OLIVIA There’s a lot going on in my head as I make my way to the apartment. I have so much questions that I can’t seem to get the answers to. Just when I thought I had everything figured out with Jake. I’m so deep in thoughts that I don’t notice he is standing at the already open door until he embraces me. I go still at his touch and I know he feels my body shut down too. My arms that was aching to wrap themselves around him remains mute at my sides. “Are you alright? Where did you go?” he sounds worried and I should feel bad for making him weary but I’m not. It’s hard to tell if he’s actually worried about me or he’s worried that I’d find something about him that I wasn’t supposed to know. “I was worried when I woke up and there was no sign of you” he continues despite the lack of reaction from me. “I thought you…” “Ran away” I complete the sentence for him before stepping away and watching his arms fall to his side. “I’m not that easy to get rid of” I say and walk into the ap
JAKEIt’s no denying the girl in front of my is beautiful. Mum wants me to marry her and not Olivia.I didn’t want to get married at all, but if I’m going to see it through for the company then I wouldn’t want it to be anyone other than Olivia. She was the only one that made the idea bearable.When I don’t find her in the apartment again after my shower I panic again. That’s all I seem to be doing these past days.It’s the only reason I’m still looking at the picture mother sent me. If Olivia changes her mind about marrying me then I’ll just go on with whoever this girl was. She seems nice enough.That’s the plan now. I just pray Olivia wants to marry me on her own and not because she signed a contract with me.When she mentioned the contract earlier I was surprised because I’d totally forgotten it existed.It would be unfair of me to use it to make her stay if she changed her mind and decided to leave.There had to be another way to keep her by my side or I’ll just simply have to let
OLIVIAI can’t get all the moans I hear last night out of my head.No matter how hard I try to push them away they’re persistent, creeping into my ears that I tried to cover with a pillow.No even cotton puds in my ear could do the trick. I was left all night listening to those tormenting sounds until they became my nightmare.I cried at some point, hoping that my sob would drown out their voices. I think at some point he heard me because the squeaking of the bed stopped and their was silence.I held my breath, waiting for him to realize what he has done and come back to me after sending those girls away.That didn’t happen. Of course he wasn’t coming back to me, just like my parents left me and never came back.Maybe there was something about me that repelled people and kept them away from me.They kept at it all night long which explains the bags under my eye when morning finally comes.I have to get out of here before this room suffocates what remains of me. I put on my work out at
OLIVIAWe’re still holding hands when we step into the apartment and that’s the first thing Jake notices.His eyes move from me to Sharlene and back again then rest on our joined hands. His eyes twitch, that’s the only reaction from him.There are no signs of the girls from last night, he must have asked them to leave after Sharlene walked in. For that I was grateful, that way Sharlene would not be able to see the humiliation Jake is putting me through.With a final glance at Jake I let my hand slip from Sharlene’s and go to my room. They could stay there and do whatever it is that siblings do.As for me, I was going to treat this wedding like it was a real one because after everything that has happened, I had a feeling that I would never have the courage to get married again. Or at least for real.So I was going this one as much as I could and not even Jake was going to ruin it for me.Just before I shut my door I hear Jake and Sharlene talking, more like arguing because their voice
OLIVIAWe’re still holding hands when we step into the apartment and that’s the first thing Jake notices.His eyes move from me to Sharlene and back again then rest on our joined hands. His eyes twitch, that’s the only reaction from him.There are no signs of the girls from last night, he must have asked them to leave after Sharlene walked in. For that I was grateful, that way Sharlene would not be able to see the humiliation Jake is putting me through.With a final glance at Jake I let my hand slip from Sharlene’s and go to my room. They could stay there and do whatever it is that siblings do.As for me, I was going to treat this wedding like it was a real one because after everything that has happened, I had a feeling that I would never have the courage to get married again. Or at least for real.So I was going this one as much as I could and not even Jake was going to ruin it for me.Just before I shut my door I hear Jake and Sharlene talking, more like arguing because their voice
OLIVIAWe go to random stores after that. We buy jewelry and whatever it is that Sharlene deemed important for a wedding.She even gets us matching necklaces at some point with our initials at the back. I’m not sure how she convinced the jeweller to brand it on the spot but it worked.I would do whatever she asked if she threatened me the way she did the jeweller in her drunken state.Sharlene was right, alcohol brings out all the fun. I could get used to this.I wish Jess was with us, lord knows she could use some fun in her life especially with the entire marriage thing going on.I imagine the desperation she feels being tied down to someone forever. Mine was just going to last three months but it felt like an eternal cage. I had to go back and find a way to help her.“Hey! What are you thinking so much about?” Sharlene asks me as our cab pulls into the parking lot of a bustling bar.“My best friend, her parents are making her get married to someone she does not even know” I whine,
OLIVIAHangover is a bitch and I’m never drinking again.By the time I made it up the stairs last night and into my bed, I blacked out.I woke up in the middle of the night throwing up. Sweet Sharlene held my hair though and cleaned me up when I was done.When I woke up in the morning, I felt dead. My eyelids were heavy and they hurt a lot. The sun streaming into the room didn’t even help.Luckily there was aspirin and a bottle of water waiting by the side of my bed. I made a mental note to thank Sharlene later for it.I’m not sure what time she left but it must have been pretty early because I woke up to an empty bed.It’s just a day till the wedding and I’m growing nervous. Especially when Jake’s mum comes to the apartment and whisks me away.Apparently we’re going for spa treatment which she claimed was also good for bonding with her future daughter-in-law.I doubt she meant it. If anything I was at alert around her, in case she decides to get rid of me before the wedding.“Thank y
OLIVIAThe ride home in his car is silent, but not awkward. We’re both drowned in our thoughts, me especially because I don’t know what to expect from Jake.I don’t want to assume that the actions he had displayed back at the club was out of jealousy. I mean that is one emotion that I can never expect from him, not when he had several women lined up and waiting to take my position.“You didn’t have to carry me out like that, I’m not a child. You should have just called me out.”I didn’t expect a response so I’m baffled when he comes to an abrupt stop and turns to give me a stern look. “And would you have followed me? Willing?”I’m tongue-tied because I don’t have the answer to his question. Or maybe it’s because I was too ashamed of my answer, it would seem pathetic to say that I would drop everything I have and follow me if he ever asked.The light turns green and I’m spared from answering. Instead I put all of my focus on the window and stare at the night life that breezes past us.