and we chased

Chapter 20

ARIA

"Ollie", I mutter, searching for my plushie. Yet I left him back home. "Ollie, Ollie...I need Ollie."

Ollie has been with me through everything. He's the plushie I got as I moved back to the States, ready to start a new life. The one who had to listen to me curse myself til I couldn't even look in the mirror, the one that I hugged when I cried til my eyes fell shut, the one I told about the time I first smiled again.

I have lived a happy life. Until some wrong choices and bad influence made me live a less happy one. Now I am living a happy life again.

I keep telling that to myself as I'm staring at my reflection, still in the clothes from earlier, trying my best not to cry.

The doorbell to my room starts ringing, and I make the effort to stand up and open it.

A panicked Lewis greets me.

"Where the fuck have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you", he says as he walks in my room as if he would own it.

"I needed some time alone", I respond, going back to sit on the floor, my back against the bed. For some reason, Lewis takes a sit next to mine, not minding sitting on the ground.

Neither of us says something for some time. Yet my body is well aware of his presence, heat flooding through me.

How the heck does he do it?

"You have my respect, Miss Grant", he begins, his voice barely a whisper.

I look up at him confused. His blue eyes meet mine for once.

"What do you mean?", I ask him, my voice shaky.

"All of us have a chapter we don't read out loud. Some of us are still daily trying to fight against the memory of that chapter. The fact you moved on and became the best version of yourself...you have my whole respect for it." He takes a break before he adds. "Amongst other things."

I look at him, not knowing how to reply.

"You respect me?" My voice sounds really uneven.

"Of course, I do. I admire you for your strength. Even for the positivity you bring in my days", he continues.

I am not sure I am still breathing.

"I am sorry I ran off to Brazil", I mutter.

Lewis gives me a surprised look. He then clears his throat and counters. "I am sorry I shouted at you that day before you left. I should have never had. You didn't do anything wrong and I acted like an asshole."

Wow. I never thought I would hear Lewis Cunnan confess he is an asshole.

How the world works.

"When you said that you liked the color blue because of somebody's eyes, who did you mean with that?", I ask, trying to figure out if he has a wife or girlfriend. No personal motives there.

Just conversation.

Keep fucking dreaming, Aria.

"Miss Grant, I...", he begins yet we're interrupted by a loud banging on the door.

I sigh as I stand up and walk to the door to open it. Greeting me are three worried guys. Levi, Chris and Fabio.

"There you are", Chris says, sighing relieved. "We looked all over for you."

"Yeah, sorry I left", I mumble. "It wasn't my scene."

"We're sorry", Fabio adds. "We had no clue that you didn't like it."