Olivia's POV

I look at Zach who clenches his teeth, and notice that a deep frown on his forehead again. He exhales deeply and then opens his eyes. His piercing eyes stare at me for a moment before he reluctantly pulls away and slides off the bar stool.

"I'll be right back," he mutters and walks towards the front door.

I take the opportunity to cool down. Or better, I try my best to do so. The happenings of the past twenty-four hours are confusing and tiring me out, but they also give me back a tiny spark of hope. Hope that Zach's feelings for me are not dead either. Hope I thought I'd never get back again. Nevertheless, this situation scares me. What if I get hurt even more?

I feel a sudden urge to follow Zach and hop off the bar stool. When I enter the living room, I spot him in his hallway in front of the open door where Aria is standing with only a towel covering her perfect body. Both, Zach and Aria are chuckling at something. What the hell?

"Olivia!" Aria exclaims with a surprised smile. "I didn't know you were here!"

Yea, I could say the same thing about you!

Aria looks between Zach and me and frowns but keeps quiet.

I stare at the half-naked beauty for a moment before I turn around and rush for Zach's bedroom to change into my own clothes.

After a moment, I hear the front door getting shut and a second later, Zach's head pops in.

"Liv, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just need to go home," I state in a low voice and pull up my jeans. "Are you going to watch me getting changed now, or what?" I add as I notice he's still looking at me.

"Sorry, I'll give you some privacy." Zach slightly blushes and closes the door again.

As fast as possible, I finish changing and grab my phone. When I step back into the living room, Zach, who's standing in front of his window, turns around and gives me a searching look.

"Thanks for letting me stay!" I mutter and walk towards the door.

Just when I slipped on my boots and reach for the door handle, Zach appears in the door frame and grabs my wrist.

"Please, don't go!" he pleads quietly, biting the inside of his bottom lip. "She... Aria... We're not..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Zach," I interrupt him. "I need to be alone right now."

Zach nods, and runs his fingers through his tousled hair.

"Thanks again," I say and open the door.

When I shoot him a last glance, Zach inhales to say something, but he remains silent, and his shoulders drop in defeat. Before I change my mind, I step into the staircase and pull the door shut behind me.

I call Abbey even before I exit the building and tell her to meet me at my place to hand me my keys and wallet.

The fresh air helps a bit to clear my head, but I still feel incredibly confused. What was that moment in his kitchen? Did I just nearly kiss him? How could I give in that easy after what he did to me? Nevertheless, the tingle in my body when I felt his hand on my cheek and the shiver which went down my spine under his piercing gaze cannot be denied. My body responds to his as ever. If anything, even stronger.

Half an hour later, Abbey shows up in front of my house where I'm already waiting for her.

"Oh my gosh, where were you?" she squeaks in excitement and then adds, "And most important, with whom did you spend the night?"

I roll my eyes but chuckle lightly at her excited nosiness.

"Let's go inside first," I demand since standing in the cold February breeze makes me freeze already.

After preparing a cup of tea for both of us, I sit down on my beloved beige sofa next to Abbey. I should've stayed here on my couch yesterday instead of going out with my friends.

"Now you tell me!" Abbey orders and I sigh leaning back my head.

"Uh...I...uhm..." I stutter, slightly scared of Abbey's reaction.

"What did you do, Livie? I know something's up. Did you hook up with a sugar daddy?"

"Gosh, no. Of course not!" I cry out and screw up my face.

"What is it then? Tell me already!" Abbey gives me an expectant look while nipping at her steamy tea.

"I spent the night at Zach's place," I mumble barely audible, but of course, Abbey heard every single word.

"You did what? What the fuck, Livie?" Abbey calls out and nearly chokes on her tea. She shakes her head in disbelief and her eyes are widened. "Are you joking right now?"

"Nothing happened!" I quickly clarify. "I didn't have much of a choice, did I? You and Sadie left me behind and you had my damn keys and wallet in your bag, so I couldn't just go home," I counter and can't hold back the bitchy undertone in my voice.

Abbey frowns and puts down her cup. "What do you mean? You were the one who left without even saying goodbye."

I sigh and look away, slightly shaking my head.

"After I met Zach in that bar, I locked myself in the restroom. I needed time to calm myself down, and when I returned, you were already gone." I shrug and fumble with my hands.

Abbey is silent for a minute, and I think she tries to process what I just told her. As much as I need to process what happened between Zach and me.

"How did you end up at Zach's place when he left the bar before you?"

I look up and see so much confusion in her pale face. Abbey's ginger hair is tied back into a messy bun, as almost always, and her green eyes are encircled by crinkles because of the deep frown covering her forehead.

"My phone was dead, and I didn't know where else to go, so I went to his place," I explain. "He offered me to crash at his place. "

"And, of course, little Livie was very happy to share the bed with her stupid ex-boyfriend!" Abbey taunts, rolling her eyes.

"What? No!" I call out. "Of course, we didn't sleep in the same bed! He slept on the sofa."

Abbey takes a sip of her tea and pierces me with her eyes.

"So, you slept in his bed. And nothing happened?" She narrows her eyes and tilts her head.

"What do you take me for? Of course, nothing happened," I say and glare at her. I'm starting to get annoyed by this conversation.

"Absolutely nothing?" Abbey digs deeper. She doesn't seem to buy my story.

"For fuck's sake, Abbey!" I bury my face in my hands and groan.

"Olivia Brooks! I know you since grade one and I can tell when you hide the truth from me," Abbey tells me with a blaming face. "Spit it out!"

"We nearly kissed!" I suddenly blurt out without lifting my head.

Abbey stays silent for a moment, causing me to look up. She eyes me empathetically and sighs.

"I thought so," she then mutters and bites the inside of her bottom lip.

"What do you mean, you thought so?"

"God, Liv. You love that guy. A blind man could see that. And hell, I'm more than sure he loves you too," Abbey states the facts, "But, for fuck's sake, he left you! Maybe, you shouldn't give in that easy. I don't know."

I rub my eyes with my forefinger and my thumb and try to swallow away the lump in my throat. I know she's right. I know he was the one who left me, and I shouldn't give in that fast after all that happened. I know all of these things, but still, my heart thinks otherwise.

"Shit, Liv. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude." Abbey scoots closer and pulls me into a fond hug. "Come here, my heart!"

I don't even try to hold back my tears and start full-on sobbing into Abbey's shoulder for at least ten minutes straight. Abbey gently caresses my back and holds me tight the whole time until I calm down a bit and break away to face my best friend. My eyes must be swollen by now, and I feel like absolute shit.

"I'm just so confused," I whisper. "He said he misses me, and he was so tender, but then Aria showed up only wearing a towel and I lost my shit and ran off."

Again, Abbey coughs as she nearly chokes on her tea, and faces me with runny eyes.

"Aria?" she asks with a frown.

I nod and get up to grab a tissue.

"She probably just had issues with her shower, don't you think?" Abbey's eyes follow me as I return after wiping my nose.

"Yea, maybe. But I couldn't bear the sight of this damn perfect woman standing in his door frame. Half-naked," I tell her and sink down on the couch again. "I can't hold a candle to her!"

"Oh, Olivia. Please, shut up, would you?" Abbey scolds me and shakes her head. "You are such a beautiful and strong woman and Zach doesn't want Aria, I think he made that clear, didn't he?"

Crossing my arms, I reluctantly pout but nod. "Maybe he mentioned something like that before."

Abbey rolls her eyes and swats my arm. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Nothing?" I retort with a shrug. "I mean, what should I do? He was the one who left me."

"Right. But maybe he regrets that?" Abbey remarks and raises her eyebrows.

I smile wearily and lean back my head. I don't know how to respond to her last sentence, so, I change the topic instead, "I hope you know for sure now, that I won't come partying with you girls ever again!"

We both chuckle. Of course, that's not true, but after what happened yesterday, I truly don't feel like partying anymore. Honestly, at the moment, I'd like to crawl under a stone and never come out ever again.

"Ice cream and Netflix?" Abbey suggests, and I nod eagerly. That's exactly what I need right now.

~

We spend the rest of the day with Vampire Diaries and at least a ton of ice cream. For each of us. It's nearly midnight as Abbey sets off for home. I offered her she could stay the night, but she was determined to sleep in her own bed. I'm quite sure she's driving to Liam's place and just didn't want to upset me, for which I love her even more.

The evening cheered me up, at least a little bit, and I even caught myself enjoying the sight of shirtless Damon Salvatore. I mean, he's hot, who doesn't enjoy watching him?

When I finish getting ready for bed, I reach for my necklace to take it off for the night like every evening.

"Fuck!" It's not there. I must've forgotten it on Zach's nightstand when I left so hastily today. Sure as hell, I won't go back to get it, even though I grew to love that little piece of jewellery. Wearing it, it felt like carrying around a piece of Zach with me. I know that sounds weird and pathetic, but it gave me some kind of comfort. Well, maybe it's for the better if it's gone anyway. That way, I don't have to think of those perfect, hazel eyes anymore. Those warm and yet so piercing eyes which let me feel butterflies in my tummy just thinking of them. Damn. I need to stop those thoughts.

After cursing under my breath about my inner conflict, I snuggle into the soft bedding and check my phone for the last time before switching off the light. Just as I'm drifting off to sleep, a peep makes me startle. With a deep sigh, I grab my phone and my eyes widen as I spot a text from Zach.

"Oh my god," I whisper and quickly tip the screen to open his message.

*Aria is just a friend!*

I honestly don't know what to say. Or write in that case. My head tells me to just lay the phone aside and ignore his message. That would be the easiest way to avoid getting hurt again. But my heart takes over and my fingers type an answer before my head is able to intervene.

*If you say so.*

Zach's reply pops up on my screen almost immediately.

*There were no other women since you!*

Before my fingers betray me once more and send him another text, I lock my phone and sit it on my nightstand.

I don't know what to think of that. Why did he even write me that? To say it wouldn't make my heart beat like crazy would be a lie, because right now it feels like it'll jump out of my chest any moment. Nevertheless, I don't get what his intentions are. He was the one who ended things. He was the one who said it's over. He was the one who left me in a fucking critical state.

With a head full of thoughts and questions, I dive into a restless sleep.

***

The next afternoon, I'm just about to pour myself the third cup of coffee for this day, when there's a knock at the door.

I put my empty cup aside and stroll over to the door. Whoever this is, is in for a treat as I look utterly terrible. Again, I'm wearing Zach's hoodie and since it almost goes down to my knees I didn't bother to slip into some pants. The moment I open the door, I regret that already.

"Zach?!" I call out in a high-pitched voice and pull at the hem of his hoodie. Oh my god, I'm really wearing his hoodie. Can the ground open and swallow me up, please?

Zach is standing leant against my door frame and eyes me from head to toe with an amused smirk on his face.

"Nice hoodie!" he states with a wink, and I feel my cheeks turn crimson in an instant.

"What are you doing here?" I ask and try to hide my body behind the door as good as possible.

"I thought you'd like to have this back." He lifts his hand and dangles my necklace in front of my face.

Smiling thankfully, I grab it and let it disappear in the kangaroo pocket of Zach's hoodie.

"Thank you."

Zach scratches his head and shoots me a crooked smile.

"Uh, can I come in?"

For a moment, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Zach," I start and tilt my head. "I really don't know if this is such a good idea."

"Just a tiny moment? Please, Olivia," Zach pleads feebly, and, of course, I give in and step aside.

Zach follows me into my living room, and I notice his eyes linger on the spot next to my window. The wistfulness in his eyes tells he's thinking about the day he left. That's the place he told me everything will be fine, and I shouldn't cry. I don't know how many bucketsful tears I've cried since then. Zach swallows and closes his eyes for a moment before turning to me again.

"Want a coffee?" I ask and eye the empty cup in my hand. "Or wine? I think I need a glass of wine now."

Zach chuckles and nods. "Wine would be fine, thanks."

After pouring us both a glass of chilled white wine, I lean against the kitchen counter and take a big sip of the cold drink.

"So, what's up?"

Zach inhales deeply and stares into his wineglass. His wavy hair falls into his forehead and shields his eyes from my sight.

"I can't do this anymore," he mumbles, swirling the pale-yellow liquid in his glass.

What? Is he trying to reject me a second time? If that's the case, he can fuck off. Then I'm done with him. Once and for all.

Zach must sense what's going on in my head because he quickly adds, "Fuck, Liv. Seeing you again and feeling you so close showed me how much I miss you. How much I need you. I don't think I can stay away from you, Olivia!"

I blink and knock back the rest of my wine before I grab the bottle to fill up my glass until it's nearly brim-full.

"I don't know if I'm ready to forget about everything, Zach. You hurt me. You hurt me badly," I croak out after a moment.

"I know, Livie. I know I fucked it up, and I'm not asking you to forgive me straightaway. I just ask you for one day. Only one day to show you I'm serious. And if you still don't want to give me another chance afterwards..." He pauses for a second, and then adds in a whisper. "...then I'll leave you alone. For good."

The sad undertone in his voice makes it hard for me to think rationally. Okay, let's be honest, when did I ever act rationally?

However, before I know it, I hear myself saying, "Okay. One day."

Zach's face lights up as he hears my words. If I wouldn't try so hard to keep a cool face, I would've giggled at his childish smile.

"Fine, I'll pick you up at six then," he states and downs the remainder of his wine before placing the empty glass on the kitchen counter.

"Six in the morning?" I ask in shock and raise my eyebrows.

"Yea, be ready. And wear something comfortable and warm and sturdy shoes. Alright, I have some preparations to make now."

"Sturdy shoes? Can you please explain your plans to me?" I ask and follow him into the hallway where he already slipped on his sneakers.

"That's a surprise."

Before he turns to leave, he eyes me for a moment and then leans in to brush a soft kiss on my cheek. My knees nearly give in at the feeling of his lips on my skin and promptly the butterflies in my belly start dancing again.

"See you tomorrow, Liv," he gently says with a warm smile and the next moment, the door closes behind him.

With mixed feelings, I empty the rest of the bottle and wonder what Zach has planned for tomorrow. As much as I hate it, I really am excited for that day and can't wait for it to arrive.

*****

Today's chapter is a bit longer. Too long?🤔

Seems like Liv has some last-minute plans for tomorrow. What do you think about Zach's plea to give him one day? Was Liv right to say yes?

I'm excited for the next chapter. It's going to be Zach's POV. Stay tuned!✨

Please don't forget to comment and vote.🦋

Katie🤍