A yell of her name grabs Olivia’s attention, and she turns her head toward the source, finding Paul, Steve, and Walter already in one car, Asher leaning on an arm on the driver’s side’s window to speak with his brother, while Adam is installed in the truck, ready to drive it away.“Sit with me, precious?” Walter says, and his girlfriend immediately takes up on the offer. As she opens the door, Walter comes out. “You’ll have to be in the middle since Olivia’s computer is on the other side,” he continues, Mia not missing the opportunity to plant a kiss on Walter’s lips.“As long as I’m next to you,” Mia smiles.“Alright, lovebirds, settle in,” Steve interjects and shares an eye roll with Olivia, the latter biting back her laugh.“Adam will make sure to take some detours along the way just in case someone is following us,” Asher says to Paul. “Make sure to stick close to us, so we don’t lose each other. I don’t think Henry and the other two are anywhere near, but….”“We’ll be careful,” P

‘Ashy’ says naught, motionless from where he’s sitting, and Olivia’s selfishness becomes a little more eager, evolving into her laying her head on Asher’s shoulder, that sense of comfort and security back between them.Olivia surveys the expanse of Asher’s throat, the black hair at the base of the scalp, and she then detects a small scar on the side of the neck, one that looks somewhat new.“Where did you get that wound on your neck?” Olivia asks, her voice barely above a whisper.“Valentine’s fight.” Asher rasps.Olivia watches Asher lift a hand, the limb disappearing from Olivia’s vision, and when it does not come back down, she raises her head, reclining to peer at Asher.Asher’s palm is covering the lower part of his face. His features scrunched into a scowl, and the eyebrows furrowed so deeply that Olivia worries for a moment, even more, when she notices the redness overtaking Asher’s skin.Olivia checks the windscreen, thinking that perhaps the boss was struck by some sunburn, b

An hour later, everyone showered and dressed in more comfortable and clean clothes. The group is loitering on the mattresses, forming a circle around the pile of food, plates, and bowls filling the core as they devour their dinner. On Olivia’s left is Steve, who seems to want to be around her as much as he does, and Olivia is happy. Next to Steve is Paul, then Mia, Walter, and finally Adam. Asher is settled on Olivia’s right, a foot and a half between them to accommodate everyone and have enough space to fit them all, a feat that Olivia both appreciates and despises. While Olivia’s apprehension considerably lessened to a point where she temporarily forgot of its existence, it is still there, and she’s reminded of it by the extended proximity since they sat down to eat, her and Asher the closest they have been so far minus watching The Vampire Diaries episode that Olivia wisely chooses to omit until a later day where she can yell about it. Half an hour later, perhaps more, and most o

Olivia is concentrating on her task while she takes the ice cube tray, popping out three cubes for each glass, and she even counts them out loud, albeit hushed, but it eases her mind out of that fogginess.She lumbers to the living room, sits on her knees in front of the mattress, and says to Adam, “Can you pass me the coke?”Adam glares at her, but Olivia is not bothered by the scorn for once, feeling curiously untouchable. “Give it to me,” Olivia insists, Adam relenting as he tosses the bottle her way.Olivia is careful when she serves herself and Asher the drink, as she was earlier with the ice cubes, perhaps too much, even, because two feet stop to her right along with a voice belonging to Asher.“As if. I never lose at Uno.”“That’s because you cheat too, Asher,” Adam retorts.“I don’t cheat,” Asher snips. “I’m that good.”“Sure thing,” Adam smiles and shakes his head, an event Olivia would be more amazed by if Asher had not taken her attention away with a single tap on her head.

“They are so… Oh Olivia, this is… Marvelous.” Asher trails off, and his thumbs brush the footpad on Olivia’s paw, rubbing circles there before pressing, the retractable claws peeking out.“Even your claws are—” Asher forgoes the middle pad to maintain the paw up with one hand, using the index of his second one to poke at the four pads at the top. “They’re so pink….”“Asking again what the hell is wrong with Asher.” Adam reiterates, this time, his inquiry answered by Walter.“He loves dogs and is kinda obsessed with them, but in a good way, as you can see, and Olivia partially looks like a cute little dog,” Walter says.“How come you know and I don’t?” Adam stresses, miffed.“Well it—”“It’s so cute and small,” Asher whispers, still busying himself with fondling Olivia’s paw, kneading at the pads before scratching at the fur in between them. “I knew your fur would be soft. It looked so soft and silky.”“Her paw is the size of your head almost. How is that small?” Steve says.Asher’s ev