Back To You | complete

Chapter 42| Old Habits Die Hard

Chapter forty-two: Old habits die hard

K A I S O N

I woke up with the sun. Without Livvy beside me, I hadn't slept very well. My brain immediately got to work, replaying the shitty events of the previous night. I had always been a victim of my thoughts. Sometimes I was able to override them, but the majority of the time I either fought a losing battle or didn't fight at all.

I hated that.

I lay there till my alarm sounded: half helpless, half lacking incentive. Impassively, I swiped up to dismiss it and threw the covers off.

Time to officially get up.

I knew Livvy got up around seven. She wasn't exactly a morning bird, but work had demanded her sleep cycle to be that way for a long time now. She wasn't thrilled about it, but I was sure that in the time she had at home now, she would do everything in her power to turn it around.

Thinking about her always made me happy. So, with a smile on my face, I began my day. I decided to leave for Livvy's right after breakfast. But then I thought we could do it together. And so I just brushed my teeth and put on a hoodie. Before I left, I peeked in the guest room and saw a mop of blonde hair. Ignoring the irritation that demanded to be addressed, I slid on my shoes, grabbed my keys, and stepped out.

The drive was short and peaceful since traffic, although not non-existent, was much more tolerable than usual. I parked in her building's basement and called the elevator. Not a minute later, I was knocking at the door.

Just being this close to seeing her made my heart dance and my mood lift. I almost whistled to myself. I heard her footsteps and contained myself.

"--I don't know," I heard her say as she opened the door. It took me a second to realize that she had her pods on and was talking to someone on the phone. "He's here."

I'm guessing it's Samantha.

I didn't say anything except smile at her in greeting. She looked cute with her hair mussed up. She must've woken up just a while ago.

"Right," she continued after a pause. "Look, I have to go. Take care."

She removed the AirPods from her ear and held them in her hand, turning away from the door before I could say anything. I frowned. She didn't even acknowledge me. Was she not happy to see me? What was wrong?

She walked to her room and followed her, taking it as a silent invitation. She casually placed the pods back in their case. Too casually.

Realization dawned on me and I internally face-palmed. How could I forget that I abandoned her last night? Shit.

"I know you're mad," I said lowly, now keenly watching her every move to assess the damage I had done. She had her back to me so it was harder to read her.

She lifted her shoulders and then dropped them unceremoniously. "Why would I be?"

It's bad. Fuck.

"Livvy, I'm so sorry," I apologized. I meant it. I was never letting Chelsea fuck things up for me again.

She sat down on the bed, finally facing me. She tilted her head to the side, feigning nonchalance.

"For what?" She asked in a tight voice.

"For leaving you like that last night." I shook my head, a pit of dread forming in my stomach almost like a foreboding. "It really was an emergency."

An emergency I've made clear won't be entertained by me anymore.

She crossed her legs, leaning back on her hands. I saw her hands clench and fist the sheets. Overcome by a sudden urge to comfort her, I bent down to kiss her but she turned her head at the last moment, making my lips fall on her cheek. I hesitantly straightened up. She examined me again.