Our Girl

Beauty And The Beast

*Colson's POV*

I try to avoid relationships around this particular holiday. The chocolates, the larger than life teddy bears, the flowers, the dates, everything I just try to avoid.

This year however is different. Very different.

"Dude! What was that for?" The pillow that was thrown at my head fell into my lap.

"We're supposed to be concentrating on The Odyssey."

"I know. I just can't concentrate."

"Okay fine. I'll play." Levi closed his book and tossed it on my coffee table. "What's wrong?"

"Do you think I messed things up?" I didn't mean for my voice to come out as desperate as it sounded.

Levi looked confused. "With my Sister?"

"No with Barney. Yes with Olivia." I snapped. He should know better than to mess with me when I'm deeply confused.

"No need to be hostile. But no, I don't think that you messed things up with Liv. No matter how awkward you were after she kissed you last month."

My chest rose and fell as a breathed out a huff of air. "I didn't mean to be. I couldn't breathe the entire night. I forgot how to. Like actually, forgot how to."

"What happened to never falling in love? We made a pact."

"Your Sister came back from Italy." I said matter of factly. He nodded his head in response.

"But you've been in love with her for like ever. I don't see how it's just now effecting you." Levi took the chip bowl off of the coffee table and placed it in his lap.

"I don't either but..." Wait a minute. "How'd you—"

Levi gave me a cunning look. "Know that you were in love with Ollie?" He placed a chip in his mouth and smiled. "Since you kissed her on the playground when we were 6."

My eyes bugged out in horror. "How did everyone see that?"

He shrugged his shoulders and ate another chip. "It was kind of hard to miss." So I've been told. "Besides, every time she'd come back to the States for the holidays you were always way more excited to see her than I was and she's my most favorite person in the world."

"I'm sorry." I dropped my head and stared at my socks.

"You will be if you tell her I said that. And dude, why would you be sorry? You can't help how you feel. And I happen to know that my Sister's pretty great. Don't tell her I said that either."

I laughed and placed my head in my hands.

"What am I going to do?" I asked somberly.

"You could always tell her." He was saying this like it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

"What if she doesn't feel the same?"

He wiggled one of his eyebrows. "What if she does?"

"You wouldn't happen to know would you?"

"I have a general idea." He placed another chip in his mouth and looked at the notifications on his phone.

My lips went into a thin line. "You're not going to tell me are you?"

He winked and ate another chip.

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