Just One Night

Chapter 7

Olivia sat in her sedan outside of the precinct watching her colleagues go in and out of the building. She nursed the cup of coffee she brought from home. It was her second cup and she hadn't even begun her shift. She had been sitting in the car for almost thirty minutes nervous about going inside and facing her partner for the first time in the 36 hours since she left his apartment.

She glanced at her watch again and tried to still her bouncing leg that wouldn't stop moving out of nervousness. Elliot had gone back to work yesterday and she had a full day at her apartment to go through every emotion possible at changing the one relationship in her life that meant more to her anything. She felt anxious about seeing him again in a professional setting and how they would interact. She felt worried that other people would find out and they would be split up as partners. She felt sad that no matter what happened they wouldn't be able to go back to how it was before they crossed the line. One thing she didn't feel however, was regret.

Olivia squeezed her hand against her forehead, took a deep breath and got out of the car discarding her coffee cup. As she walked to the building her lips lifted slightly at the thought of how they spent their last moments in his apartment together cuddled up watching the football game. It didn't take her long to realize that neither of them were really paying attention and stealing glances at one another as opposed to the television. She finally left in the early evening when he was on his way to bring Kathleen some soup and check on her.

The next day while he was at work he sent her text messages here and there making small talk but neither one of them discussed their confession to one another.

I don't want anyone else.

While getting in the elevator, she saw another officer and thought for a second that it was Elliot and her heart started to race immediately. She needed to get herself together before everyone was able to tell that there was something different about them. She had resisted his invitation to come by her apartment after work yesterday even though every part of her was on fire to feel his body against hers again. She decided they needed to pump the brakes and give each other a little space because everything between them had turned intense so fast. He reluctantly agreed and decided to trade racy texts with her instead. She thought she had lost her mind when she found herself giggling like a schoolgirl at his messages and waiting with baited breath for his responses.

It was a side of both of them that they hardly ever indulged and she realized she had smiled and laughed more in the past week entertaining whatever it was going on with them than she had in a very long time. When the elevator dinged announcing her arrival to her floor she looked around cautiously to see if he was there yet. She didn't see any signs of him and she hadn't heard from him that morning. She sat at her desk, took a deep breath and willed her mind to focus. She started to go through her case files and saw she had an email regarding the Recinos case. Suddenly her concentration was back full speed. She didn't know whether or not to feel guilty that reflections of Maria had dissolved thanks to her dalliance with Elliot but seeing the forensics report from the scene started to bring those memories back and flood her with reality. She read through the evidence found in the basement and in the electronics store.

"Good Morning," Elliot greeted her and she jumped unaware of his presence. He put his hand on her shoulder to calm her. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and refocused. "Its fine, I-I was just looking over this report."

He sat the coffee he brought her on her desk and she turned around to face him. He had a smirk on his face, his lip slightly upturned and a twinkle in his blue eyes like he knew a secret that no one else knew. She took a sip of the coffee to hide the blush and smile on her face worried that people around them could sense something was different.