Ten Twenty-Six

8.

"If you're here to lecture me, I really can't be bothered to listen."

Jackson raised his eyebrows in amusement, watching intently as Oliver walked away from him, leaving his door wide open. He hesitated, stepping into the room and shut the door behind him. "Lecture? About what?" He humored him, turning around to find his eyes already rolling, "You're doing amazing, sweetie."

"Fuck off," Oliver scoffed, leaning back against his desk, dropping his head down miserably, "Gwen just left, I'm sure you saw her."

"Yeah, what's that all about?" Jackson sighed, tensely spinning the rings around his fingers, "I really thought that was like a rebound thing that'd be over in a week-"

"What do you want, Jack?"

He looked up at him again, narrowing his eyes as he thought. "I think that I owe you a rather important conversation," He said slowly.

Oliver huffed, moving his hands back to brace himself against the edge of the desk. "Sure," He muttered, shaking his head.

His jaw clenched when Jackson came toward him, reaching past to pick up the book before mindlessly moving back to sit on his bed.

"When you really love something-"

He turned around, quickly replanting his palms on the edge of the desk and exhaled sharply. "I get it," He sighed, keeping his head between his shoulders.

Jackson bit his bottom lip, staring intently at the back of Oliver's head as he hesitated, holding the book open in his lap.

"You know, if she loved me so much why the hell did she leave me the way she did?" Oliver breathed out, causing Jackson to frown.

"You know, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand how her brain ticks," Jackson retorted, and Oliver turned to look at him, his eyebrows still furrowed in distress, "You were together for what? A couple weeks? But you spent months getting to know her— Why don't you get it?"

Oliver dropped his head again, leaning back on the desk once again as he crossed his arms over his chest and listened intently.

"She spent a lot of time with her family growing up— One of those small huddles of unconditional love that, I know some part of you can understand, at least a little bit," Jackson shrugged, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees, "She wants that for everyone— I mean, fuck. I spent a week alone with her and now she's got me asking James if he'd tutor her in Anatomy."

"She can't force my relationship with my mother-"

"You think I don't that?" He scoffed, "I've known you longer than I've known her. But that's my whole point here, Ol— She did it because she loves you. She's trying to help you have what she can't anymore."

Oliver squeezed his eyes shut, bringing his hands up to his face. "Her mom," He mumbled, "Fuck. I always forget about her fucking mom-"

"It's not like she talks about it-"

"Dude, I told her I wanted her over wanting a relationship with Caroline— You know how soul crushing that probably was? Fuck-"

"Okay, calm down-"

"I fucked all of this up, Jack," He breathed out, shaking his head at himself, "I mean I— I-"

"No— I don't care about her! I don't need her like I need you!"

"I ruined it-"

"Dude, you need to relax," Jackson sighed, holding his hands out, "You're like spiraling— I'm— I-I'm watching you spin out right now-"