Timeless [h.s]

Forty

Stuart

"Charlotte I adore you, but answering a phone call before seven in the morning is something that really tests my feelings." I giggled a bit at his words, knowing I was indeed pushing him a bit much.

"I haven't slept much, I spent all night doing some important things before the ball. I called our lawyers, wrote some letters..." I trailed off, knowing he'd understand what I meant. My legal arrangements were perfected, just like they always had been. If I died, everything I owned would be split in half between Sienna and Arthur. My art collection would be a gift to Miles and my jewels would be auctioned, all the profit going to charity.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I have taken some action too." Oliver's voice was still raspy, his tone deeper than usual. He was literally the only person I fully trusted who could understand my conflicted feelings. We hadn't discussed our possible imminent death, but considering our experience in living, we both considered that idea.

"Do you think I can come over?" I asked, biting my lip and feeling a bit apprehensive. "I think we need to talk, have a peaceful moment before things turn upside down." I could hear his steady breath on the other end of the line, but I understood his hesitance.

"Sure, at least here we'll have real privacy. You can park your car inside, I'll let the doorman know." I smiled a bit, scared of what would happen. The last thing I wanted was to hurt his feelings, although I suspected they were already wounded.

"I'll see you soon, Ollie." He chuckled a bit and hung up without responding.

I started to roam my room, changing into warmer clothes and picking up my bag. The entire house was peacefully silent, the only noises coming from my slow steps down the stairs. I looked around fondly, seeing our pictures, our paintings, the small stain on our couch that reminded me of a fun night together. We had been incredibly happy inside that house. For better or worse, things were about to change forever.

As I got out of the house and drove towards Oliver, I kept glancing at the rear-view mirror unnecessarily, trying to see if I was being followed. I highly doubted Gaston would spend his last moments before the ball doing anything other than planning his escape routes, but I still felt paranoid and scared.

My mind wandered constantly, going from ballgowns to murders in seconds, I hardly noticed I had reached Oliver's door until he opened it wearing grey sweatpants and a tight white t-shirt, showing off his figure perfectly. I felt my cheeks heating up a bit, not immune to his good looks or the way his eyes softened looking into mine. Without any words, I wrapped my arms around his torso, hugging him tightly as I soaked his shirt with hot tears that seemed to flow endlessly.

"Hey, you're okay." He coaxed, kissing the top of my head with ease. "Let's get you inside and put a hot cup of coffee in your hands." He closed the door and pulled my body in. I detached from our embrace and looked up, silently thanking him.

Looking around, his apartment didn't look the same from when I first saw it. Unlike that party, everything was spotless and silent today, a much more welcoming environment. As promised, Oliver walked me towards his kitchen, a place I hadn't visited before. The view was breath taking, the glass walls allowing the sunlight to seep through them and cast an aura of welcoming gold light inside the room.

I took a sit on a stool and accepted the mug he offered me, drinking the black coffee without adding sugar. Ollie did the same, sitting across from me and smiling a bit. My face probably was botched and red due to excessive crying, but I hardly felt embarrassment.

"I was going to ask about how you're holding up, but you just answered me." He started, making me sigh.

"I just thought we should, you know, work things out. Just in case this ends with our centenary bodies self-combusting or something like that." He laughed a bit, but it didn't reach his eyes. If I felt that nagging sensation inside me stomach, Oliver surely did too.