Recover: Book 2 of the Magic Mutations Series | ✓

16: Those Dreaded Three Words

"Morning, Ollie," I said when she finally emerged from the bedroom around noon, sleepily stumbling into the kitchen. But at my use of her nickname, she came to a halt, eyes flying wide open.

"What did you just call me?" she squeaked.

"Ollie," I replied, throwing her a grin before resuming making lunch. Bratwurst for me with a side of steamed greens, and for Ollie I was making a cheese toastie paired with tomato soup—something greasy enough to help with her hangover. What she didn't know is that I snuck into my spare room this morning while she was fast asleep to brew her an anti-nausea potion that I laced the soup with. Her hangover was bound to be cured the moment she ate.

"H-h-how do you know my nickname?" she stuttered as I set her food in front of her.

Resting my elbows on the counter and my head in my hands while my lunch still cooked behind me, I replied. "You told me."

"Last night?"

I nodded.

"Was... was there anything else I told you?" she replied, fear masking her gaze as she gingerly sat down on the stool. 

She had a vague memory... I thought. 

Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, only confirming my assumption.

I threw her a small smile and coyly raised my eyebrows to tease her a little longer, before saying, "Eat first. Then we can talk."

She needed to be well for this conversation.

After finally serving up my plate, I took the stool next to her and began to dig in. All the while, Ollie nibbled at her food, casting hesitant glances my way.

We ate in silence, me self-consciously chewing my food, wondering if I looked weird doing so. I couldn't take the heat from her constant glimpses.

Meanwhile, once Ollie had taken a few spoonfuls of the soup, the colour returned to her cheeks and she seemed to liven up. Her shoulders stopped slouching. Her eyes pepped up. And as she seemed to become more ravenous, her attention turned more towards the food and less on me, allowing me to calm my heart and eat in peace.

The reality was, I was super nervous. Because it was time we spoke about all the unsaid things. I was scared I would hurt her feelings. And I was also worried she'd run from me after this. But we couldn't prolong acknowledging the bond between us anymore... or the feelings that came with it.

So once we finished our food, I quickly washed the dishes while she dried. Then, letting out the sink, I turned to her and said, "Let's go to my room."

"Your... bedroom? Why?" she asked hesitantly.

But then I gave her a look that said, 'Really? We've shared the same bed for weeks now and you're going to get weird about this?'

Head turning down in embarrassment, she shuffled through my living room and to my bedroom. I left the door open as I took a seat, crossing my legs on the bed and patting the space beside me.

Slowly, she came over, mirroring my posture, but avoiding looking at me.

"You can never ruin our friendship," I started.

She let out a shocked intake of breath as I finally revealed that her worst assumptions were true—she had evidently been deluding herself all morning that perhaps she hadn't said those dreaded three words to me while drunk.

"But the truth is, Ollie," I breathed, pausing to gently grab her hand in mine, unable to look at her while I said it, but needing to touch her, "I like you too."