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Chapter 9. Olivia

I sat rather agitated in the front drivers seat of my red Corsa, the way my fingertips tapped and danced on the steering wheel signalled at my impatience. Michael had been collecting the last minute items for his trip to Amsterdam, while I waited in the car to drive him to the airport.

A large exhale escaped my lips as the music swarmed the small confines of the vehicle, the profound scent of strawberries filling the space, from the new air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror. I'd been thinking a lot over the past few days about this trip, maybe it would be a good idea for us to spend some time apart. Maybe I had overreached, but even still that didn't stop the arguments. We'd had one last night and it got pretty nasty, we both said things, most of which I regret.

The sight of Michael approaching the car caused me to shake the thoughts from my mind, as I shift quickly in my seat before strapping myself in. "Have you got everything?" I ask in a icy tone, glancing over at him before turning the key fully in the ignition.

"I think so" his tone equally as icy, the pain of wanting to talk to one and other yet wanting to ignore each other at the same time, was really going to kill the mood of this car ride.

The entirety of the car journey we sat in silence, I tied my hardest to think of topics to talk about in order to break the silence; but to no avail. Even his body language suggested that he didn't want to engage in conversation, sitting far across in the seat, his eyes fixated on the device in his hand, his lips pursed and the hood of his jumper up over his head.

Pulling up outside the airport, this would have been the moment for Michael to pull his hood down, look me in the eye and kiss me. I wanted to forget all of what happened but by the looks of things; he never. "You want a hand with your bags?" I ask in a slightly warmer voice. His eyes shift to look at me, and already I could tell what his answer would be.

"I'm good thanks" his tone the same as before, icy and unforgiving. The sound of the car door opening, that small crack to signal his departure made me want to jump across the car and make everything okay.

"Mike -" I begin, instantly placing a hand on his knee in a comforting fashion.

"We'll talk properly when I'm back. I need time to think okay!" He spoke slightly softer, gently removing my hand. This simple action almost broke my heart.

"Oh- okay. Well enjoy your trip" a hitch evident in my voice as I spoke. Making an effort not to allow the tears to fall.

"I'll see you in a few days" he stated, and within seconds he had gotten himself and his belongings out of the car. The pain that echoed in my chest as he wandered towards the towering building caused me to almost break in an instant.

***

I took my time in driving home, the rain had begun to pour down unforgivingly. Little pin pricks cascading down from the grey sky's above, bouncing rapidly on the concrete roads below. I thought a lot about me and Michael as I drove, weighing up the positives and the negatives about this relationship; most of which were negative. Maybe things could be different after some time apart, that's all I could hope for.

The rain had already seeped through my clothes as I walked from the car park to the flat. My feet squelching in my shoes as I hurry my pace up the concrete steps, fumbling in the same tattered bag I took with me everywhere for my keys. "Shit" I mumble, dropping them onto the floor, the sound of the metal jingle echoing around the apartment block. The sound of the rain in the background almost soothing as I unlock the door.

No time is wasted as I enter the bedroom, already stripping down to my naked body. A chill washes over me as the cool air swarms the apartment, today was one of my very few days off, and so I changed into my pyjamas. Fleece blue cuffed bottoms, and a matching top with short sleeves, my hair had been tied up into a bun. The ice cream which I hadn't touched in the freezer, would be joining me on the sofa for a Netflix marathon.

The day couldn't have been any better, curled up on the sofa with my pyjamas on, under a blanket with Netflix and ice cream; all before one o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon. The only thing that would make this day even better, a little company, the absence of Michael made the apartment that much more lonely. I never really missed him until now, now that he wasn't here and we weren't on good terms. I knew exactly who to call to numb the pain that swarmed in my chest, someone who could make everything go away in an instant... my step brother Ashton. I knew I could rely on him for anything.