Detour

45: Tea Time

"Baby, you're a lightning in a bottle. I can't let you go now that I found it. And all I need is to get struck by your electric love..."

The song was engraved in my head since the moment we left the hotel. Like Emma Roberts, in the movie 'Nerve' while she's with the main character on the motorcycle, that is the moment I'm having right now. Driving wild in this road, with the hottest guy alive wearing a black shirt, in a black motorcycle.

I pinch myself and realize this isn't a dream. I can see him in the side mirror and when he turn to look at me and wink at me, I know for sure that I'm the luckiest girl. As I hug him tightly under his jacket and feel his packs, I can confirm, this is not a dream.

We reached home before lunch and I didn't expect to see Dad today, but he did appear on the middle of lunch.

Cole showed respect and Dad seems hard to read, as always.

"Working?"

"No, sir. Graduating this year." Cole take a glance at me. Dad simply raised his brow for a second.

"Do you still live with Olivia?" What I thought is that Dad didn't know anything about Cole. But then I remember Olivia, Cole's Mom used to be here—that's why me and Astrid met.

I can feel Cole's fork and knife hang in the air for a couple of seconds before he look up to Dad and smile. "I'm currently living alone in Amsterdam for about 4 years now, sir."

"Why?" Mom and I froze on our seat with Dad's question. Why is he so direct? Is this how it's supposed to be when it's a talk between men? When Dad felt Mom was shooting daggers at him, he cleared his throat. "I've been to Scotland, it is a nice place to live in. Olivia used to be my classmate in College."

I look at Cole and I'm worried that he's not comfortable with these questions. Because after months of knowing him, never did I ever asked him about that. I feel that it's rather a sensitive question to ask him why. I reach for his lap and eventually his hand went above mine.

"It is." Cole gave out a curt smile. He doesn't seem like lying at all. And that's hard because I don't know whether he is lying or not.

But wait, I didn't know Olivia and Dad were classmates before.

Dad nod and we all thought we're gonna eat silently now but, "How are they? Olivia and Malcolm?" I've never seen Cole's Dad before, not even when Astrid came here. Though I've remembered what Olivia looks like. Seeing Astrid is like seeing young Olivia, 100 percent.

Cole stilled for a while with the mention of his parents. Seeing him reacting like that, I think it's uncomfortable for him to talk about them, and I also think that he and his parents never talked for a while. Is that what caused him to flee from Scotland? "They're doing great." I hint a little bitterness from his tone.

"It's a small world—right, Harold?" Mom butt in with the emphasis of dad's name. I also notice Mom doesn't seem to talk about Cole's parents. I thought they were good friends? Is there something I didn't know about in the first place? "I've never heard of Olivia for years now, but it's good hearing they're doing great Cole." Mom didn't press more and we all continue eating. When we finished, Mom starts preparing tea while we both went upstairs.

He sits in my computer chair. I open my windows to let the light in. I glance at him, seeing him staring at my every move. I cleared my throat before speaking up. "I've seen Olivia before." He look up to me, his eyes soft and waiting. "She's so beautiful."

He offered his hand and pull me to sit on his lap. My eyes widen because I'm not sure if this chair can hold us both. But I did sit eventually, with his arms wrapped around my waist. Clingy. "Do you like her?"