Forever and always

Chapter two

January 2021
Olivia's pov:

"Oli, are you awake?" Max's voice came from the other side of my bedroom door.

"Yeah, come in" I realised, sitting om my bed with my laptop, editing photos I had taken a few days ago.

He stepped inside and sat down next to me, peering at my screen. "Wow, these are amazing, Oli!" He said with a big smile. Max had always been my biggest supporter—he truly believed I would become a successful photographer one day. I wasn't as optimistic.

"Thanks" I murmured.

"Do you want to come with me and some of the guys to a party in town later?" He asked, his gaze meeting mine. I hesitated. "I don't know, Max. I need to finish editing these pictures"

"Oli, you need to get out of the apartment. You can't just sit here all day" he insisted. "Come with us. I promise it'll be fun"

Before I could argue, he grabbed my laptop, forcing me to focus on him stead of my work. "Hey! I was in the middle of something. Give me my laptop back!"

"Only if you agree to come with us tonight" he countered, smirking.

I sighed, the nodded. "Fine. Now give it back, and let me finish before I apparently have to go to a party tonight." I waved my hands expectantly.

Satisfied, Max handed me the laptop and left the room. I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling a little.

He was right—I needed to get out. Lately, I'd barely left the apartment except to take pictures or grab groceries. Ever since my breakup with Matt a few months ago, I had isolated myself. Finding out he had cheated on me after nearly six years together had shattered me. He was my first love, my first everything. The breakup was devastating, and since then, I had thrown myself into work, avoiding any situation where I might have to face my emotions.

But Max was right. Maybe going out tonight would be good for me.
—

Hours passed. Max had been at the gym while I finished editing a wedding shoot from last week. The photos turned out beautifully—I hoped the couple would love them.

Later, Max made dinner for us. He wasn't bad in the kitchen, surprisingly. We ate together, talking about everything and nothing. He wasn't bad excited for tonight, especially since I was coming along. It was unusual—we did everything together except partying.

After dinner, I took a shower and got ready. I brushed and blow dried my hair before sleeping into a pair of fitted jeans and a delicate white lace top. To complete the look, I put on my black Christian Louboutin heels and grabbed a matching blazer.

Just as I finished getting dressed, there was a knock at the front door. Max opened it, and I immediately recognised the voices in the hallway.

"Livia, get over here!" Daniel called, arms open wide.

Laughing, I walked over and was immediately pulled into one of his signature bear hugs. "Hey Danny"

I greeted Mick and Lando as well, sharing quick hugs with both. The five of us had a drink together before heading onto the club.

After a short drive, we arrived at one of Monaco's upscale clubs, where the rest of the group was waiting in the VIP section.

"The fun has arrived, guys" Lando announced loudly, laughing as we entered. - George, Charles, Carlos, and Pierre stood to greet us. It was nice to see everyone again—I had missed them over Christmas.

"You look beautiful, Olivia" Charles said, pulling me into a warm hug. - "thanks, Charles" I replied with a small smile.

"So, what are we drinking?" Max asked as we settled into our longe area. - George and Pierre went to grab shots and cocktails, and soon enough, the party really started. We danced, laughed, and, for the first time in months, I felt alive again.

Max's pov:

Seeing Olivia genuinely happy again felt like a relief. Since her breakup with Matt, she hadn't been herself, and I knew this was exactly what she needed.

She was dancing around with a drink in one hand ans Daniel's hand in the other. Those two were like the same person—always laughing, always full of energy.

"How is she really?" Carlos asked, catching me watching her. I sighed. "I don't know. She seems fine now, but that might just be the alcohol. When we're home, she barely leaves her room. She spends all day editing pictures, and she won't talk to be about the breakup"

Carlos nodded. "I get it. But she needs time, Max. They were together for six years—now she's figuring out how to be on her own. Just be there for her. She'll talk to you when she's ready"

"I hope you're right. She needs to move on, even if it's hard" I muttered. I knew that sounded harsh, but she wasn't going to get better by shutting herself away.
—

The night flew by, and before we knew it, it was already 4 AM.

"Can we please go home now?" Olivia asked, sinking onto the couch next to Charles, Pierre and me. "Yeah, let's go" I agreed. Then turned to Pierre. "You can crash at our place if you want?"
"Thanks, Max" he said, clearly exhausted.

We called a taxi, knowing none of us were in any condition to drive. The driver dropped Charles off first before taking us home.

As soon as we got inside, Pierre stumbled into the guest room and practically passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow. He had definitely had too much to drink.

I hadn't gotten too drunk myself—I'd felt like I needed to keep an eye on Olivia. Not that she couldn't handle herself, but still..

"Sleep well, Oli. It was great seeing you have fun tonight" I said as she headed to her room.

"You too, brother" she replied with a real smile—something I hadn't seen in a long time. "Thanks for taking me with you"

Maybe this was the start of her moving forward. I really hoped so.

1076 words..

So that was the first chapter, I hoped you liked it. It's to the shorter side, but I just wanted to get it started. I'll make the other chapters longer... - Please vote and send some feedback on my way, that would make me so happy! Bye<3