Olivia's POV

My eyes widen and my mouth gapes open as soon as Zach removes his hands from my eyes.

"Oh my god," I whisper and take in Zach's living room we're standing in. "How did you manage to do all this? I mean, we were on the road the whole day."

"Well," Zach steps beside me and gives me a nervous smile. "Let's say I had some help. I had Jake lighting all the candles and prepare the popcorn for me. As soon as I parked his car, I wrote him a text and he vanished before we came upstairs. Do you like it?"

Looking into his face, I see so much insecurity and vulnerability and it's somehow adorable how much my reaction means to him. The way he treated me today and the things he had planned gave me back another tad of hope. Maybe, he finally noticed how wrong he was with leaving me. At least, he made it quite clear that he still has strong feelings for me, and to be honest, I can see that in nearly every look he gives me.

Spending the day with him, has showed me how deep my own feelings towards him still are. It's not really a surprise, and yet, it kind of overwhelmed me. Especially on that damn Calgary Tower. With no other person, I would've gone up there, but since Zach had planned out the entire day so thoughtfully, I didn't want to ruin it by being an anxious mess. Technically, I still was an anxious mess, but on the other hand, it caused that intimate moment between us. God, I nearly freaked out when I opened my eyes in front of that huge window, and when Zach wrapped his arms around me, I wanted to push him away at first, but the feeling of his warm, and strong body against mine was indescribable and something I craved for so long, I simply couldn't help but leaning back into his firm chest and enjoy the closeness. I even shed a few tears.

Regardless, I'm still not fully convinced of giving him another chance. Yes, my body might react to his in a way I never experienced, and I didn't know was possible, and not only my body, my soul longs for him as well, but the pain about him leaving me in one of the most vulnerable and hurt states I ever was, still runs deep. I'm not sure if I'm ready to forget about that, but as promised, I'll give him the whole day including this evening.

"Liv?" Zach's words pull me out of my thoughts. "If it's too much and you feel uneasy with it, I can still bring you home instead."

"What?! No!" I quickly give him a smile and make a few steps forwards. "This is so cool. Jude and I always built blanket forts, but none of them was ever that huge. How did you manage to keep the blankets in place so well?"

Zach chuckles and I can see the relief in his eyes. "I'm just good at what I do."

Yea, no shit. This is the biggest and comfiest blanket fort I've ever seen. Zach somehow managed to arrange the huge white blankets in the form of a tent. A few fairy lights light the inside where even more blankets and a bunch of pillows provide a cozy atmosphere. The rest of the room is softly lit by loads of candles. Inside the blanket fort, an opened laptop as well as a tray with a huge bowl of popcorn on it are placed. This reminds me of the day we had our first date where he redecorated the living room in my apartment. Thinking back to that day, my heart leaps. That was the day he officially asked me to be his girlfriend. I know, this sounds childish at my age, but our relationship somehow felt like more after that question. At least it did for me.

"I love it, Zach!" I can't help but beam up at him.

"I'm glad you do. Uhm..." He scratches his head. "Since I forgot to tell you to take some cozy clothes with you, should I give you some of my sweats?"

"Uh... Yea, if you don't mind," I say.

Honestly, I don't really fancy spending a movie evening in jeans and a flannel shirt. Plus, I love wearing Zach's clothes.

Slipping into Zach's grey sweatpants feels strange but at the same time amazing. They are way too big for me and hang losely on my hips, but they are extremely comfortable. 

"I like it when you wear my clothes," Zach states when I step out of his bedroom a few minutes later.

Instantly, I feel myself turning red and look down to escape from his piercing gaze, but Zach steps closer and gently lifts my chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"I love how you still blush in front of me," he mutters and tucks a lose strand of my hair behind my ear. "It's ever so adorable."

I gulp under his intense stare and at the sudden closeness which I actually intended to avoid today. A soft chuckle leaves Zach's throat and he takes a step back, grabbing my hand.

"Come!" He pulls me towards the blanket fort and motions me to crawl in. "Get comfy, I'll be right back."

With that he vanishes in his kitchen. I take a deep breath and pull one of the many blankets over my legs while leaning against on of the big cushions. I must admit, it's extremely cozy with the flickering light of the candles, and the smell of the crispy, fresh popcorn makes my mouth water. I can't resist to grab a handful and stuff it into my mouth.

"Hey, not before the movie started!" Zach's voice makes me startle and I giggle as his smirking face appears right in front of me. "I made us some hot chocolate. Thought you could use one after that long day."

I raise my eyebrows and grab one of the big mugs which are topped with a generous amount of whipped cream and some colorful marshmallows. After taking a first sip right away, I close my eyes and sigh. "Mmh, this is so delicious. Exactly what I need tonight!"

Zach eyes me for a moment, before crawling into the blanket fort next to me. "So, what movie do you wanna watch?"

I think for a second before I smile at him. "I'd love to watch something funny."

"Funny it is then," Zach gives me a wink and starts searching through the Netflix movies. We end up watching 'The Intouchables', a French comedy which I've already watched a few times, but I still love it. It's funny and yet has some depth. During the movie, I notice Zach is giving me space and doesn't touch me once, but quite a few times I catch him watching me whenever I laugh. Every time, he quickly averts his gaze again and stares at his laptop highly focused. At the end of the movie, I shed a few tears, as always, and snivel softly.

"Oh, come on. That's a happy ending, isn't it?" Zach jokes and gently nudges me.

"Yea, but it's beautiful and it's based on a true story," I state and giggle as Zach playfully rolls his eyes.

My gaze falls on his hand and I smile as I spot the leather bracelet with the silver infinity symbol on top which I bought him for Christmas. "You're wearing it?"

"Obviously, yes." Zach chuckles but then adds in a more serious and gentle voice, "Always, Liv. It reminds me of you, and I love it."

He looks down and fidgets with his bracelet for a moment before he mumbles without lifting his head, "I miss you so much, Livie! So damn much, it hurts."

With the last sentence, he looks up again and faces me with a sad expression. "How do you think about this...about us after today? Do we still have a chance?"

I sigh and close my eyes. "I don't know, Zach. You hurt me so, so bad. You left me alone in a state you definitely shouldn't have, and I broke down after you left my apartment that day. I broke down and had one of the worst times of my life. I know you felt guilty, and you were hurt and all over the place from all the happenings, but in that moment, you shouldn't have let this take control over you. You were supposed to be there for me, just like I was supposed to be there for you after everything what happened. We were supposed to be there for each other, instead, you made us both suffering alone. I'm fucking scared that when any other shit happens, and it will as it's the case in every relationship, you will leave again, and I don't know if I can endure another break-up. I don't know if I can overcome losing you again, Zach!"

When I open my eyes, I'm surprised to find a smile on Zach's face. I expected to see pain and despair in his eyes, but he just smiles warmly at me and shakes his head.

"I love you!"

His voice is soft, yet there's so much energy in the words he just said. The words he never uttered before. I blink taken aback and notice how my heart starts thumping wildly.

"What?" I breathe and feel a tear running down my cheek.

Zach cups my face into his warm and strong hands, catching the tear with the pad of his thumb.

"I love you, Olivia." He rests his forehead against mine. "I love you so much, it feels like my heart is bursting. I can't promise you I won't ever cause you pain again, but I promise you that I won't leave you. Whatever it takes, I will be there for you. I know it was wrong leaving you and hell do I regret it, but believe me, I missed you from the second I closed that fucking door behind me. I missed you so damn much, my fucking heart broke everyday when I woke up and realized you weren't there. Please, Livie. You can't give up on me. You can't give up on us."

I gulp and try to say something, but I can't. There's nothing left in my brain except the things Zach has just said to me. There's nothing left than the two beautiful hazel eyes resting on me. There's nothing but Zach.

"Zach... I..." All my emotions rain down on me at once, forcing me to stop talking.

What should I say? It's obvious that I feel the same for him, but the fear in my head is holding me back.

Zach's gaze wanders to my lips and his eyes flutter.

"Sorry, Liv. I can't...I need to..."

Without even finishing his sentence, he leans into me and the next moment, his soft lips graze mine. I don't pull back. I can't, and I don't want to. As by itself, our mouths gently start moving, finding a slow rhythm, revealing how much we missed each other. How much we need each other. The tenderness and intensity of this kiss takes my breath away, and automatically, my hands tangle in his soft, wavy hair, earning a content sigh from Zach. God how I missed his lips against mine, his hands on my cheeks, his smell in my nose when we're so close. Zach's tongue brushes over my bottom lip, asking me to open my mouth for him, and I do. Our tongues meet and start a gentle and slow dance while Zach's thumbs never stop caressing the heated skin of my cheeks.

Minutes pass until Zach pulls away and faces me with glistening eyes. Minutes which feel like heaven for me. Minutes which seem to make up for the past weeks of suffering.

"How I missed you, my love!" he breathes. "Every goddamn day, every minute, I missed you so much!"

The way his eyes fix me lets me forget about everything around us. Feeling his loving gaze on me warms my body and at the same time gives me goosebumps. My hands which are still tangled in his hair, pull him back and we melt into another kiss. Both our breaths are heavy because of the intensity of this moment and soon Zach starts deepening the kiss. He lets go of my face and wraps his arms around me, pulling me onto his lap. I straddle him with my legs on each side of his body and press my chest against his. I'm so desperate to feel him, I completely blind out all the pain I felt lately. All that counts in this moment, are Zach and I and the strong connection between us. Kissing him, awakes so many old memories and feelings inside me. Feelings I'm not able to suppress. Feelings which desperately fight its way to the surface.

I break away to lift Zach's t-shirt and pull it over his head. His wavy hair falls into his forehead as his eyes search mine, and his bare chest rises and falls rapidly.

"Livie, are you sure? We don't need to..."

I stop him by placing my hands on his cheeks. "I'm sure, Zach. More than sure!"

After eyeing me for another moment, Zach smiles softly and places a kiss on the tip of my nose. His hands sneak under the t-shirt I'm wearing and start stroking the bare skin on my back. We never break eye contact as Zach slowly pulls his t-shirt over my head and lays it aside. His fingertips move up and down my arms and it feels like every part of my body he touches gets electrified. There's not one bit of haste or greed in our movements. None of us rushes anything and we both want to savor every second of this special moment. Zach leans forward and trails soft kisses from my jaw down to my neck where he starts caressing the sweet spot right under my ear.

"Jesus, you smell so good," he murmurs between his kisses, and I tilt my head a little, closing my eyes. A soft moan leaves my lips when Zach starts sucking the soft skin on my neck with a bit more force.

Without separating his lips from my neck, Zach's hand moves to my back where he swiftly unclasps my bra. I brush it off and slightly blush again as Zach draws back for a moment to eye my half naked body.

"You're so beautiful, Livie!" he states hoarsely before pulling me into another kiss while his hands start gently kneading my breasts. This is so different to every other time I got intimate with anyone. Even with Zach, I never experienced this kind of intimacy before. Without noticing, I start moving my hips against his hardness, causing Zach to groan and his hands grab my butt to press me down on him.

After a few minutes of slowly and sensually making out, Zach gently lays me down on my back and pulls down his sweatpants, which are way too big for me, together with my panties. Even though it's been more than five weeks since the last time we slept together, this whole situation feels so natural and also essential in this moment. After pulling down his own sweats and boxers, he hovers over me. His eyes are full of worship and love and a soft smile plays upon his perfect lips.

"I missed those beautiful eyes," he breathes before kissing me again.

He leans half of his weight on his one arm while his other hand slides over my chest and my belly down to my thighs where he gently spreads my legs. When I feel his fingers gliding through my wet folds, a soft moan escapes my throat. Slowly, Zach starts circling his fingers on my clit and my breathing gets heavier. Breaking the kiss, Zach locks eyes with me while he slightly speeds up his circling motions. The feeling is so indescribably intense, I feel the warmth of his gentle touches in every inch of my body. I reach for his length and start slowly pumping, causing Zach to hiss and frown.

"I need to feel you, Liv," he mutters and draws back his hand before positioning his tip at my entrance. He gives me a warm and breathless smile and then eases into me. Both overcome with emotions, we close our eyes at the sensation of being deeply connected again. Zach rests his forehead against mine and his arms move under my shoulders to pull me close while I wrap my legs around his body to press him against me. I don't think we could be any closer at the moment. The way Zach's hands cup my head, stroking over my hair, overwhelms me and when he slowly starts moving, I let out a faint cry.

Opening my eyes again, I notice Zach has his still closed and a deep frown has built on his forehead while his lips are slightly parted. He seems to feel my gaze on him, since he opens his eyes now and his mouth forms into a soft smile.

"God, Olivia." He looks at me with a loving but at the same time kind of painful expression. "Tell me that we will be okay again. Please. I need to hear it from you."

"We will be fine, Zach," I pant. And right in that moment I know it. I feel it clearly in my heart. We will be okay because we can't be without each other. We will be okay because we need each other. Because we crave for each other.

Zach groans deeply and slightly speeds up, but still, this sex is completely different than all the other times. It's not about chasing our orgasms, it's not about the physical connection. Zach is making love to me and I utterly give myself to him. Every fiber of my body, of my soul, belongs to him.

His slow but steady thrusts reach deep, and I quickly feel the rising knot in my stomach. My hands wander up and down his back, gently caressing his soft skin, while Zach's movements already become sloppier.

"Liv, I'm close," he moans, and I spot some beads of sweat on his forehead. His hot breath brushes my lips, and his hazel eyes pierce me.

"Zach...," I breathe and use my legs to make him move a bit quicker. I lift my hips to meet his thrusts, clinging my legs around him tightly, and the new angle lets him hit the perfect spot. The familiar tingle creeps into my belly and after a few more thrusts one of the most intense orgasms I've ever had washes over me and I cry out his name, arching my back while I dig my nails into his back.

"Goddamn, Liv...," Zach croaks out before the contractions of my sex push him over the edge too and I feel him throbbing inside me as he's pumping his load into me. The room is filled with our moaning while our eyes hold on to each other until our orgasms die down and Zach slides off me.

Both still panting heavily, Zach pulls me onto my side, so that we're facing each other. He grazes his knuckles over my cheek and gives me a tender smile.

"I love you!" he breathes.

"I love you, Zach," I whisper, and a single tear leaves the corner of my eye. Zach leans forward and softly kisses it away.

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

I just nod and give him an exhausted smile. As beautiful as this day was, it was also long and tiring. And exciting. Gosh, I still can't believe I'm lying here with Zach in this moment. The man I love and I've thought I'd lost. Hopefully, we can have some peaceful time now to work things out. I don't think I could deal with anymore drama at the moment. The happenings from before Zach's and my break-up still wear on me, and I'm sure they'll still haunt me for a long time, perhaps even forever.

After Zach blew out all the candles, we cuddle up in the blanket fort and put on another movie. We aren't even half through it when we both are fast asleep in each others' arms already. Totally exhausted, but at ease.

*****

God, I'm really emotional while writing at the moment. All the feelings I try to transport with this story, I feel myself. 🥺🤍

Liv gave in her longing for Zach and decided to let him back into her life. What do you think about it? Was it too soon? And do you think Zach will be able to handle his guilt feelings in the future?

Finally, they said those three words out loud for the first time. I worked towards this moment for such a long time and I'm so relieved to finally share it with you. This scene was in my head for such a long time, and I'm happy that I finally got to write it down. I hope you liked it.

Of course, I have some troubles in store for Liv and Zach. Any ideas what could happen in this book?

Please don't forget to comment and vote.🦋

Katie🤍