It was silent on the elevator as we went up to Olivia's room. You could hear the dings of each floor as we passed them. I took deep breaths to stop my heart from beating so loudly.
He was going to kiss me.
Walker was going to kiss... me?
"So--"
"What--"
Olivia and I spoke at the same time. We both stopped with an awkward chuckle. Olivia twisted her hands together in deep thought.
"You first," I said.
"So, that was weird right?" She finally locked eyes with me. She studied my expression.
"What was?"
"When the elevator opened. It was like... I don't know."
I didn't want to gaslight her, but I also wasn't even sure of what happened myself. One second I'm stealing Walker's fan bracelets and the next... I squeezed his bracelets in the pouch of my USC hoodie.
"Yea," was all I said in return. I avoided her searching eyes with a sigh. It fell silent again as we filed off the elevator. Her shoulders slumped. She could probably tell I was keeping something from her. I jutted out my chin stubbornly. This is Olivia. She's my friend. Maybe she could help me figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do next.
"Olivia--"
"I like Walker."
I stopped cold in the hall outside of my parents' room door. Olivia's mom, and thus her sweater, was in the room with them since Charlie, Dior, and Olivia didn't get rooms.
"I'm sorry?"
"Why... because you like him too?" Her eyes got big.
"What?! No. I meant I'm sorry as in... come again? Like repeat what you said."
"Please don't make me. It's embarrassing enough!" She covered her face with her hands, sinking to the floor. My head was spinning.
Suddenly the constant Percabeth praise and the piercing eyes were making sense. She liked me and Walker together as Annabeth and Percy. Only. She didn't want us together as Leah and Walker. Maybe she kept bringing it up to gauge my reaction when she did? All night she's been trying to figure out...
"You guys like each other don't you?" Olivia asked.
Her voice snapped me out of it.
"Why would you think that?"
"Well, for one, you're wearing the sexy swim suit..."
My face grew hot. She's got me there. I don't know what made me choose the tie-dye one, but I won't pretend Liv's words didn't echo in my head when I chose it. When did I shift from wanting to blend in to wanting to look pretty and stand out.... Was it during the movies after Walker shifted away from me? Was I trying to get his attention?
Why did he shift away from me anyway? You shift away during a movie one second and corner me in the elevator the next. What is up with--
"You look so pretty in the swimsuit. That's why I said you should wear it, I swear." I forced myself to focus on what Olivia was saying. "But if you didn't wear it for Walker... who did you wear it for? Charlie?"
My face grew even hotter. "No! I mean, Charlie is hot, obviously, but beyond that being a literal crime Olivia, he's like my brother!" I shook the ick out of my shoulders. "Grandpa Charlie... can't even imagine it."
"... so it was for Walker." Her eyes were so vulnerable, it made me soften.
"Listen, Liv. Me and Walker do not like each other. At all. We're friends. ...Let Aryan tell it. The best of friends."
YOU ARE READING
The Secret of Us
RomanceI don't ship the actors, but the story the fanbase has created around their interactions was just too good not to join in on. I think the two are just really good friends!
