Love Me Like You Used To (sequel to HOM)

Chapter 5

He only smiles charmingly. "It's okay. There's no shame in being tiny."

"Not for you."

Oliver wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me closer. "Well, I like you how you are, Kells. You're perfect no matter what."

A blush creeps onto my face, and I curse the effect he has on me.

The stupid sappy things he says only result in making me like him more and more. I'm in way too deep.

~

I wake up, and my eyes snap open.

The first thing that comes to mind is the dream I had.

That was a dream, right?

I don't know whether it was a dream or a memory.

To be honest, I hope it was a memory. That would mean I'm remembering quickly.

It felt like a memory.

It felt so real.

Even though I'm now awake, I have this familiar fondness growing in my chest as I think about him, Oliver.

I stretch, and yawn. I reach for the remote on the table beside me, and flip the channel to SpongeBob SquarePants. I'm a kid at heart, really.

I'm taking my mother's advice. I'm not going to overthink anything at all. Whatever happens, happens.

I watch a marathon of SpongeBob for around an hour, when a nurse walks into my room.

"Hello." She greets. "You have a visitor. Would you like me to send them in?"

"Sure." I agree.

I can't help but hope it's Oliver.

She walks out of the room and a few minutes later, the door to my room opens and Oliver walks in.

My heart jumps in my chest when I see him.

He comes over and sits on the side of my bed.

"Hey." He says with a smile

"Hi." I say, shifting in the bed so I'm completely facing him.

My legs crossed, and arms folded together in my lap, I can't help but ask. "Why weren't you here yesterday?"

Ugh, am I being too clingy?

"My family forced me to spend the day with them." Oliver explains. "They said they missed me, since I've been spending all my time here with you."

Guilt floods through me.

"You don't have to come visit me everyday if you don't want to. I mean, you have to put your family first, right?"

Oliver frowns. "I want to see you everyday. Honestly, seeing you is the highlight of my day."

I smile at his words, but continue. "But you can't neglect your family because of me."

Oliver shakes his head, disagreeing with what I'm saying. "I'm not neglecting them. At least, not intentionally. I love my family, and this might be weird, but I love you too. You're in the hospital right now. No member of my family is. So for right now, I'm going to put you first."

There's a part of me that wants to say' I love you too', but I hold it back. I think I do love him, even though I've only known him for days. I have these feelings, feelings that come from knowing someone for a long time. And I guess I have known him for a long time.

But I'm not going to tell him I love him until I'm absolutely, positively certain I mean it.

So instead of saying I love you, I say,