Out Of Focus (Wattys 2023)

38. Of Course There's A Catch.

"I don't get enough time in therapy for this," Lily is saying, woken up out of a dead-ass sleep. "You're going to have to pay my wasting my time fee, and don't play with me hotshot, I know you're good for it."

"I fucked up," Oliver is saying into his phone. "I fucked up bad, I shouldn't have left things like that with him."

"Well, I could have told you that without a 1 a.m. phone call, idiot," she says. "They put something in the water over there in Australia."

She's rolling her eyes now, annoyed that she's probably not going to be able to go back down easily even after they get off the phone; especially with Max hogging her covers and snoring. He's staying the night (a definite first) after Shayne came back to their place saying that he needed to be alone. He hadn't gone into much detail, other than saying that Oliver wasn't sticking around and that he guessed happy endings were only for storybooks. Lily had thought he was being dramatic, but now, as a bumbling Australian asks for her help, she can't control the urge to want to reach through her phone and smack him upside the head.

"Give me a minute kangaroo boy," she says, trying to tiptoe out of her apartment bedroom without waking him. 

He may be annoying, but he is kind of cute like this; when he can't speak. She wonders what that'll mean for whatever kind of future they have. Right now, things are just confusing and fun. It's exactly how she likes it: all coffee, no sugar or cream; black.

Lily carefully tiptoes out of the bedroom, pretty sure he will kill her if she cuts into his sleep. Her small apartment feels cozy and lived-in, a stark contrast to Max's and his brother's pig pin. The walls are adorned with vibrant artwork, reflecting her love for creativity and self-expression. The couch she settles onto is well-worn but comfortable, with a soft blanket draped over the back.

As she settles into the couch, Lily brings the phone to her ear and leans back, closing her eyes briefly to gather her thoughts as she shakes off the rest of the sleep. Oliver's voice crackles through the line.

"I don't know what to do, Lily. I've messed everything up. Shayne... he's everything to me, and I let him slip away. I need your help, please."

Lily sighs, her voice softening with a hint of compassion. "Alright, hotshot. I'll hear you out. But this better be good, and you owe me one, big time."

Oliver's voice carries a sense of urgency as he begins to explain his plan to make things right. "I want to apologize, to show him how much he means to me."

Lily interrupts, her tone skeptical. "Apologize? That's a start, I guess. But words aren't enough, Oliver. You can't boombox outside his window your way out of this. Actions speak louder, remember?"

 "You're right, you always seem to be right."

"I know," she says, putting him on speaker so she can grab a nail file, "but go on."

"I want to show him that he's my priority."

Lily leans forward, her voice carrying a sense of urgency. "Alright, kangaroo boy. Here's what you're gonna do. First, you need to have a heartfelt conversation with Shayne. Lay it all out on the table, be honest and vulnerable. Apologize for hurting him and let him know how much he means to you."

 "Sounds like a good start," Oliver says.

Lily continues her voice firm. "I can also provide my shop and coffee services to make it a little bit more special than the run-of-the-mill apologizing you keep doing. Because if there's a way to that boy's heart it's through caffeine."