.
"We all wish for things, Olive."
"Yeah? What do you wish for? You have everything you want. Girlfriend, this place, a best friend who takes you on crazy adventures where you get to see other people and stuff. I want that. Not the girlfriend and crazy adventures part, just the people part."
"You have that too, Olive."
"Do I? I used to have you and Big Daddy PI. I guess I have Chuck, although that constantly has potential for me to blow to smitherins. Although, Emerson doesn't really like me."
"He likes you, he's like that with everyone. Sometimes I think you're the only one he doesn't mind."
"I could've had Alfredo, but I screwed the pooch there."
"Who?"
"Alfredo Aldarissio." Ned remained unphased. "He was a travelling salesman." Olive attempted to drive home the point by sending a couple of stern looks his way. "Anyway, I think he could've liked me if I hadn't... you know..."
"Liked me?"
"Did you ever like me back Ned? What you said to me when were holding onto that branch, it's stuck in this dark place in my brain and I can't get it out. I mean, before Chuck came along, was I just blind and seeing and hearing what I wanted to see and hear? Or did you really have feelings for me?"
"Olive, this isen't the time or the..."
"Oh screw that, Ned! I'm sad enough and have enough alcohol in my system to know I won't remember any of this tomorrow. Can't you just for once tell me the truth? It's not like I'm gonna run and tell Chuck all about it. Or Emerson." The hint of sadness in her voice struck a cord with Ned. "He wouldn't belive me anyway. And I know you don't wanna hurt Chuck by mentioning some other woman, and I don't want to hurt her either. I like Chuck, she's probably the best friend I have, might be the best friend I've ever had. But it's hard to get over something when I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to get over."
"Alright, honesty..."
"Yeah, let's try it." He sat down on the edge of the building, trying to find the beautiful eyes of his trusted friend. "Ned, all those years. The day you hired me, the looks, the smiles... did I imagine it? Because sometimes you make me feel like I did and that really makes me feel---"
"---bad?"
"I was going for something stronger, but sure, let's stick with that. It makes me feel bad, and worse, about it. See, when I replay those moments in my mind, all those things you said, the way you looked at me, the way you..." Her voice trailed off as it softened when she caught her breath again. " --- kissed me... that's all very real to me. And most of the time, you seem to pretend they didn't happen."
"I did look at you. I kissed you. I said things that I tried to take back, and that wasen't fair, and I apologize for that. I'm not good with ---" Ned said, as he gestured and tried to say what he wanted to say without being able to say it. "--- emotions."
"Did you mean it? Any of it? Because Emerson thinks these feelings I have for you is just a silly little one-sided employer/employee crush, and Chuck... well, Chuck thinks that too. And when you're around me, you make it kind of hard to move on from something that it feels like I'm not supposed to have felt at all."
"I meant it. Every word. I still mean it, all of it. Just..." Ned sighed, as he looked out into the dark, lonely night.
"Differently. I get it. You love Chuck. And I like you guys, you're good together... although, you could help me out by cutting down on the sugary sweet dopey looks across the room. 'Cause you used to look at me that way and it just makes it harder to forget about you know..." Ned smiled shyly and nodded. "... and everything."
"I'll see what I can do. Are you gonna stay up here?"
"Yeah, I could use the fresh air."
"I'll tell Chuck you're out for a walk. Goodnight Olive."
"Goodnight Ned. Tell Chuck I said hi." Olive watched Ned walk towards the door that led to the downstairs apartment. "Ned?"
"Yeah?" He turned, as he smiled.
"Did you ever tell Chuck about us? About what happened before she came back from... you know, whatever you call faking your death."
"No."
"So... that bearskin rug?"
"She doesn't know it was you. And she won't. It's our secret to keep." Olive was certain she felt her heart do a tripple flip inside her chest as Ned vanished from her sight and she turned away from the lights. Only the cold, lonely night with it's twinkling stars and the remains of alcohol in her blood was there to keep her company. For once, she didn't mind.