Olivia // l.t.

Chapter 24

Olivia

I was a mess. I called in sick, and I had successfully stayed in bed all day. I put my phone on do not disturb.

I probably had fifty missed calls from Louis, I just couldn't do it.

After his little confession I was honestly considering the possibility of him being the one.

The person I could possibly spend forever with, but now I really didn't know anymore.

He was so worried about me still being in love with Zayn I never toyed with the idea that he could still be in love with Holly.

I should have known. No wonder he showed up so drunk, and Niall knew about it too, the liar.

The feeling of betrayal and heartbreak racked through me as I sobbed into my pillow. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, whoever it was would have to wait.

I wasn't really in the mood to chat.

I eventually cried myself to sleep again, despite it only being ten in the morning.

I somehow managed to sleep for hours. When I woke I was groggy and disoriented, I looked like hell if we're being honest.

I picked up my phone just to see how much trouble I was in.

I felt like throwing up, and I had thirty seven missed calls.

Some from Caileigh, others from Niall and Harry, but the most from Louis.

I just couldn't stomach conversation right now.

Harry would fire me, Louis would probably lie, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

I honestly just wanted to keep on having my little pity party.

After moping in bed a few more minutes I decided to do something I hadn't done in a long time.

I rolled out of bed, threw on a sweatshirt and some yoga pants.

I grabbed my phone just for safety purposes, and locked my apartment behind me.

I started with a slow jog, and ended up running all the way to the park.

I had avoided this place for years. Mainly because of its significance. Zayn had asked me to be his girlfriend in this very park, under this very tree.

I didn't feel like crying anymore, instead I just sat, reflecting. I said I wasn't going to cry, so I held my breath trying to stop the tears.

I thought about the past few days, months, the time I had spent with Louis since we met. I guess I'm glad I didn't exactly say I loved him back.

Even though God knows I do.

I sighed looking up at the tree limbs. The leaves were changing colors, what was once so full and thriving was becoming dull and lifeless.

I guess that's how I felt too.

In this moment I just sat wondering what I had done this time to drive Louis away.

I knew that in the beginning I was difficult, and I still had my moments. However, he had stood by me so far.

Maybe there was something about Holly that I could never measure up to.

I heard the crunching of one of those fallen leaves and tensed.

"Hello?" I asked, then cursing to myself because now someone knew I was there.

Another crunch. Great, the worst weekend of my life and I'm probably going to get murdered.

"Oh sorry I didn't realize someone was—"Livvy?"

I felt like my heart stopped beating, and that every single cell in my body immediately ceased to exist.

"Zayn?" I questioned, however he was standing right in front of me. "Are you okay?" He asked and took a seat beside me, just like old times.

"What are you doing here?" I hadn't seen him since the day he left, yet here he was, like nothing had changed. Except everything had changed.

"I come here everyday, I live right over there." He pointed to the apartment complex across the street. "Crazy we've never bumped into each other." He smiled, but I didn't return it.

"How are you?" He asked quietly, and I mustered up a painful smile. "Great, everything is great!" I sounded fake, and over enthusiastic.

Why on all days would today be the day that I run into Zayn. It almost feels like he knew I would be here.

"Sounds,—Great." Zayn and I looked straight ahead, we were close but not touching.

"How about you?" I decided to be polite, what did I have to lose.

"I'm alright, I'm a DJ now." I nodded, pursing my lips. "Cool."

This was weird, what are the odds he would be here.

"So, you work for the magazine yeah?" He asked and we talked about that for a little while.

I excluded any mention of Lola obviously. I was dying to ask about whoever the bombshell he left me for was, if they were even still together, but I decided against it.

"So, no boyfriend?" He asked, and almost like clockwork I burst into tears, and ironically Louis' shoulder wasn't the one I was crying into.

***

It had been awhile, and we hadn't moved. Normally this would have been the most picture perfect moment in my head.

However, right now everything felt wrong. Not just kind of awkward, literally wrong in every single aspect.

I mean technically it was probably the fact that Zayn who was my ex that constantly had me in a state of bitterness and anxiety was here out of nowhere, yet I was curled up to him like a kitten.

That is, not to mention I had a boyfriend, at least I think I still did. I didn't exactly give him a chance to explain, actually he probably has no idea I'm even angry with him.

"Hey, you alright?" Zayn's smooth voice coaxed me out of my thoughts. I nodded, then I suddenly became very aware of the situation.

What was I doing? this is wrong, Louis literally just told me he loved me and I'm betraying him.

He betrayed you first , my subconscious thought screamed. Yet, here I was, with Zayn, and I have absolutely zero feelings at all anymore.

Yet, I totally freaked out about Louis sitting at the table with Holly, and I didn't even see it?

There I go, jumping to conclusions and messing everything up.

"Babe." Zayn said and I froze. "Sorry, habit." He said, but I saw him smiling.

My phone started buzzing frantically and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Harry." I grumbled aloud. "Go on." Zayn urged and for some reason I obliged.

"Hello?" I tried to sound like I wasn't dying on the inside.

"Olivia, thank God I finally got you, Rosalyn is going into labor, can you conduct the meeting at two, please. I've been trying to—I gotta go. Please!" Harry hung up, and I stood frantically.

Two?? That's literally only thirty minutes, how will I make it to work, not to mention I look horrible.

"I have to get to work!" I began sprinting away, theres no way I'm going to make it on foot in time.

Then I heard Zayn calling my name. "Hey!" I turned around, as he dangled his keys from his finger.

"Need a ride?"