HURT FOR ME

Chapter Fourty-Six - Plans

"Don't tell people your plans. Show them your results."

Aaron Adair

As we made our way down the dim walkway, Olivia and I clasped hands, ensuring our group stayed on track.

I chose the seat at the end of the row, and the rest of the group followed suit, taking their seats behind me. Olivia sat beside me, while the others occupied the remaining seats.

"Damn," Olivia murmured under her breath. "We completely forgot the popcorn."

I glanced down the row at the others, realizing they'd already settled into their seats. Olivia gave me a pleading look, "Please?" I sighed as I stood from my seat.

"Only if you come with me." I teasingly pulled her arm, lifting her from her seat.

She rolled her eyes before turning to the group, "We're going to get popcorn."

Olivia grasped my hand, interlocking our fingers before we headed back to the concession.

With the sudden rush of last-minute snack purchases, the queue had grown considerably longer. As we neared the back of the line, I tried to persuade Olivia that we could do without the popcorn, but she was unwilling to entertain the idea.

"I don't want to miss the start of the movie," I reminded her, but she dismissively waved her hand in the air, observing the people around us. I couldn't help but hide my smile as I watched her silently passing judgment on everyone.

After what feels like an eternity, we finally make it to the register.

"What can I get for ya'?"

"Just a small popcorn, please." Olivia's voice was soft as she spoke to the cashier.

He turned around, fidgeting with the machine. I stood behind Olivia with my hands resting on the counter on both of her sides. "We could just get out of here," I teasingly whispered into her ear. "Ditch the group..." I leaned closer to her, intentionally causing her to blush. "Take you to the car..."

She abruptly raised her hand and struck my chest. "Stop it," she scolded, biting her lower lip while looking up at me. "You're supposed to be on your best behavior, Aaron."

"Fine," I pushed off of the counter and gave her a bit more space to move around.

"Here you go," the cashier said as he slid the popcorn across the counter, accepting the cash from Olivia's outstretched hand. "Enjoy the movie." We proceeded to the butter machine, generously coating the popcorn with its savory goodness.

We finally returned to the group who scolded us for taking so long, "You missed half of the movie!" Layla quietly exclaimed.

"The line was long," I shrugged. "Olivia wanted the popcorn, not me." I tossed her under the bus and let her take the heat from Layla. I settled into my seat while Layla and Olivia continued bickering back and forth.

❁

A rough smack to my arm woke me from my peaceful sleep, "You slept through the movie." Olivia complained as I wiped the blurriness from my eyes.

As I looked around, I noticed that everyone, including our group, had already left. "Did everyone leave?" I exclaimed, feeling a pang of guilt. Rolling her eyes, she started walking down the aisle towards the exit. Reacting swiftly, I leaped out of my seat and caught up to her. "I'm sorry, baby, I was just bored," I apologized. She raised her hand, gesturing for me to be quiet so we walked to the car in silence.

The air was cold and biting as we exited the theater, hints of popcorn and cotton candy still lingering in the air even though the concession had shut down already.

"Liv," I called out her name as she was already preparing to cross the road. She glanced back at me, with a disappointed expression, not intending to wait for me.

Out of nowhere, a car abruptly veered around the corner, speeding well beyond the limit as it raced through the theater parking lot. As soon as I noticed the car heading straight towards her, I shouted and hurried to her side, forcefully pulling her back.

The gust of wind caused by the car and the resounding blast of its horn startled her. "Fuck, Olivia!" I exclaimed. As I pulled her out of the road, we both tumbled to the ground, with me breaking her fall.

Taking rapid, shallow breaths, she tightly clutched the sleeve of my jacket. I gently brushed the hair that had fallen onto her face behind her ear, carefully assessing her.

"Are you okay?" She managed to nod her head as it rested on my chest.

The laugh that came out of her confused me entirely, I eyed her conspicuously as she continued with her laughing fit.

"What's funny?" I pulled back so I could get a clear view of her face.

"I just wanted to leave the penthouse and not feel trapped," she said amidst her giggles. "And look what happens when I do." She continued to laugh, tilting her head back with a solitary tear trickling down her cheek. I couldn't help but smile at her infectious joy.

I wiped the tear away with the pad of my thumb, "Maybe you should be safer," I said sarcastically, knowing it was my fault she wasn't paying attention when crossing the road.

Getting up from the ground, I brushed off my pants before extending my hand to help her up. We resumed our quick walk to the car and swiftly got inside, seeking shelter from the biting cold air to avoid any further discomfort.

"You still have to make it up to me, you know?" Olivia pressed her forehead against the window, watching the surrounding environment as I drove past.

"And how will I do that?" I questioned. My hand was placed on her thigh and her hand was on top of mine.

She pulled her face away from the window and turned to me, "We could watch a movie tonight," She suggested. I knew I couldn't say no to her, after all, I'd give her whatever she asked for.

As we reached the penthouse, Olivia darted into the elevator and eagerly tugged me along. The weather was extra bitter today and if I knew one thing about Olivia, it was that she hated being cold.

She removed her jacket and placed it on the table in the foyer, along with my keys. "I'm going to change," she stated before proceeding to undress on her way to her room. "I'll be quick." I remained rooted in the elevator until I heard her door close, knowing that if I took another step, I would lose control over the desires surging within me.

I prepared a bowl of popcorn and loaded Netflix on the TV before getting comfortable. After a moment, Olivia's door opened and she joined me on the couch, wearing the t-shirt I gave her last night.

She laid her head in my lap and extended the rest of her body over the remaining couch and I covered her with the decorative blanket on the back.

We scrolled through the movie options for a while until we finally settled on Interstellar. My extensive knowledge and enthusiasm about the film convinced Olivia that it was the right choice.

While watching the movie, I tenderly brushed my hand over Olivia's head, and soon enough, she drifted off to sleep, cozying up on the couch.

Instead of paying attention to the movie, my focus was on Olivia's peaceful state. It felt as though something was always happening and we could never just relax.

Seeing her in that t-shirt brought back memories of this morning when I discovered her snooping through my journal. I silently hoped she hadn't come across anything too personal, even though my entries dated back to middle school. Some of those aspirations were still goals I wanted to achieve today, and I planned on doing whatever it took to make them come true.