AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He stopped moving and just stared at me as tears started flowing down his cheek. “You’re what’s wrong you fucking asshole. Why did you leave like that? Why haven’t you come to work?”
“Why did you come here, Oliver?” I wasn’t even sure how he knew where I lived. He certainly had never been here before, and I was pretty confident HR wasn’t supposed to give out personal information.
“How can you ask me that?” He wiped at his face but just succeeded in smearing the tears around. “You can’t just run away from me.”
I closed my eyes and let my hands drop to the floor. “It was time,” I croaked, my own emotions at war inside me.
“Time for what? It’s fine for you to move back into your apartment, but don’t just disappear.”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I know you’re dating Lauren Polk.”
“Lauren? I’m not dating Lauren.”
“If it’s not her, it’ll be someone else.” This conversation would have been much easier if he wasn’t sitting on top of me. “I know that William wants to see you settled, and there are plenty of girls who would be happy to date you. You aren’t gay, right? This was all just curiosity. But now it’s time to move on and start dating seriously.”
“I’m not dating anyone! Dad’s been lining up meetings, but that doesn’t mean I want any of them.”
“Not yet maybe. But I know how much you love your dad, and I know how badly he wants to see you happy.” I sighed, directing my gaze to his chest, unable to look at his face. “I saw you on your date with Lauren.”
“I told you I’m not dating her.”
“You don’t have to lie to me.”
He dropped his fists onto my chest, his whole body shaking. “Why would I want anyone else when I’m in love with you?”
Everything stopped but my heart, its beat blocking out the world. “What did you say?”
Oliver had gone still except for the shaking in his hands. His mouth fell open, and his lips moved as if they were trying to form words. Fresh tears raced down his cheeks, and he let them fall.
He moved away, suddenly, scrambling to his feet.
“Wait,” I called, struggling to stand. “Oliver, wait.”
I couldn’t let him leave, not now. Not when there was a chance.
He was already in the hallway by the time I caught him, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him against my chest. He struggled against me, but it was weak and half-hearted. “Please don’t go,” I begged, burying my face in the crook of his neck. “Please come back inside. Please.”
I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but, finally, he nodded. I let my arms fall and reached out to take his hand. He let me.
I led him back into my apartment and sat us both down on the couch. He refused to look at me.
There was no point in beating around the bush. “You love me?” He flinched as I said the words, but he didn’t deny them. “Since when?” I pressed.
Oliver crossed his arms over his chest, leaning away from me against the armrest. “Since the end of high school.”
“But that’s been, what, nine years?” That was impossible. “We hardly even saw each other then.”
He shrugged rather than answer, and I rubbed my face with my hands. This was going nowhere.
Fine.
“I think I’ve loved you since I started working for you, so you beat me by about four years.” My body went cold as I confessed, but it needed to be said.
Oliver whipped his head around, his eyes gone wide. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
“You never said anything.”
