Unravel Me | Arrow [ COMPLETED ]

chapter thirty four

AUTHOR NOTE: I apologise for my prolonged absence!

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"For he has stolen all the good that you had

All the things you loved and was sure of"

JOSH RECORD - 'Bones'

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Felicity was already awake when Cali crept into the dim room, and for a long time the two of them could only stare at each other wordlessly in the low morning light, eyes gleaming.

It was Felicity who surrendered first, sighing heavily and shifting to break the strange moment between them with a resigned, "I feel rather silly about last night, so although I recognise your status as a rich woman, I will pay you exactly seventy-five cents to pretend this whole thing never happened."

Cali snorted, moving forward until she could settle herself at the end of the bed. "Seventy-five cents?" She echoed in a lilting tone.

Felicity flushed. "That's all I have in my wallet right now."

"Ah."

It was such a Felicity thing to say that Cali found herself battling the yearning to crawl under the covers with her and pretend the rest of the world didn't exist. Felicity would let her, might even offer to be the big spoon. They could both go to sleep and wake up two weeks ago, before everything in their lives got so massively fucked.

"What are you going to do about Oliver?" Felicity asked quietly, tone uncharacteristically subdued. When Cali only raised an eyebrow at her, she looked down at the quilt cover and nibbled her lower lip. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry, but I got up to get some water last night and he was on the couch, so we made awkward conversation but we didn't actually say anything, you know? Only, he mentioned coming here and kissing you? And I really just want to make sure that you guys are all okay because if you're not that's going to break my heart and I've already had too much heartbreak-"

"Felicity," Cali stressed, leaning up to grasp onto her friend's trembling hand. "You've gotta take some deep breaths before your pretty head starts spinning, okay?"

Felicity puffed out her cheeks on her next exhale, eyes red-rimmed and glimmering with the tears she'd prevented from falling. She still looked like a wreck - which honestly was her right after the trauma she'd been through last night - and Cali's heart ached for her. She shouldn't have been exposed to this like she had.

Oliver should have just left her out of this.

They sat almost-silently for a few moments as Cali watched Felicity slow her breathing and calm herself back down.

"Janet is with Oliver right now," Cali said eventually, when she was sure Felicity wouldn't stress herself into unconsciousness. "There's a conversation the three of us need to have, and as much as I'd like to, we can't put it off."

"You absolutely can't put it off! Cali, he said he kissed you."

"He did," Cali admitted. "He shouldn't have. He was in shock."

Felicity shook his head. "No, that's not it. He loves you, Cali."

"He shouldn't."

"You love him, don't you?" At Cali's mute nod, Felicity pressed on. "Well, why is it a problem then? Why do you want to run from this? What did he do before kissing you that made you so sure this-this thing between you two is already doomed."