36 Questions to Fall in Love...in 36 days!

Chapter 36: The Drive Back Home and Giving Up

I ignore him completely, my eyes focus on Olivia who refuses to even breathe in my presence.

" I feel like I'm missing a chapter." The frustration within begs to burst out of me in a flurry of heartfelt words but how can I, when I don't even feel like she's listening.

Is she still listening like she was before, in the very beginning, around day one, day ten and day twenty where I could literally see her brown eyes take in the very essence of my words.

She'd drink in my 'I love you's like it was everything she wanted to hear but now...

She can't even accept that I'd like to share her pain. She can't accept any word I give her, nothing.

"Is it because I said I love you?"

"..."

"Leonardo," Dominique continues to chide, gentle and uncomfortable.
I know he doesn't want to be here but I know he doesn't want to leave either.

But I'm frustrated with him as well, so I ignore him.

"What? Do girls not like that anymore?"

It's getting harder to speak, it's like my throat is clogged with overwhelming emotions that could never be put into words. My eyes burn with tears but with everything in me I won't let them fall.

"Is it because I kissed you a little too early?"

I'm racking my brain with everything, every detail, anything that I might have done wrong but once again I'm burning holes through my brain not finding anything.

Olivia's distance is out of nowhere. This behaviour,this coldness towards me is like a meteor from space that came out of nowhere.

"Please Olive bean," I say softer, " I'll fix it. Whatever it is, I'll fix it but the first step is telling me."

Her silence pierces me and before I know it, I've slammed the steering wheel and I'm yelling.

" So this is how you solve your problems huh?! Avoidance! The silent treatment!"

She whips her head to me, and our eyes meet for the first time since she said she wanted to go home, fiery.

"I don't give you the permission to yell at me, Leonardo. Ok."

"...Fine. I'm sorry," a moment, " And I don't give you the permission to hurt me Olivia."

"I said I wanted to go home!" Now she's yelling,her anger is new to me.

There's still that softness to her voice,like her voice can't go any higher but the look on her face is enough to convey how furious she is.

I'm about to snap back but I'm cut off by and even angrier Dominique.

"No!" He silences us, breathing heavily. "Enough of this! I'm not going to continue to sit here and watch two people I love fight."

From the rear view mirror I can see that Dominique's face is flushed with anger.

My stomach drops, the guilt settling over me.

"Tell your friend that I want to go home." Olivia speaks to Dominique and I know that I'm the same guy who was hurting from her silence but her words hurt even more.

Her words distance us, and make it seem like all those intimate moments we had with each other were just in my imagination. That this whole 36 Questions didn't happen and I'm still the same Leonardo who watches Olivia from afar.

Dominique rubs his face, with both hands,not handling all this well. "Leonardo, take her home."

"But-"