Zach's POV

The same moment I step out of my shower, the doorbell rings. With a frown, I quickly grab my towel and wrap it around my hips. It's probably just Aria who's in a rage because of me leaving the bar without informing her or Jake. Suck it. That evening was shit anyway. I don't know how many girls tried to flirt with me during the evening. At some point, I was on the brink of giving in and fucking one of those girls' brain out, but on second thought I wasn't in the mood for meaningless sex. In the past years, I had enough of girls who only wanted me for my body, and now that I learned how fucking amazing it feels to have sex with a person you have feelings for, I don't think I will ever be able to enjoy a one-night stand again.

I huff and slip into my grey sweatpants, throwing the towel onto my bed. Another ringing is to be heard, followed by a hesitant knock.

"I'm coming, for fuck's sake," I call out and walk over to open the door. Having Aria as my neighbor has definitely its perks, but it can also be annoying at times. Right in that moment, for instance.

"Listen, I don't need to justify..." I stop mid-sentence. "Olivia?!" My voice comes out more as a whisper and my eyes are widened.

In front of me stands Liv, looking awkwardly at me with slightly swollen eyes.

"Uh... is this a bad time?" she asks, her voice so tiny and quiet, I can hardly hear her.

I tilt my head and frown.

"What's wrong, Liv?" I ask. "Why are you here?"

Olivia gives me a weak smile and then looks down to her fumbling hands.

"My keys and my wallet are in Abbey's bag and my phone is dead," she explains whispering, not looking up.

I sigh and hesitate for a moment but then step aside.

"Come in."

With her head bowed, she walks past me and stops in the living room. I close the door and follow her. To say that seeing her standing in my apartment like that with her arms protectively crossed in front of her body is flustering me would be an understatement. In fact, I feel like all the air is forcefully pushed out of my lungs and there' no way to get it back inside.

"What happened, Olivia? Why are you here?" I ask again, scared that my voice betrays me and shows how strong her presence alone is affecting me.

Liv looks up and gives me a faint smile, "A string of stupid coincidences, I guess. I went to the restrooms as soon as you left, and when I came back, Abbey and Sadie were gone. Abbey has my keys and wallet in her purse, and when I wanted to call them, I noticed my phone is dead."

I nod absentmindedly while I watch every move she makes, soaking in her smell, her appearance, her face. How I missed her petite figure, her caramel-brown hair which falls over her shoulders in her natural waves, but what hits me the most is actually her voice. The sound of it is so familiar to me, yet so foreign, and awakes a load of memories. Memories I tried to banish out of my brain, out of my cells, but now that she's standing here right in front of me, in my apartment, they all seem to wash over me like an enormous waterfall. A waterfall full of unstoppable emotions.

"Zach?" Olivia's voice pulls me out of my thoughts and brings me back into my living room.

"Uh, yea?" I ask and scratch the back of my head.

"I was wondering if I could quickly charge my phone?" She gives me an insecure look, searching my face for any kind of reaction. "Then I can call Sadie and take an Uber to her place."

Holy fuck. I need to get my shit together. This whole situation is fucking with my brain and I cannot think clearly right now. I close my eyes for a second and slightly shake my head.

"You can crash here, Liv," I tell her before thinking it through properly. What the fuck? Am I trying to torture myself? Screw it, I don't have the heart to send her away in the middle of the night anyway.

"Are you sure?" Liv asks doubtfully. "I don't want to be a bother."

I sigh and my face softens as I look into her big, questioning eyes.

"You're not a bother, Livie. Not at all," I tell her honestly. As much as it's killing me to have her around me, knowing well that she's not mine anymore, it also makes my heart racing in an exciting way. I could never see her as annoying or bothering. Never in a thousand years.

"Thank you, Zach. I know you don't have to help me out and I really appreciate it!" She looks around and her glance falls on the couch. "I can sleep on the sofa."

I laugh dryly and shake my head, "You'll sleep in my bed. I'll be all right on the couch!"

"No, it's really okay for me to sleep on the sofa!" Liv tries to object, but I'm not even listening.

"That's simply not an option," I retort and walk into my bedroom to get a blanket for myself. Before I return into the living room, I quickly grab a t-shirt and hand it to Liv.

She takes it and awkwardly holds it in her small hands.

"You don't have to wear it. I just thought it would be much more comfortable than this." I point at her outfit with an amused shrug.

"Sure. Thanks," Liv mutters and gives me a last faint smile before vanishing in my bedroom, leaving me behind completely lost and empty. What have I done?

Olivia's POV

I push the sliding door shut behind me and close my eyes for a moment. A deep sigh leaves my throat, and a single tear runs down my cheek. At this point, I don't think this evening could have gone any worse than that. Being forced to sleep at your ex-boyfriend's place for whom you still have strong feelings is horrible. Like hell, really.

I quickly get undressed and pull Zach's t-shirt over my head. His familiar scent invades my nostrils, makes my mind dizzy. Only a few weeks ago, I perceived this smell as soothing and pleasant, whereas now all it awakes in me are painful memories and feelings. I slip into the foreign bed and plug my phone in before turning off the bedside lamp. With Zach's scent embracing my entire body and a few tears on my face, I slowly doze off, and slide into a surprisingly restful sleep.

Zach's POV

I wake up the next morning with a strong urge to pee and an aching back.

"Fuck!" I groan and sit up, massaging my neck. For a second, I wonder how I ended up on my sofa, but I quickly remember the happenings of last night. An excited tingle rises in my stomach at the thought of Olivia lying in my bed only a few feet away from me. Why am I even excited? I left her for a reason. Or did I? At this point, I'm not convinced anymore at all. After seeing her again, I'm not sure if I can manage to stay away from her.

A look on my phone tells me it's only 8am. Liv is probably still sleeping, but I need to use the bathroom. Urgently!

I get on my feet and walk to my bedroom door. With as much cautiousness as possible, I slide it open and glance inside. I only spot the mess of her hair spread on my pillow and one bare leg of her which peeks out under the blanket.

On my tiptoes, I sneak through the room and into the bathroom. I didn't give a damn about it until now, but for once, I curse the fact that there's no door to close.

After emptying my bladder as silently as possible, I wash my hands and splash some cold water into my face. A look in the mirror confirms I'm looking as shitty as I feel. I barely got any sleep last night, and when I finally dozed off, the only thing I dreamed of was Liv's voice and her bright eyes quietly pleading me to turn back the time. Back to where everything was okay. Back to where having her in my bed wouldn't have been a painful thought.

With a deep sigh I return into the bedroom. I can't help but stop to eye the sleeping woman on my bed whose face is buried under her tousled hair.

As by itself my hand lifts and moves the caramel-brown strands out of her face, revealing the most peaceful sight for me. Olivia's full lips are slightly parted, releasing her soft and rhythmic breath, making her chest rise and fall evenly.

"How beautiful you are," I mumble hoarsely and let my knuckles graze the soft skin of her cheek before I draw back and leave the bedroom to give her some more time to rest.

With a stinging pain in my chest, I walk into my kitchen and start cooking fresh coffee.

Olivia's POV

My heart is racing, and I finally allow myself to release the shaky breath I was holding back as soon as Zach pushes the door shut again. Did that just happen, or was this all a dream? I pinch my arm. Firmly.

"Ouch," I mutter, rubbing over the reddened skin, and stare at the ceiling.

Zach was stroking my cheek. He told me how beautiful I am. He touched me. All while he was thinking I was still asleep. And I certainly did not just dream that. I know, I shouldn't be that excited about this, but I can't help it. Feeling Zach's fingers brushing over my skin, aroused the butterflies in my belly. Those butterflies which hatched in my stomach when I met Zach and fell in love with him, and which seem to have just waited for their comeback. In superior number. Honestly, I'm quite overwhelmed by the power my feelings for Zach still have. Lying in his bed with his scent surrounding my entire body doesn't exactly help with keeping a cool head.

I sit up and check my phone just to see numerous calls and messages from Abbey, Sadie, and Hailey. I quickly text them back that everything is alright and that I'll call them later before I swing my legs out of Zach's bed and get up.

After taking one last deep breath, I open the door and look for Zach. I find him sitting on one of the bar stools in his kitchen with his back to me.

"Good morning," I say, causing Zach to flinch hard, spilling most of the coffee, he was holding, over his hands.

"Fuck!" he curses and quickly rushes to the sink putting his hand under cold water.

"Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!" I call out, covering my mouth with my hand.

Zach looks at me over his shoulder and gives me a crooked smile. "Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. I just didn't expect you to get up that early after the turmoil of last night. Good morning! Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yea," I retort with a sheepish smile. I somehow feel like taken back to the time Zach and I met. The time where I was so insecure and shy in front of him. The significant difference now is that just looking at him hurts so badly I feel like crying again.

Zach turns off the water and faces me while casually leaning against the counter. His eyes immediately dart to my exposed legs, and I realize with horror that I'm still wearing his t-shirt. Only his t-shirt!

"Oh...uh... sorry. I'm going to change quickly!" I stutter, earning a deep chuckle from Zach.

"Liv... as if I haven't seen more of your body before," he states hoarsely, but then quickly shakes his head and closes his eyes for a second. "Fuck, sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'll get you a pair of sweats."

After slipping into Zach's grey sweatpants which are way too big for me, I sit down on one of the bar stools and thankfully take the coffee Zach hands me. He pours another one for himself and then takes a seat beside me. We sit in awkward silence for a couple of minutes before Zach clears his throat.

"I'm sorry!" he mutters, staring down at his steamy mug.

"For what?" I ask with a puzzled face.

"For hurting you...For leaving you. I don't know." He's still not looking at me and traces the rim of his cup with his finger.

I'm completely taken aback. Did he really just apologize for breaking up with me? The mess in my head and my heart is just getting bigger the longer I'm in the same room as Zach. His presence alone makes it hard for me to think clearly.

Finally, he looks up and searches my eyes.

"I don't even know what exactly came over me. I mean, I didn't stand the fact that you got hurt so badly because of people from my life. People who actually wanted to hurt me but then decided that the best way to do so was by hurting you. Caleb's statement somehow confirmed that I was right about that the whole time, and I nearly lost my mind. I saw you suffering every day and the thought that this was all my fault nearly killed me," he whispers. His hazel eyes shimmer sadly, and a deep frown has formed on his forehead. "I shouldn't have left you alone with all the anxiety and pain you were suffering. I'm so damn sorry I fucked it up!"

"Zach," I retort quietly. My voice breaks and I need to take a deep breath before I'm able to speak again. "I...I don't really know what to say."

Tears are welling up in my eyes and I quickly look away to hide them from Zach. With little success. He lifts his hand and cups my cheek, wiping away my tears with his thumb.

"Please, don't cry," he breathes, his voice croaky. "Not over me. I'm not worth any of your precious tears!"

I close my eyes and involuntarily lean into his hand. His touch is something I longed for so badly the past weeks, and even though I know I should keep my distance right now, the feeling of his soft hand on my cheek makes me nearly forget all the pain I went through since he left. I'm too overwhelmed to build a single proper thought at the moment. All I can think of is, how right this feels.

When I open my eyes again, I find Zach's warm gaze on me. He thoughtfully looks at me for a moment and a faint smile plays upon his full lips.

"God, I miss you," he murmurs barely audible and more to himself as it seems. "I miss you so badly!"

I blink confusedly, wondering if this is really happening. If I really heard what I think I've heard right now. Zach's thumb is still caressing my cheek even though I'm not crying anymore, and I can't help but sigh softly at the feeling of his gentle touch.

"Zach... I...I miss you too," I confess quietly. A few more tears leave my eyes the moment I utter those words.

Zach's hand on my cheek lightly brings me closer while his eyes never leave mine. When he stops, our faces are only inches apart.

I close my eyes and wait for the feeling of his soft lips touching mine. Even though I'm not sure if this is a good idea, I hold my breath and can't help but longing for nothing else but this kiss.

The tips of our noses touch and I feel his soft and slightly shaky breath brushing my lips.

Just when I sense him closing the tiny gap between us, the doorbell rings.

*****

Sorry for all the pov changes, but I think it is important for you to know how they both feel in this situation.🤍

So, Liv and Zach have had their first intimate moment after their separation. What do you think? Too soon? Should Liv give in that fast or do you think she should let him string along a bit? 🤔

And who do you think is at the door?

Please comment and vote!🦋

Katie🤍