Chapter 21 – I'm Sorry

It was hard for Octavio to sit this still. It had been a very long time since he had been confined to one place. He watched as the afternoon light washed over Ajay's face and body. He knew in his heart that there was nowhere he would rather be then right here with her. It had been a few hours since he had patched her up and the color was returning to her skin. She felt warm again, even her pulse felt stronger. Octavio couldn't help but stare at her as the light graced her body.

Ajay began to make small movements. Her finger tips ran along Octavio's arm. Ajay was trying to make sense of her surroundings. She felt like there was ton of bricks weighing her down as she slowly sat up. "Silva?" She rubbed her eyes before she realized she was naked. She rushed to pull the sheets around her and tumbled out of bed to her feet. She looked at down at Octavio who was splayed out on her bed; he was also naked. Her face felt warm as she blushed and turned around. She spotted his clothing on her chair.

Octavio laughed, "Come on Che. It's not like you haven't see me naked before." Ajay threw his clothes at him, "Get dressed ya hear." She couldn't look at him. He was right though, she had seen him at this worst and naked. "So why was this any different? Why am I making this weird?" She just couldn't look at him for some reason. His eyes were glued to her though; he did not have a problem looking at her. Octavio could see Ajay's face in the mirror; blushing. He smiled but straighten his face so she would not notice. He stood up and quickly put his shirt and shorts on, "Okay Che. I'm dressed." He struck a pose as she peeked over her shoulder. "Good, now get out."

Octavio dropped his shoulders, "Not happening Che." She turned around, sheet clutched her chest, "Quit messin around Silva." He stood his ground, crossing his arms over chest, "You almost died last night. I'm not leaving Che." She could hear the concern in his voice. Sighed and turned around. "Fine Silva. Just don't look." Octavio nodded and closed his eyes as he sat down on the bed, "You got it Che!" His voice was playful and he had his fingers crossed behind his back. Ajay looked behind her one more time at Octavio. She stared at him for movement. She could see that his eyes were closed. She waved a hand in front of his closed eyes, he didn't move. She shrugged and turned around.

Octavio opened his eyes as Ajay turned around. He watched the sheet fall from her body. He was very quiet as he stared at her ass. He hadn't really looked at her earlier, when he was patching her up. He took his time to look at every inch of her body; and with the mirror there he got a view of the front side as well. He watched her breasts bounce with each and every movement she made. He was lost in her curves and her soft features.

Ajay pulled out a black bra and lace panties out of the drawer and put them on. Octavio watched her leaned into the closest to pick out a shirt. The way her panties framed her ass was amazing. He sat back and enjoyed the show. She threw on a black tank top with some white writing on it that read Flyer Liar. Octavio almost laughed as he saw the name of Ajay's old band; it felt nostalgic for him. Ajay slipped on her black shorts. Octavio hurried to close his eyes before she turned back around. Ajay walked back over to him waved her hand in front of his face, he still wasn't moving. She stood up, "Okay. Ya can look." He raised an eyebrow, "Finally, I was getting bored." Ajay threw the sheet at his face.

"Che, I was joking." He pulled the sheet down to see her throwing her backpack over her shoulders. "Where are you going?" She looked around for her phone, "Training and then we have a match tonight." He stood up and pried the backpack off of her shoulders, "Even if there was a match tonight you are in no condition to go." She was tense until Octavio finished what he was saying, "Whatcha mean even if there was a match? We're supposed to have duos every night this week." Octavio shook his head, "Nah, everything is cancelled until Saturday. So we have a few days to relax." Ajay grabbed her phone and sat down next to Octavio on her bed. She opened the message from Apex HQ:

Legends:

Due to recent events and glitches with equipment and malfunctions all matches are postponed until Saturday.

The message was short and to the point. Ajay laid back on the bed, her legs hanging off. Octavio looked down at her, "Che." He paused as she moved her arm over her eyes. "We should talk." Ajay had forgot how mad she was at Octavio about the past few years and again about him showing up out of the blue and blowing her up in the arena. She pulled her arm from her face and sat up to look at him, "Yeah Silva we should. First let's talk about how ya blew me up in the arena." She stopped momentarily to gather her thoughts. "That's one hell of a way to say hello." She paused again. "Or would ya like to talk about how ya almost died and guilt tripped me into making ya some legs. Then ya dipped out on me."

"Che. I don't want to point fingers..." Ajay interrupted him, "Then don't!" Octavio continued anyway, "But you're the one who block my number." Ajay promptly got up from the bed, "This boy!" She was going to whack him upside the head but instead she was going to walk away from the situation before she did. Octavio grabbed her wrist. She stopped in her place but didn't turn around. "Not this time Che. We're not walking away from this conversation." Ajay remained silent because she knew if she start talking that nothing nice would come out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry. You're right. The way things went down back then was my fault. I threw the grenade at jump pad, way too close to my jump. I blew off my own legs. I didn't want to wait for them to heal. I knew that you could make me better ones. I couldn't sit around in rehab and wait to get better. I had a meeting for Apex and I couldn't miss it." He realized he had been holding her wrist too tight so he let go. "I just wanted to do more. I couldn't live that boring ass life like my family. I couldn't go back to that. I would have killed myself and that's no joke. Apex agreed to give me a contract but they wanted to me to get some damn self-control first. So I had to disappear for a while and get my shit together. I couldn't contact you because you ended communication. Then I heard that you were in the Apex games and I followed you every chance I got. I have seen all of your matches. I never stopped looking for you. I never stopped thinking about you or what I did to hurt you. I'm sorry Che. I really am."

The room was silent for a long time until Octavio broke the silence again. "Che?" He said her name softly. "Please say something." Ajay turned around her face was wet with tears and her eyes were swollen from crying. "Silva. You don't even understand. I cut off communication because I just couldn't keep caring anymore, it was killin me. I sat up every night, worryin if ya were dead. I finally just wrote ya off as dead so I wouldn't have to worry about ya anymore. But the worry never went away. I have nightmares every night Silva. I don't sleep. I don't eat. I train, battle, rinse, and repeat. I constantly replay ya comin into the clinic, ya legs blown to pieces. Yet there ya are, smiling and joking with me. I thought ya were going ta die and after everything I did for ya I find out ya lied to me." She stopped and wiped more tears from her face, "I haven't cried since that day. Then ya come waltzing into the arena and ya take me out. Ya take me out with the one thing that ya used to start this whole cascade of shitty events between us. A fucking grenade Silva. What am I suppose ta think?"

Octavio stood up from her bed and moved over to Ajay, "No Che. I couldn't take you out. I didn't have it in me. I took both of us out. I couldn't bear to put a bullet into you. I also couldn't stand there and lose my contract. That's why I pulled the comms devices and removed my armor. That's why I set off the grenade and stayed with you. There was less questions that way." He brought his hands up to her face and wiped her tears from her cheeks and held her face in his hands. "I have come this fucking far to find you. I can't lose you again Che."

Ajay looked into Octavio's beautiful emerald eyes. It was the first time she had ever seen such concern in them. Then she began to laugh. He gave her a weird look, his hands still cupping her cheeks. "Ya so stupid Silva. Get ya shit ta gether. I'm not going nowhere." He laughed with her and almost ran a lap around the room, "You got me good Che!" He wiped some more tears from her face before dropping his hands to his sides, "Che? Are we even now? I mean because of last night, me saving you and all." He knew he was pushing his luck. Ajay sat down on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees. "I... I don't even remember what happened last night. The last thing I remember was letting you into my apartment."

Octavio plopped down in front of her, sitting with his legs crossed, "Well when I woke up this morning to talk to you I thought you were still ignoring me. Your door was opened so I walked in to harass you some more. You wouldn't wake up. There were empty bottles of booze and pills everywhere. I thought you were dead. Your pulse was weak. I got you into a cold a shower but you still wouldn't wake up." He looked away for a moment and then back to her. His face was less playful, "I had to stim you. I'm sorry. I held you until it wore off. I didn't know you were nursing battle wounds. The stim just made it worse. I had to pull your stitches and stitch you back up." He sighed, "There was so much blood. I couldn't just leave you. I stayed with you and watched you to make sure you were okay."

Ajay watched the concern and worry on his face. In all of their years of them being friends he had never looked like that. She dropped her knees from her chest and reached for one of his hands with her own. "Silva, it's okay." She squeezed his hand a little, not really knowing how to react when he was like this. "Ya didn't know." She released hand. "I have ben dealin with this since Alexander came into the arena. There's someting wrong with his tactical or the map. I don't know. I tried to stitch myself up as best I could but ya see how that went. Elliot has been helpin me but there has ben match after match. I just can't seem to keep up." Octavio grew a bit tense when heard Elliot's name mentioned but he let it go, "I haven't been here. I am not going come here and make demands." He watched Ajay's gaze shift to the floor as she spoke. "Thank ya for patching me up."

Octavio punched her shoulder playfully, "No problemo!" He laughed. She was still staring at the floor, "Che. I'm not one to talk but what's with the pills and booze?" Ajay looked at him, "Just havin a good time. I have had more than that before." He laughed uncomfortably at her. "Besides, if it weren't for this wound I be fine." Again he laughed the same uncomfortable laugh. He knew that what she meant about having a good time it was code for getting waste because of a fucked u situation. They used to do it all the time when they were younger. Their parents weren't always around and didn't seem to give a shit about them until they needed them. Their parents would drag them to unnecessary events to show them off. Their parents would even make them participate in transactions that involved selling drugs in his case. In Ajay's situation her parents were secretly using her to transport war gear for profits. They always seem to be in some fucked up situation and their escape was drugs and alcohol. Maybe they relied on it too much. "Whatever you say. You know your limits." He hoped he was right, for her sake.