Leaning Into the Breeze

“I’m listening,” Nick sounded a little unsure as to weather or not he actually wanted to hear what Olivia needed to tell him. He sounded like he knew what was coming. He probably did.

“Nick. It’s not right. I mean, you and me. Being together and all - I’m sorry.” Olivia hoped that she sounded sincere, because that is certainly how she felt. It was hard enough being with Jack every day knowing that she was living a lie. But to actually tell Nick was harder than Olivia had anticipated.

Silence rippled through the phone as Olivia waited for Nick to respond. She closed her eyes and let her bottom lip quiver and a few salty tears to stream down her hollow face.

“I still love you,” Olivia said into the silence.

“Sorry,” was all that Nick said before the line clicked off, leaving Olivia sobbing into an empty phone line.

Only did she rise her head when she felt the bed shift as Jack sat down beside her.

“Did you just talk to Nick?” he asked, kissing her tear stained cheek.

“Ya,” Olivia whispered.

“How did it go?”

“Well,” Olivia let out a shaky sigh. She looked up at him and smiled a bit before wiping some tears off her wet face. She gave jack a little kiss on the lips, “he acted just how I thought, I suppose.”

“But not how you wanted it to go.” Jack gave Olivia a little nudge, but she didn’t crack a smile.

“Well!” Olivia protested, “I guess I sort of hoped that he would understand a little more. That we could still be friends.”

“Olivia. You pretty much ran off with me, then moved in with me, all while you were still with Nick. Technically.”

“I know. Fuck, Jack, I’m such a shitty person!” Olivia covered her eyes with her hands and slid her face into Jack’s lap.

“No, no. Olivia,” he pulled her up so that they were face to face. Eye to eye. “You are far from it.” He pressed his nose against hers and smiled before his lips crashed into hers.

“I love you,” Olivia whispered in the brief moment she took to catch her breath.

Jack slid his hands up Olivia’s white v-neck T-shirt. Unclasping her bra, he whispered into her ear, “I love you too.”

__________________________________________________________

Olivia lay naked and sweaty under the sheets of the bed that she shared with Jack. She closed her eyes and listened to Jack’s heavy breathing.

Knock knock. Olivia rolled her head over and looked at the clock. It was 2 in the morning. Who the hell is at the door at this hour, Olivia asked herself.

She threw on a pair of Jack’s jeans and a zip-up hoodie, not bothering with the zipper. Olivia stumbled, with exhaustion, to the door.

“Yea?” Olivia asked before she could register who was standing before her.

“I’m sorry. You were trying really hard to be nice on the phone, I could tell, and I treated the situation like shit. But, Olivia, I still love you.”

“Nick?”