Seven Days - A Lizzie Olsen Story

Saturday

"I just don't think it's going to work."

Her voice was level, cold. Her expression, unemotional.

"My life, it's too busy for me to make time for you," she continued.

Ow. Okay. That one hurt.

"I need someone who understands what it's like. You're just not enough."

Lizzie could barely look at me as she listed off reasons why she didn't want to see me anymore. Not that she had seen me much recently, or even at all.

This was the first time she'd video called since she left London, and apparently this was all she had to say.

"It was kind of fun at first, but it's just boring now. I can't keep this up any longer."

Keep what up?

"I don't want to waste anymore of my time."

I'm a waste of her time. I knew it.

Keep it together, Charlie.

"Okay, Lizzie." I tried and failed to keep my voice from breaking.

She ended the call and instead of being sad I was furious. Furious with myself for letting myself fall for someone who clearly was on a different level than I was.

Lizzie had been too good to be true since day one, and I should have known it wouldn't have worked.

I should have listened to my gut.

My phone vibrated. A text. It was Lizzie.

Lizzie: You won't be able to reach me on this number again. My team always changes it once someone in the public gets a hold of it.

Woah. That was fucking rude, and more than that it hurt like hell. That's all I was, something to take up her time. Fun for a week, but not something real, not someone you could build a life with.

I called Olivia.

"Well what did you expect, Charlie?"

"What?"

"It would never have worked. I don't know why you were so stupid honestly."

"Olivia," now the tears took hold.

"You couldn't even make it work with your ex, and she's just a normal person. How did you expect it to work with Elizabeth Olsen?"

To add insult to injury as I continued to cry she began to laugh.

I went to hang up, but couldn't even muster the energy. I could still hear her empty, cold laugh from my phone now strewn to the side.

She was right. Lizzie was right.

I wasn't good enough.

This couldn't work.

I was stupid for thinking it could.

I couldn't blame anyone but myself.

I broke my own heart, again.

I woke up with a start, and Lizzie jumped up.

"Charlie, you're sweating?"

I was soaked through my shirt. Jesus Christ. It was a dream. It was just an awful dream.

"Charlie?" I could feel her hand on me now, and I moved out of the way.

It had been so real, her face, her perfect face was there and she was telling me I wasn't worth her time. I never expected to ever see that side of her, but if the dream version was that bad, how was I supposed to deal with it when it happened for real?