The Balcony

Passing time

Oliver and I made our relationship official pretty quickly; it was clear to both of us that we had been pushing it away for so long. I'd had boyfriends in the past, they were lovely and supportive, and here's the cliché: I had never met anyone who made me feel the way he did.

Fate had its way of bringing people together, and I truly believed Oliver and myself were destined to be together. He was my soulmate. My best friend. My only friend.

Marianne and I still talked, but not very often. After all, she was in my building so we couldn't cut off all contact with one another. However it seemed that she didn't want much to do with the girl who shattered Avis' heart. And I understood that.

I always had Oliver though. I knew he would stay by my side as long as I needed him, and to me that seemed like forever. We were tied together in more than love; we were both involved in a murder.

It had been a few months since Oliver had killed Miles. I could tell it still haunted him; some nights he would lay awake, staring into the room and trembling. For a while I pretended not to notice, but I knew I had to face his demons with him. The investigation of Miles' murder was still fresh to the students of my college; everyone was a suspect. Oliver and I didn't talk about it unless it was completely necessary; it had messed up his mental state pretty badly.

The police began to question all the students for the third time.
"I don't understand why they think they can get answers." Oliver yelled, running his hands through his hair. It was longer now; it fell to the middle of his neck. I liked the look, he pulled it off well, but it wasn't Oliver. He was slowly letting himself go and I couldn't stand watching him deteriorate.
"It's a murder investigation, Ollie. They're not gonna stop." I sat down next to him, trying to calm his shaking fists.
"He got what he deserved." He spat, shooting out of his seat and throwing the contents of his desk on to the ground.
"Stop!" I yelled, pushing him against the wall.

All I could do was look into his eyes as his frustration became sadness. A single tear dropped from his welling eyes, carving a river for the rest to flow down his freckles cheeks. I cupped his face with my hands.
"I can't do this August." He whispered, his voice muffled by tears.
"You can. You have to." My voice trailed off as I thought of a life without him. He was all I had left. I missed my family, but they were too far away to see me. Oliver was my family.
"I'm a murderer! Don't you get that? I killed him! What if I snap and kill you?" He cried, and fell into me.
"You did what you thought was right." I whispered, breathing in the smell of his hair as he sobbed in my arms.

Oliver looked up at me, tears running down his cheeks. There was a great deal of pain behind those eyes of his; a pain I couldn't take away. If I could have taken the pain for him, I would have in a heartbeat.

Suddenly he kissed me. His lips were salty from his tears, but felt exactly how they did the first time we had kissed. He was still pushed up against the wall as he pulled me into him. My arms wrapped themselves around the back of his neck as he carried me towards his bed. I knew what he wanted, but I didn't want our first time to be an act of desperation. He laid me down and looked deep into my eyes. My conscience was pushed aside as I gave into my deepest desires.

It was a beautifully awkward and emotional scene; one I could never forget. I would never have wanted to forget it. If I hadn't felt close to him before, now it was like we were bonded in a way I never could have a imagined. Oliver looked at me with such a loving glance, I could have burst into tears, but I held them in.
"I love you so much." He whispered, kissing my forehead.
"I love you too." I smiled and sat up next to him, dragging the covers up to cover my naked chest.

He rose to his feet slowly and retrieved a large shirt from his wardrobe.
"Here." He smiled, placing it in my hands. I pulled it over my head and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like an absolute mess, but Oliver continued to smile at me.
"Don't laugh." I giggled, shoving him slightly.
"It looks good." He chuckled, ruffling my already knotted hair playfully.

A loud knock on the door disturbed our moment. Both our heads turned to it suddenly. We lived in a constant fear, these days. Oliver sheepishly unlocked the door and revealed the familiar faces of detectives Brian Miller and Rosie James.
"Hi Oliver. And August, hello to you too." Miller nodded at us both.
"Hi officers." I nodded.
"What brings you?" Ollie frowned. I could hear his inner thoughts and feel the fear digging away at his insides.
"Routine checkups. We've got some more information and we need to question you all again." Miller replied, taking out his list of students names and waving it at the two of us.
"Ah, I see. Well come on in."