Recover: Book 2 of the Magic Mutations Series | ✓

21: The Call

April-June 2017

I won't get into the nitty gritty details of our love affair and every exchange we had, because what can I say? As the term resumed, we were inseparable. Again, we had each class together (I had ditched business altogether in favour of being around Olivia more). We sat side-by-side, always touching, always feeling what each other felt. No one dared approach us, probably too sickened by our longing stares and kisses.

Her apartment collected dust the longer she lived with me, and I was convinced that, if she was still around at the end of this term, I'd just tell her to let go of her lease and officially move in with me. We were already committed through our bond.

During the days we studied, and at night we held each other, talking about books, spending time together, recounting the past, imagining the future. I showed her how I could make fireworks in the night sky for her. I manipulated light to write that I love her in the air as we lay in bed waiting for sleep to overcome us.

We tried twice more to get intimate, but this time I knew even sooner when she was scared, and so we dropped it. She felt guilty afterwards each time, but I reminded her she had a lot of trauma to overcome.

But as the last few weeks of term ended, the fated phone call arrived.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

June 2017

"Lukas, love?" Ollie called from the living room while I showered.

"Yeah?" I said back as I washed shampoo suds from my hair. I kept an ear out for her footsteps until she reached the other side of the bathroom door. No matter how many times I told her I could hear her in the living room from here, she always insisted on coming closer so she 'doesn't have to shout'.

But rather than poking her head in, she continued to talk from the other side... because we still weren't at a point of seeing each other fully naked.

"Ben has called you five times now," she said. "I think it's urgent."

I heaved a groan, and replied, "I'll call him back when I'm out."

"Sure you don't want me to just answer it?"

"We've talked about this Ollie," I warned. But she went quiet. Even through the water streaming past my ears, I could hear her heavy breaths on the other side of the door. Then, at once, she turned around, her footsteps padding back towards the living room, my phone making a soft thud on the coffee table.

Finishing off my shower, I dried off and wrapped the towel around my waist to get changed.

But as I walked down the hall to the bedroom and past the living room, I glanced in to see that Ollie had her arms crossed over her chest, lip pouting and tears welling in her eyes.

Look what you've done... my bonded brain nagged me.

Sighing, I walked through the living room and took a seat next to her, towel and all. She glanced my way, eyes going slightly wide to see my lack of clothing. With a flush to her face, she quickly looked away, still trying to pout, though expression now marred with embarrassment.

"Did you just check me out, Ollie?" I teased.

"Shut up."

"Make me."

She shot me a glare, but as she continued to stare, her eyes couldn't help but wander back down over me again, lust swirling in her gaze once more. Realising what she was doing, she whipped her head forward, trying to put up her grumpy facade once more.