Fate (Niall Horan - Completed)

FOURTY THREE

When Aaron's mother finally comes back, we help her put the groceries away before she leaves with Zoe to go a friend's house. I sit down on the barstool at the kitchen island and Aaron goes behind it and stands right across from me. Two years ago, we used to study like this – just that he sat on a bar stool as well. The kitchen island would be covered with books and papers and we would try our best to focus and actually study. But now we're here, discussing things that shouldn't have to be discussed. Discussing things that shouldn't mean anything anymore.

"I missed your mum." I say to loosen up the tension that has been going on between us. The person Aaron is, he doesn't seem to mind the tension and even makes it more uncomfortable when he gets straight to the point.

"We both need to talk about something. The question is, who's going to start." He bends down and holds his upper body up with his elbows on the kitchen island.

"You."

I want to hear what he has to stay before I even start. What if I took it all wrong and he gets mad when I accuse him for still not being over me. I mean, even though every sign says that he still is not over me, what if he just fell in love with me again after he got over me when we broke up? Do I even make sense? I feel like I don't. He has to start, so I can clear my mind and make a plan, a strategy.

"Are you okay? You're shaking your head constantly?" He asks and I nod. I didn't even notice that I shake my head.

"I'm okay. Start." I tell him and already know that he's going to say something about my stubbornness.

He sighs. "Stubborn, Olive."

Called it!, I think and look down to my lap. I take a deep breath before I face him again. There used to be a time, where I felt something looking into his face. Now there's just normal feelings like I have towards Sam or Calum. As if his face isn't the same face anymore. The face that I used to love. The green eyes that I loved, the brown hair that I used to run my fingers through, are all irrelevant to me now.

"Don't call me Olive." I tell him. There was the time where I used to like it, hearing it out of his mouth, but now I don't anymore. Only people that are very close to me or family can call me that. Aaron doesn't count to those kind of people.

"But I'm your friend." He half smiles.

"and my ex." I bite my lip, knowing that that hurt him. I feel mean even though I don't really have to. I just said the truth. He's my ex and that's a fact.

"Touche. "He chuckles, making me laugh quietly too. Why can't we be just friends? It's easy for me but hard for him. He never got over it, I guess, and that's my fault.

"Just start already." I roll my eyes at him take a deep breath.

He clears his throat and takes a deep breath as well. "I-I already told you that I love you, Olivia and that's a fact. I can't change my feelings for you even though I want to. I want to have feelings towards Hannah and I do... but they aren't as strong as my feelings towards you."

"What are your feelings? I mean, yeah, you love me, but why? Aaron, I have been nothing but a friend to you ever since we broke up. I told you, made it clear that I just want to be friends." I have to hold myself back, so my voice doesn't raise and I start to get louder. I just want this to be a normal, civilized conversation. I didn't came over here to fight. I came here to make things clear, so I can live my life without having to worry about him and his feelings.

"I never stopped loving you, Olivia." Aaron says and my heart skips a beat. "I never stopped. I just couldn't. Trust me, I tried. But nothing... nothing worked."