Burning Out

50- nineteen & twenty-one *

Song- Video Games by Lana Del Ray

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"So it's getting serious then, huh?" Noémi says, trying her hardest to suppress the grin wanting to escape her lips as her eyes stay set on my neck.

I slap my hand up to my neck, trying my best to conceal the hideous marks that Leonardo left on me yesterday.

I frown at Noémi as we sit opposite in the café she spends most of her time in. She insisted on bringing me out this afternoon for coffee considering we've barely had any time to see each other recently.

I've taken the decision to not tell her about the significance of today. Nobody else seems to notice either so I've decided to just keep quiet and go by with life like it's a regular day.

"Stop it. Just because he's given me a few... hickeys, doesn't mean it's getting serious," I tell her confidently, bringing the mug to my lips to take a sip.

Leonardo ended up going back to his place with Mia pretty shortly after we drove home. He refused to wear any of Olly's clothes, and Olly refused to let Leonardo wear any anyway, so he had to go home so that he could change.

Olly ended up giving me the silent treatment for about an hour or two, seeming more angry about the fact that it was in his car rather than the fact it was with Leonardo. I'm impressed, to say the least, with the development that he's not trying to tell me who I can and can't sleep with anymore. After the two hours was up, he gave in and ran to my room to watch a film with me on my bed. It was nice, I feel like I haven't done much with any of them recently.

"Not just the hickeys," Noémi adds, eyeing me suspiciously.

"So what are you talking about then?"

"You seem... smitten around him," she shrugs, glancing around the room casually, "It's nice."

"Smitten? Nice? What are you going on about?" I frown.

"So you're not happy when you're around him? You don't have any feelings towards him? Girlie, come on," she pushes, raising her eyebrows and tipping her head to the side.

"Well... no. You're right. I like him, I think," I admit shyly, feeling my face heat and embarrassment crawl from my skin.

"You think? Babe, it's obvious," she laughs, reclining into her seat now she's absorbed my confession.

"Is it really? Do you think?"

"Oh, definitely. I'd be surprised if there was anyone who thought you weren't actually together. You're both seem so in— happy," she settles on, as if she can't find the right words to say.

"Do you think that he might, you know, do you think he can tell I like him?" I ask nervously.

"Probably not, boys are oblivious," she shrugs, sipping her drink and I watch her lips curve into a smile on the rim of the mug when she breaks away to speak again, "But, I'm not oblivious. It's obvious that he likes you as well."

"What?" I almost choke on my drink, throwing my head forward slightly.

"Apparently you are oblivious though," she frowns.

"I just— it's— I dunno," I sigh.

I should know. Now that I think about it, every sign is there. He literally called me his yesterday. If that's not big enough of a sign then I don't know what is.

Noémi watches me fondly, as if she can see the recognition finally processing in my brain.

"I guess there's the possibility that you could be right," I shrug. I don't want to overthink and exhaust my brain when there's the chance that Noémi is wrong and Leonardo sees me as nothing but a coworker. Life is confusing.