Coffee Shop | Elizabeth Olsen

28: New Year's Eve

"I like it here," Lizzie said as we looked out on the frozen river below us. "Me too, and it's really quiet," I observed. "That's because the whole population is in time square right now." "We're too original for that." I joke with her. We were standing on Bow bridge listening to the festivities that were happening in the city tonight. It was New Year's Eve. We didn't want to go to time square it was far too busy and there was not a single chance Lizzie would be able to get through it without being noticed.

"Are you warm enough?" "Yeah." She says snuggling further into my side I tightened my arm around her. Since her attack things have been really good between us. We're communicating better, we have boundaries she stays over a few nights a week instead of every night us being together, we've been on a few dates. The bow bridge is our spot, we just stand here people watch, we played pooh sticks a few times. The river is currently frozen over with a thin layer of snow, it looked so pretty.

"We're a minute away." She says after checking her watch. "We are." I agreed without checking the time. "I told my mum I'm seeing someone." She says casually. "You did?" "Yeah." "What did she say?" "She assumed it was a man, I didn't correct her." I looked at her. "Okay." "You're not upset?" "No, baby. Our own pace remember." She nodded. "Don't look so guilty, I've not even told my mum I'm seeing anyone." "That's standard for you. You don't tell anyone anything." "I tell you stuff." She cocked an eyebrow. "I do!" I defend myself and she laughed at my reaction.

"Nell?" "Yes, Princess." "Be my girlfriend?" Was I hearing her right? "Wait are you serious?" She bit her lip and nodded. "Answer me, I'm freaking out." She says jumping on the spot looking at me with her big doe eyes. "Yes, of course, I will." We kissed and both chuckled as the fireworks went off at midnight. "How cliche?" She teased. "Happy New Year baby," I mumbled against her lips. "Happy new year." She said back before kissing me again. "We should head back." She tells me. "Five more minutes?" I asked adjusting my arms around her waist, she reconnected our lips. I couldn't have been happier than I was right now.

We walked back to her mum's place, I picked her up two hours ago and we walked around the city. "Do you want to come in?" "Where did you tell your parents you were going?" I asked her. "Out with my partner." "So I can't exactly come in." "Please." She pulled me up the steps. "Lizzie." "I can say I bumped into you." "Okay." I agreed not wanting to be on my own anyway, plus she just asked me to be her girlfriend. "I have to go before mum calls though... 3 hours." She nodded. "We can leave then." "You're staying here tonight." "Nope, I want to stay with my girlfriend." "Oh, do you now." She unlocked the door and pulled me in.

"Lizzie, you're back." Jarnie smiled greeting us at the door. "Oh, who's this?" "This is Nell, I told you about her. MK is obsessed." "Yes, that's right." "It's lovely to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." I smiled at her. "Mum, is dad still here?" "Yeah, he's in the kitchen." Her face fell and her hands trembled slightly. "Bug?" She looked at me I smiled at her. "Can I talk to you mum?" "Yeah, are you feeling okay?" "I'm okay." She assured. "I'll go find Ashley and MK," I say "No, please stay." She held my forearm. "Okay." I agreed easily.

Lizzie leads us through to an empty room. "Mum." "Lizzie." Her mother smiled at her sweetly. "I am in a relationship." "You told me, sweetie. You went and met him just now." "I'm in a relationship with a woman." I hid the shock by looking at my feet blushing slightly my hair falling around my face covering it. "You are?" "I am." "Are you happy?" "Very." "Do I get to meet them?" I looked up and Jarnie had a knowing smile on her face she seemed genuinely happy for her. For us. "I'm dating Nell," Lizzie says looking at me. Jarnie looked at me and I smiled awkwardly, I was never good at meeting the parents.

"I shall tell you what I've told every partner of my daughters'... Hurt her and you'll have to answer to me." "Yes, Ma'am." She chuckled and pulled me in for a hug. "I asked her to be my girlfriend tonight," Lizzie says proudly. "Well, welcome to the family, Nell." "Thank you." Lizzie put her arm around my waist and I looked down at her she was smiling with her nose scrunched as she looked back at me. She was happy and that made me happy. "I'm really happy for you, Elizabeth." Her mum said. "Thank you, mum." She looked back at her mum. "Don't tell dad yet." She nodded. Lizzie didn't really talk about her dad all that much, in fact, I don't think she's ever mentioned him. She talks about her mum a lot, they're really close.