Olivia // Jake Kiszka

6. Joy

I'm not the biggest fan of this chapter, but it is very necessary for the story. I hope you enjoy, anyways.
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When Joy gets to the living room, Jake is lying on the couch, head resting on Olivia's lap. Her hands caress his hair, nails gently scratching his scalp. The motions are automatic, since her focus is on the TV; his, on the other hand, is one hundred percent on her. His eyes close at her touch, the corners of his mouth are quirked into a smile.

Jake is falling, it is obvious and undeniable. Joy watches them from afar, trying to understand what's going on without much success. It's not something she's ever seen happening to Olivia before. Well, it's actually something she's never seen happening to anyone. It's the weirdest kind of relationship, the one they have. Joy is not even sure if "relationship" is the right word to call it - Liv would certainly disapprove -, but she can't find the right term to describe something she can't understand, so relationship it is.

Olivia used to stay home whenever Joy invited her to do something with Sam and the rest of the band, but since the first time she slept with Jake, she started to say yes to every invitation. And whenever they meet, it doesn't matter if it's at a pub, after a gig or just hanging out at someone's place, they end up together, sometimes at his house, sometimes at her apartment, sometimes at bathrooms, like Joy saw her dragging him to once.

The first weird thing that happened was the first time they slept together, being the word "slept" the main reason for Joy's confusion. It's not an unusual thing for Olivia to bring men home, but they never stay, they usually sneak out in the middle of the night. Joy would always hear them leaving and, seconds later, Liv getting up to lock the front door. But Jake did stay and he even received a peck on the cheek on his way out. You have to deserve a Liv's peck on the cheek.

It got weirder when he came back the next week, Olivia's men don't come back, she never wants them to. But she wanted Jake, for some reason. And then, when they saw each other for the third time, she went home with him.

Everyone knows about them, they don't try to hide. What is awkward about the whole situation is that nothing happens until they call it a night, which is the moment they hold each other's hand and head to whoever's place is nearer. They don't kiss during their time with the group, they don't touch, they don't show signs of affection, they don't even talk unless it's a conversation that includes more than just the two of them. A stranger hanging out with them would never think that there's something going on.

But the next day - or at least when they go to the girls' apartment - they have breakfast together and act like a couple.

It's not Joy's business, she knows it and she wouldn't even think about it if it was any other guy. But it's Jake, Sam's brother. She likes him, she cares about him and she doesn't want him to get hurt, he had enough of that with Brooklyn. Not that she thinks Liv would intentionally hurt him, she is her best friend and Joy knows she wouldn't hurt a fly on purpose. Olivia is the most caring human being she's ever met, but she's is skeptical about love. Joy doesn't know why, maybe if she were a little more open about her past, her best friend would be able to find the trauma that made her so cynical. One possible answer, in Joy's opinion, could be the fact she thinks she's unlovable.

People in general seems to see the girl as some sort of sexual object and, at some point, she started to believe that's what she is. In her head, she's meant to give people pleasure and that's it. Because of that, she probably thinks Jake and her are on the same page. She would never suspect about the way he feels, it's not something she is used to. That's why Joy decides to intervene.

"Liv, can you help me with something?" Jake opens his eyes, Olivia moves hers away from the TV.

"Of course, love. What is it?"