Meant to Be

The weather in L.A. was much more different from that of Seattle. Olivia was used to wearing a jacket to protect her skin from the cold air and pulling her hoodie over her head when the expected rain fell from the sky. Here, it was warmer and she actually had to wear sunglasses when she went outside. Olivia didn’t think it’d be easy to transition from there to here, but when she was with Brendon, everything seemed to be easier.

Olivia leaned over the metal railing, watching the sun slowly go down behind the ocean. The sky was painted in an array of colors that were mesmerizing. She couldn’t believe it -- this was her home now.

“Here ya go,” Brendon said handing her a mug that was obviously hot from the smoke rising from it.

She carefully took it out of his hands and smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said before she started to blow into it and that’s when she smelt what it was. “Hot chocolate?” she asked.

He leaned on the railing holding his mug between both hands, cooling the hot liquid with his breath. He turned to her and smiled. “Yeah, I know it’s your favorite.”

It was the little things like that –how he remembered her favorite things- that made her love him even more. She continued to smile at him before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

“You know, I’m glad you came out here for me,” Brendon said after removing the mug from his lips.

“I’m glad you didn’t turn me away,” she said resting her head on his shoulder.

“I would never do that to you.”

“You were just trying to get brownie points so I wouldn’t be mad at you when you told me that you lied about Kayla being pregnant,” Olivia said smirking in his direction.

Brendon smiled back at her, running the back of his hand on her cheek. “I love you, you know that?”

“Oh, I had a hunch you did and I love you too,” she said before closing the gap between them and reached for a kiss.

The street lamps flickered on as the sky gradually changed to dark blue. The wind blew lightly past them and they continued to gaze out into the night. Brendon straightened up and turned to walk inside the apartment. Olivia followed his movement with her eyes.

“Where’re you going?” she asked curiously.

“To get naked. You joining me or what?” he responded as seriously as he could.

She began to chuckle. “What?”

“I’m kidding, we’ll get naked in a little bit. I’ll be right back though,” he said vanishing into the low-lit apartment; he never failed to amuse her, no matter her mood.

Brendon knelt by his end table, pulling out the bottom drawer, and reaching in the back for the smooth, soft, black box that he had hidden from Olivia. He opened it and smiled down at the simple silver band with the elegant diamond in the center; it was perfect. You lost her before, you can’t lose her again he thought to himself as he snapped the box shut.

He returned outside to the balcony of the apartment, where he found Olivia sitting on one of the chairs. She turned towards him and her smile faded, looking at him disappointedly.

“What’s with that look? You expecting someone else?” he asked curiously.

She shook her head. “No. I just thought you were gonna surprise me with no clothes on,” she laughed. “Come sit down,” she said motion him over.

“Actually I went inside to get something. A gift for you,” he said nervously, fumbling with the box in his hand behind his back.

“Oh really? Well, what is it?” she asked.

He let out a long breath and licked his lips. It was now or never. He bent down on his left knee, keeping his gaze on Olivia, who almost appeared stunned. He brought the black velvet box forward, cupping it in the palm of his hand.

Olivia could hear every heartbeat thud loudly through her ears. She didn’t know what to think other than it had better not be a joke. She set her mug on the table and leaned forward in her seat. “Brendon, I swear, if that’s not a ring or this is like that stunt you pulled five years ago, I’m going to strangle you,” she said with a small chuckle.

Brendon smirked. “Liv, we’ve been through enough to break people up permanently, yet we’ve somehow found our way back to each other. I take it as a sign that we’re meant to be together.” He opened the small box and heard Olivia gasp at the sight of the ring, covering her mouth with her hand. “Olivia Marie Adams, you’d make me the happiest man on this planet if you’d accept my proposal.”

She smiled. “Which is what?”

“Will you marry me?”

She nodded her head rapidly, smiling from ear to ear. “Yes!” she exclaimed.

“Yes to what? This centerpiece or this one?” she heard another voice ask.

The image of Brendon proposing to her disappeared and her cousin Charlotte reappeared in her view. She had daydreamed again about how things should’ve happened two months ago.

“Liv are you okay? You seem out of it today,” Charlotte commented on Olivia’s behavior.

“Hm? Oh yeah, I’m-I’m fine,” she replied taking a look down at the pictures of centerpieces.

“You’re not fine. You’ve been thinking about him again haven’t you?” Charlotte asked eyeing her cousin curiously.

Olivia couldn’t hide much from Charlotte, so there was no sense in lying to her and saying she wasn’t, but she also knew Charlotte already made it clear she would never forgive nor like Brendon for what he did. Olivia averted her eyes from Charlotte, not wanting to answer her question.

“Olivia, tell me the truth,” Charlotte insisted.

Olivia sighed in defeat and nodded her head slowly. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about him. I can’t help it,” Olivia admitted.

Olivia could see Charlotte shaking her head and rolling her eyes in a disappointing manner. “Why do you do this to yourself Liv?”

She didn’t have an exact answer for her, but thought she’d try to make her understand. “Who was your first love?” she asked.

Charlotte thought about it for a bit before answering. “Mm Jesse, he’s my first love,” Charlotte answered.

“And if anything were to happen between you and him, do you think you could ever stop thinking about him?”

Charlotte sighed, knowing where Olivia was coming from. “No. Probably not.”

“You see, it’s not exactly easy to do. I mean I’ve tried, but you just don’t forget that person,” Olivia answered.

“Then you shouldn’t have said ‘yes’ to Jason if all you’re gonna do is think about Brendon. It’s not fair to him ya know?” Charlotte responded.

Olivia dug her fingers into her hair, settling her head in the palm of her hand. She knew Charlotte was right, Jason wasn’t getting the better end of the relationship, but Olivia just couldn’t let the thought of Brendon go.