She Thinks I'm Broken

35: They are home

"You said you wanted to drive. Why did you change your mind?" Tim asked Oliver who looked engrossed and distracted in his thoughts.

"I'm not in the mood for the wheel, and my father would probably scold me." He said as he reached for his bottle of pills.

Tim glanced at the quantity of the pills, usually, he took 8 but Tim could count 10. This only happened when he was stressed or was trying to suppress the pain.

"You look pale," Tim commented.

Oliver stole a glimpse at his focused face. "Is it that visible?" He inquired. 

"Yeah. What happened? You were getting along with your family. Your mother particularly." Tim asked, trying to sink into his heart before he realized it.

"It's not your business Tim." He responded with a bored tone and Tim immediately understood that he was too hurt to talk. It happened always, he knew Oliver enough to sort out the reasons behind his tone and body language.

Tim shrugged, "your mother is very different from my boss."

Oliver shook his head with an amused expression, "that was why they had a divorce. She is outgoing, joyous, and talkative. She also seeks a lot of attention unlike my father, he is reserved, stubborn, and focused. They surely don't meet. Yeah, I know." Oliver added.

"My mother is not happy with who I turned out to be." He hesitantly said as he tried to act careless.

Tim rolled his eyes, "I know you don't joke, if not I would put my hand in a shark's mouth to affirm that you were kidding. Parents die to have a son like you, what nonsense, you're awesome. I would be proud if I was your parent."

Oliver didn't look impressed, "I think she feels upset about me being like this. She wanted me to be like my brothers." He sounded offended by his very confession. 

"If you would permit me, I don't think it is fair for her to jump to a conclusion like that. You grew up in two separate homes." Tim tried to reassure him. 

Oliver sighed, "Now I don't want to see either of them." He said, "she looked so disappointed when I confirmed her doubts about me still being a virgin. She looked almost crossed and a bit static. Heck. I hated that look in her eyes, she had that same look the day she walked out of our home." He ranted.

Tim observed his expression hold a grimace as he looked like he was trying to gather enough air to breathe after his confession. Tim pulled over worriedly and Oliver got out, doubling over to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Tim asked because he was showing new symptoms of his illness.

"I just need to breathe," Oliver explained with a hand up signaling his distress. 

“Should I get the oxygen mask?” Tim asked while placing a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. He shook his head before resuming his posture. 

“I can take a shortcut back home, then I’ll go pick the boss, what do you think?”

Oliver frowned, “forget it, he never understands anything.” 

Tim nodded as he got back in the car. He glanced at Oliver who looked paler, “When are you planning on going for the surgery?” 

“Next month,” Oliver said, *Evelyn was just a fantasy, she saw him from a different angle and was very careless about their nothing-relationship.

“I just realized that I wasted resources and energy on a futile goal, this was the first time I have made such a mistake and I would see that it doesn’t repeat,” Oliver said more to himself than anyone else referring to Evelyn.