Since the Beginning / Sam Kiszka

Chapter 5: Homeward Bound

 I entered the AirBnb, the taste of Sam still on my lips, the phantom feeling of his hands on my body lingering. This goodbye felt different than the one in Paris. I didn't feel this soul-crushing loneliness, like I could never be whole without him like I had at our last goodbye. Of course I was sad and disappointed that our affair had to end, but it truly felt like I had let go. The memory was on the shelf, shining brightly.

The inside of our rental looked the same as it had before, but there was a musty stench that hung in the air. I made a face of surprise and slight disgust, quickly realizing that it was the same scent I had smelled in Sam's hotel room earlier. I smirked, immediately searching for Olivia.

"Liv?" I called. I was a little confused that I couldn't see her, there weren't many places for her to hide in the small space. I didn't hear a response. I walked in, and past the bathroom, where I heard the shower running quietly behind the door.

I was growing antsy waiting for her, I had been awaiting this conversation for far too long. I needed the juicy deets, and I needed them right then and there. I sat down on the comfy chair, crossing my arms and tapping my foot impatiently.

Finally, I heard the faucet squeak off, the stream turning into a drip as the last drops left the shower head. I waited a couple more agonizing minutes, and at long last she appeared wrapped in a fluffy white towel. Her eyes lit up upon seeing me.

"May!" She said with an excited grin. "You have so much to tell me!"

I stood up, arms still crossed, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Actually," I replied with a snarky smirk, "I think you have so much to tell me,"

Her face dropped not even momentarily. It was almost undetectable, but I knew her too well for her to be able to hide that from me.

"What are you talking about?" She asked with an uncertain innocence.

"Well," I began, "I was having breakfast with Sam in the lobby this morning, and I happened to see a certain Jake Kiszka walk in wearing the same clothes as he walked you home in."

Her face dropped noticeably this time, cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. It was rare that I saw Olivia like that, with me having the upper hand. It felt satisfying.

"Oh," Was all she could muster up. She gulped before opening her mouth again. "Are you mad?"

I furrowed my brow, puzzled as to why she would think that, but my face quickly smoothed itself, as I burst into a hearty laugh. Her face returned to its normal color, and she awkwardly chuckled with me for a moment.

"Why would I be mad? Family's got good genes, what can I say," I said, still giggling, Olivia now joining in with a more sincere laugh.

"They certainly do," She agreed, nodding her head. She turned to her suitcase, pulling out her outfit for the travel day ahead of us. I realized that we would be leaving in a couple short hours, and I had a ton still to do.

"We will continue this conversation later," I assured her. In a rush, I stripped, not even making it into the bathroom before tearing off my clothes. I hopped into the shower almost literally. I showered in record time, refreshing my coconut scent, blow-dried my hair, and collected all of my things from the bathroom.

I walked back into the main room, where Olivia was sitting on her suitcase in an attempt to smash down her clothes just enough to be able to zip it shut. Her breathing was strained, and she looked like she was working up a sweat in the process. I moved over to help her hold the edges of the zipper together while she zipped it shut, and she let out a sigh of relief, thanking me.