Fall to Pieces
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: (waiting patiently ... well, not that patiently) Where are those 24 hours!!!??? Early Christmas presents are welcomed!
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She stood in the middle of a newly furnished room; a queen sized bed in the corner, a nightstand sitting next to it, and two dressers one of which held a small 12 inch television. It wasn't much to look at, the walls were a bland shade of tan, the hardwood floors were worn, and the comforter on the bed was just a plain black with white pillows and sheets. It was all that she needed, she was content.
In the room across the hall two young girls jumped happily on their beds, one in the top left corner of the room and another in the top right. Both twin sized, clad with bright pink sheets and a purple bedspread with pink flowers. On the east side of the room was an open closet door, showing the barren contents of the small addition. That would be finished some other time. Two white dressers stood side by side, also void of clothing, and also to be tackled some other day.
The kitchen/dining room held a small four-person table, all the necessary appliances, nothing more and nothing less. The living room looked like anything but, with only a slightly larger television sitting in the middle with two beanbag chairs thrown haphazardly in front of it. Where two young girls had sat watching Spongebob while their mother and a bunch of grown-ups had carried in box after box and various pieces of furniture. The one bathroom was plain, done in light and dark blue. It wasn't something out of a magazine, but it would do.
In her bedroom she could hear the sounds of laughter coming from across the hall, and she smiled to herself. The girls were ecstatic to have a room to themselves, though at first they weren't too thrilled about having to share a room, now they were having the time of their lives. She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, her elbows resting on her thighs, she sighed to herself. It was a small, quaint place and she enjoyed it but found herself missing the large, spaciousness of her old house, the one she and Chris had picked out together. Her very own dream home, but that was all gone now.
Even Elliot's apartment had been larger than the one she and the girls were staying in. Not much larger, but it had a dining room, as well as the eat in kitchen, a larger master bedroom, and an extra bath. But, Olivia didn't expect to stay where she was long, only until her divorce was final. From there she would get something larger, if she didn't get her home in Queens.
Her thoughts were taking off as soon as her buzzer sounded.
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She'd left, that morning. He helped her move into her new apartment, it wasn't too far away from his, he wondered if she had planned it that way or if it was only an extra.
His apartment was eerily quiet; he didn't remember it ever being so ... unnerving before. He turned the television on for some sort of noise, but it didn't do much. It only made him feel even more alone and added desperate.
He could only blame it on one person, though. That person was himself. He had pushed her away, taken things too far. He should have known not to take his relationship with her any further, not even a millimeter, it only complicated things. If he hadn't made things so awkward between them maybe she wouldn't have gone so soon. But no, he had to be an idiot. When he should have known that she wouldn't receive him so readily, she was in the beginning stages of a divorce; her husband had hurt her, emotionally and physically. He felt like an ass.
He paced in his living room for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a couple of minutes. The hum from the television was not doing anything to get rid of his loneliness; it was only proving to be annoying. He grabbed the remote and shut it off; the room plunged into darkness as a result. He paced in the darkness, occasionally bumping into things and cursing at them.
He finally got to the point where his boredom was being to overshadow his loneliness; he had absolutely nothing to do. He thought about going to check out Olivia's apartment, see what she and the girls had done with it since he left nearly five hours prior. He could bring dinner, pizza or Chinese. He decided that was what he was going to do, stop by and see her and the girls, with Chinese takeout. He grabbed his wallet and keys and headed out of the apartment.
It didn't take long to get the Chinese food; it wasn't so crowded at the restaurant. When he got the food he took it to his car and phoned Olivia's cell. As far as he knew she didn't have a home phone yet. She didn't answer, instead her voice mail did the job for her, she must have turned it off. He left a message saying that he was coming over just incase she would pick her phone up and turn it on. He turned on his radio and took off for her new apartment.
It didn't take long for him to get there, her home was only a few minutes away so the drive was short. He pressed the buzzer and waited for her to answer. She did after a few seconds.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Liv. It's me ... I brought food."
She paused for a second, like she was thinking it over. "What kind?," she asked like it would make a difference.
"Chinese."
There was another pause before she said, "Come on in." He could hear the smile in her voice.
He did as told and walked inside, her apartment was 07. He knocked on the door and she answered, Becca hugging her legs.
"What'cha got?" She asked him, standing in the doorframe.
"General Tso's chicken, fried rice, and peppered steak."
She looked down at Becca, "What'cha say, hon? Sound good?"
Becca nodded.
Olivia smiled and looked back up at him, "Well, if she says it's ok, then it's ok." She picked Becca up into her arms and backed out of the doorway to let him in. She called Cassie into the room and set Becca down in a chair at the dining room table. Cassie came running out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.
"What?"
"You want something to eat?"
The girl perked up and nodded happily. "What kind of food?"
"Chinese," Elliot answered her.
"Yum," she said sitting down at the table next to her sister.
Olivia turned and opened a cabinet, "I'm gonna make you two a plate, what to you want to drink?"
"Apple Juice!" Cassie yelled out.
Becca agreed, "Yeah!"
"All right, apple juice it is. What about you, Elliot," she said smiling, "do you want apple juice to?"
He shook his head, "Soda will be fine."
"Suit yourself," she said grabbing some cups from the cabinet.
She made the drinks and then they ate dinner together. Afterwards Olivia got the girls ready for bed and Elliot helped her tuck them in and read them their bedtime story. When they were asleep the two walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, since there were no couches in the living room. Olivia put on a pot of coffee and sat down across from Elliot.
"So ... why did you really come over?"
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"So ... why did you really come over?" She asked, sitting down across from him at her new dining room table. She knew that there was something else to the reason he came over, he couldn't have just thought he'd drop by with some food. No, Elliot was more complex than that. And she knew she was starting something she shouldn't, she was starting up a conversation that would most likely deal with the whole reason she moved into her own apartment in the first place.
He was silent for a moment, as if he didn't really know how to say why he had come. "Um ...," he started, "I don't know ... I was just sitting at home and there was nothing to do. I figured that you would enjoy the company and the girls would enjoy the food. Is it a bad thing that I came?"
She shook her head, "Not at all. I just wanted to know why."
"So," he said, fiddling with the place mat in front of him. "How do you like having your own place?"
She smiled, "It's nothing big, but it'll do. I feel better about not mooching off of you anymore."
"You were never mooching."
"Yes I was."
He shrugged, "Well I didn't mind."
"I know you didn't, but I did."
"That's not the reason you left though."
"No," she said shaking her head, "it's not."
"Are we ever going to talk about it?"
"Well, yeah. Of course we are. But, this isn't exactly the right time for that kind of conversation."
"Why not?"
"Elliot, I've not even got to the hard part of the divorce, discussing 'us' is not exactly the right thing to do. It really won't help my divorce. I mean, what if something was to happen as a result and Chris found out. It would just help him out in the long run. Who knows, he might even get custody of the girls. I can't let that happen."
"I know Olivia. But, I'm not saying that there has to be some kind of result. At least not right away. I already told you that I can wait, it might take awhile, I know, but I'd be able to wait."
"I know that," she said, shaking her head. "I know you'd do that for me. But, Elliot. What I've been trying to tell you is that I wouldn't be able to. I couldn't ... I wouldn't be able to be around you knowing how you feel about me and how I feel about you. That's why we can't talk about this, not now."
He nodded, standing up from the table. "When you're ready, I'm ready."
She looked down at her hands as he started to walk towards the door. She looked up just as she heard the front door shut, shaking her head. "I'm not." She said to herself.
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A/N: I know, I know, it's taken forever. My computer has been totally screwed up, so for a long time I was cut off from the Internet! Ahh! So horrible. Let me know what'cha think. I know this isn't my best chapter, but it'll get good again.
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: (waiting patiently ... well, not that patiently) Where are those 24 hours!!!??? Early Christmas presents are welcomed!
XXXXXXXXXX
She stood in the middle of a newly furnished room; a queen sized bed in the corner, a nightstand sitting next to it, and two dressers one of which held a small 12 inch television. It wasn't much to look at, the walls were a bland shade of tan, the hardwood floors were worn, and the comforter on the bed was just a plain black with white pillows and sheets. It was all that she needed, she was content.
In the room across the hall two young girls jumped happily on their beds, one in the top left corner of the room and another in the top right. Both twin sized, clad with bright pink sheets and a purple bedspread with pink flowers. On the east side of the room was an open closet door, showing the barren contents of the small addition. That would be finished some other time. Two white dressers stood side by side, also void of clothing, and also to be tackled some other day.
The kitchen/dining room held a small four-person table, all the necessary appliances, nothing more and nothing less. The living room looked like anything but, with only a slightly larger television sitting in the middle with two beanbag chairs thrown haphazardly in front of it. Where two young girls had sat watching Spongebob while their mother and a bunch of grown-ups had carried in box after box and various pieces of furniture. The one bathroom was plain, done in light and dark blue. It wasn't something out of a magazine, but it would do.
In her bedroom she could hear the sounds of laughter coming from across the hall, and she smiled to herself. The girls were ecstatic to have a room to themselves, though at first they weren't too thrilled about having to share a room, now they were having the time of their lives. She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, her elbows resting on her thighs, she sighed to herself. It was a small, quaint place and she enjoyed it but found herself missing the large, spaciousness of her old house, the one she and Chris had picked out together. Her very own dream home, but that was all gone now.
Even Elliot's apartment had been larger than the one she and the girls were staying in. Not much larger, but it had a dining room, as well as the eat in kitchen, a larger master bedroom, and an extra bath. But, Olivia didn't expect to stay where she was long, only until her divorce was final. From there she would get something larger, if she didn't get her home in Queens.
Her thoughts were taking off as soon as her buzzer sounded.
XXXXXXXXXX
She'd left, that morning. He helped her move into her new apartment, it wasn't too far away from his, he wondered if she had planned it that way or if it was only an extra.
His apartment was eerily quiet; he didn't remember it ever being so ... unnerving before. He turned the television on for some sort of noise, but it didn't do much. It only made him feel even more alone and added desperate.
He could only blame it on one person, though. That person was himself. He had pushed her away, taken things too far. He should have known not to take his relationship with her any further, not even a millimeter, it only complicated things. If he hadn't made things so awkward between them maybe she wouldn't have gone so soon. But no, he had to be an idiot. When he should have known that she wouldn't receive him so readily, she was in the beginning stages of a divorce; her husband had hurt her, emotionally and physically. He felt like an ass.
He paced in his living room for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a couple of minutes. The hum from the television was not doing anything to get rid of his loneliness; it was only proving to be annoying. He grabbed the remote and shut it off; the room plunged into darkness as a result. He paced in the darkness, occasionally bumping into things and cursing at them.
He finally got to the point where his boredom was being to overshadow his loneliness; he had absolutely nothing to do. He thought about going to check out Olivia's apartment, see what she and the girls had done with it since he left nearly five hours prior. He could bring dinner, pizza or Chinese. He decided that was what he was going to do, stop by and see her and the girls, with Chinese takeout. He grabbed his wallet and keys and headed out of the apartment.
It didn't take long to get the Chinese food; it wasn't so crowded at the restaurant. When he got the food he took it to his car and phoned Olivia's cell. As far as he knew she didn't have a home phone yet. She didn't answer, instead her voice mail did the job for her, she must have turned it off. He left a message saying that he was coming over just incase she would pick her phone up and turn it on. He turned on his radio and took off for her new apartment.
It didn't take long for him to get there, her home was only a few minutes away so the drive was short. He pressed the buzzer and waited for her to answer. She did after a few seconds.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Liv. It's me ... I brought food."
She paused for a second, like she was thinking it over. "What kind?," she asked like it would make a difference.
"Chinese."
There was another pause before she said, "Come on in." He could hear the smile in her voice.
He did as told and walked inside, her apartment was 07. He knocked on the door and she answered, Becca hugging her legs.
"What'cha got?" She asked him, standing in the doorframe.
"General Tso's chicken, fried rice, and peppered steak."
She looked down at Becca, "What'cha say, hon? Sound good?"
Becca nodded.
Olivia smiled and looked back up at him, "Well, if she says it's ok, then it's ok." She picked Becca up into her arms and backed out of the doorway to let him in. She called Cassie into the room and set Becca down in a chair at the dining room table. Cassie came running out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.
"What?"
"You want something to eat?"
The girl perked up and nodded happily. "What kind of food?"
"Chinese," Elliot answered her.
"Yum," she said sitting down at the table next to her sister.
Olivia turned and opened a cabinet, "I'm gonna make you two a plate, what to you want to drink?"
"Apple Juice!" Cassie yelled out.
Becca agreed, "Yeah!"
"All right, apple juice it is. What about you, Elliot," she said smiling, "do you want apple juice to?"
He shook his head, "Soda will be fine."
"Suit yourself," she said grabbing some cups from the cabinet.
She made the drinks and then they ate dinner together. Afterwards Olivia got the girls ready for bed and Elliot helped her tuck them in and read them their bedtime story. When they were asleep the two walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, since there were no couches in the living room. Olivia put on a pot of coffee and sat down across from Elliot.
"So ... why did you really come over?"
XXXXXXXXXX
"So ... why did you really come over?" She asked, sitting down across from him at her new dining room table. She knew that there was something else to the reason he came over, he couldn't have just thought he'd drop by with some food. No, Elliot was more complex than that. And she knew she was starting something she shouldn't, she was starting up a conversation that would most likely deal with the whole reason she moved into her own apartment in the first place.
He was silent for a moment, as if he didn't really know how to say why he had come. "Um ...," he started, "I don't know ... I was just sitting at home and there was nothing to do. I figured that you would enjoy the company and the girls would enjoy the food. Is it a bad thing that I came?"
She shook her head, "Not at all. I just wanted to know why."
"So," he said, fiddling with the place mat in front of him. "How do you like having your own place?"
She smiled, "It's nothing big, but it'll do. I feel better about not mooching off of you anymore."
"You were never mooching."
"Yes I was."
He shrugged, "Well I didn't mind."
"I know you didn't, but I did."
"That's not the reason you left though."
"No," she said shaking her head, "it's not."
"Are we ever going to talk about it?"
"Well, yeah. Of course we are. But, this isn't exactly the right time for that kind of conversation."
"Why not?"
"Elliot, I've not even got to the hard part of the divorce, discussing 'us' is not exactly the right thing to do. It really won't help my divorce. I mean, what if something was to happen as a result and Chris found out. It would just help him out in the long run. Who knows, he might even get custody of the girls. I can't let that happen."
"I know Olivia. But, I'm not saying that there has to be some kind of result. At least not right away. I already told you that I can wait, it might take awhile, I know, but I'd be able to wait."
"I know that," she said, shaking her head. "I know you'd do that for me. But, Elliot. What I've been trying to tell you is that I wouldn't be able to. I couldn't ... I wouldn't be able to be around you knowing how you feel about me and how I feel about you. That's why we can't talk about this, not now."
He nodded, standing up from the table. "When you're ready, I'm ready."
She looked down at her hands as he started to walk towards the door. She looked up just as she heard the front door shut, shaking her head. "I'm not." She said to herself.
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A/N: I know, I know, it's taken forever. My computer has been totally screwed up, so for a long time I was cut off from the Internet! Ahh! So horrible. Let me know what'cha think. I know this isn't my best chapter, but it'll get good again.