Blank Space

~ Chapter 13 ~

Felicity just looked at him, still in shock.

"Oliver?" She squeaked out, again... because he still hadn't answered her. He was just staring at her, speechless.

Tears were completely pouring out of her eyes now, and she couldn't stop them. The man that she loved was alive. He didn't die. He hadn't been dead these three years... He had been somewhere, alive. Oliver was alive.

She should've been jumping him, hugging him, kissing him, but she just stood there.

Oliver knew this was going to happen. Looking at her now, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. He couldn't tell if she was mad or happy, because she just stood there, staring at him, and he tried to speak, or say something, but nothing came out. He was just standing there, looking at those beautiful blue eyes that he had fallen in love with.

"Felicity, I... I am so sorry--" Oliver tried to speak, but she just cried aloud, interrupting him.

"I.. I can't believe this... I... You... You're alive... And, I... You... You didn't tell me..." She closed her eyes in frustration, letting the angry tears fall.

"I wanted to, Felicity... Believe me, I did, but--" He reached for her, but she backed away, putting her hands in front of him.

"But, what, Oliver!? I thought you died! I was devastated! I loved you!" She cried, letting all of her frustration out finally.

Oliver winced at her words, and the use of past tense when she said the word "love." It hurt him. A lot. And, instead of arguing with her, he just nodded, and began backing away from her. He didn't deserve her. He didn't think that he had ever deserved her.

"I'm so sorry." Oliver whispered, continuing to back away from Felicity.

"Stop saying that!" Felicity threw her hands up in the air.

"I-- Okay." Oliver looked down to the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me, Oliver? I was your fiancé... Don't you think that I deserved to know that you were alive?" Felicity looked at him with those sad eyes.

"Of course you deserved to know. You don't think that I wanted to tell you every second of every day?" He looked at her in pain.

"Then why didn't you!?" Felicity cried to him.

"Because of nights like tonight, Felicity! Because you're put in danger when you're around me, and I can't lose you again!" He yelled in frustration, with tears in his eyes.

Felicity didn't say anything, but instead just continued crying silently. Oliver looked down at the ground.

"I.. I" Felicity stuttered, but ended up closing her mouth, unable to speak.

Oliver didn't even look up at her. He was so mad at himself for telling her. He should've known that this would hurt her more than anything. He should have realized that she wouldn't just jump in his arms, and tell him that she loved him and missed him. This was painful, and it was a shock to her, obviously. He had died. He was dead for three years. And, now he was suddenly back? It wasn't right.

Felicity saw how sad he was, and she unconsciously reached for him, and when her fingers brushed his arm, those same sparks, and that same spine-tingling feeling that she got three years burned brighter than ever. As soon as they came into contact, Oliver looked up at her, and saw how close she was to him.

"Oliver, I... I'm not mad... I... I just... I'm trying to understand." Her fingers were still touching him, and she couldn't take them off. They just stayed there, like they belonged touching him.