About That Night

XV. it still isn’t over

Olivia

His hands were magic. It didn’t hurt at all when he treated my cut. In fact, it was so electrifying. Should I cut myself more often? Gosh, that sounded insane. I must have had been really crazy. He thought I left already, but no. I stayed there and just watched him did the dishes. And I realized something. He looked so scrumptious from behind.

My tongue shamelessly and absentmindedly darted out and licked my bottom lip. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, about him. I was a creep, taking my time checking him out from behind. His shoulders were broad and I could tell he worked out because his muscles were ripped. I almost laughed when he turned around because he got startled and jumped. That made him look… cute.

“Are you okay?”

“Hhmm…” I hummed, staring at Starr’s turned-off study lamp as if it was the most interesting thing to look at at the moment. We were sitting beside each other at her study table but I got distracted by the events earlier downstairs. I couldn’t focus.

“Why are you smiling?”

That was when I tore my eyes away from the lamp and looked at Starr. I blinked twice and. “I am?”

She had a confused and curious expression on her face as if she was thinking I was being weird. I could feel I was strange too. Really strange. I wasn’t normally like this. I couldn’t care less about what I felt before. It was just different now.

“Yeah, you were. Care to share your happy thoughts?”

“This.” I smiled. “This moment where I’m spending time with you and your family.”

“You missed this?” She asked, leaning her elbow on top of the desk and cupped her cheek as she looked at me.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s been eleven years. I didn’t really know the importance of these kinds of moments. We were just kids, goofing and playing around. We didn’t really know what was happening before. What mattered was that we were happy.”

Starr was smiling the whole time while I was talking. And then she suddenly asked, “Do you like my brother?”

I was sure I heard her right because we were just sitting close to each other. My heart started being triple time. The question caught me off guard. It got me so nervous.

“M-me? Your brother?”

“Yeah. Do you like him?”

I pursed my lips as my thumb and index finger almost pinched. “A little bit?”

“Why are you not sure?” She laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Coz you’re cute.” Her smile was making me feel shy.

But I feel saddened thinking about our situation. I wasn’t sure whose pride was higher. Was it mine or his? Maybe, mine.

“Silly, I’m not. Are you done?”

“Yeah. Are they correct?” She pushed her notebook towards me.

I checked her solutions. I was teaching her to solve some problems regarding sets. She was really smart.  She was a fast-learner. It was really in their blood to be a genius.

“Yeah. You got them all right.” I smiled, giving her a high-five. “You’re so good.”

“Thanks.” She paused, tilting her head to the side while looking at me. “So... what are we going to do now?”

I shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

“Should we watch a movie?” She suggested.

I shrugged my shoulders again. “Yeah, sure.”

“Cool. Please wait here.” She suddenly ran out of her room and I was left alone. I wondered she would go.

Sighing, I got up from the chair and sat in the middle of her bed as I waited patiently for Starr to come back. A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall in front of her bed. Between watching movies and reading books, I was fonder of reading. In reading, I felt myself getting diverted to the world of the characters. I would find myself in their shoes and I would think I was the heroine or the loser protagonist throughout the whole book. I couldn’t help it.

I’m a hopeless romantic.

It wasn’t like I didn’t like watching movies. I did watch them. I even watched K-dramas and I was in love with them. I just saw reading as my comfort zone. It was where I felt safe. It made my mind healthy. I felt stress-free. Speaking of books, I decided to look around Starr’s room and my eyes widened when I saw a bookshelf to my left, filled with books, of course. Excited, I climbed down the bed and walked over it.

Wow.

My mouth hang in surprise and excitement when I realized we had the same tastes. She had a complete collection of all Nicholas Parks novels. I had read them all and watched all the movies. I loved Nicholas Sparks. He was just a great novelist. The Notebook was the top on my list of favorites, followed by Dear John and Safe Haven. His novels just gave me chills because of how he classically wrote them.

My fingers ran through the neatly-organized books on the shelf. I was about to pick The Notebook when the door burst opened walked in Starr.

“Oh, there you–” My eyes landed on Storm was following behind Starr. My eyes met his. “–are.”

Clearing my throat, I looked away from him and walked back to the bed, and sat on the edge.

“He’s so stubborn but he can’t stand me.” Starr winked at me.

I frowned. What was that for? Storm suddenly climbed on the bed and sat at the very middle, crossing his legs and resting his head at the headboard. The air was so awkward between us. Why couldn’t we just be comfortable with each other?

Cause you have feelings for him.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to let me watch The Notebook again.”

I turned my head to look at Storm when he spoke to Starr.

“Yep. With Olivia this time.”

“Are you serious? You’ve let me watched for like a hundred times already.” Storm’s voice raised a bit in annoyance.

“It never gets old,” Starr argued as she searched through her files, looking for the said movie they were bickering about.

“But it gets boring.” Storm retorted, sighing in annoyance. He must have had noticed I was staring at him because he turned his head to look at me. “What?” He demanded.

“Nicholas Sparks never gets boring.”

I wasn’t sure why I said that. My mouth just opened and those words came out flowing. Perhaps, I was a bit defensive? That must be it.

He stared at me, with a slightly surprised expression. It was almost blank but he was looking at me as if some bad spirit took over me. Maybe, he was surprised I just argued with him. Nope, I wasn’t. I was just defending the works of my favorite author.

“Oh, okay. I’ll try my best to love it.” He faked a smile and looked away.

Rolling my eyes at him, I sat cross-legged on the side of the bed. The movie started playing and Starr ran to set beside me. We silently watched it until Starr just spoke all of a sudden.

“I think I forgot something.” She got up from her bed and ran outside her room without saying what she was going to get.

Now, I was left alone with her brother. I swallowed nervously, swung my legs on the edge, and was ready to get out too when his voice stopped me.

“You forgot something too?”

I pursed my lips and breathed out deeply. My mouth hung open because nothing would come out. What should I say?

“Your tongue?”

“Huh?” Confused, I frowned and twisted around to look at him.

“I think the cat got it.”

It took me some time to figure out what he said. When I finally did, I completely climbed down the bed and headed to the door when it suddenly opened. I quickly turned around and sat back on the bed.

“Where were you going?” Starr’s forehead creased in confusion as she looked at me.

“Bathroom,” I mumbled.

Starr put a large bucket of cheese-flavored popcorn in the middle of her bed.

“I have a bathroom here in my room, though.” She reminded.

“Yeah, I know.” I casually scooped a handful of popcorn, popped some into my mouth, and tried to focus on the movie. Thankfully, Starr finally stopped asking questions. I felt like she was just teasing me.

Silence enveloped the room as we watched the movie. From the corner of my eye, I could see Starr giggling every time a sweet scene between Noah and Allie showed up on the screen. How could she still feel giddy when she had watched this movie many times? I’ve had watched it many times too, but I only laughed and cried the first time.

As the movie progressed, a comfortable silence settles around us until my favorite scene came up on the screen where Allie decided to ask Noah the question she had been dying to ask.

Allie: Why didn’t you write me? Why? It wasn't over for me. I waited for you for seven years. And now it's too late.

Noah: I wrote you three hundred and sixty-five letters. I wrote you every day for a year.

Allie: You wrote me?

Noah: Yes!

Allie: You…

Noah: It wasn't over. It still isn't over.

I loved that scene. Probably because it was done in the rain and that made it so romantic. Or maybe because what happened right after that was even more romantic?

Let’s not go there.

Right.

I cleared the dirty thoughts that clogged my mind and just wanted to grab some popcorn when my fingers grabbed something else instead. My eyes slightly widened in shock. Sparks run through the veins in my hands and flowed throughout my whole system. Okay, that was so dramatic but I got nervous that I had to shallow the imaginary lump in my throat. My mouth felt so dry and my hand was frozen. I couldn’t move my fingers. I refused. I refused to let go of his warmth.

Sadly, we had to. I retrieved my hand. The warmth was gone but the spark was still there. For a few moments, I thought our hands were still touching. I shouldn’t have just let it go. I wanted to keep touching him. Would he let me, though?

Cracking my knuckles, I tried to focus on the movie again.

Damn it. I didn’t see their lovemaking.

Frustrated, I got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom. I could feel them eyeing me until I finally walked in. I emptied my bladder and sighed in relief. I washed my hands before getting out, only to see Starr turning off the TV. Storm was nowhere to be found.

“It’s not yet done, though. Why didn’t you turn it off?” I frowned at her.

“Nah. I’m getting sleepy.” She yawned and plopped down on her bed, sprawling her legs out.

“I see. Good night then.” I smiled at her.

“Thank you for tonight, Lulu. You’re the best.” Her voice was getting softer while she was drifting off. “Storm said he’d want to talk to you. He’s waiting in his room. Sweet dreams.’ Her eyes closed before I could even ask her why.

Putting the blanket over her, I left her room and walked over to Storm’s. I stopped in front of his door. I was still battling with contemplation. Why did he want to talk to me? About what? I wanted to know but I was so nervous. I was afraid I’d get myself in trouble again.

Breathe, Olivia. Just breathe.

I did. And finally knocked twice on his door.

“Come in!” An attractive sexy voice sounded from the other side of the room.

It gave me hope.

It still isn’t over.