Elliot looked up at Olivia walked back into the bedroom. Her hair looked towel dried and once again, she was wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt, with an oversized cardigan wrapped around her body. He was glad that he'd kept his t-shirt on when he had climbed into bed. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable.
"Are you sure this is okay?" He asked. He knew what her answer would be, as they had discussed this before her shower, but he still felt like he had to ask.
"Are we really going to go over this again?" Olivia asked, grabbing two books off the nightstand. They'd been settled at the dining room table, splitting a second piece of pie, and laughing at themselves and their suspicious nature, when Elliot had reminded her that they hadn't talked to their landlord about their issues with the loft. Olivia hadn't wanted to do anything to ruin the mood of they day by making a big deal of it, so she had shrugged it off and suggested they just keep their arrangements the same as the night before. Elliot had asked her if she was sure at least three times, and it had given her pause, wondering if he thought something had changed between them in the past twenty-four hours.
"I guess not." Elliot chuckled, hearing her dismissive tone. He pushed his pillows up against the headboard and leaned up against it. He had found an old crime thriller on the bookshelf in the living room, forced to look for something since Olivia had told him she was going to crawl in bed and read. He wasn't sure if it were something he'd be interested in, but it was the best option he could find. Otherwise, he'd simply be laying beside her and watching her read, and he didn't think she'd appreciate him staring at her for the rest of the evening. He cracked open the book, seeing her shed her cardigan and slip into bed beside him.
"It feels odd to go to bed before 10." Olivia said, pulling the covers up and settling them around her waist.
"We had an adventurous day." Elliot took it as a good sign that she hadn't felt the need to wear her sweater to bed. Either she was feeling more comfortable about having him sleeping next to her, or she was counting on some extra body heat from him. Either way, it worked.
"Yeah, I guess we did." Almost everything she'd done today had been so out of character, including another night of sharing a bed with Elliot. She wasn't quite sure what had possessed her to invite him back so casually, but it had just seemed like too much work to figure out another alternative, or to make a big deal out of it. She knew that she had probably just paved the way for Elliot to sleep here all week, but it was done. She felt a small thrum low in her belly as she thought about it, but she quickly shut down that train of thought. "And that pie pushed me over the edge." Olivia put a hand over her stomach. "I'm so full."
Elliot glanced over at Olivia. "It was delicious." Elliot agreed. "But I'm not sure I like the idea of someone coming into the cottage while we were gone."
"I'm sure he knocked first to see if we were here."
"What if we had been here but hadn't been able to come to the door?" Elliot asked. He saw the question on Olivia's face and her eyebrow arch slightly, and he realized what he was intimating. He quickly explained what he'd meant by his comment. "We could have been in the shower…" He realized that wasn't any better. "I mean, I could have been in the shower and you could have been getting dressed or…" He clenched his teeth together to keep himself from saying anything else. He saw the tug of a smile on Olivia's face though and she laughed out loud, turning her attention back to the book on her lap.
"That's my favorite part of today." Elliot said, resettling himself against the headboard.
Olivia looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. "Someone breaking in and bringing us pie?"
"No." Elliot said. "Hearing you laugh." He sat up and turned towards her slightly. "You've been laughing all day. From deep down…" He pressed his closed fist against his chest to illustrate the point. "Real laughter, from your gut. I don't think I've ever heard you laugh so much in one day."
"I think you already told me that." Olivia said, trying to brush off his comment. She was trying keep herself from blushing at the intensity in Elliot's gaze and the ferocity of his words.
"Then you know I'm serious." Elliot said, ducking his head slightly to capture her eyes. "I love what just one day has done for you. I'm happy that you've let go of the stress of the job and the chaos of the city so quickly."
Olivia reached out and his right jaw with her hand. "Me too." She said, giving him a small smile. They locked eyes for what seemed like a long minute and it wasn't lost on her that it would take only seconds for Elliot to lean in and kiss her. She saw the realization in Elliot's eyes almost simultaneously, and she dropped her hand quickly as he sat up, putting a little more distance between them.
"I'd better get started on this…" Elliot lifted the paperback that was still clutched in his right hand and he saw a quick nod from Olivia as she turned her attention to her own. He leaned back and opened the book, intending to purge thoughts of kissing Olivia as he focused on the story.
If Olivia realized it took him five tries to read the first page, she didn't say anything.
EOEOEOEO
Elliot woke to the sound of rain against the window. It was after daybreak; a weak light illuminating the room just slightly. He could hear Olivia breathing slowly, in rhythm, and he knew she was still asleep. He turned his head and saw her back was to him. She was on her side, almost curled into herself, and he wondered if she was cold. His eyes trailed down her body, stopping only momentarily at the bare strip of exposed skin on her lower back, and he saw the blankets bunched around her knees. He reached down and lifted them as gently as he could, pulling them over her body. Olivia stirred and for a moment, he was afraid he had woken her, but she settled back into place, tugging the covers more tightly against her chest.
Elliot held for a second, making sure she was really asleep, before he slid out of the bed. He stood in place for another few seconds, but she didn't move again. He nabbed his sweatshirt from the chair and fished around for a pair of socks as the wooden floor was shockingly cold against his feet.
Once Elliot left the bedroom, he debated about closing the door. Chances are it would squeak, but luckily for him, it swung easily on its hinges. He made his way to the bathroom, and then to the kitchen, happy that they had picked up everything they needed for breakfast. He had a feeling the rain meant it would be a lazy morning, and he didn't want to go out for breakfast or groceries. The only question would be what time Olivia would wake up.
Once Elliot had a mug of coffee in his hand, he sauntered over to the front windows. The rain wasn't particularly heavy, but it was steady. He saw water pooled in sunken spots on the gravel driveway, so he assumed it had been raining for a while. Looking up at the sky, all he could see was gray, and he wondered if they would be socked in all day. He didn't know what the weather patterns were out here, but he assumed they would.
Olivia had been excited about getting out today, so he hoped she wouldn't be too disappointed. Before they had left, she had told him that she was going to sleep in and take it easy, so even though they had plans for today, he thought she could probably ease into a quiet day. He wasn't sure how he felt about it because he'd never had the opportunity to have many quiet days. Any time he hadn't been working, Kathy had handed him a list of things to do.
If they were going to spend the day inside, he needed to make it a little warmer in here. He found the thermostat and bumped it up a few degrees, wishing they had a fireplace to make things really cozy. Since that wasn't an option, he bumped the thermostat up another degree and headed back into the kitchen, wondering what time Olivia was going to wake.
EOEOEOEO
Olivia was in that strange state where she wasn't sure if she was sleeping or if she was awake. She was aware of the sound of water drumming against the window, but she thought she must be dreaming because the weather was supposed to be sunny. Her mind was trying to figure out where she was when she heard someone rapping on a door. She saw herself walking to her apartment door when she heard someone say her name. She was really confused now because she hadn't opened the door when she heard her name again.
It was Elliot and when he said her name again, she opened her eyes. She hadn't been dreaming at all. The room was dim, with very little light from the outside, but she could make out Elliot standing in the light that beamed in from the hallway.
"Hey." Elliot said, seeing the confusion on her face. He'd taken a gamble on the timing of breakfast, but he figured maybe she'd been laying in here reading.
He'd been wrong.
"I can't believe you were still sleeping." Elliot said, moving closer to the bed. "I'm sorry I woke you."
Olivia pushed herself up and ran a hand through her hair. "What time is it?"
"Almost 10." Elliot said. He watched Olivia press her fingers against the bridge of her nose, right between her eyes, as if she were trying to clear her head. When she dropped her hand, she looked up at him and saw the tray in his hands.
"I can't believe I slept this late." Olivia tugged at her t-shirt and pulled the blankets up to her waist. She glanced back at Elliot and noticed the mug in his hand. "Is that for me?"
"Yes. I've already had a whole pot."
"How long have you been up?" Olivia asked, taking a sip from the mug.
Elliot shrugged. "I'll be right back." He rushed out of the bedroom and came back almost right away, holding a tray in his hands. "And here is your breakfast." He set the tray on Olivia's lap and whipped off the towel, revealing scrambled eggs, toast, and half of a banana. "I wasn't sure how hungry you'd be, so I didn't make a lot." He explained. "And I ate half of your banana. But I can make you something else if you want more to eat or…"
"You made me breakfast in bed?" She hadn't meant to cut him off, but she was so surprised by the gesture.
"Yeah."
"That's so sweet." She gave Elliot a big smile. "You didn't have to do this."
"I've been bringing you breakfast for years." He teased, reminding her of all the mornings he stopped off and would bring her a muffin or scone or some other treat. "Didn't think I should stop now."
Olivia smiled as she bit off a piece of toast. "True." She plucked another piece of toast from the plate and offered it to him. "Join me?"
"I ate hours ago." Elliot sat down on the end of the bed. "I guess you heard the rain."
"Yeah." Olivia said, trying to look through the slats in the blinds. "Is it going to last all day?"
"Looks that way." Elliot said. "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I know you wanted to go hiking today and…"
Olivia shook her head. Now that she'd slept so late, she was feeling incredibly lazy. "I'm good with finding a comfy spot to curl up with my book and a warm blanket." She smiled. "We had some adventure yesterday. So, today, we take it easy."
EOEOEOEO
An hour later, they were both sitting on opposite ends of the couch with a huge quilt spread out across their legs. Olivia had taken a hot shower ad had donned a fresh pair of leggings, a heavy sweatshirt, and a pair of socks. She had her feet tucked beneath her and the blanket pulled up to her waist. She had refilled her mug and held it in one hand while she balanced the book against her knees. She kept stealing glimpses at Elliot. He kept shifting his weight on the other end, trying to find a comfortable position until he'd seen the ottoman tucked in the corner. He had situated it between them, but had his feet stretched out, taking up most of it. Luckily, the quilt they had pulled down from the closet shelf was large and fell over his legs to the floor.
The only sound in the room was the rain falling steadily against the cottage, and the occasional sound of paper as someone turned a page. Elliot saw that Olivia was engrossed in her book, but he hadn't really gotten into his. He felt himself getting sleepy, which was almost unbelievable because he'd only been up about four hours. But the lack of activity, the quiet, the rhythmic sound of the rain and the warmth of the blanket all conspired against him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, only intending to rest for a minute.
The next thing he knew, he woke to an earth-shattering scream.