PALPITATIONS - MARK

2

That night Olive couldn't sleep. She remembered every single thing that happened. Every word. Every touch. She placed her hands on her waist that Mark's hands has been on.

"Miss, is something bothering you?" her laundress, Ilana, asked worriedly. "Oh, I'm fine. Not that hungry." Olive shrugged off what was on her mind and gave Ilana a comforting smile so she wouldn't feel upset. "You know I'm always here if you need someone to talk too." Ilana took her untouched plate and gave a back hug assuring her that she doesn't have to feel alone. "What would I do without you, Ilana."

Olive saw the weather outside and decided it was the perfect time to sit down under the willow tree and read her unfinished book. "Hey Ilana, I'll just go outside and get some fresh air."

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"Well that was a bittersweet ending." Olive commented as she closed her book.

"Romeo and Juliet?" a voice came from behind the willow tree which startled Olive. She walked around to find Mark laying down beside the trunk of the tree. His eyes were closed feeling very relaxed with the soft breeze brushing against his skin.

"Apologies if I startled you."

"Oh, no. Not at all."

"I better go back. You just continue.. resting here." While Olive was about to leave Mark intervenes, "Last night," Mark opens his eyes and sits up right still having his back leaned on the tree's trunk, "Do you want to talk about it?" Olive paused.

"I'd like to apologise if I crossed my boundaries with you." He felt guilty after witnessing Olive's reaction.

"No! That's not it-" Olive hesitated, "I should apologise for disturbing you late at night. I was just confused with my feelings and-" When Olive realised that she was blabbering about, she drops down to the ground next to Mark. "You must think I'm crazy." Olive sounded sullen. "Hm.. maybe a little bit, yeah." Mark lets out a chuckle knowing how much he's enjoying this side of  hers.

"Last night, you said that I was in love with you." Olive holds her breath and continues, "Is this really what being in love feels like?" she innocently asked.

"If every question that I asked last night was answered with a yes. Then I believe so." Mark assured her. Olive came to a realisation that Mark was her first love and that last night she had openly and unintentionally confessed her feelings to him.

Reality hits her and she couldn't help but feel the second hand embarrassment for her past self, covering her face behind her knees hoping that she could turn back time and had a different way of dealing things.

Olive felt a knock on her arm and as she looked up Mark was sitting comfortably in front of her and gazing at her eyes. "Usually it's less embarrassing if you find out whether the person you love reciprocates the same feeling towards you." He tilted his head.

"Mark, have you loved someone before?" Olive asked out of curiosity.

"I have."

"That explains why you're such an expert." she concluded. "Did she love you back?"

Mark slowly shook his head.

"Well I guess we both have been in the same situation." You let out a chuckle. "Love sounds so silly when the other person doesn't feel the same way."

"I believe yours might be a different situation than mine." Mark uttered.

He had his head down and started fidgeting the grass with his fingers. "How so?"

"In your case, the other person is reciprocating his feelings."

Olive felt her heart palpitate the moment she heard that. Mark slowly looked up and the both stared at one another. A sudden rush of emotions and thoughts came barging in Olive's mind. It was her first time and she had zero experience. She wondered whether Mark would stay with her till the very end knowing the lack of knowledge she has about love.

Mark saw how troubled Olive looked and gently touched her hand. "Hey, are you alright?"

"But I'm not experienced."

Mark looked at Olive in confusion.

"I don't know how this love thing works and what if you get frustrated at me for not doing what a lover must do-" and before Olive could finish, Mark slips his hand to the side of Olive's face and leans in for a kiss.

Olive was astounded by his action that she couldn't move any part of her body. As soon as mark's soft lips began to move, her body relaxes and her eyes slowly closed.

Mark pulls back from the kiss and says, "You never know when to stop talking do you?" Olive was still shocked from the kiss. That she wasn't able to reply.

"I'll never leave you." Mark reassured her. "We'll take things slow." He said as he tucked a strand of hair behind Olive's ear.

Olive noticed the same gaze that she saw from last night and finally knew what it meant. It was love.

─ End ─