Chapter 7:
Hidden Wishes and Unspoken Feelings

The golden light of late afternoon spilled gently across the wide, winding driveway that led up to the grand Lorenzo mansion, turning the smooth, earthy stones into warm shades of amber and bronze. Olivia and Kath stood carefully hidden behind tall, lush bushes and clusters of flowering plants that lined the edge of the estate, their bodies pressed close together as they tried to stay out of sight. The air around them was soft and warm, carrying the sweet, fresh scent of blooming flowers, well-watered grass, and the faint, tropical aroma of palm trees that stood tall and proud near the house. The atmosphere felt calm and peaceful, yet inside the two girls, there was a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and curiosity that made their hearts beat a little faster with every passing moment.

Before them stood the magnificent Lorenzo residence, and it was even more beautiful and impressive than Olivia had ever imagined. As they looked up, they could see that the mansion was built in a classic, elegant style, with a warm, creamy exterior that glowed softly under the fading sunlight. Wide, sturdy columns supported covered walkways and balconies, creating beautiful arched openings that added a sense of grace and grandeur to the design. Large windows with dark, elegant frames lined the walls, reflecting the sky and the trees around them, and warm, glowing lamps were placed strategically along the walls and pillars, casting soft circles of light that made the whole building feel welcoming and alive. Tall palm trees rose up beside the structure, their fronds swaying gently in the light breeze, and carefully arranged gardens filled with colorful flowers and green plants surrounded the house, making it look like a perfect, peaceful paradise. It was clear that this was a place of great wealth, history, and importance, and Olivia felt a mix of awe and longing as she looked at it. It was larger and more stately than her own home, the Lim residence, and it stood there like a symbol of everything she had hoped for and dreamed of.

"Liv, what are we doing here?" Kath asked quietly, turning her head slightly to look at her best friend. Her voice was soft, so that no one would hear them, and her eyes were wide with a mixture of worry and curiosity as she scanned the large property around them. She kept glancing toward the tall gates and the open driveway, as if she expected someone to come walking out at any moment, and her hands rested gently on her knees, showing that she was feeling uneasy about their situation.

Olivia pressed a finger lightly against her own lips, signaling for Kath to keep quiet, and she leaned forward slightly, peering carefully through the gaps between the leaves and branches of the plants that hid them from view. Her dark brown hair fell in soft, natural waves over her shoulders, catching the light and making her look even more lovely, and her warm brown eyes were filled with determination and longing as she looked toward the house. She wanted so badly to see the place where Gavin lived, to imagine the rooms he walked through every day, and to catch even a glimpse of him if she could. She had waited for this chance for such a long time, and she was not going to let anything stop her from trying to make it happen.

"Shhh, be quiet!" Olivia whispered back, her voice filled with purpose as she continued to observe her surroundings. She took in every detail of the beautiful estate-the perfectly trimmed lawns, the carefully placed lights, the tall trees that stood like guardians around the property-and she felt a sense of wonder wash over her. She had heard stories about how grand the Lorenzo family was, but seeing it with her own eyes made her understand just how special this place was.

Kath let out a soft sigh, shaking her head gently as she looked at Olivia with a mix of concern and affection. "Liv, can we stop doing this?" she asked in a low, serious tone. "We are invading someone's privacy. It doesn't feel right at all. Hiding like this makes us look like we are doing something wrong, and what if someone sees us? What will they think? It just doesn't seem like the proper way to do things. We should go and do it the right way, not sneak around like this."

Olivia turned to face her best friend, and her expression showed a little bit of frustration, but she still loved Kath for being honest and caring enough to speak her mind. She gave Kath a firm, clear look, and Kath simply shrugged her shoulders, knowing that once Olivia had made up her mind about something, it was very hard to change it.

"I want to see him, Kath," Olivia said softly, but there was no doubt or hesitation in her voice. She spoke from the very bottom of her heart, letting her feelings show clearly. "You can call me desperate, or silly, or whatever you want to say. I don't care what people think of me. I just want to see him, to be near this place that means so much to me. I have waited so long for this moment, and I have wanted it so much, that I am not going to give up just because it's not the easiest way to do things."

Kath looked at her friend for a long moment, and as she saw the sincerity and strong feelings in Olivia's eyes, she finally nodded her head slowly. She understood how important this was to Olivia, and even though she was worried, she also knew that she could not stop her. She decided to support her, even if she did not agree with everything they were doing right now.

Olivia settled back into her hiding place, but her mind was full of thoughts and questions. She had noticed that things had been changing between her and Kath lately, and it made her feel a little bit sad and confused. For as long as they had known each other, they had been inseparable. They were more than just best friends; they were like sisters, sharing everything with each other, never keeping secrets, and always being there for one another. They would spend hours talking about everything and nothing-sharing their dreams, their fears, the funny things that happened at school, the things that made them happy, and the things that made them sad. They could talk for hours without ever running out of things to say, and they had always been each other's first choice for everything.

But recently, everything had started to feel different. Kath had been acting strangely-she was always busy, always rushing off somewhere, and when Olivia asked her where she was going or what she was doing, she would only give short, unclear answers. She would say that she had projects to finish with classmates, or that she had work to do for school, but she never gave any more details than that. Olivia knew that Kath was lying; she could see it in the way her friend avoided looking at her, and in the way her answers felt distant and not completely honest. They were in university now, not in high school, and everyone had their own lives and responsibilities, but it still hurt Olivia that Kath was keeping things from her. She wanted to be there for her best friend, to share every part of her life with her, but she felt like there was a wall slowly growing between them, and she did not know how to break it down. She decided to respect Kath's space and her decisions, hoping that one day, when her friend was ready, she would tell her everything, and their friendship would be just as close and wonderful as it had always been.

Suddenly, Kath turned to face Olivia completely, breaking the quiet atmosphere that had settled around them. "Liv," she said, her voice soft but clear, "do you really like him? Like, is it just a passing feeling, or is it something more real and deeper?"

Olivia felt her heart skip a beat as she heard the question. She had thought about this many times, turning the feelings in her heart over and over again in her mind, trying to understand them better. Yes, she liked Gavin-she had liked him for as long as she could remember, ever since they were eight years old and spent that wonderful vacation together in Hawaii, at the beautiful beaches and properties that belonged to his family. But she knew that it was not just a simple crush or a passing infatuation. It was something much stronger and deeper than that. It was love. Even though he had never spoken to her properly at all the events and gatherings she had attended where he was also present, even though he had never noticed her or said more than a few polite words to her, even though he had never given her any sign that he even knew she existed, her feelings had only grown stronger and deeper with time. She loved him for who he was, for the kind, confident, and graceful person she knew he was, and for the special place he had held in her heart ever since they were children.

Olivia turned to look directly at Kath, and she gave her a smile-the real, genuine smile that she only showed to people she loved and trusted, not the polite, fake smile that she used when she was around strangers or people she did not know very well. Her eyes shone with happiness and truth as she spoke, her voice filled with strong emotion that came straight from her soul.

"Kath," she whispered, her voice clear and full of feeling, "I don't just like him. I love him."

She spoke the words softly, but there was no doubt or hesitation in them. She could not believe that she was finally saying it out loud, admitting to her best friend and to herself that she was in love with a young man who had never even looked at her twice, who had never given her a second thought. But as she looked into Kath's face, she noticed something that made her heart sink just a little bit. She saw the expression on Kath's face change-there was a look in her eyes that Olivia did not recognize at first, but then she understood. Kath looked scared, as if she was afraid of what Olivia had just said. There was also a look of sadness and hurt in her eyes, as if she had heard something that made her feel upset, and she did not seem to believe what she was hearing. It was as if Olivia's words had touched something deep inside Kath, and it had caused her pain that she was trying hard to hide.

Olivia's smile faded away, and her expression changed to one of deep concern and worry. "Kath," she asked immediately, leaning forward slightly to get closer to her friend, her voice filled with care, "is there something wrong? Are you okay? You look like something is really bothering you. Did I say something wrong? Please tell me, you know you can tell me anything."

Kath seemed to come out of her thoughts suddenly, shaking her head quickly as if she was trying to push away whatever she was feeling, trying to hide her true emotions from Olivia. She tried to put on a small, gentle smile, but it did not reach her eyes, and it looked more like a polite gesture than a real expression of happiness.

"No, I'm fine," she said, her voice sounding a little bit distant and forced, but she tried to make it sound natural. "Everything is okay, really. I just... I was just thinking about something else, that's all. Nothing is wrong, I promise."

Before Olivia could ask her more questions or try to understand what was really going on, Kath suddenly stood up from their hiding place, her movements quick and sudden. Olivia watched her in surprise, her eyes wide as she wondered what her friend was doing, and she gave Kath a sharp, questioning look, wondering why she had changed her mind so quickly.

"I think we have to go," Kath said, her voice now sounding a little bit rushed and nervous as she spoke. "It's getting late, and Mrs. Stone is probably looking for you right now. She will be worried if she can't find you, and you know how she is about being on time and being presentable."

Olivia rolled her eyes at her friend's words, feeling a little bit annoyed and frustrated. She knew that her mother was strict and cared a lot about how things looked, but right now, that was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to stay and see if she could catch even a glimpse of Gavin, and she did not want to leave before she had the chance to do that.

"I don't care about her," Olivia said, her voice showing her irritation as she spoke. "She can wait, or she can understand that I need to do this. Please, don't be such a killjoy, Kath. Just stay here with me for a little while longer. I just want to be here, to see what I can see. It means so much to me."

Kath stood there for a moment, looking back at Olivia with a mix of worry and sadness in her eyes. She knew how much this meant to her friend, and she wanted to make Olivia happy, but she also felt like something was wrong, like there was a secret she was keeping that was very important. She took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say, and she spoke again, her voice soft but clear.

"Liv, you don't have to do it like this," she said gently, trying to explain her point of view. "You can just walk up to the gate, ring the doorbell, and they will probably welcome you inside. It's much better than hiding like this, and it's the proper way to do things. You don't want people to think badly of you, do you? Looking like we are just sneaking around and spying on people..."

"Not like this!" Olivia interrupted, her voice showing her frustration and sadness. She felt like no one was understanding how she felt, and it made her heart ache. "We look like creepy stalkers! That's not what I want at all! I don't want people to think that about me."

She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm herself down, and then she spoke again, her voice filled with sadness and determination.

"Kath, he doesn't even talk to me at school," she said, her voice soft but clear. "He doesn't even notice that I am there. It's not that it's creepy for me to visit him in his house-we are not even friends, and he doesn't know that I exist. I just want him to see me, to notice me, and maybe... maybe one day, he will feel the same way I do. I don't know what else to do anymore. I have tried everything I can think of, and I don't know what else will make him just look at me and see who I really am. And of course, I want him to love me back. That is all I have ever wanted."

As she spoke those words, her voice was filled with so much longing and sincerity that it was almost painful to hear. She looked up at the beautiful mansion, at the lights shining brightly and the trees swaying gently in the breeze, and she felt a wave of hope and sadness wash over her. She knew that her feelings were strong and real, and she hoped that one day, they would be returned. But right now, all she could do was wait, hope, and try to find a way to make her dreams come true.

Kath stood there, listening to her friend speak, and she felt even more confused and upset inside. She knew that Olivia was telling the truth, that her feelings were real and deep, but she also knew something that she could not bring herself to tell Olivia yet. She stood there in silence for a moment, looking at Olivia with eyes that were full of pain and worry, and she knew that she had to make a choice-whether to tell her friend the truth now, or to keep it hidden for a little while longer, even though it was hurting her more every day.