The Windy City

Matt

My heart sinks as I watch Olivia walk away from me once again. A scene all to familiar, but this time I don't think I should chase after her. If I did I wouldn't know how to act. She's definitely pissed me off. Why did she give me such attitude? We were having so much fun. I don't understand what I did wrong.

"Matt come play pool with us!" Chris yells as waving me over.

I start my way over there fighting every instinct in my body to run after Liv instead. At least I have her Instagram, so I can message her later or maybe she will message me?

"Where did Olivia go? I wanted her to be my partner so we could beat your ass in pool." Chris laughs chalking up the pool stick in his hand.

"I'm not sure. Her friend from home came to surprise her for her birthday and she just stormed off after I told her I knew about it." I said grabbing a pool stick.

Chris hands me the chalk. "Am I missing something? You have known her for 12 hours if that and you knew her best friend was on her way here?" He asks lining up the Qball.

"She dropped her phone on the way up here from the booth. It was ringing so I answered it and her friend asked me where she was and why some guy answered her phone. We 50 questioned each other. Then I told her I wouldn't let Liv leave until she got here." I said watching him break up the balls on the table.

"You were awful close to her for just being a distraction until her friend got here." Nick says.

My face must have given me away.

"Don't even Matthew. You were holding her hand on the way up here. You were so flustered when she won that game back there. I have never seen you get that way over a game unless it was just us 3."

Madi appears beside Nick with Nathan.

"Were you just distracting her for her friend or were you being genuine to her and yourself with those actions."

"I was keeping her distracted for her friend, but I also think she's pretty. I don't understand what you guys are getting at here." I feel my body start to tense up and my face heat up. Why are they so annoying?

"From a girl's perspective." Madi speaks up. "If that was me, right now I'd be thinking you were giving me mixed signals. Either you were distracting me for my friend or did you actually like hanging out with me? Do you like me? Did it mean anything? Those are the questions I'd be asking." She says as she takes the a pool stick and chalks it up.

"So we are playing teams?" I ask directing the conversation away from Liv before I run after her.

They all look at me like I said the wrong thing, but I just roll with it as I take my turn after Nick breaks up the balls.

"Yup and you're about to lose bitch." Nick says.

I stay leaned down on the table as the 8 ball rolls slowly and smoothly into my called pocket for the 3rd game in a row. Making this our best 2/3.

Maddi and Nick one by my fault. I hit a solid which was sitting right next to the 8 ball and it smacked it in the complete opposite direction I wanted it to go into. I blame Chris. He said he saw Liv and her friend leave. I was trying not to watch the door. I was doing good not thinking about her until then.

"Are you ready to go? It's almost 1am." Tril and Malcom appear from no where.

"Where have you guys been?" I laugh.

"We were talking to these girls down stairs. They were pretty cool. We got their numbers too." They both smile from ear to ear.

"We saw Olivia leave a few minutes ago as we came up here. She said bye to us." Malcom says.

So Chris didn't see her walk out like 20 minutes ago?

"I'll catch up with you guys later." I shout as I make my way down the stairs and out the door of the little tavern.

I'm trying to remember which direction she was coming from earlier. My mind is flustered. Do I like her? Was I just trying to keep her distracted? I feel like it's more deep then that if I'm running around Chicago in below freezing weather trying to find her.

I stop in my tracks as I see blonde bouncy hair and silk black hair walk into revolving doors down and across the street.

"Olivia!" I shout and I pick up my pace again.

She looks at back at me and continues to go around the doors reaching the inside of the hotel. I pick up my steps once again getting closer to the revolving doors. There's no way I'm letting her get away again. As I reach the doors they are still revolving, one more turn reveals this beautiful girl in front of me once again. A smile creeps across my face but soon fades as I see how puffy her eyes have become. I reach out for her arms so I can pull her close. She stands stiff without a budge but I keep my hands secure on her folded arms not allowing her to run away.

She looks at me her green eyes full of storm clouds.

"Liv what ever I said or did I am sorry." I say not breaking our gaze.

"It wasn't you, it was me. Thank you for helping Bri keep her visit a surprise, but you don't have to chase after me anymore. She's here so no need for you to continue talking to me." She scolds me.

I never thought I could feel more cold then I do right now.

"Liv. Did you forget that I literally ran after you at the bean today? I didn't know Bri even existed then. When I saw you in the street before I went to dinner. I saw you go in the tavern. Im the one who brought everyone there because I wanted too hangout with you. I didn't even know Bri existed until you dropped your phone in the booth when you went up stairs to play arcade games. If I would have answered your phone or not I would have still played basketball with you. I would have gotten close to you and held your hand." I'm breathing rapidly. Out of breath.

"I think we should just be friends. Nothing would work out between us anyway. You're literally famous and I'm a small town girl and I cant..." she's pauses "It just wouldn't work." She says breaking eye contact and trying to budge from my grip.

My heart fells like it just cracked into a million pieces and slightly held together by the fact that she said we can be friends.

I drop my grip from her without even thinking.

"I thought..." I start to say. She doesn't look up from the snow collecting around us.

"Okay, friends." I say softly as I feel the pieces of my heart scrape against each other with the words.