It only took over a year to start!!
I'm finally getting around to this one (and I haven't forgotten about the other).
Suggested by mebedumb
Started: July 20, 2023
Finished: August 1, 2023
🍪🍪🍪
I fell in love
With the only girl who knows what I'm about
Joshua looks across the set, all of his breath leaving his body. He couldn't believe it; she looks absolutely adorable. They were onto episode eight of the third season, which was depressing enough for the cast since they had reached yet another finale.
He knows he still isn't over her, even with all the problems that they went through. They barely even talked during season two's production unless it was their characters or group hangouts; never alone.
He thought sometimes that his mind had a strange kink for self-torture since he could only think of their best moments. It's for the best, he reminds himself. We're better off this way.
"Bro, you ready?" Matt nudges his shoulder.
Joshua looks between his best friend and the girl he was ultimately head over heels for. "Mhm. Ready as I'll ever be."
Joshua keeps his head down as he passes her on his way to the set. He thought he was moving fast enough to be ignored, but he was apparently wrong. "Hey, Josh! Wait up!"
He cringes, yet his heart flutters at the same time at the sound of her voice. He turns around slowly. "Hmm?"
Olivia stands in front of him. It was a friendly distance yet still close enough to make his heart beat crazily. "I, um... This is for you." She pulls something small out of her back pocket and hands it to him.
Joshua flips it over and raises a brow. "Gum?"
She nods. "Yeah. I- I figured you forgot your own, a- and you always chew it to calm you down from a big scene."
Joshua couldn't help the grin on his face. She remembered? "Th- Thanks, Liv. It'll definitely come in handy." He did forget to bring some himself.
"No problem."
"See you on set?"
"Yeah, see you in a minute." Olivia waves before walking off in front of him.
Joshua smiles as she leaves, glancing at the gum packet in his hand. I can't believe she remembered that. It was the little gestures that made her so irresistible to him.
I fell in love
With a boy, and I can't tell if I fell out
Olivia knew she was lying to herself. She knew it was awfully shitty of her to use her last boyfriend as a distraction; she knew from the start that he was just a rebound. She'd also be lying if she said it didn't sting every time a new headline came out about Joshua's relationship status.
She hated not getting to see everyone every day like it was in the beginning, but she wasn't completely against not seeing him every day. (She knew that was selfish thinking too.) The downfall of their relationship wasn't just his fault either; they were both to blame.
Olivia stands in the back of the little camp theater as they get Joshua ready to sing Kristoff's Lullaby. She thinks he looks cute in the costume; the hat is the literal cherry on top and ties the whole outfit together.
Once everything is set up, he begins singing, and she is instantly lost. He glances over at her, and she looks at the ground sheepishly. His voice had this magical effect that made the whole room disappear.
She knew then that no matter how many people she came across in life, no one could ever compare to the feelings she had when he was around. How could I be so stupid?
After all is said and done,
I can't just pretend I'm moving on
Is it just a part we're playing
'Cause it don't feel like we're faking
When they were Ricky and Nini, everything was simpler. They didn't have to think about what could happen because they weren't in control. Before, it was their chance to be a couple without anyone judging them; now... they didn't even have that excuse anymore.
Joshua was reading the last scene, and it almost brought him to tears: Ricky and Nini's goodbye. He couldn't believe that these two were officially splitting up. Olivia's career was taking off, and he couldn't blame her for wanting to go and see what happens with it.
Olivia is shocked as she reads over her lines. It wasn't so long ago that she was memorizing her lines for the famous I love you scene in the season one finale, which turned out to be almost useless since the final take was improvised. She sighs as she thinks back to his speech; it was so heartfelt and passionate. It gave reasons for why they were such a good pairing. Where did I go wrong? Even with the knowledge she has now, she still feels terribly guilty for how things ended.
Olivia sniffles and wipes the tears from her face as she sets the script down, preparing herself to walk onto that set for what could be the last time.
Even she is shocked that Ricky and Nini don't talk again after their breakup; they were best friends before, so it seems strange that they would just stop speaking completely. Olivia chuckles dryly under her breath. Ironic.
It is going to be challenging to move on from these roles... and each other.
When we're underneath the lights,
My heart's no longer broken
For a moment,
Just for a moment
When we're signing side by side,
There's so much left unspoken
For a moment,
Just for a moment
A moment in love (just for a moment)
A moment in love (just for a moment)
But is a moment enough?
Olivia is positioned on the edge of a dock with her back turned to the rest of the camp. Joshua stands far behind her. Ricky had just discovered his end-of-rehearsal card from Nini, saying to meet her here for one last chat. Every time he pinched himself, he couldn't believe this was how their story was ending.
"Action!" Joshua jumps a little as he begins walking toward the dock. He slowly sits next to her, letting his feet dangle off the edge. She kept her head forward as instructed. It is unnecessarily tense between the actors.
"So..." Joshua (Ricky) begins, "how's LA been treating you?"
"It's been fun," she mumbles. "I, uh, I almost have enough songs for an EP."
"That's amazing. I can't wait to see where you go."
It falls silent, but it is part of the script; that doesn't change the awkwardness though. "Has the theater finally taken over the mind of Ricky Bowen?" Olivia (Nini) chuckles.
He chortles too. "Yeah. I mean, I really think this summer has been great for me."
"I'm happy for you."
Joshua counts in his head until his next line. He could feel the sweat on his hands, even though everything he was saying technically wasn't him. This is our first full conversation in forever, and it's through our damn characters. How pathetic. "S- So, um... why did you want to talk?"
Olivia (Nini) pulls her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them, resting her head on her arms. She turns her head to face him. "I've been talking with my moms for a while about something, and they're on board. I was nervous and needed another opinion and went to Miss Jenn next. Now... I just want to tell you my plan."
He nods, waiting for her to continue.
"Ricky... I'm moving to LA."
His jaw drops slightly. Olivia has to hold in her giggle; it is the same face she made when she overheard him telling Matt he was thinking of moving to New York. "R- Really?" he says.
"Mhm," she nods. "I've been thinking about it for a few weeks now."
"Wh- What about your senior year?"
"Well, I'd technically just finish high school out there."
"Have you told anyone else this?"
She shakes her head. "I wasn't planning to in person. You know I'm not the best at goodbyes. I couldn't leave though... without talking to you one more time."
Joshua feels his face turn hot. The sincerity in her voice makes him melt. "I'm glad you came," he murmurs.
She leans forward and pulls an envelope out of her pocket. "This is for you."
He flips it over a few times to look at both sides. "What's this?"
She smiles. "Open it, you doofus."
He quickly rips it open and pulls out the contents: a lottery ticket. He grins widely. "You remembered?"
"Yeah, I know you've always wanted one. Plus, it was the most reasonable thing on that bucket list of yours," she chuckles.
"Hey, Dad made it so I could technically walk on the moon."
"Well, I'm glad to help you check off a box." She eyes the envelope, and he realizes that he missed something.
Joshua (Ricky) digs out a second item: his dog tag. He reads the back of it to himself; it is the same. "You kept it?"
"Of course. I, um... I never stopped wearing mine." She gently tugs at the chain of hers, pulling it out of her shirt.
"Wow," he whispers.
"I'm sorry, Ricky."
He looks away from the dog tag and sees a couple of tears fall down her face. "For what?"
"I should've been honest with you... about what I felt like we were turning into." If only I had actually been this good at talking to him before.
He moved closer to her. "Nini, it's not your fault. I can't blame you for how you feel."
"Yeah, but I didn't want you to hear it from a stupid flipping Instagram post!"
He carefully wraps his arm around her, and she leans into him. They were both so comfortable like this; if only they could do it again without cameras around. For a moment, they both forgot about their broken hearts.
"I'm sorry too," he mutters. "I- I never meant to hurt you, Livvy." Olivia's head snaps at him. He was clearly thrown off by her action since she wasn't supposed to move, but he didn't appear to catch his error.
Joshua furrows his brows at her confused face. He knows she has the next line yet did not know what to do since she was obviously puzzled.
"Cut!" Olivia's face flushes, and she immediately turns away from him, thankful that this scene is taking place at night.
Joshua sees their director, Kimberly, looking over the script, most likely finding the best place to start the scene over.
He nudges Olivia, wanting to ask why she froze; she is an incredibly professional actress, and he is shocked that something could throw her off.
Olivia keeps her face on the ground yet acknowledges him. "Hmm?"
"What happened?"
He can't be serious. "N- Nothing. Let's just get through the scene."
"If I made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. I- I don't have to put my arm around you," he says, assuming that is an issue now.
"It wasn't that," she says, still avoiding his eyes. How does he not realize? "Just... follow the script." We haven't had a scene together in a while. It was probably just a stupid mistake.
Joshua huffs, feeling defeated and disappointed in himself. Wow, you can't do anything right.
They are picking up from when Ricky puts his arm around Nini. Joshua is more nervous now because he doesn't want to make her uneasy. "Action!"
He moves closer to her again yet it was even slower this time. She leans into him once again though like before. Joshua takes his time before saying his line just in case she suddenly feels tense again. "I'm sorry too," he murmurs again. "I never meant to hurt you, Neens."
Yup, just a simple accident. It means nothing. "I never wanted to hurt you either," she responds.
Joshua feels a lump in his throat form as he prepares his mind for his next line. "I know we're broken up... and I have to accept that you're leaving... but... can we still talk?" If only I had the balls to say this the first time. "As friends?"
Olivia (Nini) faces him, her forehead pressing against his chin. This used to be her safe space, wrapped in his arms... but it wasn't hers anymore. "Yeah... we'll always be friends. I could never truly say goodbye to you." Another tear falls down her face; she swiftly wipes it away and sniffles.
Joshua (Ricky) squeezes her arm. "Do you think we could ever work?"
"Yeah, someday."
There was so much more to say between them, but if their characters were the only way they were brave enough to speak, then it would have to do. "Cut!"
They didn't separate immediately, only once the cameras had moved away. Olivia stands up first to follow the crew, but Joshua grabs her wrist and makes her flinch and jerk away from him. He drops her hand instantly and mumbles, "S- Sorry. I, um..." I scared her again. "C- Can we talk for a minute? Without cameras around?"
Olivia crosses her arms over her chest defensively. "Sure."
Joshua feels his tongue become tied. "I- I meant what I said."
Olivia keeps her poker face, yet she's interested in what he's saying. "When?"
"Do you think we'll ever have another shot at us?"
"I don't know, Josh," she answers truthfully. "We're going in such different directions-"
"I- I know that. B- But I'm gonna put up a selfish fight this time. I don't want to lose you as my best friend."
Olivia drops her arms and steps closer to him; she can feel her hands shaking at her sides. "I'm sorry... for not telling you about my jealousy... and being petty."
Joshua sighs. "If you told me you thought she'd break us up, I would've ended it all right then and there."
"It felt selfish; she was your sister's friend."
"But you are the most important one here. I never meant to hurt you."
There it is again. "I didn't want to hurt you either. I'm so sorry."
They are both teary-eyed. Joshua reaches for her hand, and she allows it. "I would've done everything so differently."
"Me too." Olivia squeezes his hand, making him grin. "Do you seriously not realize what you said?" she wonders.
His heart sinks once again. "How'd I mess up this time?" he says bluntly.
Olivia shakes her head. "You didn't do anything wrong. During the scene just now... y- you said m- my name... not Nini."
Joshua's face is blank; he genuinely does not remember. "Wh- When? Which line?"
"The whole, um... I didn't want to hurt you, or something like that," she mumbles, now embarrassed if he doesn't realize.
"I- Is that why we cut the scene?"
She nods. "Probably. I mean, I could've continued, but I forgot my lines after that."
"Maybe we just need more practice talking. You know, like our characters."
"Yeah," she chuckles, wiping her tears. "If someone else would write my life for me, that'd make it easier."
Joshua runs his thumb over the back of her hand; she squeezes his hand again in response. "You know... I've had dreams about this conversation, and I've thought about what'd I say if I ever got the chance to properly apologize," he says. "This is not how I imagined it."
"I, uh, honestly wasn't sure if we'd get to have another conversation... outside of work. But I'm glad we did."
"Well, now that we're kind of on the same page," he begins, "do you think there's a life where we... could be a thing?"
Olivia smiles at him, which makes him do the same. "Yeah... I do." They both beam at each other, liking the new terms of their relationship.
Joshua tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and tenderly kisses her forehead, making her giggle and him grin. "I'm always thrilled when you're around," he murmurs. "Regardless of what we are."
She nods. "I've missed you... so much."
"Me too."
"We're gonna be happy," Olivia mumbles.
"One day," Joshua agrees.
"I- I know you still have more scenes to do," Olivia begins, hearing her heart beating in her ears, "but... what would you say to hanging out at my place tomorrow? Like we used to."
Joshua smiles for the umpteenth time in the last few moments. "Y- Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great." Their moment ends when Kimberly calls Joshua over to shoot the final scene of the finale. "Talk after?"
"I'll be here."
Joshua runs over to the crew before they become angry with him while Olivia stays at the dock. She sits back down and smiles to herself, loving that this moment has brought them back together.
Way, way back then
Always dreamed it's you and me until the end
The pair was now on Olivia's couch mindlessly watching whatever movie she could find. His arm was around her with her head on his shoulder. Joshua was incredibly nervous; it took forever for him to get to this point, and his sweaty hands kept crossing his mind. He would aimlessly move his fingers along her arm, an old habit.
He glances down at her occasionally, enjoying the time with her. He couldn't believe that they were back in this position. If I blink, this might disappear. He knows that just about everyone in his life would kill him if they knew where he was. It feels like a dream.
Joshua constantly imagined their future during their first months of being together. Not too far ahead since it had only been a short time, but he thought about their lives after High School Musical had finished. How they would stay together; what their careers would turn into; writing more songs together. Nothing could've prepared him though for their breakup; it was messy and exhausting and just outright stupid.
Joshua looks down at her again, grinning when he sees she's asleep. I wish we could've stayed like this. He knows what he would've done differently... but there was no point in dwelling on the past. Everything has changed now. She wraps her arms around his torso in her sleep, which only makes him smile brighter.
Now, we can't play pretend
And I'm scared to talk to my best friend
Olivia was anxious, but she was more comfortable now than she had been in months.
Much time has passed since season three wrapped. Everyone was preparing for the premiere and press. She and Joshua have been talking more now than before this season, which was a positive sign. It was difficult for them to meet in person once the show had finished, but they still communicated in some way.
She never told anyone that she was talking to him again. She didn't want to hear about how speaking with the person who gave her the first real heartbreak of her life was a bad idea. He was also the same person who she felt true love with for the first time. Plus, she wasn't sure if he wanted anyone else to know.
Nobody knew that he went to her apartment that night; if someone did, nothing was said. She awoke on her bed the following morning, slightly disappointed that he was gone. She found a note on the coffee table that he left shortly after she fell asleep; she appreciated that he at least left that. Her heart fluttered when she realized he must have carried her to her bedroom. They continued spending time together alone when filming wasn't going on, but that was obviously difficult now with their careers going in different directions.
She was trying to be a lot more careful this time though and not accidentally rush into anything. It sometimes felt like she was walking on eggshells around him, waiting for him to realize that their situation was ridiculous and cut her off again. Olivia knew better than to keep these feelings to herself, but it was too terrifying at the moment to address them.
Olivia looks over herself in the mirror, continuously finding minor things wrong with her outfit. You're not going there to impress anyone. Everything is fine and in place.
A car arrives at her place a few minutes later to take her to the premiere. She watches the road go by and picks at her nail polish the whole time. She feels her phone buzz and smiles when she reads the sender. (It was the same contact name and picture that she's had for nearly three years.)
Her heart flutters more than she wants. They continue texting for the whole car ride. Olivia feels that they've crossed a line they can't uncross; she can't pretend that what she feels doesn't exist. She just has to hope that his feelings are similar.
When she arrives, her face goes blank when she realizes she is the first to arrive. Oh god. She didn't have much of a choice but to start walking, so she did so just slowly. Olivia feels awkward being here by herself. As the minutes tick by, she begins to feel her camera smile become smaller.
After a few moments of intense camera flashes and hollering photographers, she sees him. Olivia laughs to herself; their outfits unintentionally matched so well, and she loves that he decided to paint his nails. His smile is not as wide as she was used to seeing, but this is all a bunch of press anyway.
He approaches her quickly, which she is not expecting. Is this a good idea? I mean, I know they'll want pictures of us together, but... She doesn't have enough time to think. He is already grinning at her.
"Hey," he smiles. "How you doing?"
"Hi." Olivia turns to face him while still walking down the line. "Can you believe this turnout? It's insane."
"Yeah, especially from season one to two. It's crazy."
Olivia's anxious thoughts begin to take over her mind. Wait, what if people begin to question us? She doesn't 100% know where they stand, and they have technically not been public together for months. She sees Meg standing behind him and moves over to hug her, leaving Joshua at the front of the line. Over Meg's shoulder, she notices the rest of the cast has arrived and quickly hugs each of them too.
After going down the line to hug and greet everyone, Olivia eventually gets shoved back to where Joshua was by press people wanting their picture together. She knew before that this was expected, but she was still nervous about all these cameras around them.
They stand side by side with their hands on each other's backs. "You ok?" he whispers.
"Mhm," she nods quickly. Olivia places her free hand in her pocket to force herself to stop picking at her nail polish. Joshua begins rubbing small circles in her back, which she's grateful for. He's doing the simplest of actions just as a nice person, and you're fucking melting. Get a grip!
They both keep looking forward, hoping they'll still have their vision after this carpet walk. Neither know which direction the other is looking; their heads just keep moving to each camera. Everyone kept yelling at them to look 'together' since their eyes were just floating.
"Give me some action, Joshua!" a woman yells.
"Some action? What are you talking about?" he hollers back.
Olivia grins and looks at him, chuckling at the insanity of this event. "I don't know what's happening anymore," she quickly mumbles out.
"I'm, like, fully sweaty; it's not even funny," he says, wiping his forehead.
Olivia chortles once again. It's because of that mop on your head. She knows he's just talking now because nerves are beginning to hit.
"Olivia, Josh, something fun. Give me something fun!" the same woman shouts.
"Fun?" Joshua questions, shrugging. Olivia holds up a peace sign without thinking; he looks over at her and does the same. The pose gradually became their go-to when they didn't know what else to do.
They are soon saved by someone telling them to move on from where they were standing. After more awkward pictures, everyone is ushered inside to witness the first episode of their third season.
Olivia and Joshua end up sitting next to each other. "Are you ok?" Joshua murmurs again. "You know, after all the cameras and yelling."
"Yeah," she breathes. "It was a lot, but... nothing I'm not used to."
"Being used to something and being comfortable aren't the same."
Olivia turns to him. "Trust me. I'm fine now." He only nods, not saying anything else. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"That was quite the, um... event."
Joshua shrugs. "Eh, ok. I'm still sweating like crazy."
She chuckles. She doesn't get to add anything else because the lights start to dim. They both put their arms on the shared armrest at the same time to be comfortable; both of them also instantly retract and blush, resting their hands in their laps instead.
Olivia peeks over at him; his eyes are focused on the huge screen in front of them. She slowly reaches over and places her hand over his. She can feel that she startled him. Joshua looks between their hands and her; she has a smile on her face that he can't resist. He flips his hand over and properly holds her. They remain that way for the whole episode.
Should I stay or let you go?
Will you love me when the curtains close?
Is it just a part we're playing
'Cause it don't feel like we're faking
The premiere was a success. Everyone was ecstatic about the new season, the actors especially. Tim had finally revealed what restaurant he had planned, and everyone began heading there.
It was a fancy room with the entire cast and a majority of the crew. They had already ordered and side conversations had started. Joshua and Olivia end up sitting next to each other yet again, which neither opposes. She isn't sure what to talk about with him in public, so the bulk of her conversation is with Sofia.
"You literally look so fucking hot," Olivia compliments.
"Aww, stop! Look at you! You are literally as tall as me right now. Those heels are stunning."
"I was having a mild panic attack trying to figure out what to wear."
"Wait, when did you decide you were gonna come?"
"Um... when we were filming the finale. I decided I wanted to but didn't know if it was going to work with my schedule at the time, but here we are."
"Well, I'm glad you came. I can't believe you kept it a secret for so long."
Well... "I mean, it's not like it would've slipped in conversation."
The food comes out soon, and everyone is quieter as they begin to eat. Olivia glances over at Joshua's plate and notices he just keeps moving it around. "What'd you get?" she asks.
He shrugs. "I don't know. My diet consists mainly of chicken nuggets, so I let Matt choose for me."
She laughs under her breath. "Two things: one, your diet matches your general childish behavior, so that makes sense; two, you chose Matt to pick your food? You two together don't even make a full adult."
"Hey, how did I get dragged into this?" Matt interjects. "And for your information, I have been taking care of myself for years now."
"Congrats," Olivia deadpans.
"Anyway, it's just salmon," Matt explains. "Don't tell me you've never seen a fish before."
Olivia chuckles to herself as Joshua finally takes his first bite. "How is it?" she wonders.
He shrugs once again. "Ok," he answers.
Matt goes back to eating and his conversation with Julia.
"Seriously though, how is it?" Olivia asks again but quieter.
"Fine. It's not gonna kill me"
"Yeah, but you don't like fish."
Joshua held back his grin. He's surprised she remembers that. "I'll manage for one meal." He takes another bite and grimaces yet tries to hide it; she holds back her semi-proud smile for knowing he disliked it. Joshua likes that he doesn't have to fake anything around her; if they were alone, he could dramatically spit this back onto the plate and go to In N Out with her as the solution.
Olivia soon gives up and continues eating her salad. He lowers his voice and says, "I heard what you said to Sofia."
"Hmm?"
"You didn't tell anyone else you were coming. I assumed they knew."
"Yeah, I wanted it to be a surprise."
"Then why'd you tell me?"
Olivia shrugs and blushes, not able to think of a quick answer. "I needed someone to rant to in preparation."
She sees him smile as he forces down another bite of salmon. "I'll gladly be your rant buddy any time you need."
They both grin as they continue eating. Throughout the dinner, their hands inched closer to each other on the table until their pinkies were hooked together. They almost don't notice it.
Olivia begins to wonder if this civil period between them would continue once all the buzz for season three died down. She had already begun privately working on her second album and knew that that would take up most of her time. She didn't have much knowledge of his plans for the moment but hoped they would still talk (over the phone and in person).
Joshua looks around the table, loving that they were all in the same room for once. He loves all the new characters and storylines that the show has added, but it feels off. They have diverted so much from the original concept and the relationships/dynamics have changed drastically since. He hopes that they'll always be as close as they were before.
He glances over at the girl next to him; she's laughing at a story Dara's telling. He truly hopes there's still a chance for them. He knows it most likely won't be right now, but she is too special to him to just give up on.
Maybe your heart still stops when you see me
Maybe it's worth another try
Better place, better time
Time has absolutely flown. The finale for the third season was about to be released, and the duo was still in contact.
They somehow end up together once again in Olivia's apartment. She is ordering In N Out on her phone while he looks for something to watch. By now, they've been hanging out more times than they can count. There was a silent agreement that they would keep their interactions a secret; neither knew where that came from, but it was what they were doing.
Olivia finally places the order and then joins him on the couch. "What'd you pick?"
Joshua drops his phone, surprised by her voice. "Hmm?"
"For us to watch."
"Oh, I- I'm sorry. I didn't."
"Everything ok?"
He sighs as he lifts his phone again. "I'm stressing myself out with all my songs and deadlines. I'm pretty sure my screen time for the notes app is through the roof. I can't stay focused on one at a time and keep bouncing. I'm sure they don't even make sense."
Olivia places her hand on his thigh and gently squeezes. "Hey, it'll all be ok. It always works out in the end, yeah?"
He glances up at her, and she swears her breathing stops. He doesn't say anything, but she can't either. The look in his eyes is one that she recognizes all too well. She can hear her heart beating in her ears.
Joshua eventually speaks first: "Th- Thanks. You always know what to say."
She only nods, still feeling frozen. "No problem."
A knock on her door interrupts them. Olivia moves to go answer it; their food has arrived. She places the bag as well as two plates on the coffee table and distributes the food. She hates the tense atmosphere and encourages him to find something to watch on the TV.
He eventually comes across Friends and decides to play it. They don't say much as they eat, only occasionally laughing at a scene. Once everything is done, Joshua offers to take the dishes back.
As he was rinsing them off, Olivia couldn't believe that she was back in this position. The memories begin to flood her brain, good and bad. She feels like all the work she put into herself to get over him and move on was slipping away with every interaction. But she is also well aware that he'll always have a piece of her heart, whether he knows it or not.
He comes back and sits directly next to her, just like all the times before. He rests his head on her shoulder this time. She quickly runs her hand through his hair and peeks down to see his reaction, loving how wide his smile is. She throws one arm around him and directs her attention back to the TV. He wraps his arms around her torso, pulling her body closer to him.
Olivia knew in her heart that they had officially stepped into familiar territory once again and that there was no going back. But was it the right time or right thing to do?
When we're underneath the lights,
My heart's no longer broken
For a moment,
Just for a moment
When we're signing side by side,
There's so much left unspoken
For a moment,
Just for a moment
A moment in love (just for a moment)
A moment in love (just for a moment)
But is a moment enough?
Olivia feels her hands shake against the wheel as she drives. She hasn't taken this route in so long, yet it was still easy to remember.
She parks in the driveway, taking deep breaths in her car before getting out. Her heart starts beating faster as she approaches the front door. She rings the doorbell, already picking at her nail polish. She sees someone approach the door through the blurry glass; it's not someone she was expecting.
"Oh. Hi, Olivia."
"Hey, Claire."
"Wow, it feels like forever since I've seen you."
Olivia chuckles nervously. "It kinda has been."
"So, what are you doing here?"
She begins growing more nervous, especially since she is sure that none of his family knows that they've been semi-sneaking around to see each other. "Um, is Josh here?" Please don't ask too many questions.
"Mhm." She moves out of the way and lets her in. "I'm guessing you know where."
"Y- Yeah. Thanks." Olivia smiles at her one more time before moving past her and down the hallway. She stands in front of his door for a second before knocking.
Joshua raises a brow when he hears this. His family was the kind to barge in as they wanted, and he wasn't expecting anyone. "Come in?" he says, confused.
When the door opens, he definitely is not expecting a certain brunette to be on the other side. "H- Hey," he says, sitting up. "Wh- What are you doing here?" He can feel his hands already becoming sweaty.
"I wanted to talk," she answers, shutting the door.
Oh shit. "Ok. What's going on?"
Olivia sits across from him on the bed. He sees her picking at her nail polish and reaches out to hold her hand. She lets him and smiles; he can read her so easily and knows her just as much as she knows herself. "I'm scared," she mumbles. "I- I'm really scared this time."
He almost doesn't hear her. "Of what? What's wrong?"
"Josh... these last couple of months have been... really fun. I mean, I never thought we'd ever talk again, and here we are having conversations nearly every day like before."
Joshua begins growing anxious. "I- I feel like there's a major but coming." Does she not want to talk anymore? Has it become too weird somehow?
She nods, which does not help him. "I know what road we're going down... and I'm extremely afraid of getting hurt again. I- It took me nearly two years to be where I am now, and I don't want to undo everything just for it all to end the same way."
Joshua nods quickly. "Y- Yeah. I agree. Look, Liv, I care about you... a lot. I think it's pretty obvious that you're special to me. But our relationship hurt me more than I could've ever predicted. I don't think either of us deserves that kind of heartbreak again."
"Mhm, which is why I decided to come here and talk."
He looks down sadly and feels tears behind his eyes. "S- So... do you want to st- stop t- talking again?"
She shakes her head. "Not exactly."
He looks back at her and tilts his head. "Then what's this about?"
"Josh, I-" Her voice gets caught in her throat, and she sniffles. Fuck, I can't believe I'm doing this again. She wipes the first tear from her cheek.
"Liv, I don't want to lose you again. I'm not giving up that easily this time."
"N- No, that's not what I'm saying."
"Then talk to me." He rubs his thumb over the back of her hand. "It's ok."
"Joshy... I- I... I love you. I never stopped."
Joshua squeezes her hand and slowly smiles. "I love you too. I have for years."
Olivia lets out a massive sigh of relief, and he scoots closer to her. He wipes her tears with his thumb, and she grins. "Do you think this could work though? We haven't been talking again for that long."
"Time doesn't matter. A- And I do think it's worth another shot. Livvy, you'll always be worth it to me."
"C- Can we make a promise though?"
He nods. "Mhm."
"We're honest with each other and talk out our feelings instead of bottling everything up."
"Yes. I always want to know where your head is at when it comes to us."
"I'm still so incredibly sorry about before."
"Hey, we're gonna start this new thing off right, ok? I promise."
Olivia smiles. "I hadn't realized just how much I missed you until we started talking again."
"Same here. I do have one more question though."
"Ok, shoot."
"Your songs... I listened to each one, not like it was avoidable." He mumbles the last part more to himself, yet she still hears it.
"I'm so sorry about all that by the way."
"Wh- Why did you say it like I broke up with you? It was mutual. I'm not saying it wasn't messy, but I just..."
"I was angry, Josh. I couldn't believe I had just lost the greatest love I'd ever felt. I did some, um, very embarrassing things that night that I'd rather not think about. I kinda thought you would hate me forever after I released my album."
"Livvy... I'm too in love with you to not forgive you."
"I love you so much too. I- I regret so many actions, but I swear to not mess it up this time."
He brings her hands up and kisses the back of both. "So... what happens now?"
Olivia grins brightly. "Well, how about a date?"
"I'd love to."
Joshua moves to sit against his pillows, silently inviting her to join him. She lays next to him and rests her chin on his chest with an arm over his body. Joshua smiles at her adorableness and holds her tightly against him.
"I love you," she beams.
"I love you, Livvy," he says sweetly. He brings a hand up to her face and moves a strand of hair away.
It only takes a moment for them to read each other's minds. They meet in the middle, their lips joining in a soft kiss. Joshua tenderly caresses her cheek with his thumb as he holds her face; Olivia places one hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, while her other holds onto his shoulder. They break apart a moment later because of their bright smiles.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," Joshua admits.
"Yeah. I can't believe this is real."
When we're underneath the lights,
My heart's no longer broken
For a moment,
Just for a moment
🍪🍪🍪
I wanted to try something different with this one since I was following song lyrics. The perspective of each section changes depending on who sings the lines. I wanted to try 3rd person limited for once since everything else I've ever done has been 3rd person omniscient.
I debated doing the whole song or not but then realized that the entire song made a better story.
It's been a year since I finished my book Just for a Moment. Perfect/odd timing for this to be released.
Don't hesitate to leave suggestions, even if it may take a while before they come out.
6787 words
Published August 3, 2023