So Be It // o. maatta

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Two: Olli's POV

There was a somewhat loud knock at our door. I was still unpleased with what had happened between Alex and I, so Jay offered to get it.

I sat in the kitchen, reading.

I couldn't hear any voices, so I assumed that it was someone who had just knocked on the wrong door, or something along those lines. Shit like that happened a lot more than one would expect.

Surprisingly, Jay came back into the kitchen, pale yellow gift bag in hand.

"Uh, Olli, I do believe this is yours."

I was slightly confused. Who would drop off a gift bag for me?

He handed it toward me, and I grabbed it, than inside it. Out I pulled a hardcover book. 'Nail in the Coffin' by Timothy Burke. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips, remembering that book was the book Alex had talked to me about in the book store than August afternoon. That book was the reason we were together.

Next I pulled out a pair of swim goggles. I was slightly confused, so I moved onto the next item: A box of mac-and-cheese.

That's when it hit me. This was a bag of things, presumably from Alex, that symbolized moments of our relationship. The swim goggles were from when she admitted to not being able to swim, and I assured her that I couldn't swim, either. By now, I was full-out grinning, thinking about moments the two of us shared.

The next item that came out of the bag was a cassette tape, with only the song 'Bust a Move' on it. At the team Thanksgiving bash a few nights ago, we had danced to that, making absolute fools of ourselves. It was honestly one of the best moments of my life.

The fifth item to be removed from the bag was a piece of paper. I unfolded said paper, and found the lyrics to Gavin Degraw's 'Soldier' on it. I had sang that song to Alex the night she was having a panic attack about starting college. Seeing her like that was devastating, but eye-opening. It showed me how genuine she was, that even though we hardly knew one another, she was still comfortable enough around me to sob, and sob, and sob, and admit her weaknesses.

Those may have been the only things in the bag, but it still managed to be the best gift I had ever received.

I carefully placed all the items back into the bag, and carried the bag into my room. I laid the bag on my dresser, next to the photo of Alex and I at the top of Mt. Washington, and the receipt from the coffee shop, from the day we met one another. I grabbed my wallet from my nightstand, and crammed it into my sweatpants pocket. I grabbed my keys, and my jacket, and headed out of the room, towards the door.

"I'm going out!" I called to Jayson. "I'll be back before 5:00."

I slipped out of our apartment, and to the elevator. Normally I would take the stairs, but since we had a game in a few hours, I wanted to conserve energy.

The elevator arrived, and I stepped into it. I was the only one inside.

It dropped, smoothly, opening back up once we hit the lobby. Swiftly, I made my way from the elevator, to the front doors, and melted out into the crowded Pittsburgh streets. I headed towards the Duquesne campus, and towards her dorm building. Once I was inside, I made my way to her room, and knocked on the door, gently. Moments later, a pajama-clad, tear-stained Alex made her way to the door.

"Olli!" She cried, when she saw my face.

She jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist.

I stumbled backwards, but regained my balance.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered into my ear.

"I know you are, hun." I told her. "Just, just never walk out on me again, ok?"

"Ok."