The Search Of Cristian ✔

Epilogue - Patience is a virtue

"Cris!" Oliver's voice sounds a bit shocked, while he grabbed hold of my shoulders. "Wake up, Cris." There's also worry seeping through his words.

"What!?" I stare at him in the dark, while he stares down at me with a frown. "What's going on?"

"You had a nightmare." A small smile appears on his face, his thumb caressing my cheekbone, wiping away a lost tear. "You were crying again."

"I was?" I mutter confused, before he pulls me up and in his arms. "I dreamed that they found him, dead..." I admit with a timid voice. "Tell me that was a dream."

"It was a dream." He whispers, holding me protectively. "A nightmare, Cris."

"I'm so done with the nightmares, seriously." I whine, feeling really tired, like I haven't slept for even an hour during the night.

"I know." Oliver nods, before he leans back to stare at me again. "But I have no idea how to stop them for you."

"I thought you always had an answer to everything."

"I have snarky remarks lined up, no solutions to fight demons in your mind." He smirks, and I chuckle, rubbing my tired eyes with the palms of my hands.

"Thanks for waking me up from that awful dream."

"Wish I could thank you for waking me up. But you kick hard in your sleep."

"Did I kick you again?"

"Juha, after all that I did for you..." He smirks again.

I laugh softly, leaning my head against his chest. "I'm really tired but I still can't sleep."

"You can, you're just worried you'll get another nightmare and that's what's keeping you up." Oliver's fingertips are tickling my back and it's not the first time I wish Finnley wouldn't exist and I could move on with someone else.

Someone like Oliver.

Who is freaking hot, sweet in his own way, and really caring about his friends. Which means me, because he doesn't really consider anyone else to be his friend.

Maybe Danny, who I strongly dislike because he keeps trying to get Oliver to smoke pot with him, or to drink alcohol.

So far, Oliver swiftly managed to shove those temptations aside, but every so often I wonder if Oliver will be able to keep telling him no.

Everybody has a breaking point and since a couple of days I have a feeling he is nearing his.

He's been silent a lot, and his snarky comments seem to get less every day and he isn't as sarcastic as he used to be anymore.

Not just to me, but to everybody.

And I've seen him stare towards the bottles of alcohol Nathan and I keep in our apartment, wondering if I should get rid of them to not tempt him any further.

By now, Noah told me multiple stories about seventeen-year-old Oliver that explained how much of an addict Oliver has been.

How much he liked to sleep around after Maxie killed himself. How much he drank and smoked pot. How he skipped school, got in trouble, always had fights with his mother and how he slept outside for a night on a regular base.

Oliver is not who I thought he was when we first met.

He isn't the braggy guy that's full of himself. That's an act to hide the fact he pretty much hates everything about himself.

And I don't think anyone ever tried to break down his walls to reveal the true Oliver. Not even Finnley, who was probably to consumed by his own problems to focus on Oliver.

But still, Oliver feeling just as shitty as I do, made us bond quick and I might even consider him my best friend by now.

To think I hated his guts not even a year ago.

Trouble shared is trouble halved, right? We are in the same position, even though Finnley is my boyfriend and not his. He is in fact Oliver's best friend and Oliver loves him just as much as I do.

And the bond we build over the past couple of weeks is so close, you would think I've known Oliver since birth.

I pretty much managed to build a small door in his walls, every so often allowed in on his true feelings and thoughts.

And in return, he knows pretty much everything about me too.

"What time is it?" I watch Oliver in the dark, but the fact that it's dark, isn't saying anything about the current time. There's blinds in front of the window that create a darkness in the room even when the sun is at its highest point.

"Eight in the morning." Oliver yawns, falling backwards on the bed.

"We need to get to school." I tell him, rolling over to observe him.

"Did you forget, out of the two of us, you're the only one that has no trouble with getting up early?"

"You're awake anyway." I hit his face with a pillow, before I let out a laugh. He tackles me down to the bed, pinning me down while he stares down at me.

"Watch it, Cris." He murmurs, leaning closer and closer, until our lips are only separated by a paper-thin gap of air. "Do not challenge me."

All I do is frown, teasing him by pulling up my knee in between his legs, to rub my leg against his member. "What's wrong, Oliver?" I chuckle when he closes his eyes.

"Cris..." He whines. "You know how I am early in the morning."

"I do." I throw my head back to let out a roaring laugh. "Horny as fuck, short fuse, not as witty as during the day..." I sum up with a chuckle to end my words. "Get off, we're getting breakfast."

"You're such a tease." Oliver complains, rolling away, rubbing his member with a frustrated look on his face. "I need a shower. You eat breakfast on your own."

"Fine." I shrug carelessly. "Have fun jacking off."

"I hate you."

"Aah, I love you too, Oli-dollie." I coo at him, before I pull on jeans that is still on the ground. As soon as I turn around, a pillow hits me in my face, causing me to laugh, Oliver soon joining in.

"Don't call me like that."

"But it's cute."

"It's not." He shakes his head while still snickering a bit. "Make breakfast, we leave in an hour and a half."

"Don't forget we're eating at aunt Cady's tonight!" I call after him, reminding him that we won't go home after school, so he needs to dress decent enough for dinner with Finnley's aunt Cady, who invited us over because she appreciates the company and we want to support her too.

We all know we need to be supportive of each other to get through this.

A/N The third book, The Struggle For Love, is now up in a new form! Read on and find out what happened to Finnley!