Tomorrow Is Never Promised

Chapter 12 Part 2

Ethan

“I think it’s time that we talked about the possibility of putting Oliver in protective custody.” Sully explained.

After the heart discovery, I had to call it in, forcing CSI and Sully to swarm Oliver’s house yet again. I glanced at the spot in the ceiling where Oliver’s bedroom was. He hadn’t come down since he went up there nearly two hours ago, and I was starting to worry about him. I just kept having to tell myself that he had been through a lot, and probably needed his space.

“He would never go for that.” I finally responded, forcing Sully to give an annoyed look.

“He may not have a choice.”

“It was hard enough to convince him to even let me stay here. Do you honestly think he’s going to agree to protective custody?”

Sully thought about that for a moment before running a hand over his bald head. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Then we put a post out front. No more exceptions. Someone will be watching this house from the outside at all times. I don’t give a rats ass what he has to say about it, it’s happening.”

“I agree.”

Sully turned around slightly to reveal Oliver standing behind him. I don’t know when he decided to come downstairs, but by the looks of his swollen eyes he had been crying. I wanted to rush to his side and do something, I don’t know, to comfort him.

“Hey, you doing okay?” Gavin stepped around me and approached him. He put a comforting hand on Oliver’s shoulder and he returned it with a weak smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” He looked at Sully next. “Put a car out front, put an army out front, I don’t care. Just catch this asshole before he hurts someone else.”

Sully nodded. “Very well, I’ll get Dixon and Sheppard on it.”

“Sir.” A CSI approached Sully.

“Excuse me.” Sully said to us before walking off with the CSI.

Sheppard and Dixon, that would be a good pair to watch the house. Of course, I wouldn’t be going anywhere, someone still needed to be in the house for the most optimal safety.

“You sure you’re okay hon?” Gavin asked as he gently stroked Oliver’s shoulder.

He crossed his arms tightly across his chest and dropped his gaze. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

As I approached the pair he brought his eyes back up to meet mine. Their brown surfaces giving an even more brilliant shine after he had been crying. It would definitely be inappropriate to hold him in a tight hug right?

“You should go home.” He said to Gavin.

“Are you sure? I can stay if you want.”

Oliver shook his head. “No it’s okay, besides,” he jerked his head in my direction. “I got Ethan.”

The way he said that, he had me, maybe I was reading too much into that but it almost sounded like it went a little deeper than that. No, I’m definitely reading too much into that.

“That you do.” Gavin said in a suggestive tone, quirking an eyebrow at me.

I rolled my eyes and turned around, escaping to the living room to hide the flush creeping up into my face. I hated that these feelings I had for Oliver turned me into a blushing i***t. It was much harder to control and much harder to ignore.

“Hey kid.”

I glanced in the direction of where Sully’s voice was coming from. He was standing in the wide archway that led to the entryway. CSI were beginning to pour out of the house, clearly finished with their evidence collecting. Not that there was much except of the obvious human heart.

“We’re clearing out. I got ahold of Dixon and Sheppard, they should be here within twenty minutes. They answer to you, got it?”

I nodded my head in understanding. He c****d his in a curious manner.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” I perched myself against the back of the couch and crossed my arms. “Everything’s fine.”

He gave me a look that said he wasn’t buying that one bit, but must have thought better than to ask again because he just nodded his head and gave me a curt smile.

“I’ll see you at the station tomorrow.”

“Goodnight Sully.”

He stepped through the front door, closing it behind him with a thud. Gavin and Oliver appeared in the entryway next, Gavin pulling the door open and giving Oliver one last concerning look.

“You’ll call if you need anything?”

“Yes.” Oliver’s tone was slightly annoyed but there was no malice behind it.

Gavin bit his bottom lip and pulled him in for another hug, shooting a look at me from over Oliver’s shoulder. I couldn’t place that look, but it appeared to be a mixture of “please don’t let anything happen to my best friend” and “if anything does happen to my best friend I’ll break both of your legs”. I gave him a nod of understanding which seemed to be enough for him.

He released Oliver from the hug and exited the house, Oliver closing the door behind him. It was just us now, the two of us alone in this house. The idea of that shouldn’t make me so nervous, but the pounding in my chest spoke otherwise. I was almost to my tipping point with Oliver, and now that he was removed from the case it just blurred that line of professionalism even more. He may not be my partner, however, he was still someone I needed to protect and I couldn’t get those sorts of feelings involved when I had a job so important to do.

Oliver just stood in the entryway, looking at me. The way he looked at me with warmth in his eyes warmed my skin better than any wool sweater I had ever worn. I just wanted him to keep staring at me like that forever.

I swallowed hard and then cleared my throat. “You must be tired.”

He shook his head and began walking towards me, closing the gap between us.

“I’m not really tired.” He said softly.

“Oh.” Was all I could say.

There was a long pause as we stared at each other awkwardly. I gestured over my shoulder at the tv behind me.

“Wanna watch some tv? I can’t really sleep either.”

That was a lie. I was exhausted. But it looked like Oliver could use some company, and who was I to deny him of that?

He glanced at the tv and then back at me. He seemed to be thinking about something, what, I couldn’t guess. But eventually he nodded his head and a small smile spread across his handsome features. “Okay.”

We both took a spot on the couch, with a hefty gap between the two of us. Oliver pulled the plush throw off the back of the couch on top of him and I threw my now bare feet on top of the coffee table and relaxed into the armrest. I threw my other arm over the back of the couch and turned the tv on.

“What sounds good?” I asked, flicking through the numerous apps on the tv.

“You pick.” He stated as he relaxed further into his blanket. I couldn’t help but grin at him, bundled up in the blanket like it was freezing when really it was rather tolerable in the living room.

“You cold?” My tone was amused.

He looked at me with a sheepish grin and then a slight blush crept into his cheeks.

“No, I just like being comfortable.”

I turned my attention back to the tv, I could understand that. I went to Netflix and turned on Forensic Files.

I heard a huff of amusement come from Oliver. ”We live murder and death everyday for work, and you relax to more of it on your days off?"

"I like trying to guess who the killer is." I respond.

"Isn't it usually the spouse?" He says in a mocking tone.

"Just watch the show." I replied with a grin.

We were barely fifteen minutes into the episode before we were both spouting our theories.

"It was the neighbor." Oliver stated adamantly.

"No way, it was the best friend." I argued.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because he and the best friend had a disagreement the previous night that went to blows. Not to mention he had a piss poor alibi." I explained.

"Okay, but the neighbor had poisoned his dog for being too loud, and the neighbor has a history of violent encounters." He countered.

"Buuut, he had a solid alibi." I pointed out.

He scoffed. “Sleeping with some big breasted coed is not a solid alibi.”

“It is when you're as good looking as him, and you live in a college town.”

He c****d an eyebrow at me. “Speaking from experience are we?”

I chuckled. “No comment.”

He looked at me with a curious expression, as if he were trying to figure out exactly what I meant. It was true that before I got together with Dylan I kind of went through a slut phase. But after we split the only other person I had been with was Ronnie. I wasn’t ashamed of my s****l experiences, but I didn’t necessarily want Oliver thinking I was some man w***e.

“Okay wise guy.” I re-situated myself on the couch to face him. “Let’s wager it.”

“Are you serious?” He chuckled and his eyebrows shot up.

“If you're right, I’ll get dinner again next time. If I’m right, then you get dinner next time.” It seemed like a fair bet. Nothing too crazy.

A mischievous grin split across his face. “If you win I’ll cook you a freaking three course meal.”

“You can cook?”

He c****d an eyebrow at me. “What? Just because I grew up rich, doesn’t mean I can cook?”

“Wha-No! I didn’t mean-“ I stammered and tripped over my words like a fool as Oliver gave me an amused look. I stopped and gave him a flat look. “Your messing with me.” I stated.

He nodded with a mischievous and I shoved his shoulder playfully causing us both to chuckle.

“Well I hope you look good in an apron, because I know I’m right.”

He scoffed. “I look good in anything.”

I quickly bit back what I wanted to say in response to that. Oliver could wear a goddamned paper sack as an outfit and he would still look handsome. After another fifteen minutes the episode was coming to an end and we figured out who killed the victim.

“What?” Oliver gaped at the TV.

“Called it.” I replied with a smug grin.

“I call a rematch.”

“Aww, is someone a sore loser.” I teased.

“No.”

"Mmhmm." I c****d an eyebrow at him.

“Whatever, just,” He gestured towards the tv aimlessly. “Play the next episode.”

I smiled and selected the next episode. Five minutes into the episode he broke the silence again.

"Okay, so I have to ask. Why Portland?"

"You mean besides the great rainy weather and the overall hipster vibe?" I replied dryly.

He chuckled. "Yeah, there's plenty of that around here."

I couldn't explain my sudden move to Portland without explaining the reason I had to leave my life behind in Boston. What would he think of me if he knew the truth? Even worse, I felt like the truth would drive a wedge between us. Kill whatever this chemistry was we had. I couldn't help but think that maybe it was for the best.

"But seriously. Why?" He probed.

"Why does it matter why I moved here?" I asked, my irritation beginning to show in my tone.

He blinked, seeming to be caught off guard by defensiveness on the topic.

"I don't know," he shrugged. “I guess I just realized I don’t know alot about you."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I like it that way?”

He studied me for a second with those big brown eyes, his pinched in confusion. I could only imagine what he was thinking. He was probably psychoanalyzing me right now, and the thought of that seemed to irritate more.

"Why are you being so defensive over a simple question?"

"I'm not, I just-" I growled out of frustration and sat forward, resting my hands behind my neck, staring at the wood floor. We were having so much fun just a few minutes ago, why did he have to go and ruin it with this question?

He didn't ruin it, you did.

"Nevermind, forget I asked." He responded in a defeated tone.

I sighed and shook my head. It wasn’t his fault what happened, it wouldn’t be fair to take it out him. Besides, if I was ever going to start getting close to people again, forming new friendships, a family. Then I was going to have to start owning my past, instead of running away from it.

"I had to leave Boston or risk losing my role as a detective."

I lifted my gaze to look at him to see him looking at me with a look of confusion. I angled my body on the couch so that I could face him.

"My boyfriend of four years left me, and I was having a hard time with it. My partner at the time, Ronnie, was there for me when no one else was. Dragging me out of the house to go out to the bars. Even though I don't drink he thought it would be nice to include me. One night he had a little too much to drink and he kissed me. I rejected his advances, at first, but when he kissed me again a couple days later we sort of fell into a friend's with benefits situation. He was exploring his sexuality, and he wanted to do it with someone he trusted.

Then everything went to s**t when we were caught kissing in the evidence room, which he initiated. Before I knew it I was sitting in front of the disciplinary board, looking at losing my role within the department, getting my rank stripped, and going back to being a beat cop. Ronnie wanted to protect his reputation. Since I was a senior detective, he told the higher ups that he feared disciplinary action from me if he didn't accept my advances. And they believed him, everyone did.

I was a pariah after that, everyone saw me as this predator, no one wanted to work with me, no one had my back. The only person that did was my Captain at the time. He knew the type of person I was, and knew that what happened was a bunch of bullshit. So he talked to the disciplinary board and they gave me two options. Either lose my rank and my role, or leave the department and go somewhere else. Obviously I chose the latter, so my Captain put in a good word for me through Captain Harvey, I guess they used to serve together in the Army and are still pretty close. Next thing I know I’m selling everything I own that didn’t fit in my car, and I was driving across the country to start over.”

I was staring at my leg propped up on the couch, and picked absently at a strand of denim coming off one of the seams of my jeans. I didn’t want to look at his face. I didn’t want to see the disappointment, the disgust that I saw on my fellow detectives faces when I left the department back in Boston. It would probably gut me.

It’s okay if you don’t want me around anymore, Oliver. I won’t blame you.

Just when I thought he was about to get up and walk away, he reached out and grabbed my hand causing me to still. His hands were so warm, and soft and offset my probably rough and calloused ones. I looked down at our hands with a shocked expression. That was definitely not what I was expecting.

“I’m sorry that happened to you Ethan.” His words were genuine, I could tell.

His eyes were looking into mine with such intensity it was like I was staring into his heart, seeing his true feelings, and I knew that he wasn’t just saying what I wanted to hear.

His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “I don’t understand. You seemed like you were so hellbent on not telling me, what changed your mind?”

I shrugged. “I felt bad for biting your head off.”

“Why though? You don’t strike me as the type of person to feel bad about being a little grumpy.” He asked.

Really Oliver? Do I need to spell it out for you? Do you not feel this same thing that I do?

“Because you deserve to know the truth about me, so you can make your own judgements, based on facts.”

“Ethan,” His hand squeezed mine tighter. “I’m not gonna judge you for something like that. What happened to you was messed up, and I know that we’ve only known each other for a week, but I don’t believe that you used your position of power to pursue a relationship with Ronnie.”

I huffed snarkily and shook my head. “Yeah, well you’re one of few people that sees it that way.”

“People will believe anything they want to believe. Especially if it works in their favor.” He responded.

I gave him a small smile. If only everyone thought like that.

"Thank you." I responded.

"For what?"

"Most people would have taken Ronnie's side."

A wide grin spread across his face and he arched an eyebrow at me. "Well, I'm not most people.”

I huffed in amusement, recognizing those were the exact words I said to him when I was driving him home the other night.

"No… You're better." I responded, staring into his eyes.

His grin faltered at that statement and he stared back at me. I wished I knew what he was thinking, but the look in his eyes gave me a guess. That guess became more apparent as he slowly started to lean closer to me.

I swallowed hard, not sure what to do. But my body seemed to make up my mind for me as I met him halfway and our lips met.