Hello Sheffield

"So what exactly are you guys now?" Tom asked. I spun the straw in my glass of water and stared at my plate. Tom and I had gone out on errands for his work after I got home from work and we ended up at the same restaurant I ate at with Matty, Oli, and Tom months ago.

"I honestly don't even know."

"You should probably figure that out," Tom persisted.

"My god Tom, will you leave me alone about it? Shit, we went on one date okay? You need to relax, you're being such a girl," I complained. He snorted and started to laugh. I laughed too and sat back in my seat.

It had been a while since I hung out with just Tom and it reminded me of the time when the guys left on tour. I knew that Warped would be coming up soon. I'd been spoiled by knowing them while they were largely on breaks and I knew that this time, I wouldn't have Tom to fall back on.

Even Becca seemed to be joining on the tour. I'd have her for a very limited time in July before she went with Matty and the guys and her room mate and other best friend spent time in the States with her family. I would be alone.

"Warped is coming up soon, huh?" I brought up suavely, shoving some of my food around on my plate. He looked up from his phone and nodded. Whenever I brought it up a light would flicker on in everyone's eyes.

"I'm so excited!" he exclaimed before rolling his eyes. Tom was obviously the most impressionable among the guys and took on some of the more American things I said. He always caught himself doing it now and it always made me smile. "I mean, well, yeah I'm right excited about it."

Likewise, I'd picked up some British words and referred to people's girlfriends as their birds and started tacking on the word love whenever I spoke to someone I was fond of. It didn't bother me all that much.

"I can imagine. It must be awesome to go on tour," I said, keeping the sadness out of my tone. Apparently I focused too much on that and not my face.

"We all wish yeh could come Liv," Tom said, his face molding into sympathy. I shrugged. I wished I could go too but I had work and a cat and I'd only just gotten here really.

"I have work and stuff, you know that," I said, an empty feeling crawling into my chest. The idea of them all being gone for a month and a half made me nearly catatonic when I was alone. I put on a brave face but honestly, this would be like high school all over again.

"I know," he frowned, "I wish yeh didn't work. It would be awesome with yeh there."

"I have to work silly. I need to pay bills and stuff," I chuckled. True enough, my grandmother had left me enough money to buy a house and maintain it for a few years but that didn't mean I was free and clear. My parents didn't pay my college tuition like they did for my sister as I didn't follow the career path they wanted.

In short, I did have a lot of things to pay for; food, student loans, electricity, garbage. Being an adult kind of made your head swim. I'd considered going out in August, when I'd be off from work, but there wouldn't be much time left to the tour, and I already would have spent the bulk of my time alone.

"I know. It's easy to forget that though, when the majority of your friends don't have 'real' jobs," he said.

"That makes sense. It'll be okay. We can Skype and text and stuff, right?" I said, putting the brave face on again. He smiled but it was weak. I knew that he would miss me.

"Do yeh think that yeh and Oli are gonna date?" he asked quietly. It was different from his nagging before. He was being sincere. I bit my lip and shrugged. I was tired of this question.

"I dunno. I know that if he asks then I'll say yes," I sighed, "There's no one I've ever wanted more in my whole life."

He cooed at me and I rolled my eyes. Count on Tom to do something dumb when I was being serious.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I know yeh were bein' serious there. He's the same way over yeh. I haven't seen him in such a state over a female since high school. It's fuckin' weird," he commented, shrugging and motioning for the waitress.

She dropped the check on the table and we split it. Tom casually paid for us and then we stepped out to the parking lot. Tom had picked me up from home and loved to torture me in the car, where there was no means of escape.

“Oli and Liv, sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” he sang obnoxiously. I rolled my eyes and pulled on my seatbelt, glaring at him.

“On a serious note,” I prompted, “What d’you mean you haven’t seen him like this about a girl for a long time?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Yeh didn’t know Oli before. I dunno, he acts different around yeh. He’s more easy-going and nice. Christ, the way he talks about yeh when yeh’re not around, yeh’d think yeh were St. Theresa or somethin’.”

I blushed as he said all of this and smiled. Hearing about Oli talking about me like this made me feel warm on the inside. I bit my lip and glanced at him. He seemed to be thinking his words over carefully, trying not to let anything too big slip.

“I haven’t seen him like that since I was in high school, least not over a bird. He’s usually out all the time at parties and doing crazy, dumb shit. Now he’s with yeh and carin’ for yeh and all. I’m just, I’m scared he’s gonna do somethin’ stupid on tour without yeh there.”

Ice flooded my veins when he said that and suddenly dread filled my stomach. Not, of course, because I thought he would fuck around with girls. We weren’t officially boyfriend and girlfriend yet. I was thinking of what Tom said about me not knowing how Oli was before and connecting that to something Oli had said months ago.

The night I went to dinner with him, Tom, and Matty for the first time he had walked me up to the door and mumbled something about how I was changing him and how he had a reputation to uphold. It was scary to think that I had that much power over him.

The more I thought about our weird relationship, the more freaking weird it got. He was always, unceasingly there for me whenever I called, stayed over my house almost every night in a week, and was nearly always hovering near me when we went out. When we fought and stopped talking, I was upset and sad but Oli was miserable and apparently catatonic. He continually talked about “not fucking things up” between us.

Now, Tom was concerned that without me, Oliver would fall to pieces. It was a scary thought and I wondered if this was a concern that everyone shared.

“I don’t really know what to say,” I said honestly. I sat back in my seat, stunned. This was all just a bit too much. I relied on Oli a lot too, but it didn’t seem nearly as strong as his dependence on me.

I was quickly realizing how strong his feelings were when his words from our date rolled into my head:

“Yeh’ll never know how much I truly care for yeh.”

“Yeh don’t really need to say anything. I’m just a bit worried. It’s nice not seein’ him like, I dunno…” he trailed off. We pulled down my street and he turned into the driveway. I was surprised by how serious the conversation had become.

“Liv, did yeh have someone comin’ over?” he asked. I looked up from my hands, confused.

“Um, no. Why?”

“Your front door is wide open,” he said, pointing a finger. Ice was in my veins again, but it was fear this time as I followed his finger. “I’ll go in with yeh. Take out your phone.”

We got out of the car and I followed him, phone in hand. Since the time when Zeus came around I’d learned the English equivalent of 911. We walked slowly up to the house and he went in first.

I wanted to cry as soon as I looked inside.

The place had seriously been destroyed. The mirror was broken, tables and couch overturned, and upon investigation, it seemed like someone had taken a baseball bat to my TV. I sank down onto the overturned couch and rested my head in my hands.

Tom ventured around and then went upstairs. I heard him checking rooms up there, probably for someone. My head was pounding and I felt tears coming into my eyes. He came down the stairs, holding Zeus, who looked fine if not startled.

“Everythin’ upstairs is untouched. Whoever it was didn’t even go up there it looks like. The kitchen though…”

I got up and took a deep breath before walking towards the kitchen. I let out a sob as soon as I saw it. All of my plates, glasses, and mugs were shattered on the floor. The refrigerator had been emptied and food splashed everywhere. The dining room chairs were all broken.

In big, black, spray painted letters across the cabinets were the words: “Slutty bitch.”

I knew immediately who had done this and it made it all so much worse. Kate had made her promise, and she was obviously sticking by it. Behind me, Tom was on the phone with the police. I leaned against the wall in my ruined kitchen and cried silently.

“It’ll be alright,” Tom said, placing a soothing hand on my shoulder. “Do yeh have any idea how she got in?”

“No!” I choked out, breathing erratically. “She never knew where the spare key was, not even Oli knows!”

Becca knew, obviously as I’d told her myself, but I trusted her and knew that she would never just waltz into my house while I was out. I felt violated and naked. I picked Zeus up from the floor, cradling him in my arms.

It didn’t take long for the police to show up. They immediately started asking me questions and I told them my suspicions, but that obviously wasn’t enough to go on. They were wrapping up their questions when I heard a car skid to a halt outside my house.

“Where is she?” Oli’s voice demanded. I knew he was referring to Tom or Lee, who had been right down the street. I heard Tom answer and was relieved to see Oliver burst into my wrecked living room.

He ignored the two cops and pulled me into his arms, where I broke down crying again. That was all I really could do right now, I was so overwhelmed. He stroked my hair as I clung to him.

“Miss, we’re done questioning yeh. We’ll just speak to your friend and then be off. I promise we’ll try our best to find whoever did this.”

I knew that was bullshit and ignored them, holding Oliver’s thin body to me. He was cursing every other word and obviously, seething with anger. When I let go of him, he ventured into the kitchen, where he started kicking things about.

“That’s it! Fuckin’ bitch thinks she can mess around with my girl, fuckin’ show her who I really am,” he rambled angrily. He turned and saw me, hunched against the door frame, tears still running down my face. His eyes softened and he walked over to me.

“Pack up your shit, enough for a week and get Zeus’ stuff together. Yeh can’t stay here. Yeh’ll stay at my house,” he said, gently pushing me in the direction of the stairs. As I walked up them, I realized that I felt like a stranger in my own home.

I pulled out two suitcases, one large and one small. I packed the big one neatly with clothes that I’d need for the week. The smaller one was for my makeup, medicine, and hair supplies. I grabbed my laptop and papers out of my office, figuring that I’d have insurance companies to call.

I was going to Oli’s house. It had never occurred to me that he would have a house. I’d always assumed he lived with Carol and Ian. I was, apparently, incorrect and would be spending the week with him; the circumstances for why just sucked.

Oli paced in the hallway when I came down, emptying the litter box and packing Zeus’ food, toys, and extra litter into a small tote bag I’d gotten at the supermarket. I hunted for my kitten and found him huddled next to my purse, which I must’ve dropped by the front door. He mewed sadly at me.

“It’s okay little guy,” I cooed. I picked him up and then looked around my house, wondering if it would actually be okay. Oli had brought my bags out to his car and he popped back in, grabbing the tote from me and leaving me with my purse and Zeus to carry.

It seemed like the whole band was there, as well as Carol. They all hugged me and assured me that they’d keep an eye on the house. Oliver was finally starting to calm down, which put me more at ease. I got into the passenger seat and let Oli drive us away.

There was no music playing, which was odd and Oli didn’t speak. Instead, he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and cast me nervous glances. I ignored it as best I could and shut my eyes, stroking Zeus’ fur. This was a nightmare.

When Kate said she’d get her revenge, I knew she would. I never in a million years thought she would go this far. She destroyed not only my personal belongings, but my home and I couldn’t understand how cruel a person would have to be to do such a thing.

The ride was quiet. I knew that Oliver didn’t know what to say now that he was calm. As he drove he grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. I smiled lazily at him but it wasn’t as genuine as it would’ve been. I wasn’t all too happy at the moment.

After what seemed like ages, we pulled up a long driveway. The house was obviously private. It was also quite large. I took the smaller suitcase from the trunk and he took my other bags. He unlocked the door and we walked into the kitchen.

“Well, um, this is my house,” he said awkwardly. “Hold onto Zeus ‘cause I’m not really sure how Oskar will react.”

I could immediately tell that being in Oliver Sykes’ house was a big deal. He led me through the rooms and then into a bedroom. The bed was unmade and he plopped my bags on it. Judging by the dirty clothes on the floor it was his bedroom.

“Yeh can have a guest room if yeh want but I’d rather yeh sleep in here with me,” he said, pulling me into him by my waist. Suddenly, the awkwardness was gone and I rested my head on his chest, humming contently.

“I’d rather sleep in here too,” I mumbled and he kissed the top of my head. I pulled away and took the room into account. It was large and painted a neutral beige color, which surprised me. The bed was large too, and covered with black sheets and blankets. “I’m gonna clean this place up, my god you live like a pig.”

He chuckled and I placed Zeus on the floor to roam around. As I piled his laundry up he took the liberty of making the bed. I found a hamper shoved in his closet and rolled my eyes, stuffing the clothes in there. The attached bathroom was neat, like the rest of his house. I figured this was most likely because he spent most of his time at my house.

“Where’s the washer and dryer?” I asked, picking up the hamper that was overflowing with clothes. He looked at me flatly.

“Yeh don’t have to wash my clothes Liv.”

“Yes I do. You’ll never do it and I know they’ll just sit here until Carol comes here or you bring them to Carol, so I might as well do her a favor.”

He sighed and led me to a closet down the hallway that had a washer and dryer in it. He watched me sort through his clothes for a while and then started calling Oskar’s name.

It was weird being in Oli’s house and only because I’d known him for months and he hadn’t even breathed a word about having a house. It was kind of a dumb thing to hide from me. I started the washing machine and then leaned against it, feeling mentally exhausted.

“Liv!” Oli called. I followed the sound of his voice to the kitchen, where he held his small dog. Oskar barked excitedly and I pet him happily, letting him lick my fingertips. Oli chuckled and then let his dog jump out of his arms and sniff my legs.

“I don’t have much food in, sorry, I’m never even here these days—”

“Yeah, because you live at my house,” I interrupted.

“I do not live at your house,” he countered. I rolled my eyes and just pushed past him, looking into the refrigerator. True to his word, it was pretty much empty. I shrugged.

“I’m not hungry, I ate out with Tom. If you are then I guess there’s kind of a bit of a problem…” I trailed off. He watched me playfully.

“Yeh wouldn’t make me food if I asked yeh for some?” he asked.

“Pfft, do I look like housewife?” I asked sarcastically.

“Yeh’d be a right pretty little housewife,” he said, grinning mischievously. I rolled my eyes and slapped his chest playfully. He smiled and pulled me into a hug.

“I hate you all the time,” I said, his chest muffling my words. He chuckled and then shook his head as I pulled away.

“Are yeh sure yeh’re not hungry? Do yeh want anythin’?” he asked, a concerned look back on his face. I shook my head and shrugged again.

“Maybe I’ll take a nap or something. I’m just kind of tired.”

“I’ll lie with yeh for a little while,” he said and he followed me to his own room. Zeus had found a spot on the window sill to curl up on and I smiled at him, scratching behind his ears before turning to Oli’s closet.

I found a huge, oversized jersey inside and stripped out of my outfit before throwing that on. Pants were unnecessary for a nap and when I turned, Oli was lying on the bed with his phone out. I flopped down next to him.

The bed was comfortable and I turned onto my back, looking up at him. He glanced at me and then leaned down to kiss my nose. I scrunched it up and turned over, looking away from him.

“I’m really sorry about your house baby,” he said, his voice sad. I heaved a sigh and groaned. I looked over at him again and found him lying down.

“I just don’t know how anyone could be so mean,” I shared. He rubbed soothing circles on my back as I rested my head in the crook of his neck.

“She’s a cunt, really. She can’t stand to see yeh happy without her.”

“So she’s like an ex-boyfriend then,” I surmised. He chuckled dryly. That is what this was like; a really, really bad breakup. It didn’t matter though. I wanted nothing to do with Kate, just for her to feel sorry that she ever thought about fucking with me.

“When I heard what happened, I was so angry,” he said quietly, “I could barely see straight drivin’ over there.” I pulled away from him and looked up. I cupped his cheek softly.

“You should be careful when you drive Oli, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“This girl,” he mumbled, shaking his head, “Worried about me drivin’.”

“Of course I’m worried about you driving! You drive like an animal normally, good lord.”

“Liv, listen to me, I care for yeh so damn much and all I want is to be able to call yeh mine right now. Will yeh be my girlfriend?”

My heart stopped and time slowed down. Admittedly, when Oliver asked me this question I wasn’t expecting to be wearing my underwear and a basketball jersey whilst lying in bed. The situation of the day didn’t have that many romantic abilities. My mind wandered to my thoughts earlier this afternoon; Oli’s obvious, blatant dependency on me.

Who was I kidding though? The moment Oliver stepped through my front door was the moment that complete relief washed over me. When he told me I’d be staying with him, that was the best sentence I’d ever heard in my life.

Well, it was. Now I think it was the ‘will you be my girlfriend’ line.

“Yes,” I breathed, “Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend.”

He kissed my lips enthusiastically, and then my nose, cheekbones, both eyes and my forehead. I giggled as he did this, a giddy feeling bubbling in my stomach. He chuckled gently and pulled my body flush against his.

“Mine,” he whispered.

He was mine.