The Writer's Assistant (ManxMan)

Chapter 18: Drawing the Line

A/N: 10.01.2023

I told you the new update would be quick 😌 and to clarify the misunderstanding, this boon will be FREE with a few exclusive chapters that will be behind a paid wall, but I will still be releasing free chapters for readers to follow the story. Bonus chapters aren't necessary to follow the story but they're always fun to read :) thank you and please stop sending me death threats, THANK YOU 🌝📏

The last chapter was temporarily behind a paid wall because of an error, but I contacted Wattpad and we fixed it quickly.

Q/A: Any ideas for bonus chapters you'd like to read? Character pov? Someone mentioned wanting to read Oliver as the assistant and Daniel as the author for a fun switcharoo and I thought it was a brilliant idea 💡

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We were in the changing room. Oliver closed the door behind him and I felt my chest tighten. He was still holding my hand and never let go, nor did I pull away. If the fragmented relationship I shared with Aaron was confusing, the one I had with Oliver was even more disrupting. I couldn't meet his gaze, but I knew he was looking at me. He studied me quietly and I felt myself redden, feeling exposed and vulnerable. I finally mustered the courage to look back at him, but words betrayed me and left my mind blank, and all I could do was helplessly stare at his gorgeous face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No," I lied, my heart beating erratically inside my chest.

He didn't reply. Instead, he tilted my chin up and gently pulled down my lower lip with the pad of his thumb, staring at my lips. He stood so close that I could see something glint through his beautiful blue eyes as he stared at me. His thumb gently slid over my bottom lip.

"I want to wipe it away," he muttered, his voice pitched so low I wondered if I had heard right. His husky voice sent chills down my spine.

I forgot that Oliver witnessed Aaron kiss me. Even if it was without consent, his lips still slammed against mine. Was that why Oliver looked so upset?

Oliver leaned closer, and I thought he was going to kiss me, and for some strange reason, I felt my body gravitate toward him. My eyes closed and I waited for his lips to touch mine.

"I washed my hands."

My eyes fluttered open, staring at him in confusion.

"What?"

"I touched your lips," he reminded me. "I just wanted to let you know that my hands are clean. I washed them before leaving the studio."

I gaped at him, speechless.

"I... Okay."

"I thought you closed your eyes because you thought it was disgusting to the point where you couldn't look at me."

That was not why I closed my eyes. My lips pressed into a thin line. He took a step back, and the sudden intimacy between us vanished. It felt like more than just intimacy had vanished.

"The interview went well," he told me, returning to the unpredictable Oliver I knew. I couldn't read the mood or the atmosphere, but I could tell that something had changed. The distance between us felt wider than it should. He headed over to the snacks and picked up a donut. "I think I did pretty well for someone who doesn't like people or talking to strangers."

"I see," I murmured, trying to figure him out but failing terribly. Was he angry? Upset? Disappointed? Or was I overthinking?

"I'm sorry for leaving early. There was an emergency," I murmured.