While I'm Alive (An Owen Grady Story)

Chapter Fourteen

A/N:

I've given in, I can't deny you guys this one right now. I love it too much!

PS- I highly, highly suggest you listen to the song while reading this one.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"I'D RATHER FEEL THIS, WHATEVER THIS WAS, RIGHT NOW THAN RUN FROM IT BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID IT WOULDN'T LAST"

SONG TO LISTEN TO: A RUSH OF BLOOD BY COASTS

I kept busy for the rest of the day, doing what I could to avoid thinking about Owen and what had almost happened between us. Instead, I ended up doing the opposite. I'd finally come to the conclusion that there no doubting he had been about to kiss me. It wasn't something I had imagined. For some reason, it was both thrilling and scary at the same time.

I felt my phone suddenly vibrating in my pocket. I tugged it out and felt the breath sucked from my lungs. It was him. He was calling me. I panicked and hit the ignore button. I had no idea what I was doing. I wanted Owen, yet at the same time, finally letting that secret come to the light terrified me. In my head there were two scenarios, the one where Owen and I ended up together, and the one where he pretended nothing had happened and we went about our lives.

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

I was jolted out my thoughts and sent plummeting back to reality by the sound of another voice. I blinked at Violet from across the table as she swiped another fry from my plate and popped it into her mouth. She gave me a questioning look, still waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, sorry. Just tired." I lied, giving her an apologetic smile. She looked like she wanted to contest that, but thought better of it when I pushed my plate towards her. "Finish these. I'm stuffed."

She popped another fry into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. I propped my elbows up onto the table, resting my chin in my hands. Every time the cafeteria door would open from behind Violet, I would twitch, trying not to look obvious as my eyes searched for Owen's familiar build. "You know, I was going to let it go but your edginess is starting to make even me feel nervous." She said. "Something happened, didn't it? And I have a very good feeling that it has everything to do with Owen."

I groaned, running my hands over my face before peeking at her between my fingers. "It's a long story." I mumbled. She gave me a disbelieving look and I dropped my hands back into my lap.

"Well, it's fine if you wanna spare me the details but this is a very small place. Meaning you can't avoid whatever happened forever and at some point, because it's Owen, he's going to corner you about it." Violet shrugged.

"I mean I don't want to avoid him forever..." I trailed off, and I really didn't. Not at all. I just needed to get my head straight first.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on with you guys and it's none of my business." Violet said quietly, leaning across the table so none of the other employees in the cafeteria would feel tempted to eavesdrop. "Romantic, platonic, whatever. But I wasn't kidding you when I said I've never seen him so set on spending this much time with somebody. Regardless of in what kind of way it is, he cares about you. And you care about him too. So grow some balls and deal with whatever it is that happened."

I stared at her with wide eyes when she finished, watching as she casually squirted another heap of ketchup onto my fries. "Jesus, for somebody so small you can be pretty intimidating."