Hello, my lovelies! Is it too late to wish you a happy new year?
Anyway, I do wish you a happy new year. May 2015 bring you much happiness and many blessings.
Thanks to all of you who read, followed, favorited, and/or reviewed this story.
Just thank you so much for your report. It means a lot.
Hope woke up at an extraordinarily early hour considering how late she went to sleep the night before. She opened her eyes and frowned closing them back as the bright beams of sunlight got to her. Though the curtains filtered them, they were still far too blinding to her liking. Outside, she could clearly hear birds chirping happily. She opened her eyes again and took in her surroundings. She was in a queen-size bed in a rather large room. She realized she wasn't familiar with her environment, and that's when it occurred to her that she was in a house at the shore of the river.
She remembered that after randomly telling Oliver she felt like she really needed time for herself to relax and just clear her mind of all the thoughts that were plaguing her, he came up with this idea to go to the shore of the river for a few days. She said no at first. She offered a little resistance, but when Oliver pointed out to her that her schedule was completely cleared out, that they were in France, one of the most beautiful countries in the world, that the weather was bright and sunny, and more importantly, that she did need her fun, she could hardly say no. He proposed to take her to Nices after all.
They were supposed to return to LA the next day, but, to be completely honest, Hope didn't know how she felt about that. The last thing she wanted was to go back home and have to deal with all the problems that were surely waiting for her. She had done a rather good at ignoring them during her stay in France, and she wouldn't have minded doing it for a few more days. Her time with Oliver here had been, was absolutely fantastic, and she really didn't want it to end. He managed to take her mind off all her troubles like no one else.
With the thought of what was awaiting her came an unsettling feeling in her stomach and the almost irresistible urge to go bury herself under the covers.
Before she could change her mind, she jumped out of bed, slipped on a nightgown over her nightie and left her room. She remembered that Oliver's room was right across from hers, so she advanced towards it and leaned her head against the door. She wondered if he was inside and if he was still asleep. She thought an instant she heard a light breathing, but it could just have been hers, so shrugging she decided to know for sure. She slowly opened Oliver's door, careful not to make any noise.
She made a few steps into his room and caught him sound asleep indeed. He was cute. The picture was so endearing she found herself moved and made a puppy, content face. Smiling softly, she eventually snapped out of it and quietly slipped out of his room and back into hers. The day before –with getting there and all –had been a long day, so thinking he needed his rest, she decided not to wake him.
She opened her luggage and retrieved her outfit for the day: a white tunic, simple but elegant. She knew Oliver would like it. She immediately frowned at that thought. Why did it matter that Oliver liked it or not? They were friends. And friends didn't care what one another wore. She shook her head pushing the thought away. She also retrieved a pair of sandals from her bag and put it at the foot of the bed.
As she brushed her teeth, Hope contemplated what she was going to do with her morning. Oliver still asleep, she was left alone and wondered what activity she could engage into. She wasn't really hungry. She didn't feel like eating anything.
With the time difference, she couldn't call her mother or anyone in Los Angeles lest she woke them up. Not that she felt like talking anyway. She was really out of things to do and had no desire to slump on the couch, bored out of her mind, while she waited for Oliver to wake up. She was combing her long, beautiful hair, when suddenly a thought came to her mind. She finished getting ready within ten minutes and was out the door.
/
Hope was walking barefoot in the sand along the sea, her sandals in her hand. With her pale complexion and the wind caressing the left side of her face, pushing her beautiful, golden locks away, anyone who would have seen her would have thought she was a mirage or that they were having a dream. She looked too angelic to be true. Only, if Hope had had to put a word on her current state of mind, it most likely would have been a variation of nightmare instead of dream.
For all the ideal weather and the paradisiac surroundings, the thoughts in Hope's head were far from being pleasant and peaceful ones, quite the contrary.
Her time in France had been a blast. Thanks to Oliver for the most part. He wasn't called 'Mister Entertainment' for nothing; that was for sure. He had made sure that she forgot about all her problems for the time being and that she focused on enjoying herself. He acted like a protection shielding her from her troubles and keeping her safe. And it worked. Every time she was with him, she was completely, 100% with him. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed.
However, the second she left his side, all those nagging thoughts that he kept at bay came back to plague her. In this specific moment for instance, as she walked along the shore of the sea, the soft wind caressing her face, she couldn't keep her mind from wandering to very dark places. Liam. The man she just couldn't stop thinking about. That was a place her mind seemed to have a particular liking for.
It stunned her how under her skin he was. She didn't know when she let herself become so dependent on him, when she let her happiness be dictated by the status of their relationship. But it was clearly the case. And that wasn't a good thing. For all she tried, she simply couldn't shake him. And God knew she tried. But he was always right there: in the back of her mind. He never really left her thoughts. The only rare times that he did were when Oliver happened to be so endearing that he actually engaged her attention completely.
Oliver was so good to her. Really. So much more than she felt she deserved. He was patient, and understanding, and full of respect. And he never, ever, pushed her. He had been the perfect companion on this trip. He was the perfect friend. She was not an idiot though, nor was she blind. She was well aware of the fact that Oliver's feelings for her slightly exceeded the simple border of friendship. He made it painfully obvious. His affection for her transpired in everything he did that involved her. The way he looked at her, the way he would sneak glances at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention, the way he took such amazing care of her… He was wonderful to her. He made it very difficult not to –not to fall in love with him.
Hope was used to Liam… in a way. He had been in her life for as long as her memories went. He had been hers longer than she could remember, and she still loved him. So much. She probably always would. That's why it was so hard leaving him behind. It was a little like leaving a part of herself. But she knew she had to, and she was working on it. The truth was every day she missed him a little less and it was getting easier not to be with him. Or rather, it was getting less and less harder, because easy was far from describing how she appraised this process she was constrained to do.
Her thoughts wandered to the last time she saw Liam before leaving L.A. That had been one awkward encounter.
She sincerely meant all the things she told him. Steffy was pregnant with his child. They were starting a new life together. They were building a family. He belonged with Steffy and their child, and Hope… had to figure herself out now.
Now, all of this didn't mean saying those words to Liam was easy. Telling Liam to marry another woman –and Steffy on top of that –was one of the hardest things Hope had ever had to do. But she spoke the words and somehow gave him her blessing because she knew it was the right thing to do, and she knew Liam needed a push. He had made his choice, before he even knew about the baby. He had chosen his life. It was time for him to live it.
Then there was that kiss. She still wasn't sure how it had all happened. She didn't understand how they had gotten to that point. She remembered being about to leave, and next thing she knew, Liam's hand was on her forearm and their lips were intertwining. His soft, sweet, luscious lips…
Hope closed her eyes, pushing those images at the very back of her mind. She refused to think about this. She couldn't and wouldn't allow herself to. She needed to be stronger than this. As much as it hurt, Liam wasn't hers to love anymore, and truth be told, he didn't deserve her. If they did, they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. They might have been made for each other at some point, but they weren't anymore.
She finally saw that.
/
"I'm really sorry I left the way I did this morning." Hope apologized to Oliver again. "You were sleeping, and I completely forgot to leave you a note." She explained.
Oliver shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I was worried for a minute, but then I figured you went out for a walk of something." He answered.
She smiled.
"Did you enjoy it?" He asked.
Hope nodded. "I did. Yes." She thought back to the good that walk did her. She needed it. "It was pleasant, and I think the soft breeze of the morning refreshed my thoughts. It got my head back where it should be."
He raised a curious brow at her and slightly tilted his head. "And where is that?"
She looked at him as she answered, "Right here. With you." A playful smile spread across her face. "Living in the moment."
"Living in the moment?" Oliver repeated. She nodded. "I like that. I like that very much. That should be our motto from now on." He decided.
"Totally." Hope agreed.
"Without worrying about the next day."
"Absolutely."
They both laughed.
"Okay. What are we doing today?" Hope asked.
"Whatever you feel like doing." Oliver responded, smiling at her.
She gave him a look. "Noooo…" She said. "We've been doing what I want since we landed in Paris. What do you want to do?" She insisted.
It was true. Since they were in France, Oliver had been catering to Hope's every wish. Everything they had done in their time there were things Hope wanted to do, except going to Nices, which had been on Oliver's initiative, but he was really still trying to please her, so… She wanted to do something he genuinely wanted for once.
Oliver opened his mouth to respond, but she didn't leave him a chance, anticipating what he was going to say, "And don't you dare say whatever makes me happy makes you happy." She warned, pointing a finger at him, her eyes widened in a meaningful stare.
Oliver held up his hands in surrender and fought back a grin, not wanting to upset Hope. "It's the truth. Believe it or not." He said, in relation to her comment. What made her happy did make him happy too. That was literally all he ever wanted to do: make her happy and see her smile.
"But I guess we can just stay indoors today. You could cook. We could watch a movie, and just enjoy each other's company." He suggested.
Hope nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds like a plan."
"Unless of course, you want to do some more sightseeing… In which case, I can call -"
"Oliver. Oliver!" She stopped him. "Your plan sounds perfect." She reassured him.
"Really?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow, his worry evident in his expression.
"Really." She nodded. "I could use a day in. Besides, it's not about me, it's about you. So what do you want to eat?" She asked him, standing up.
He shrugged. "I don't know." His lips curved into a smile. "Surprise me."
She smiled back at him. ""Why don't you go get us some wine while I'm busy in the kitchen?"
"Sure." Oliver said, grabbing the keys on the table before him and standing up. "What wine do you want?" He inquired.
She smiled and shrugged. "Surprise me."
/
"Hold on. What? Why did you say no?" Taylor asked her daughter, shaking her head, her brows knit together in confusion.
Steffy had just told her mother Liam proposed to her. Taylor's eyes widened and she was about to scream in joy and congratulate Steffy when the latter added that she said no, cutting the rug from underneath Taylor.
Taylor had a feeling she knew what was going on in her daughter's mind, and she thought she knew why Steffy had turned down Liam's proposal, but she wanted to be sure.
Steffy closed her eyes strongly and brought her hand to her face. A single tear fell from her left eye, causing Taylor's concern to grow.
"Steffy…" She called, reaching out to wipe away her daughter's tear. "What is it?"
Steffy shook her head and sniffed, uncovering her face. "It's nothing. It's just the hormones." She defended. "You know what it is." She winked at her mother, trying to lighten the mood, but Taylor, very concerned, wasn't having it.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Steffy nodded in a small voice. "And to answer your question, I said no because I don't think it's a good idea." She answered.
"Why not?" Taylor asked. Steffy wasn't saying enough. She loved Liam. Liam loved her. They were expecting a child together. Every piece was falling into place. Everything Steffy had ever wanted, had ever dreamed of… she finally got. And now, Liam was asking her to marry him, and she was saying no? Because she didn't think it was a good idea? That didn't mean anything. There was an actual reason for her refusal, and Taylor wanted to know what it was.
Steffy looked away thoughtfully. "It just wouldn't be right."
"But why?" Taylor insisted. "Why do you think that?"
Steffy sighed and turned to look at Taylor, meeting her mother's concerned and intense gaze. "It's not what Liam wants." She simply said.
Bingo! It's what Taylor suspected. But she was certain Steffy was wrong.
"Oh, Steffy…" She started, but Steffy cut her off.
"Before you say anything, I considered it before I said no, okay? Liam completely blindsided me, and to be honest, I think he blindsided himself. He wasn't prepared for this. He didn't plan this. He didn't even think about it. Mom, he didn't have a ring…" She trailed off.
Taylor tilted her head and looked at her, sympathy filling her gaze.
"He doesn't want this." Steffy asserted, shaking her head. "So it's not happening."
Taylor opened her mouth, wanting to say something, and closed it, thinking twice. She pinched her lips together before asking, "Can I say something, at the risk of upsetting you?"
Steffy nodded.
"Steffy, the fact that he didn't have a ring doesn't mean he doesn't want this, or that he wasn't being sincere." Taylor tried to get Steffy to understand. "All it means is that his proposal was spontaneous, and perhaps even more heartfelt so." She explained.
Steffy huffed. "I wish I saw things like that."
Taylor covered Steffy's hand with hers, effectively catching her eyes. "Maybe you should." She told her.
Steffy smiled weakly at her mother, tears welling up in her eyes. Taylor pulled her into her arms and held her tight, soothing her the best she could. There was a lull before Taylor said in a soft voice, "Liam loves you. He chose you."
Taylor lightly pulled away to stare into her daughter's eyes as she spoke, wanting to fully convey her feelings and hoping that Steffy would listen. "I understand your concerns. I do. I've been there." She reminded her. "But honey, Liam is not your father. And you are not fated to relive my past. This is your life. And I promise you, Steffy, you want to live it fully. You don't want to have regrets." Taylor advised, sharing her most sincere thoughts with her daughter.
Taylor had led a good life, one she was proud of, mostly… But there were a few things she wished she had done differently. She had a couple of regrets, and therefore she knew by experience that they were not pleasant. It wasn't a feeling she wished on anybody, especially not on her daughter.
"If you turned down Liam's proposal because you don't want to marry him, or because you don't feel ready, that's fine." Taylor said and Steffy looked at and listened to her intently. "But if you said no because you don't think his feelings are strong enough or because you feel like you're trapping him…, then I really think you should reconsider Steffy."
Steffy looked down thoughtfully, then, back up at her mother. She closed her eyes and brought her hands together over her face. She really didn't know where she stood.
Eventually, she nodded.
/
Whatever Hope was cooking, it was demanding time. Too much time to Oliver's liking. She had been in the kitchen for more than three hours, and at this point, he was more than starving. What the hell was she even cooking? He hadn't asked for a four-star meal. At some point, he actually considered going into the kitchen, despite her forbidding him to, to make sure she wasn't burning down the kitchen, especially because it wasn't theirs. But he figured the fire alarm would have gone off if there had been an incident.
"Hope! Will the food be ready soon?" Oliver asked for the nth time.
"One second!" A minute passed before she added, "You can come in."
"Hallelujah." Oliver praised, eagerly getting up.
He pushed the double doors that separated the living room and the dining room open. His eyes widened at the intimate setting she had created. She had set a perfect table and had lit four candles, making up a very romantic ambience.
Hope came from the kitchen in time to witness Oliver's reaction.
He turned his head to look at her. "Wow."
She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate. "Wow good, or wow bad?" She asked when he didn't.
"Wow good." He nodded.
Hope smiled and walked to his side. She pulled out the chair for him.
"Aren't I supposed to do this?" He asked as his sat, his brows knit together in confusion.
"You are." She nodded. She gave him a look. "But since you're slow…" She teased.
He smiled. "You put on a great spread." He remarked.
She leaned in and spoke in a small voice, "I'm just hoping it will take some of your attention away from how bad the food is."
He chuckled as she went back into the kitchen.
"Can I help you?" Oliver called out to her.
"Yeah, you can open that bottle of wine." She yelled to him.
A couple of minutes later, she returned with a plate in one hand, and vinegar in the other.
"Greek salad as the first course." She put the plate and the vinegar between the both of them. "I'm going to get the bread."
"This looks appetizing." Oliver commented.
"Thank you."
"No." He paused and waited until their eyes locked to give Hope a pointed stare. "Thank YOU." He declared.
Oliver really was grateful. He appreciated everything Hope had done for him tonight. Not just the cooking, but also the table, the setting… He honestly wasn't expecting it. He didn't know where this eagerness to please him was coming from, but it certainly felt nice.
She tilted her head, genuinely happy that he was happy because of something she had done for him.
"Wait and see if I haven't poisoned you before you thank me." She advised.
Oliver laughed.
"Want to bless the food?" She suggested.
He nodded and went ahead, "Father Lord, thank you for this food. Bless it. Bless the hands that cooked it. Give some to those who lack. Amen."
"Amen." Hope repeated and opened her eyes.
Hope took her wine-filled glass and lifted it. "To a wonderful séjour in France." She toasted.
"À nous." Oliver replied before clicking his glass to hers.
Oliver had barely finished his plate that Hope asked him, "How was it?"
"It was very good."
"Really? You liked it?" She asked, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"I did." He nodded.
"Well, that was a piece of cake." She asserted and he laughed. "The real challenge was the main course." She said, as she got up to go and get it.
She served them a well-filled plate of lasagna made with Bolognese sauce.
Oliver's eyes broadened at the sight of the meal before him. "You know if this tastes as good as it looks, I'm gonna have to ask you to marry me, right?"
"Haha." Hope laughed. "Oh yeah?"
"I will have to." He responded, nodding, with a falsely sorry air.
"Okay, taste it and tell me what you think." Hope said. She was apprehending his appraisal.
He grabbed his fork and had a mouthful; then, another. Hope anxiously waited for him to express his thoughts.
He finally put down his fork and got down on one knee. Hope's eyes widened. Was he kidding? Well, obviously, he was kidding. But seriously?!
She turned to him. He took her hand between both of his. "Hope Logan, will you marry me?"
"Oh, shut up." Hope removed her hand and playfully pushed his shoulder.
Oliver laughed and sat down again.
"I take it it's good?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's an understatement! This is amazing." Oliver said.
Hope smiled, happy. "So, I'm ready for marriage?" She asked jokingly.
"Oh, absolutely. Anyway, I'm willing." He said and she laughed.
She diverted her gaze towards her lap, purposefully avoiding Oliver's piercing eyes, and muttered under her breath, "Who knows? Maybe someday…"
Oliver looked at Hope intently, caught off guard by her words. What did she mean by that?
Hope smiled shyly at him.
Oliver resumed with eating, and Hope observed him quietly eating her own food, a smile at the corner of her lips, an amused yet tender look on her face. The fastest way to a man's heart was definitely his stomach.
He finished and looked at her, smiling. It was a content and grateful smile, and it made Hope happy, who smiled back.
"Can I, at least, help you with the dishes?" He offered.
"Oh of course. You're doing all of them." She informed, taking a sip of her wine.
Oliver nodded. "On a more serious note," He started. "Thank you for the meal."
Hope smiled and shook her head, brushing him off for the nth time in the past three hours.
"No, really…" Oliver insisted. "You didn't have to."
She leaned in, giving him a pointed look. "I wanted to." She spoke those same words he spoke to her during all their time in France whenever he went out of his way to please her and she told him it was unnecessary. She smiled at him.
She looked away briefly, contemplating if she should tell him what she was thinking.
Oliver frowned, noticing her absent air. "Hey." He said, bringing her attention back to him. "What just happened?" He asked, not understanding how she just switched mods.
Hope stared at Oliver intently, before she started, "Actually, I kind of did." She said vaguely and Oliver creased his brows in confusion. "…had to do all this, I mean." She elaborated.
"Okay…?" Oliver said, still not sure where she was going with this.
"You have been such a good friend to me, Oliver." Hope told him sincerely. "And not just lately. Always. You've always been amazing with me, and you've always supported me and helped me through trying times. And I just feel like… I haven't been that much of a friend to you." She explained.
"Hope…"
"No, let me finish." She demanded. "I haven't been a good friend to you. I haven't been there for you when you needed me." She said apologetically. "When Agnes left, when Whipp left…"
"Hope, you did let me know how sorry you were for me." Oliver reminded her.
"But I wasn't actually there for you!" She countered, tired of him making excuses for her. She had been an awful friend to him. She felt like she didn't even deserve Oliver in her life and him trying to make excuses for her just made her feel that much worse.
"Hope, you were kind of busy with your own dramatic life." He gave her a look full of meaning.
Hope shook her head. "That's not relevant. I still should have been there for you. I should have made time." She said emphatically. "That's what true friends do: they support each other no matter that, under any circumstances, and I - I." She stumbled and paused, searching her words.
She looked at Oliver, who was staring at her intently. She sighed. "I cannot change what happened. It's in the past. But I just want you to know that I am sorry, and that I will do my best to be as great a friend to you as you have been to me." She declared.
Oliver smiled. He stood up and opened his arms. "Come here."
Hope rose to her feet and went into Oliver's loving arms. She had just apologized for not being a strong enough presence in his life. And here he was again: comforting her, like he knew so well how to.
What Hope had just done, the words she had spoken… meant more to Oliver than she could have suspected. Oliver always tried to be there for Hope when she needed him. He always made himself available for Hope, no matter what was going on in his own life, because she was his priority. But it was true that he had never really felt a return from her part. So for Hope to finally acknowledge everything that he did for her, and for her to fully appreciate him for his deeds and for who he was… it made Oliver's heart happier than it had been in a long time.
Oliver had never stopped loving Hope. Time had done nothing to obliterate his feelings. In spite of their occasional distance and her tumultuous relationship with Liam, he never ceased to care about Hope. And maybe he was a fool for that, but that was just the way it was. She was his Hope.
/
Oliver and Hope spent the rest of the day watching movies on the living room's couch. The first two movies, being Hope's choice, were not surprisingly romantic comedies. The third one, which they were currently watching was a thriller.
At some point during the movie, Hope snuggled up onto Oliver's side, a coy smile on her face. Oliver thought she was so cute. He just wanted to kiss the shyness away, but he knew that was a step she wasn't ready to take. Yet, he hoped.
Her head on Oliver's chest, his arm around her, Hope was filled with a feeling of contentment. She didn't feel as safe and sound as she did by Liam's side, but she knew Oliver would never let anything happen to her, and she wasn't troubled.
Although she didn't realize it then, something profound happened inside Hope that night. A weight was lifted off her chest and her heart began to heal, and to fall.
I know... There was a lot of Hope & Oliver in this chapter, but I just feel like it's important to show how Hope is dealing with this "breakup" and slowly getting over Liam.
Can I get a review anyway?
Kelly: I love YOU. Thank you so much. You are always so good to me. You have no idea how much I value those words.
bbgold: Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story just as much. Yeah, that should be interesting.
Anna: Yeah, those two definitely have a lot of issues to work on, and they will. Ah, so many questions... We shall see. Thanks for the review.
Guest: Thank you very much! It means a lot.
booklover88: Yeah, I hated how B&B basically made Liam go back to Steffy because of the baby. I really didn't want to do that. Thanks.
Hope'sLanding19: Thanks for reviewing
RHatch89: Thank you!