Puppy Love

Chapter 14

Owen

For some reason, Amelia suggests we go to another floor, something about not wanting to be on the same floor anymore. As we enter the elevator, I press the button for the fifth floor, knowing there's a small AV room there. I'm impatient to reach the fifth floor, as we're on the first, and I don't want her to think it's that serious of a conversation, so I reach around her to hit the emergency stop button. While I'm doing it, the thought occurs to me that Amelia might think I'll try to pull a move on her or something, so I say, "Don't worry, I'm not going to try anything."

"Oh, uh...I didn't think you were," she lies, folding her arms as she leans against the back of the elevator, "But the whole pressing the stop button dramatically was a little suspicious." She smiles as I shake my head.

"I just wanted to talk about what happened earlier," I admit as I turn around, "I'm sorry if I pressured you to do anything that you didn't want to, I just thought-,"

"Owen, you didn't pressure me to do anything," she cuts me off, standing up straight, "I was just...I don't know...being weird?"

"Weird?" I ask. What does she even mean by being weird? When am I going to underst...

"A lot was going on!" she defends, "With Riley, and the drugs, and Ryan..."

"Oh," I finally understand as the cogs turn in my head, "So you were using me?"

"No!" she quickly says, stepping closer to me, "Well, yes, and I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry for that, it was really inappropriate and kind of embarrassing too."

"Wow, Amelia Shepherd," I say, astonished, "Just...wow." She frowns and a look of worry bestows her face. I smile. "I'm gonna hold this against you for as long as I can."

Her eyes open wide as she hits my chest playfully. "You are such a jackass!" I grab her hand before she can pull it away and keep it on my chest, looking at her. A silence fills the air as she watches me with a curious look.

"Amelia...I..."

"Don't say it," she tells me suddenly. It's as if she knows exactly what I'm going to say, and I wouldn't doubt she does. My heart slowly crumbles as I watch the tears come to her eyes and I fear the worst.

"Please don't say what I think you're going to," I beg her, watching her caring blues stare back at me. I know we aren't together as yet, but I can't stand the idea of her turning me down, especially after everything we've been through.

She smiles, a knowing smile. "Owen, I won't deny that I have feelings for you, I think you know that." She takes a deep breath and steadies her voice, and I know what she's about to say is important. "I don't even know what that means for us, for me, and I don't want to hurt you, I just..." She stares at my lips with an undeniable urge that I can see in her eyes, "I don't know if we can go back to any kind of normal after all this."

"We can't go back to normal," I agree, "But that doesn't mean we can't create something new." I take her hand in mine and look at her. "I would like to ask you out on a date tonight."

Her cheeks go red, and she looks at me as if I've caught her off guard. "A date?"

"Nothing serious," I assure her, "We can just go out for drinks, like we used to." I smile when I see a smile forming on her lips.

"Okay," she confirms, "Tonight."

---

Amelia.

Oh my god, I think as I step off the elevator. I can feel the pinkness in my cheeks as I look back at Owen, and he offers a wink in return once he realises I'm looking at him. He stays on the elevator and the doors close behind me as I try to walk and look as casual as possible.