The next day, Clara's phone vibrated. The morning message woke her up.
[Oliver❤️]: Good morning, gorgeous. Did you sleep well? How's Ollie the bunny doing?
[Clara]: Good morning! I slept like a baby. I guess I was catching up on all the sleep I missed these past two days...
[Clara]: How about you? Ollie the bunny misses you already! ❤️
His reply was almost instantaneous, and I couldn't help the smile spreading across my face as the notifications lit up my screen one after another.
[Oliver❤️]: Aww, tell Ollie I miss him too. And that I miss his owner even more.
[Oliver❤️]: I slept great, actually. Probably because I finally stopped worrying about a certain beautiful girl.
[Oliver❤️]: Hey, can I come see you later?
[Oliver❤️]: Maybe watch some movies and we can have a lazy day? I promise to be on my best behavior. Mostly. 😉
I chuckled at the "mostly," feeling a familiar flutter in my chest. I could practically see the mischievous glint in his eyes through the screen. I chewed on my lip for a second, then quickly typed back.
[Clara]: Mostly? I don't know if I can trust that! 😂
[Clara]: But honestly, I just want to be next to you without worries.
[Clara]: I missed you too, by the way! 😘
I heard the heavy thud of footsteps in the hallway just as I hit send. Two blunt knocks sounded on my door.
"Clara! You up? I'm going grocery shopping. You want anything?"
I got out of bed and opened the door, leaning against the frame.
"Popcorn? Oliver wants to come over later to watch a movie. Wanna join us?"
Jake's brow twitched at the mention of his best friend. He let out a long, suffering grunt, leaning his massive shoulder against the doorframe opposite me.
"Is that idiot texting you already?" He rubbed his face, looking more annoyed than angry. "God, he's relentless."
"Don't forget the popcorn! Drive safe!"
He rolled his eyes but a small smile played on his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Don't burn the house down while I'm gone. And if he gets too annoying, just kick him out. I'll be back in like an hour."
He headed off, leaving me alone in the quiet house. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed again.
[Oliver❤️]: So...? Can I get a yes? I'll bring snacks. And my charming personality, free of charge.
[Oliver❤️]: Please? 😏
I chuckled, my thumbs flying across the screen.
[Clara]: Yes! Jake just left for grocery shopping. He'll be back in an hour, but he said you can come over.
[Clara]: He might even join us for the movie.
[Oliver❤️]: Perfect! I'll be there in thirty minutes!
Twenty seven minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door. He was early, but I found myself already waiting for him. When I opened it, Oliver wasn't lunging for me as I'd half expected. Instead, he was just standing there, looking at me with a soft, lopsided smile, holding a large bag of nachos in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hey," I replied, stepping back to let him in.
The moment the door closed, he pulled me into a slow, firm hug. As he drew me close, the fresh, clean scent of his shampoo washed over me, mingling with the faint fragrance of the flowers he held. He buried his face in my hair and took a long, shaky breath, as if he was finally exhaling all the stress of the past few days.
"I just needed to make sure this was real," he murmured against my temple. "That I can actually be here with you, and your brother isn't going to tackle me through a window."
I laughed softly, leaning into his warmth. "It's real, Ollie. We're together."
He pulled back from the hug, a playful glint in his eyes that was completely at odds with the seriousness of a moment ago. He passed me the bouquet—a stunning arrangement of pale pink peonies, their petals soft and lush.
"For my lovely girl," he said softly.
"They're beautiful. Thank you, Ollie. I love peonies," I took them from him, breathing in their sweet, delicate scent, and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Oh! I have the perfect vase for these."
I rushed to the kitchen and pulled out a white and blue striped vase from the shelves. I filled it with water and carefully arranged the stems. The flowers fit perfectly, their heavy heads leaning gracefully against the rim.
"See?" I asked, lifting the vase to show him.
"You have a great eye," he said, admiring how the soft pink looked against the blue patterns.
I put the vase on the table carefully. He approached and gently took my hand, his thumb tracing circles on my knuckles as he led me toward the couch.
"Let's just stay like this for a moment," he whispered.
He wrapped his arms around me once we were seated. I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just breathing in each other's presence.
"What kind of movies do you like, Ollie?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Hmm. That's a good question. Maybe... romantic movies?"
"Romantic movies?" I giggled, looking up at him. "Is that where you learned all those sweet lines?"
He chuckled, his chest vibrating against me. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just a naturally sweet guy."
I narrowed my eyes.
"What?" he chuckled, sensing the shift in my mood.
"Now I hate all the girls you've dated before me," I said, pouting my lips.
His voice was a low, teasing rumble against my ear. "Oh, baby," he murmured, squeezing me tighter against his chest. "They don't even exist to me anymore. You're the only one I see. You know that, right? I love YOU."
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my skin. "My heart melts every time you make that face. Seriously, it's almost unfair how cute you are."
He expertly soothed my jealousy, and I could feel my mood lifting instantly.
He scanned my face, searching my eyes to see if the pout was truly gone. A small, satisfied smirk played on his lips when he saw the corners of my mouth twitching upward.
"Good girl," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. "Now, for real, what are we watching? You pick. Anything you want."
His thumb gently stroked my side as he handed me the remote. The vast library of movies and shows scrolled across the large TV screen, waiting for my decision.
"Hmm..."
"Just browse. I'm good with whatever. As long as I get to keep holding you like this."
His thumb was still tracing slow, lazy circles on my side, and I was just starting to relax into the warmth of his chest. I scrolled past a few horror movies, my mind barely focusing on the titles.
"How about this one?" I whispered, my voice a bit airy from his closeness.
"Whatever you want, Clara. I told you, I'm ju
st here for the—"
Click.
The distinct sound of a key turning in the front door lock echoed through the quiet house.