First of all, Happy belated Easter! (hugs)
Thanks to all the lovely friends who've voted and commented, you guys really are the best. Keep it up. Also, thank you so much for making With or Without You, and other works of mine to show up on the hot list. I can't explain how loved and blessed I have been feeling because of you all.
Santa Claus.
He had called her Santa Claus! Elli looked at the mirror in her steamy bathroom. How did she resemble that old, fat guy who carried a sack full of gifts? Did she have white beard? Or had she ever yelled - ho ho ho?
Oliver was just so full of crazy shit. Elli decided leaning away from the now foggy mirror which no more showed reflection of her confusing self.
Whirling around, Elli again stepped under the shower head that she had abandoned midway of her shower to have another look at her face in the mirror.
This mushy sort of confusion remained within her since she had enjoyed the snow fall outside the hospital. And this confusion just happened to set fire into the funny feelings in her stomach along with those freaking galloping beats of her heart whenever she thought of him. Oh, and also, how can she forget about the dreams she's having. Yes, three days had passed, and Elli had found herself in a routine of having dreams every single night of that particular memory. Oliver and her in the night street standing under the open sky as the heavens poured upon them million tiny, soft flecks of freezing snow.
Something had changed that night.
That Elli was sure of. But she couldn't for the love of God point on what exactly that change was.
The moment Elli came out of the bathroom and reached for her favorite pajamas kept on the bed, her phone started ringing.
"Now who is it at this hour?" Murmuring to herself Elli picked her phone up that was thrown carelessly earlier beside the pajamas.
Emma.
The name brought a smile to her lips. Putting the phone on loudspeaker she kept it back on the bed while fishing for her pajamas.
"I know, I know, you want to yell at me because I'm still not on my way to Boston. But Emma," Before giving Emma a chance to speak, Elli began blabbering, it was better this way, because the other way was to get scolded at by her best friend. "you know the condition that Shavanah is in."
Emma's sigh could be heard through the loud speaker. To Elli, it strangely felt like that Emma was right here in person, and they were talking like they used to in the past, for hours. She never thought she would find such a nice friend in her land lady, but life was just full of unexpected turns. And Elli loved all those unexpectedness.
"I know, Elli." Emma said in a understanding tone. "But you told me yourself that Shavanah's sister has come to stay with her until she got well. And also, wasn't she supposed to get discharged already like I was told?"
"Oh yeah." Elli clucked her tongue. "But I haven't yet told you about the recent developments, have I? Also, the doctors have decided to keep Shavanah under observation for a few more days."
"Oh, I hope she gets well soon... but hey, recent developments? Is there anything that I should worry about?" Emma asked with genuine worry.
"When it's Oliver that's connected to those recent developments, then yes, you should worry, Emma. You know what, that fool had apparently made friends with Shavanah's sister, they keep on tittering about nonsense outside Shavanah's cabin all the time. And there's this nurse that had also joined the band wagon, that hospital is just so full of unprofessional people, I tell you, Emma." Elli breathed out in exasperation.
It was only a moment later when Elli realized that she had gone from talking about Shavanah not getting discharged to Oliver and Shavanah's sister's friendship along with Oliver and Lily - the sweet nurse's disturbing closeness.
Elli felt like stomping like a child. Why should she have to think about these insignificant things so much?
"And that is a thing to worry about, Elli, why?" Emma asked the question with the obvious hint of smile in her tone.
For one of the rare times in life, Elli fell quiet.
And hearing the silence and palpable tension from her friends side, Emma decided to move forward with the topic she had called Elli for to discuss about in the first place. She informed Elli that her fiance - Brandan had arranged their tickets to ship them off to Boston at the end of this week.
"Remember, Elli, you and Oliver are supposed to plan the whole party. So, come here on time, okay?" The commanding tone of Emma made Elli raise a brow, but she smiled anyway. This friendship with Emma was one of the best things that happened to her.
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Getting done with work earlier that day, Elli flew out of the office making Chris frown at her in amusement. But she could care less.
It was the day Shavanah was going to get discharged, and both her and Oliver had decided to help the old woman get home while Shavanah's sister would be waiting for them to arrive back home.
Elli was walking down the corridor shifting her bag from one shoulder to the other. But as she neared Shavanah's cabin, a fit of giggles and laughter of familiar voices made her halt on her steps and look up.
There, Oliver was listening to Lily's heart beats with a stethoscope.
"Are you sure, Lily, that you're alive? Because your heart isn't making a single noise."
"Oh, Oliver, it's time you knew that I belong to the dead."
Another fit of giggle. Elli gritted her teeth.Clutching and unclutching her fists, she made her way towards the cackling pair. It was then, Lily and Oliver noticed her.
"Hey, so the busy bee's here finally!" Oliver exclaimed grinning broadly at Elli.
Putting on a fake smile, Elli said as normally as she could, "Let's get the paper-works done now."
Oliver seemed to notice that Elli was avoiding looking directly at his eyes, it made his grin falter.
"Uh... yeah, sure, let's go." Oliver said and then he cheered looking back at Lily. "Lily here is going to help us with those papers and forms, isn't that so sweet of her?"
Elli watched how Oliver and Lily smiled at each other.
"She is." Her grave tone in a low voice got unnoticed this time by the other two.
Elli watched as Lily began saying something in dramatic details to Oliver about taking care of a heart patient. To Elli, it felt like Oliver and Lily were in a bubble, and she was just a outsider, standing in the sideline. And she realized that she always stood in sidelines when it was about Oliver.
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Oliver sat in the plush leather chair across the desk in his office. He munched on the burger hungrily, it was lunch time, and he loved lunch time, especially when he was given the sacred responsibility to manage the whole group of companies in the city while his boss, Mr. lover-boy Brandan Rozario had swept his lover-girl off her feet and carried her back home at Boston. These Billionaire heirs had strange dramatic lives, that Oliver had learnt in the past years.
Thank the heavens that I'm not one of them, Oliver thought and grinned through a mouthful of food.
Someone gasped from the door.
Oliver's eyes darted towards the sound to see his secretary standing there, she was pinning him with an amused look. Quickly, Oliver managed to swallow down everything that he had in his mouth.
"Clara, come in, sweetheart." He gestured her to come in.
"Uh, sir, Mr. Rozario is on line two. You need to pick it up." Saying that Clara walked out shaking her head.
Oliver shrugged and picked up the receiver, it had been ringing since a while now, but...
"Yes, boss?" Oliver's tone was nonchalant.
"What the hell, Oliver! Why aren't you picking up your phone or any other phone in your office?" Came Brandan's highly irritated tone from the other side.
"No need to get so hyped up, jeez... I was just having my lunch." Oliver glanced at the rest of his burger, so tempting.
"But you're in the office, you're supposed to pick up important calls."
"I'm in the office alright, but that doesn't mean I can't eat in peace." Oliver retorted back.
He heard Brandan grunt from the other side, and then he seemed to breath heavily a few times.
Oliver raised a brow. "Are you having sex, buddy? Say hi to Emma."
"No! Shut the f*** up!" Brandan seemed to be getting seriously angry this time. "I'm in the office, damn it."
For a moment Oliver thought to ask if he was having sex in the office then, but then he chose the otherwise and asked in stead, "So, what have you called me for? The deal with the Syncs' is nearly done, and I've taken care of all the other little projects as well... but you were already informed of them, right?"
"I haven't called you for any work related issue actually."
"Then what?" Oliver went back to chewing another bite of his burger, the temptation had won.
"It's... it's about the homecoming party." Brandan said unsure.
"Hmmm..." Oliver hummed, his one hand held the burger while the other the receiver to his ear.
"I want to propose her that day..." the sentence was left hanging the air.
The burger fell from Oliver's hand as he exclaimed in a shocked tone, "I thought you had already asked her, man. Didn't you buy the ring a month ago?"
"Yeah, well... I have been actually waiting for the perfect time." Brandan seemed really nervous at this point. "I don't know how long that ring would have to stay hidden inside my shoe box." Brandan finished with a frustrated sigh.
Oliver seemed silent for a long minute, clearing his throat he said afterwards, "Listen to me very carefully, friend, this perfect time never appears on its own, it needs to be created in stead. Besides, in my opinion, imperfect times are more interesting anyway. But hey... you hid that engagement ring in a shoe box out of all places? Seriously?"
Ignoring the last part of Oliver's lecture, Brandan said, "You're a fool generally, Oliver, but in dire times no one else can speak more sense than you. Thanks, man."
The line went dead with loud beeping noise. Moving the receiver away from his ear, Oliver stared at the object with a blank look trying to decipher whether he had just been praised or insulted.
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The homecoming party is not very far. And with that awaits the upcoming destruction. Let's see how things unfold...
Pls don't forget to vote and comment if you're enjoying the story so far. Let me see your support and love through your words and votes, I'll not just appreciate it but love it. Authors too need encouragement after all. :)
Lots of love,
Lara.