1.1 | daunting medleys

fifty-three | like ecstacy

Tabitha stiffened involuntarily. She didn't know if she felt was apprehension, or shame. She hadn't had the time nor the want to process what happened. It was a dark cloud that lingered behind her mind, and past the joy that came from Oliver liking her.

"Or you don't want to talk about it? We could talk about what I have planned for our date?" He said, bashfulness creeping into his words. Tabitha's cheeks burnt, and she lifted her head to smile at him. Their hands were still wrapped around each other, and his hands were soft and warm.

Taking a deep breath, Tabitha took off the last of his rings, twisting it as she pushed it on her finger. "No, it's okay. I can talk about it." He placed a kiss on the top of her forehead. Perhaps in silent motivation, and it was meant to be calming, but her body trembled and she was sure her breathing was very audible. "I woke up pretty early that day. Because I was in so much pain. I... I tried to move, but my head was being held down by someone. I opened my eyes to see my mum, and her elbows were on my hair. I usually sleep with a bonnet on, but she took it off, I guess." She paused, shrugging like the thought of that day didn't send fear to grip her body.

"What did she want?" Oliver asked, hands tightening against her for a second.

"To warn me. I was struggling, and crying and she was trying to warn me that I shouldn't say anything about what she's done to me. I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't want the burden of ruining their marriage on my conscience, but she didn't believe me. Made me say it out loud that I won't say anything to my dad or Talia. Then she left. Like she didn't do anything." There was dread in her heart, and she felt her eyes slowly blur. Tabitha's body trembled with fear, as her mind fought to remind her that her mother wasn't here. She could speak. It was fine, but her body wasn't listening.

Oliver turned her face to his, with trembling hands, and kissed her face, her nose, her chin, and her cheeks. He finally let his lips brush her hairline. Giving her the softest of kisses. Everything paused, and his breathing deepened. "You know, Tabitha. You are the strongest person I've ever met." When she opened her mouth to refute, he fixed her with a deep stare. "Don't. I hate hearing you demean yourself. When everyone knows that everything that comes out of your pretty little mouth is a horrible lie. You are strong, and tenacious. Everything in you is made of strength, and fire. I just wish you'd see that."

Tabitha didn't say anything, just burrowed into his warm embrace, eyes reddened.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "But there's more, I guess."

"Oh." Then he let her finish hugging him, then joined their hands again. "Does it hurt?"

Tabitha shook her head. "It doesn't hurt if I don't put pressure on it. I couldn't brush my hair today so I just decided to put it in a bun." She murmured, playing with his hands. Tabitha loved his hands, as she did for the rest of his body. They were soft, and always warm. Lithe fingers, graceful. Just like him. Her Oliver. 

"Do you want me to give you a head massage? Anytime I'm having a bad day my mum gives me one, and I am pretty good at it." She chuckled and nodded, through burning cheeks. He sat comfortably, his head against the headboard. Tabitha laid against his lap, head resting comfortably on his legs, as her legs hung over the edge of the bed. His fingers dove to remove the clasp on her hair, and when she winced, he stopped. Apologising quietly, he let his hands slither into her hair, applying soft pressure on her aching scalp.

Tabitha had inadvertently, let out a small groan. The entire room went silent, heatedly silent and she refused to meet his eyes.

"What happened after that?" He asked, voice soft.

Tabitha cleared her throat, to rid it of the lump that had gathered. "Then I knew I was about to have a panic attack. I was terrified, and I wasn't thinking straight." She paused, her eyes closed as Oliver's fingers worked into her hair. "So I managed to sneak out of the house, and called my therapist. We agreed to meet at a park close to her house, and in my frazzled state, I made it there, sobbing, and she didn't say anything. Just held me. She asked me what was wrong, and I told her."

"Your mother didn't see you?" Oliver's presence had a way of calming her down, and she was evidently shocked that her throat wasn't trying to constrict, or that she wasn't shaking in fear as she spoke about what had happened.

She shook her head. "But my dad was worried, and scared. Lisa convinced me to tell him where I was, and I did. He came, and everything after that was a big blur. I think he knows, and my mum knows too because she signed divorce papers and ran away." Tabitha didn't elaborate, but she knew that Oliver understood, and was sympathetic. He didn't say anything for a while, and she was grateful that he didn't, because she didn't want to speak about her mother again, but he was there. With her. And it was all that mattered.

"Is Pierce in town?" 

Oliver paused to look at her, and when he did, she almost stopped breathing. His lashes were long and thick, and his eyes were a soft grey, almost iridescent. His fair cheeks reddened, and his breath fanned her face, before looking at her hair.

"Better?" He whispered, and she nodded, afraid to say anything that would disturb the tender silence that reigned between them. "Um, yeah. He got in about two days ago. His management is really cool. They're helping sell tickets, and we're looking at a possible 250+ people attending." Tabitha smiled, at the good news but his eyebrows furrowed, and her heart sank. "But Ariana's dad's hall only holds 100 so somehow, Pierce and his crew managed to convince Principal Walker to let us have the fundraiser in the auditorium. Everything's fine. We handled it perfectly." She let out a sigh of relief, glad at the news for the orphanage.

Tabitha caught her lower lip between her teeth when his finger soothed a particularly painful spot on her head. "What about your song? Are you still okay with him using it?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I didn't want anyone to sing the song before I did, because it means a lot to me. But I'm willing to sacrifice, so yeah. I'm cool with it, we've actually been practicing with his guitar in his hotel. Pierce is a really good musician, so I'm confident he'll learn the all words to the song sooner or later." Oliver removed his hands from her hair, and she lifted her head from his lap.

"Thank you." Tabitha wasn't referring to just the massage but for everything he'd done for her, since they became friends.

Oliver's greys softened, and he flicked her forehead, making her heart stutter.

"It's no problem at all, princess." He cracked his knuckles, and she fought the urge to smile. "Now, your birthday's tomorrow, right?"

Tabitha, then remembered, that she turned eighteen the next day so she nodded. She turned to Oliver, wondering where he was going with it. She eyed him cautiously, and he just smiled at her, and she almost melted into the bed. There's something extremely addicting about his smile, about him, like ecstasy that quickly filled her veins until she believed she could float away.

"Would you let me take you out on a date tomorrow?"

She could feel her cheeks heat, and she nodded. "I'd love to."