CH.3 - Motel Sheets and Green Eyes
1388 Words
Chapter Three – Motel Sheets and Green Eyes
Olivia's Point Of View .
Three days later, exhaustion had settled into my bones like it had paid rent.
The motel bedspread was thin, scratchy, and smelled faintly of bleach and regret. I stared at the ceiling for a long moment before rolling onto my side, my phone buzzing beside me with yet another notification from a rental app that clearly hated me.
Too expensive.
Too far.
Too sketchy.
Apparently, my budget screamed *“good luck, babe”* to every landlord within a twenty-kilometer radius.
At least my boxes were already packed because I couldn't bear to go back to my apartment or work for that matter. As much as I didn't want to see her, I still went to work and ignored her because I wasn't about to allow anyone to get in between me and securing the bag. Luckily I had already told my landlord that I was not renewing my lease since I was planning to move in with my boyfriend or should I say my alleged fiance?
That part almost made me laugh—I don't even know he managed to convince me that moving in together was a good idea , above all else I can not believe that I actually planned to move in with him given all the red flags I ignored. In hindsight Ethan was not only wasting my time but he was preventing me from seeing all the other hot men around town …firstly Mr green then Damien, yeah he was definitely distracting me.
I guess I did benefit from the whole arrangement since my stuff had already been packed even though I planned to move it straight into Ethan’s place. *Our* place.The future everyone had already written for me like it was a foregone conclusion.Jess really led me astray with the whole proposal theory but I can't blame her or Bella for that matter…
For some reason I thought I was going to be miserable and unable to get the images of them together out of my mind just wallowing in self pity and hanging on to the heart break and betrayal but I wasn't. Don't get me wrong, I was in a motel living out of a suitcase. Avoiding mirrors. Trying not to think about him and by him I mean Damien Steel.
My fingers gently found their way to my lips , gently brushing against them as flashbacks flooded my mind , his scent fresh in my memory and my body yearning for him. No matter how hard I tried not to think about the handsome stranger I just couldn't stop. My body longer for him , I could still feel his lips on mine as his-
“Ohhh my goodness , Olivia! Get it together!” I'd say to myself trying to bring my thoughts back to reality and it helped but it never really lasted long.
By midday, the motel room felt too small, the walls closing in with every thought I refused to finish. So I grabbed my jacket and headed to the mall, telling myself I needed food when really I just needed air.
I found a bench outside the entrance, winter sun weak but present, and let myself breathe.
Phone in hand, I scrolled again.
*Studio. Unfurnished. No pets.*
I didn’t even have a plant.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Everything either costs a kidney or comes with bars on the windows,” I muttered to myself.
“Rough market.”
The voice came from behind me.
I froze.
Slowly—because apparently my body had decided to be dramatic—I turned.
Black leather jacket. Combat boots. Ink peeking out from the collar of a fitted T-shirt. Dark hair, familiar stance.
And those eyes.
Green. Impossibly green.
“Well,” I breathed, blinking up at him. “I was wondering when you’d appear again . I even tried thinking of a gift that would be fitting for the mysterious Mr. Green.”
His eyebrow lifted, amusement flickering across his face. “Mr. Green?”
“Yeah,” I said, shrugging. “That’s what Jess and I call you. You kind of disappeared without giving us your name—and the eyes are hard to miss.”
His lips twitched. “I see.”
I shifted on the bench, suddenly aware of how rumpled I probably looked. “Are you stalking Santa’s Village regulars and employees, or…?”
“I had business nearby,” he said smoothly. Then his gaze dipped to my phone. “You don’t look like you’re Christmas shopping.”
I hesitated, then sighed. “Apartment hunting.”
“Fun,” he said dryly.
“More like soul-crushing,” I corrected. “I’m currently living in a motel.”
That caught his attention. His posture changed—not alarmed, just… focused.
“Temporary,” I added quickly, suddenly becoming too aware of how much I'm over sharing with a stranger. “I had planned to move in with my boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend,” I corrected again, the word still sharp. “Turns out he was cheating. With my best friend.”
His jaw tightened. “That’s… unfortunate.”
“That’s one word for it,” I said, forcing a small smile. “So now I’m scrolling through listings that are either ridiculously overpriced, absurdly far, or straight-up ghetto.”
He snorted before he could stop himself.
I looked up, surprised—and a little pleased. “Did I just make Mr. Green laugh?”
“Maybe,” he said. “You’re entertaining.”
“I’m emotionally unstable,” I corrected. “Common mistake.”
That earned me a real smile this time.
“Idris,” he said suddenly.
I blinked. “What?”
“My name,” he clarified. “It’s Idris.”
“Oh,” I said, warmth blooming in my chest. “Nice to officially meet you, Idris.”
“And you’re Olivia,” he replied, like it wasn’t a question.
I laughed softly. “Guilty.”
We sat there for a moment, comfortable silence settling between us in a way that felt… easy. Unexpected.
“You know,” he said finally, tilting his head, “I think I’ve figured out what gift I want.”
I glanced up at him, amused. “Already? That was fast.”
“A hug.”
I stared.
“…A hug,” I repeated.
“Yes.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “And does that work with all the other girls, or am I special?”
“Neither,” he said calmly. “I just want to test a theory.”
“And what theory would that be?” I asked, curiosity winning.
“That sometimes,” he said, voice lower now, “people meet exactly when they’re meant to. And sometimes a small kindness can change more than you think.”
I swallowed, suddenly very aware of the ache I’d been carrying around like a secret.
“Well,” I said lightly, standing, “I suppose giving you a hug could be my one good deed this Christmas season.”
He stepped closer, arms opening but not pulling—giving me the choice.
And for the first time in days, I chose something that wasn’t fear.
I wrapped my arms around him.
The warmth hit me instantly. Solid. Steady. Safe.
He smelled like leather and winter air, and when his arms settled around me—not tight, just enough—it felt like my nervous system finally unclenched.
My chest loosened. My breath evened out.
*God,* I needed this.
When we pulled back, I blinked rapidly, embarrassed by the sting behind my eyes.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
His gaze softened. “Seems like you needed it more than I did.”
“Yeah,” I admitted with a shaky laugh. “Seems like it.”
For the first time since my world had shattered, the pieces didn’t feel quite so sharp.
And as Idris smiled at me under the weak winter sun, I had the strange, unsettling feeling that something important had just begun or maybe that's just because I was newly single and suddenly running into such handsome men …and with that thought alone I found myself back to thinking about him…Damien.
- Writer
