Lilium

Seven

Seven

Oliver went home that night and didn't wake up until three in the afternoon the next day. He rolled over, saw the time on the clock, and rolled back over with a huff. The moment his eyes closed again, he was back to sleep. He stayed asleep for the rest of the day.

The next morning, Oliver woke up at six with a moan and a pulsing headache. His tongue felt like sandpaper, thick and rough in his mouth. When he swallowed, it scratched his throat. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling and felt the familiar twitching of his fingers.

I need a cigarette.

The thought turned his mind into a thick fog. With half-closed eyes, he yawned before drifting amongst his small nest of blankets.

Several times, he could vaguely make out the sound of his phone ringing. He ignored each call – the majority of which were made by Rei - with a growing sense of apathy, a feeling which blossomed into pure emotionlessness when he looked at the clock and realized he'd wasted yet another day.

Rei came by at six that night. Oliver didn't answer the door. He didn't speak when she called for him, or when she told him she could hear his phone ring. When she left the hallway in a huff, Oliver felt almost relieved.

At least I don't have to deal with anyone right now.

For three hours, Oliver lay back and thought, his anger steadily rising. His mind drifted between thoughts of his sister and of the case, at times mixing the two.

I should be happy. She's not guilty of anything. But does that mean she's not in danger? He rolled onto his side. And then there's the deal with the murders. None of this makes sense.

He got up at nine for a smoke break. Nicotine had never smelled as good to him as it did in that moment.

I need to quit smoking, he thought when he ground the end into the floor. He stared out into the night, an oddly hollow feeling settling into his stomach.

Funny. All of this is funny. He closed his eyes and breathed in the chilled air, blood singing. I wanted to die and woke up practically immortal. I want to stop smoking and can't go two days without it. I thought staying away would keep Lil safe and now look... He shook his head. It's nuts is what it is.

He went back inside and slept until Rei came back at midnight.

Oliver broke out of his daze when he heard her knock on the door. The ground swayed under his feet. He waited a moment to let the world realign itself before he grabbed his cigarette case from the bedside table, pulled out a stick, and lit it with the tip of his thumb. Rei knocked again.

"Hey, open up."

He parted his lips and let out a cloud of smoke, his cigarette dangling between his fingers. Ash fell from the end, red and orange when he stared at it.

"Ginger, I'm serious."

With a glance to the ceiling and the brief shake of his head, Oliver crossed the living room, nearly tripping over his couch in the process. A curse slipped free when his shin hit the coffee table. He wasn't even five feet from the front door.

"Coming," he hissed. "Just tripping over shit, it seems."

Rei chuckled from the other side of the door. "Take your time."

If you gave me the choice, I would've just gone back to bed.

Oliver shoved the thought aside and took another drag. He exhaled just before he cracked the front door open, prompting Rei to wave a hand in front of her face. The wind swirled around them.