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Chapter Twenty-Four: "Death Glare Competition."
I STOOD BESIDE GIULIO, tapping my foot anxiously as we waited for our cue to walk into the scene. Jake and Isabella were talking as their characters and everyone's eyes were glued to them.
The movie was coming along great and thinking past on it I was glad that I was given the opportunity to work alongside talented people like them. And the crew itself, I thought, looking at everyone who was peeking in at the production from outside on the screens set up or inside the house as well.
Damn, everyone's looking at this so intensely you'd think something explicit was going on here. Maybe this was normal, but I never really had time to see how everyone else reacted to our acting. I caught Giulio looking at everyone in confusion as well and we exchanged a look before focusing back to the scene.
Over the past couple of days, I had time to process everything Caleb and I had discussed that night. That Caleb of all people had fallen in love years ago, almost a decade ago and the girl he loved died.
Holy fück, I couldn't help but think. What could have been going on through his head at that moment of time or even when he had told me? He was most definitely one of the hardest people to read and get a grasp upon and usually it wasn't hard to do that.
Even Giulio who stood beside me was easy to read. He was evidentially ready to go, chewing on his bottom lip as he waited to hear for our cue with anticipation. But the way his fingers were drumming against his thighs gave me the impression that he was slightly nervous. That's was his tell-tale sign. I knew him for three years, it wasn't hard to understand him.
But Caleb? I couldn't comprehend his mindset. He lost his mom without knowing her. He lost his dad years after. Then he loses someone he loved in a tragic accident.
I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He was laughing as he listened to what AJ was whispering to him. He pointed at where Jake and Isabella sat on the couch, obviously discussing the scene.
He lived alone, in a nice big apartment all by himself. His best friend miles away, along with brother and his family and yet he lives alone in Italy, isolating himself even further. For what purpose? For inspiration to write books? Once again, I called bullshit, there was more to that story- hell there was way more to Caleb overall that no one knew about.
Caleb coughed into his arm, running a hand through his hair. On top of my thoughts, the guy was getting sick. Like majorly sick. If his face turned green and he suddenly threw up all over the set I wouldn't have been surprised.
And the cause of the sickness was probably due to the stress he had been hiding from everyone building up. He had told me of the writing he had had to do all last week and evidentially it's been overwhelming him. But it was Caleb. He wouldn't tell anyone.
He had a box of tissues in his hand and a garbage can next to his chair. 'Just in case' he had told me. On top of that, his nose was red but instead of staying home and getting rest what did Caleb say when someone pointed it out? "Who else is going to bring the donuts?"
Idiot. Adorable idiot, but an idiot, nevertheless.
The same donut he took a huge bite out of, making me shake my head. He's acting like what he had come down with wasn't serious. But when we were getting lunch with a couple of others before meeting here, I didn't miss the wince that came out of his mouth when he was beside me and his hand press to his head unknowingly.
So, on top of the coughing and sneezing, he had a headache. And yet he came.
There couldn't be someone more stubborn to miss something.
But the topics that night were heavier than I expected them to be especially when he told me of Bethany. But I think that had brought us closer, I think to myself glancing at him to find him already looking at me. He gave me a thumbs up and I gave him a thumbs down in response, a frown on my face.
'What?' He mouthed, looking puzzled.
'You shouldn't be here' I mouthed back.
'Why?' Just then Caleb's eyes went wide as he sneezed into his sneeze very quietly as the scene progressed.
'That's why.'
He shot me a sheepish grin, taking tissues out of the box as he proceeded to watch the scenes. I turned my view towards AJ who was watching the scene. Beside him, sat his daughter, Mallory and she was quietly eating food as she watched the scene as well. She looked so cute next to her father, her hair up in a high ponytail. I watched as she whispered something to him and he chuckled, shaking his head.
I felt my emotions shift at that but any sad thought that crept through my mind I pushed back as I tore my eyes away from them and focused on the scene. Giulio was playing with a zipper of his shirt, making a distracting sound as I tried to pay attention to the scene. I swatted his hand away from his zipper, "Stop that."
A sly smile came onto his face as he proceeded to play with his zipper again to spite me and I groaned, pushing his hand away again. "Stop it."
"Bella, chill out."
"Bella, chill out." I mocked lowly and he laughed lowly, a hand on my arm.
He tilted my head up with his fingers and I would have, I would have given in months ago, but I took a step back, very happy that I wasn't distracted by his movement. Not again. Not ever. Not when I knew he still felt something for me, and I didn't feel anything for him remotely romantic. Giulio must have recalled for a split second, the look on my face probably yelling out to him that we were only friends because he put his hand down giving me a soft smile.
I returned it right when I noticed our cue. I walked into the room first to do my scene, getting into character. Giulio followed suit quickly, following my way as we engaged in conversation with Jake and Isabella.
When we ended the day, I sat on the edge of the sidewalk hours later. Nathan sat in the middle of the empty road, not far from me and I pushed his board towards him. I got lost in the routine of us doing this for the past couple of minutes. My mind couldn't stop flashing to Keith and I rubbed a hand against my thigh at the thought of him.
I looked down at my phone as the board left my hand and rolled to Nathan. No text. I let out a breath.
"Oct," Nathan called out to me.
"What?" I asked, staring at my friend. The sun was high in the sky on this bright day of filming that had come to an end. Everyone was started to leave after a long couple of hours, but Nathan and I stayed behind, pushing the board and talking. I felt the rays heat up my skin and while the sun was making me feel like I was in a microwave, they made Nathan's eyes look like the ocean.
"You alright there? It's a pretty day and there's a frown on your pretty face."
"Nathan," I said just as Jake joined us, taking a seat next to me and scrolling through his phone. I was used to Nathan's little comments now that I hung out around him and realized that he did it as naturally as I accidentally flirt with someone. He did it with a ton of the other cast members, commenting on how beautiful their eyes were, on how he liked their voice. This guy opens his mouth and turns on a little bit of his charm and someone could fall for him.
At that, my gaze found itself on Caleb was still holding onto that box of tissues in his hand as he spoke to someone on the patio of the house we used for filming. He was like that too. But there was more allure to him. Maybe it was the tattoos, I figured, struggling to take my gaze off him.
Jake must have noticed because he prodded me with his finger to get my attention. "You're staring again."
I glared at Jake who chuckled in response. Looking at Nathan who must not have noticed who had captured my view, he continued the conversation, genuine concern on his face. Nathan pushed the board back towards me. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"Do you even know what a penny is?" I could help but bite at him and Jake snorted beside me.
"Shut up." I laughed at his response, bringing my legs up to my chest and planting my feet on the board. I wasn't going to tell Nathan that I was expecting to see Keith very soon. Thinking now about it, I didn't tell Angie and Krystal when I should have. I've been so wrapped in my own thoughts of what to say to his face that I somehow, I forgot to. If they saw him, I was even sure what those two would do.
"I have to film and send in my audition tomorrow," I told the two men.
"New movie?" Nathan inquired and I nodded. "Nervous?"
I shook my head. "I'm not."
"Where is filming going to take place when you get it?" Jake asked me.
"Back in LA, according to Erika," I said, in reference to my agent who had decided that she was going to get every single detail about the movie if I got the movie. It would start filming in August, but I needed to get the part first. Apparently, Jake and Erika both had way too much faith in me.
"Who's going to LA?" Giulio sat himself down on the other side of me, looking curious.
"Octavia's going to be doing a movie there," Nathan told him and what I liked about Nathan was that he got along with everyone. Giulio, on the other hand, was sizing him up and I rolled my eyes at that annoying antics.
"If I get the part." I clarified.
"When you get the part." Jake corrected.
"Did you guys have to audition for the roles for this movie?" Nathan questioned,
"Yeah." Jake leaned back, closing his eyes as he embarked in the beautiful day.
Giulio nodded and I frowned as Nathan glanced at me. "I got offered."
"Offered?" Giulio asked, turning to look at me.
"Yeah, my agent, Erika, said that the role was offered, and I took it because I liked it."
"Probably AJ insisted you for it," Jake commented. "You've worked with him before. It makes sense."
I shrugged, "Maybe," I really didn't know the whole story. Erika had handed me the script and told me 'read it'. I never asked questions but when I heard AJ was the director on top of the great script, I had to take it. "What are you guys planning on doing after filming?"
"I told you," Jake said.
"I wasn't talking to you, narcissist." I rolled my eyes, slightly pushing him.
Jake held an arm around me, running a hand through his hair. "It was a general question."
"That wasn't mean for you."
"Anyways!" Jake exclaimed, dramatically getting frustrated with me like he wasn't used to this already.
"Might go into TV again," Giulio admitted.
"Yeah?" I narrowed my eyes at him. We've spoken about him going into television again but I knew Giulio really didn't like that type of dedication. Jake, on the other hand, probably would. He liked routine things.
Giulio nodded and Jake and I looked at Nathan who shrugged. "Probably go back to France."
"Have you ever been to America?" I asked Nathan. He shook his head and I smiled. "You have to come one day."
"And experience the all-American cuisine of 'burgers and french fries'?" He said in an awful American accent that had me laughing at his mockery.
"We got good burgers." I heard Jake mutter, and everyone laughed at his tone.
"I might as well one day. I want to see what the big fuss is with that country. I've never left Europe."
"Never?" Giulio looked interested now especially seeing as he was raised in this very continent.
Nathan shook his head. "Never had enough money when I was younger to fly somewhere else. Vacations to a whole other place were a foreign idea in my family plus there was no real point when we had everything we wanted back home."
I nodded. "Understandable."
"But now I have a little saved up. Octavia, make room for your favourite European." I laughed, sending his board back to him.
"What did you do in France before coming here?" Jake asked Nathan.
The conversation drifted off between the men and I let myself delve into my own thoughts. I expected Keith to show up at my doorstep any single day from now. And while Caleb should confront his own idea of love and move on, so did I.
There was chatter in the air as we continued speaking which made me confused because a lot of people had been starting to leave. I ignored the commotion, figuring that something was ordered after a day of working in the afternoon when we were all used to the night schedules of the movie.
But the increasing buzz in the air got louder and Jake's head perked up along with Giulio as the crowd of people on set surrounded the front of the house, we used for filming not far from where we were sitting on the ground.
"What the fück?"
Just like that, a wholesome conversation came to a sudden end at Giulio's voice.
His head perked up and I watched his nostrils flare and his entire body go rigid as he got up stiffly. When my eyes left Giulio as the source got closer, I froze.
Oh no.
Oh, fücking hell no.
"Keith?" Jake voiced out, confusion laced in his voice. "What the hell?"
He moved through the crowd smoothly, giving everyone his dashing smile as he got closer to where we were seated. I held my breath as he got closer, observing him with every heart I could feel against my chest.
I really didn't help that this was the one day that we were filming in the middle of the day. He sent that smile to everyone he passed with ease as if he had been here a million times and had seen them multiple times before. His tall figure was moved smoothly towards us, his eyes locked on me, his smile dimming just a little bit. He was wearing a grey shirt underneath a jean jacket and black jeans, sunglasses tucked on the neck of his shirt. He always looked good in the sun. With his dark golden skin and that bright smile on his face, Keith Burton was a sight and I'm reminded with why I had fallen for him in the first place.
He knew it too. I could tell by the calmness radiating off of him as we were staring at each other for the first time in months. And for a moment, I'm almost pulled to think about how I would've reacted if we were together.
I could imagine it in my head so vivid as if he had done it right then and there. The kiss he would give me when he would see me at work. How he'd hold me close even while talking to my coworkers and I could see, feel and breathe was him.
I blinked, watching him get closer and closer and everything I had prepared to say to him suddenly flew out of my head.
My improvisation skills drew a blank.
And I, Octavia Okonji, for the first time had no idea what the hell I was going to say.
Shit.
"Why are you here?"
A sigh of relief escaped my mouth and I caught Nathan glance at me before looking at Keith in complete confusion and recognition. Of course, he recognized him, everyone recognized him, that's probably how he got on the set in the first place.
I tore my eyes off Keith, turning towards the source of the person who had voiced the question. Giulio stood, his voice strong as he glared at Keith. At that sight, I almost forgot how the two used to get along. But that was years ago and the only reason they had ever hung around each other was that Giulio was part of the group back in LA and Keith had been with me.
When Giulio stepped in front of Keith, that's when I got up. I had to. Both men, although could be calm cool and collected themselves had short fuses and horrible tempers if the wrong button was pushed. Clearly, the sight of each other was enough for the fire to meet gasoline.
As I rose on my feet, Jake stood with me as I quickly and gently pulled Giulio back to not start a commotion. Especially in front of a lot of people, especially on set. Not here.
"I'm not going to answer you." Keith sneered, looking smug and he glanced at me. When we locked eyes on one another, I pulled away at an instant. That's when everything was suddenly flooded in me that he had betrayed my trust and I suddenly wasn't as fearful of facing him as I had been seconds ago. But I still wasn't sure what to say.
Giulio took a step closer, holding an arm out in front of me. "She doesn't want you here."
I stared at his arm that was blocking me from moving like I was prey and Keith was a predator. He wasn't about to tell me what I wanted.
And that was enough to force me out of the little stupefied figure I had turned into at Keith's presence. A fake smile put on my face at the sight of other people who had started to peer in on the conversation, I pushed Giulio's arm down as gently as people could perceive it. I stood between the two of them. "Keith," I. Really. Just. Said. His. Name. "My dressing room? Giulio-"
Giulio was already heading in that direction and I almost rolled my eyes in front of everyone. The one time he couldn't act for fuck's sake. I don't know who he thought I was, but I didn't need any protection.
We didn't even make it to my actual trailer when Giulio turned on his heels, glaring at Keith. "Why are you here?"
"Who am I to answer you?" Keith scowled.
"Shut up, man." Giulio took a step towards him.
"Can you two-" I rolled my eyes and to make matters worse, I felt another person's presence behind me before I even had the chance to finish my sentence.
"You okay?" Caleb asked me, quietly, both of us watching Giulio and Keith glared at each other.
Pig heads. Absolute fucking pig heads, I couldn't help but think, shoving away even the fact that Keith was here right now. The idiots were too busy throwing mental threats at one another with their eyes. They decided to get on the verge of lashing out and possibly tainting their image. It's like they forgot that they have eyes watching them in public.
And they were going to ruin it because of their pride.
"Men can be so annoying." I shook my head. "I'm fine, Romero. Just-Just give me a second." I tapped Giulio on the shoulder for him to face me, to physically get both of their attention. "Hi, sorry to bother your death glare competition you two seem to be having over here but," I turned to Keith and took a much-needed deep breath before asking, "How did you get here?"
"You planned to meet him here?" Giulio sounded bewildered and I really wished that he could stop talking.
A glare was thrown at Giulio, Keith's eyes softened when he turned to look at me. "I found out where you were shooting, and I decided to come and see you as soon as I landed."
His voice grew softer by the end of that sentence, and I could see Giulio roll his eyes at Keith's tone. Hell, I would have rolled my eyes at his tone, but I was more concerned with the fact that I needed to recollect myself because he was here. In Milan. On set.
This was the first time I was seeing Keith Burton in months.
And he has the nerve to make his voice like that and tilt his head in a way that would usually suck me right into the world that was him. But I wasn't that person anymore.
Giulio interrupted anything I had to say when he spat out, "For what reason?"
Keith glowered at Giulio. "Because we were going to talk. Clearly, you couldn't tell since you impulsively decided to get in my face."
"Talk? You don't deserve to talk to her, you piece of shit."
"Oh, please and you do?" Keith got in Giulio's face and if that action didn't anger Giulio even more by the way he curled his fingers into a fist, I don't know what else would have. "You deserve to be with her? She doesn't love you. She'll never love-"
"Stop talking." I heard Giulio say and his anger was reaching the surface at this point waiting to burst. I couldn't hear anyone near my trailer, giving me the notion that people weren't aware of what was going on, but my eyes caught onto Jake's a good distance away. He moved along, possibly getting someone for what was about to happen. I knew what was going to happen and I made no move to intervene.
"Does it hurt to hear that?" Keith continued, trying to ridicule Giulio and my heart sunk for Giulio now. He didn't need to hear that. "Like I couldn't tell you were in love with my girlfriend?"
"She's not yours anymore," Giulio said in a calm tone that I recognize. He was a second away from snapping but my anger that had been targeted at Keith suddenly split between both of them for what they were saying to one another as if I wasn't right here.
"Well, she was never yours, to begin with," My idiot of an ex-boyfriend could not stop talking, egging Giulio on. "She doesn't feel shit for you. How does that feel?"
My eyebrows rose at the words coming out of both of their mouths. I wasn't anyone's to begin with, I wanted to say to them, but their ego boosted heads that had grown so large in the past couple of minutes were not going to hear me.
Keith got in Giulio's face at this point and Caleb wrapped his hand around my wrist, not pulling me anywhere but preparing himself for what would possibly be yet to come.
Giulio opened his mouth up to speak before shutting it. I saw him glance at me once before leaning in and punching Keith straight across the face. My eyes went wide in shock and Caleb quickly yanked me back just as the two sprawled out of our feet.
My eyes stayed on them as they clawed at each other. I didn't move. I didn't want to. They wanted to do this to themselves. To fight it out like I was some type of prize and I didn't care. If they wanted to do that in public where people could possibly see them then let them. I wasn't moved on either side. What I was staring at was a product of pure stupidity, I decided.
"Fucking bïtch." Giulio spat out at him, holding Keith against the ground.
"I'm a bïtch? Have you seen yourself, you desperate-"
"Can you two shut the fück up?" I heard Caleb say, walking towards them as they continued their spew of insults towards one another. Caleb was the one who was fed up with them as much as I was, a box of tissues in one hand and his other pressed to his head. I was reminded of the headache he had told me he had earlier, and this was not making it any better.
"Giulio, let him go." Caleb groaned, not even bothering to allow Giulio to proceed with the action himself. Caleb grabbed Giulio by the arm and managed to pull him away from Keith, getting them a good couple feet away from each other.
Keith looked at Caleb, puzzled. Both him and Giulio were breathing hard, but my eyes stayed on Caleb. "Who the hell are you?"
"That's not important," Caleb sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. He looked as tired about this as much as I am. "Look, we get it. You're both clearly not over Octavia. Don't look at me like that I know why I said both." He directed the last part of that sentence to me.
He kept his eyes on Giulio. "You. She doesn't love you. For some reason, she only wants you as a friend. Move on, you're not only holding her back but yourself."
"And you," He pointed at Keith with his index finger, his body stiff and it was clear that he was angry looking at him as much as I was. "You're never going to get her back. She's way too good for you and she's most definitely not stupid enough to get back together with you. Obviously, that's the main reason why you agreed to come all the way here from America and why you kept bugging her with your persistent phone calls. But face it, you're a prick. Actually, you're both pricks."
"What-"
"Not, what," Caleb groaned once again, both his hands on his head. "What is wrong with some of you people? Some you are so dense in the toxic environment you surround yourself in. Like in your head you think cheating is normalized. It's not. It's wrong. You hurt her and now you realized what you lost. Let's face it. Octavia's not stupid. She's smarter and way more beautiful for you to even see. So, get over it. She doesn't love either of you."
At the end of his word,s I let out a long breath I didn't know I was holding, my eyes on Caleb. He was right and by the look on Keith's face, Caleb was spot on the reason why he came here. But even if Keith wanted to get me back, I didn't care. I still had to talk to him and move on like I had wanted to in the first place.
Caleb sighed one more time, closing his eyes for a moment. Keith opened his mouth to speak one more time and Caleb groaned out loud, this time it was a long and tired one. He opened his eyes, glancing over to where Jake trailed behind a security officer and put his hands up in exasperation. "Thank you. No one has time to deal with this today."
The security guard, Tom, I remembered was his name glanced at me. "Everything okay here?"
No. But it will be, I said to myself, take a deep breath to contain my own anger at the two of them.
My thoughts were cut off when I fixed my gaze on Caleb. His head was hung low and his breathing was slightly laboured as he rubbed his hands over his face as if to stay awake. "Caleb?" I asked in a low voice, I put my hand on his face to get him to look at me. I never took in how tired and red his eyes were. I pressed a hand to his head. "Fuck, you're burning up. C'mon."
"What's wrong?" Jake asked, then he looked at Caleb. "You look like shit." Jake pressed a hand to Caleb's head as well before concluding, "Dude, you got a fever."
"Jake?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind taking Caleb to his car? I'll drop him off at his house or something."
Jake's eyes flickered over to Giulio who sat on the ground like a child who didn't get the cookie he wanted. His eyes moved over to Keith, who stood still, assessing Giulio as if he was about to spring himself onto him. Jake's eyebrows rose at the scene in front of him. "Yeah, sure."
Jake tapped Caleb on the shoulder, nodding for Caleb to follow him. Caleb glanced at me, looking tired and I had a feeling that if he stayed here any longer, out in the bright sun any longer, he was going to throw up.
"Go," I told him and he hesitantly moved along with Jake, rubbing at his face.
I clenched my hands into fists as the security guard, Tom, came close to me. I stopped him, "It's fine. They'll behave."
"What-" Giulio decided to talk right then and there I shot him down with a hard glare, shutting him up fast.
"You'll behave and not act like a piece of shit right now," I told him, my heart beating hard in my chest.
Giulio scoffed, standing and I was glad he didn't roll his eyes at me because if he did, I wasn't going to tolerate his childish attitude. While I knew where he was coming from and why he had snapped like the way he had done, my blood was boiling.
The security guard disappeared, and I was glad that filming was over for the day as everyone around us was packing up and disappearing into the house and walking over to their cars parked a good distance away. I caught Nathan's eyes, but I stayed silent, hoping the two idiot men around me wouldn't say a word.
Nathan gave me a small smile and I returned it as everyone slowly but surely disappeared from the area. Making sure that no one was watching, I walked over to the house, and sure enough, the two followed me inside. I muttered in a low voice. "If the two of you fight again, I swear I will never speak a word to either of you again." I threatened and they both didn't say anything. They didn't have to. I knew they would oblige.
Moving past the cameras and people that were still lingering around, I opened a bedroom door. Keith went through first, and I stopped Giulio with my hand. "Give me a moment."
"Oct-"
"Give me a moment." I didn't give him a chance to say anything, shutting the door behind me and in his face. On top of everything, he didn't think that I could talk to Keith alone without him being around like I needed some type of protection. I didn't even think I could do that but the fury rising inside of me didn't allow me to care.
I faced Keith, taking a deep breath as my anger disappeared but he was still burning. He dusted himself off, "Fucking psychopath."
"Don't call Giulio that," I said to him, my eyes on his face. I wasn't even searching for any bruises or anything like I probably should have done. I was too busy looking at his face that was so familiar. He didn't change much. The only main difference was the way his hair was styled which was strange because he was so used to one hairstyle.
Keith looked appalled at my words. "You're defending him?"
"You both said stupid things. You didn't have to mention-I'm not defending anyone. But I'm not here to talk to you about Giulio." I told him.
Keith seemed to calm down at my words, shoving his hands into his back pockets. "Yeah." He agreed.
"I don't want to talk here," I told him, crossing my arms. When I realized that wasn't going to hide the slight shake of my fingers, I locked my hands behind my back. I wasn't entirely sure why my hands were shaking. I had time to process that Keith was standing in front of me but it could have been from the anger building up inside me from their words.
"Where then?"
"I told you I'll text you my address we can talk there. Not here." I didn't know how this conversation was going to go now. Even staring at him, I was surprised at myself for knowing how to form words at the sight of him.
But I meant it. I didn't want to talk to him here. Keith and I together? I already knew someone had caught a picture of it. There would be talk and I really didn't want to spark up any interest the media will have at the two of us together in the same place. Besides, this was as unpredictable as it could get, and I didn't need a single person to hear it.
"What time?" He asked, his eyes on me.
"I'll tell you when," My mind flashed to Caleb's sickness due to the overload of stress. He was by himself in that apartment, there was no way in hell I was going to let him be by himself for the next couple of hours. "I just have to deal with a couple of things."
"Got it." Keith took a step closer to me and with that notion, I impulsively took a step back. Shit, shit, shit why did I do that?
He looked surprised by my action too, but I didn't change my expression or my tone, opening the door. "I'll see you later."
"Octavia."
"I will see you later." I sounded as if I was pleading but I really didn't know what else I would say, and I wanted him out of here now. As fast as possible and it wasn't helping to have him near me.
"Oct-"
I pulled on the same look whenever we were bound to get into an argument. I really didn't want to hear anything else he had to say. Keith nodded, and Giulio entered the room, watching him leave. He closed the door behind him, turning to face me. "What?"
"What do you mean, 'what'?"
"You invited him here?" Giulio rose an eyebrow, his hands out. "Voluntarily? I'm sorry, did you suddenly forget that he cheated on you?"
"I'm sorry," I mimicked. "It's not as if I suffered amnesia for a good two seconds. I remember what he did. But you didn't have to fight him."
"He's a dïck."
"And?" I wasn't disagreeing, I was saying this for his sake. "I don't care. You didn't have to swing. You didn't have to do anything."
"I did it for you." He confessed.
"I don't need protecting like that Giulio. You know that."
Giulio rolled his eyes because he knew that he didn't just get into chaos with Keith because of me. "Why is he here?"
"That's not what I'm talking to you about."
"Why is he here?" Giulio repeated, wanting to get straight to the point and I glowered at him. He reciprocated, evidentially not wanting us to end this conversation without me telling him the reason.
Leave it to me to get into one of these ridiculous death glare battles with Giulio. "I'm talking to him because I need to."
"You're going to get back together with him?"
That question coming out of Giulio's mouth stunned me for a second and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why would I do that?"
"You're talking to him after all he put you through-"
"Lio, I want to get past what he put me through. That's why I'm talking to him. Not to take him back or whatever type of fückery you think is going on in your mind."
"That's why he's here. You know that though, right? To try and get you back into that stupid toxic relationship you ended up having because the bastard cheated on you only god knows how many times-"
"Yes, our relationship was not a good relationship whether he cheated on me or not. I always kept crawling back to you, don't you recall? And you'd do the same exact thing! So no, don't come at me with going back to a toxic or whatever relationship, I know what it was. I loved him but I'm not talking to him only to take him back. Remember that."
"I hope you do."
"What?" He did not just tell me that. He didn't.
"I hope you remember that," He repeated as if I didn't hear him the first time. " You know what Keith does to you. You're going to turn into this vulnerable person in his presence. Watch."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Talking to him here for like three seconds was fine for you," Giulio leaned back against the door, crossing his arms. "You were angry. That's different but alone when you've calmed down? You think you're ready to be alone with him?"
I took a couple of steps towards Giulio, tilting my head up to look at him, beyond irritated by now. "Don't tell me what I am and am not capable of doing."
"I know you." He argued.
"You clearly don't." I fumed. The bullshit spewing out of this man's mouth right now left me frustrated and I wasn't about to snap. Not here. Not at my workplace.
"You know what? I can't talk to you anymore." I decided, moving past him to leave the room.
"Octavia." He stood at the front of the door and I stared at him.
"Giulio, get out of my way before we both say something we're going to regret." I didn't want to lose Giulio as a friend, and I understood where his words were coming from, but I hated them right now and I didn't want to hear anything else he had to tell me.
He stared at me a second longer before stepping to the side. I moved past him, opening the door and leaving the room. I didn't look at anyone's face as I exited the house and made my way towards Caleb's car.
I found Caleb seated in the passenger seat, his eyes closed as he leaned his head against the window. He mumbled something towards me as I sat in the driver's seat. I leaned towards him to hear what he was saying just as he repeated it. "You're going to drive my car?"
"Yes."
"You can drive?" He questioned lowly and I shot him a glare. He let out a tired laugh. "I'm sorry, it's a good question. I've only seen you walking from place to place or using a driver. Never driving yourself."
"I'm capable of driving a car," I told him, starting it up and glancing at him. He was holding the box of tissues to his chest and I frowned. I really wished he had stayed at home, but his stubborn mind wasn't going to allow that.
"Oh, look at that she knows where to insert the key." He mumbled, a sly smile creeping on his face.
"Fück off." I laughed and joined me, twisting his head and slouching his body, his eyes still closed. "You tired?"
He let out a soft breath, "Exhausted."
I reached out, placing my hand on his head and wasn't surprised by the temperature radiating off his body. "Jesus, you really are heating up."
"That's what happens when you get a fever." He muttered and I jabbed him in the stomach. Caleb didn't flinch but he let out a low groan. "What was that for?"
"For still being a sarcastic dick even in a state of vulnerability," I said, whilst brushing his hair out of his face. "I'll take you back to the villa. You can sleep there."
"Yeah?" He asked quietly, his eyes shut as he leaned his head against the window.
With my hand still combing his hair out of his face, I said, "Yeah, I figure someone else needs to take care of you."
"And you're getting stuck with the job?" He coughed into his arm and I retracted my hand.
"No," I playfully scoffed as I started driving. "I'm going to spring your ass on Angie and Krystal."
Caleb groaned lowly, reaching over to flick me on the nose because of my words. Even sick he was trying to be annoying. I swatted his hand away, trying to keep my focus on the road, "Do you want to die? Don't flick me."
He chuckled, curling into a ball as best as he could on the seat. "Sorry."
"No, you aren't," I muttered but a smile came to my face anyways.
"You didn't talk to Kenny yet, right?" Caleb mumbled so lowly that I strained to hear him.
"Not completely. Let's just get you rested, Romero." I told him.
A series of coughs left Caleb's mouth and flew into his sleeve as he put his arm up and groaned against it, leaving his arm there. He moved his arm slightly and I looked at him for a brief second to find him staring at me. "But you're going to."
"He came all the way from America to talk to me about whatever the hell he wants to talk to me about," I said to him as if Caleb hadn't said the reason out loud moments ago. "And I have to anyways. Don't want it to seem like a waste, right?"
Caleb hummed in agreement, his eyes moving towards the view on his window side as he coughed again into his sweater. I, on the other hand, kept my gaze ahead and my fingers tightened on the steering wheel so hard that when I took my hand off, the print stayed against my fingers.