There was no update yesterday because Wattpad crashed just when I was about to hit publish.
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Hello & welcome to the last chapter of Album 1 (for the ChickLit Version; Thriller Version has more in store 😉). As a way to express my gratitude for all of you who stayed and read this story so far, I've made a small gift for you guys. There's a signed printable bookmark at the end of this chapter for you. You can print it, use it and show it off if you like this story (and I've also added the Wattpad logo to make it more official *_*). Hope you like it <3
And while I'm at it... I have something more to say. Please hear me out.
I know I've always added an almost unnoticed banner at the end of each chapter asking you guys to vote, comment, follow and add this story to your reading lists or support this story in any way since it doesn't cost you anything but means more to me than you can ever imagine. While I adore the readers who do this and absolutely make my day, I'd like to take a moment to thank all my silent readers as well. I know any form of social interaction can be a bit daunting for an introvert and the fact that you took time out of your daily life to read my creations itself means the world to me! :*
But there's a reason why there's always that banner at the end of each chapter to remind you all to vote, comment & follow. And that's not just because the numbers and algorithm help more people find this story + get me closer to my dreams. It's genuinely because I don't want you to be just a number appearing on this story. I'd like to see you for the person you are, who supports my story from behind a screen, and that becomes possible when I find you in my notifications. Which is also why I keep adding random questions at the end of each chapter to try & make you more comfortable to express your metaphorical support.
But again, if you still choose to be a silent reader, I respect that and I appreciate you. Thank you so very much for being here. Hope you're having a good time with this story so far <3
🦋 + 🐍
(Priyankha's Version)
He could hear her words in the silence between them and Oliver was perplexed, not sure if it was because of how she had recognised his face in the crowd or the way she had him cornered against the bartending station with little to no room for escape.
Some moments later, their proximity seemed to dawn on her and she retracted a few steps back, her face painted blue and her gaze pinned to her feet in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry." She ran a shaky hand through her hair — the black roots fading into multiple colours but all that stood out was an autumnal orange — messing them up and he couldn't help but wonder how she still looked so adorable. "I thought you were someone else."
When she looked up to face him with an honest apology, gone was any trace of hopefulness her eyes held when she had first asked him that question. It was as if she was searching for signs of him in a haunted club and hanging onto a thin thread of treacherous hope. But why was she looking for him? And even if she found him, why did she approach him? Does she know who I am, the doubt came rushing to his mind but the answer was more than obvious. There was no way she could've known who he really was. Not when she had just called him that.
The resignation and disapproval was evident by the way she pursed her lips before moving away towards the empty seat. But the moment Oliver noticed her slip away, it was as if he was a willow who couldn't help but bend right to her wind. He shifted towards her and took a deep breath in, mustering every bit of courage from this loud place with bustling crowds.
Finally, he sat beside her and managed to speak. "Is that what you call me? In your head, I mean."
She immediately turned to face him, rotating her stool ever so eagerly and he was almost certain she would have sprained her ankle if they were standing right now. Her face lit up but she kept mum, either stringing together words in her head or trying to make sure she had heard him right.
As if understanding her silent hesitation, he went ahead to answer her first question and nodded ever so slightly that she'd miss it if she wasn't paying enough attention.
"It's you! You're the iced coffee guy! I knew it!" She raised her hand to reach out to him, to make sure he was real but raised it for a high five instead and withdrew it immediately, clearing her throat to hide the flush rising on her cheeks. "Thank God you're okay. I was so worried-"
He kept looking at her and she bit her lip to stop rambling when she noticed the amusement in his eyes. She was definitely making a fool out of herself. It was a struggle to decide if she should stay silent or explain herself and she always picked the latter whenever things got awkward; a true oversharer at that.
"I mean, you haven't been to the café since quite a while now and I was worried that-" Her wide eyes held depths of relatable sadness now and he was stunned by how quickly her mood changed "-we recently had an accident at the café, so my mind went to the worst conclusions when you didn't show up for the past few days."
He nodded in an understanding of sorts. For someone who went to the coffee shop almost daily, it felt odd to disappear for so many days without any hint whatsoever.
"Actually," she confessed, "I thought you never came back because of what happened the last time. That or something else happened. Something bad."
He shook his head and his eyes squinted from his reassuring masked smile to tell her everything was alright. Though his heart knew what the truth was. It was not the anxiety from when he had last visited the café that kept him away. It wasn't even the gossip or rumours that made him feel so exposed and misunderstood. It was the fear that she possibly regretted defending the unknown man.
That broke his heart to pieces. Because it was him, Oliver Wilson, though she wasn't supposed to know that. Yet. For he truly wondered for how long he'd be able to keep his identity a secret.
He raised a brow, reminding her she was yet to answer his question and she hid her face with her hands after nodding quickly; a reflex to hide her awkwardness, he noticed.
A part of him couldn't help but be astonished by how he didn't really need to talk to communicate to her. As if she could understand his silence. As if she could hear the words that lingered between them, unsaid and unspoken. But the lines between being shy and being rude could blur away real soon, so he whispered low enough for just her to hear. "I like that. Better than my real name, to be honest."
Her posture eased up and her laughter echoed in the small room. "Don't blame me, it's not like I know what else to call you."
The bartender appeared from the backroom, interrupting their little moment but Oliver was relieved to let that conversation about his name go. He looked over at her again but she was lost, as if scrambling her head for a very vague memory.
"One old fashioned and one um," she faltered, "one non alcoholic mos- mos... uh." She closed her eyes a bit too tight and whispered under her breath with clenched teeth in a language Oliver didn't seem to understand. All he caught was an 'aiyo' sound and a 'I knew I would forget these weird-ass names'.
"And one non-alcoholic Moscow Mule, please." He completed it for her, catching her by surprise, and she thanked him way too loudly.
"Why did the song have to end right when I said this, ugh. I was so loud."
He couldn't help but chuckle at that and Priyankha couldn't take her eyes off of the way his jaw and Adam's apple moved in synchrony when he laughed. His amusement was contagious because the next moment, she found herself laughing and feeling at ease in his company.
Without a second thought, she blurted out. "You should come back, you know? To the café I mean. I promise it's not as crowded anymore and we're taking full pandemic precautions-"
His gaze turned intense when he popped a knuckle and she was worried that he maybe misunderstood her.
"Wait, no I'm not saying this for Grace's business, if that's what you're thinking. I was saying... Well, just because." She shrugged, for the lack of a better answer. Why did she want him to come back? It's not like she could miss someone she barely knew. "You know what? Your next drink is on the house. Whenever you come there, no rush."
She reassured herself that this wasn't a bribe to get to see him again. It was just an instinct, after all, he had been their regular customer for a while now. That's all this is. Isn't it?
For the first time in his life, Oliver felt wanted. Like someone was looking forward to seeing him. And it felt so good that it scared the living daylights out of him. Because he couldn't help but imagine if she would react the same way if she'd know who he truly was. "Thank you. That's very sweet."
"Oh, don't mention it." She dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Like, really, don't mention it. Not in front of Dio or he'll keep lecturing me about sound business practices."
"Noted." He smiled, a move his lips had quite forgotten before he met her.
"I assume none of these are yours. What are you having?" He asked her when the bartender left to prepare their drinks. She realised she hadn't heard him order a drink for himself amidst her low giggles.
She shrugged. "Nothing." Hesitating for a bit, she scratched the back of her neck before admitting, "I don't drink. Never tried."
"Would you mind trying something? Non alcoholic, of course." He asked and when she shrugged, he ordered a peach iced tea for her. His favourite summer drink, he had told her. Though it was supposed to be summer right now, the current weather was anything but. And she didn't want to be rude but he truly felt like a vampire or some supernatural creature for not feeling cold when the skies above were filled with dark, grey clouds.
The bartender handed him his drink, a transparent brown liquid she didn't quite recognise. He removed his mask from one ear when his lips touched the tip of the glass and gulped the whole thing in one go. His mask was back on within seconds and Priyankha never got to see even a glimpse of his face.
This just seemed to confirm her suspicions about him. She said, a bit more confident. "I don't know much about drinks but this." Her gaze briefly flickered to his Adam's apple and the way it bobbed up and down. "This must've definitely burnt. And I'm more surprised that you didn't go for an on the rocks instead considering you love iced drinks so much."
Shit. Was that too rude? Her hand flew to cover her mouth and she wondered how to justify her random outburst. Just because she didn't prefer iced drinks didn't mean he didn't have to too. That was so-
Her train of thought was cut short when Oliver ducked a bit closer to her. Mere inches but she could feel the warmth radiating from under his suit. He opened his mouth to speak but a sudden hand on her shoulder diverted her attention and spread a wave of green through him.
"All okay?" Came a familiar voice from behind her. "Is this guy troubling you?" Dio asked with a tone of genuine concern and wrath, like he was ready to throw hands at the man harassing her.
Before he could misunderstand, she quickly explained. "No, I know him. He's the iced coffee guy, remember?"
"Who?" Dio looked at her like she was being ridiculous. But when he saw Oliver, his expression changed and he uttered without a second thought. "Oh, you mean that guy you have such a crush on-"
Before Dio could speak any further, an elbow was shoved into his stomach by a very wide eyed and infuriated yet flushed Priyankha who didn't control her urge to scream into his face. "Shut up, Dionysus."
Random Question: Have you ever confessed about having a crush on someone?
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GIFT: A SIGNED PRINTABLE BOOKMARK FOR YOU
Hope you liked this little something I made as a token of gratitude for you. If you need help with printing or want printing instructions, drop a comment here and I'll send you the link to a chapter which contains detailed steps for the same. That being said, there will be more bookmarks coming up in the future so please let me know if there are any specific lines you love in this story; in the previous chapters as well as the ones coming up ahead.
Also, if you end up printing and using this bookmark, please tag me if you post pictures anywhere because I'd love to see them :*
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A/N: Friends, am I right? They know best how to embarrass you in front of your crus- oops xD
Hope you're liking the way their relationship is progressing (in spite of being a slowburn). Which was your favourite scene from this chapter?
On a totally random note, I recently went to this coffee shop and their coffee was sooo good. Like I totally get why Oliver would want to keep going to Brew Space again and again. Just for the coffee, of course. Was there supposed to be any other reason? :P
I made my first Instagram reel for this story today and I have to admit it's super fun. If you want to watch it, my Instagram is @ dustychalks
P.S. I have suddenly fallen sick (which may also be why I'm oversharing with these long author's notes xD) so I won't promise but I'll try my best to update tomorrow (because I have no stock chapters and I'm relying on being able to write today to be able to update).
Readers who've picked the Thriller Version... Are you ready for the first vault track?! *_*
Coming Soon.