*GARRETT POV*
I let my head hit the feather pillows in Samantha's guest room. The entire apartment fell under a blanket of silence and I was finally alone with my thoughts. Olivia was absent, though she left a hot pink post it note saying she had taken Bernie for a walk along the beach. I hadn't been completely alone like this in quite awhile. There's really no privacy when your time is spent in a tour bus or in a quaint apartment shared with your long time girlfriend.
I don't like being this alone, I think too much.
I thought about Olivia. Her tall slender frame, the way her brown hair fell straight along her shoulder blades. How when she would read in bed she would look up from above her black-rimmed glasses and smile at me as a nuzzled next to her.
Then I thought about how for the first year, and even truly up to this day people teased that she was too good for me, almost to the point where I started to believe it.
I grabbed a pillow and held it tight over my face, as if to some how suffocate the thoughts that riddled my mind and kill them forever.
I Love Olivia, She loves me. Plain and Simple.
So why does it feel so complicated?
The front door creaked open and I heard Bernie's paws pad across the hardwood floor and begin to slurp his water up. I heard keys hit the table and Olivia fiddle chain lock. I chose not to move.
"Gar?" Her sing-songy voice echoed through the short hallway
"In here." I responded, sitting up in bed
"What are you doing in here?" Olivia laughed, suddenly appearing in the doorway
"Thinking" I said with a slight smile.
Olivia crawled into the bed and lay next to me. Her skin was warm, and small freckles were popping up on her cheeks and nose. She looked up and just smiled. That was the smile that always got me. It was so sexy but still innocent. It was sultry and sweet. It was a smile people could write three minutes of lyrics about.
"I love you" I whispered to her and kissed her on the forehead
"I love you too." She responded
I wondered to myself if that was a reflex reply, if she even meant those words at all. Like I said, I think too much.
"So tell me about your day, I can't believe it's the last day of recording for the album" She said bouncing up and sliding her jean shorts off of her long legs, choosing a pair of my crumpled boxers instead.
"Um, It's done." I said punching some random numbers in on my phone
"So…" She asked crawling back toward me
"What?" I asked, confused
"Something's bothering you, please tell me." She asked cradling my hand in between hers
"I don't know I still wish I wrote you a song." I finally blurted out
"Gar, you don't need to!" She said laughing and releasing my hand opting to nuzzle into my chest instead
"I wanted to!" I protested
"I'm happy you didn't."
"What? Why?"
"I don't know- I don't want people thinking they can use your lyrics to impress a girl. Plus- John would be singing them…awkward!"
"Yeah" I said with a snort pulling her close to me
"So last night in LA, what do you want to do?" She asked
"Quiet night in?" I timidly asked
"Gar!" She said punching me lightly in the gut "We are not going to be some nursing home couple. We are going out and having a good time!"
"Fine." I agreed and stood up making my way to the bathroom
"Are you showering?" She asked just as I was about to leave the room.
"Um yeah, why?"
"Can I join?" She said grabbing the robe off of the edge of the wardrobe.
I smiled and wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her into the bathroom with me.
After a longer-than-necessary shower, Olivia holed up in Samantha's room, while I dug through my own suitcase praying I brought a semi decent outfit. I chose a non-ripped pair of dark jeans and a grey thermal Henley. I attempted my best to make my hair look effortlessly good and relocated to the front room to watch TV.
Sometime later, after I found myself transfixed in an episode of Law and Order. Olivia finally came out of Sam's room. She wore a short black tube dress and her hair was tied into a bun at her neck. She wore an emerald necklace that complimented her green eyes nicely. She slid into black heels and stuffed her phone and her small pill case into a tiny green purse.
"You look…" I stumbled over my words
"Shut up! I feel like I'm going to senior prom or something!"
"Well, I'm clearly not dressed the part." I said finally standing up
"You look perfect, my little indie prince" She giggled embracing me in a hug.
I smelled the perfume that she had strategically placed on the napes of her neck. I kissed her freckled cheek and smiled.
"What's with you today?" She asked narrowing her eyes
"Nothing" I replied avoiding eye contact
"Garrett, tell me." She said sustaining a tight grip on my arm
"I said nothing" I snapped and pulled away.
I looked over as Olivia brushed her dress away and began to apply lip gloss like nothing happened. That was one thing I admired, she was able to brush things off like they never happened, while I let everything bad stain me like tomato soup on a white shirt.
"Let's go" She said coldly grabbing her keys off of the front counter.
I walked out as she hastily locked the door behind us, and stomped down the hallway. We slid into the backseat of the taxi still completely silent. Olivia stared out the window watching the streetlights fade into oblivion.
"Where are we going?" I leaned over and whispered
"You'll see." She sneered letting her breath fog the window.
The taxi took a swift turn and I could hear the sound of pebbles crashing against the exterior of the car.
"Here you are." The chubby driver said turning around.
"Thanks." Olivia said with a smile stepping out of the car
"You're not paying him?" I whispered over the roof of the car.
"It's taken care of." She said walking out past the car into what seemed like the darkness.
"Olivia- where...?" I said as she grabbed my hand and led me on a small wooded path. Suddenly the dim lights of the city illuminated her figure and I was led onto a small ledge where the entire city was visible.
She turned toward me and pursed her lips. I walked toward her and enveloped her in a hug
"Did you do all this?"
She nodded and intertwined our fingers and faced toward the insane view we had.
"Tell me when you're ready." She finally said breaking the silence
"I'll tell you now." I said leading her over to the picnic table where an elaborate spread of my favorite foods lay out.
"I'm listening" She said popping a grape into her mouth
"First tell me something" I said "Why did you do all of this?"
"Because I know it's been a hard week for you while I've done is lay out in the sun and shop, and you deserve to be pampered, and mostly because I love you." She said in one breath
"I love you too, and I don't know I started getting those 'she doesn't love me as much as I love her' ideas and I'm stressed out" I said over the lump that wads slowly storming in my throat.
"Don't you ever, ever think that Garrett." She said getting glassy-eyed.
"But, It's just we're so different.."
"Opposites attract!"
"I-I-Know."
"I can't believe after 4 years you're still worried." She said shredding a small paper napkin with her perfectly manicured fingers
"Liv, I'm sorry, I love you." I grabbed her small hands
"Please just don't talk like that anymore." She said patting her damp eyes
"I won't I promise."
"Good." She said and smiled
There was that smile. The smile that could make everything better, the smile that could break hearts.
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