Charming Hearts

Chapter 14: Everything

This chapter is dedicated to BlackBerryBliss because she made the lovely character banner above and I just love her to pieces. She spoils me with pretty things. :)

Song: Trapped by The Word Alive

-Dawson-

It was storming at two in the morning.

Liv was supposed to show up soon, which wasn't helping my case. This is exactly how my dream started and now the dream was replying in my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed them with my fingers. It was worse behind closed eyes. I started to feel it everywhere. Her hands, hear her voice, and feel her mouth.

There was a knock on my door and I stood from the couch. I ran a hand through my hair and answered it. Liv stood there, drenched from the rain like she had been in my dream. A lump formed in my throat and I struggled to swallow it. "Did you have any problems getting in?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. But the man at the front desk gave me a weird look."

I let her inside and shut the door. "I'll get you a towel," I murmured and disappeared to get the towel. I came back and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said and started to take off her jacket. "I didn't know it was going to storm like this. It started on my way over." Underneath the jacket, she was wearing just a t-shirt. Even though it was clinging to her skin, I was slightly relieved. My dream needs to stay just that...a dream.

"Strange," I said. "Do you want something dry to wear? I could put your clothes in the dryer."

Liv smiled a little. "That would be great, thank you."

Inside my closet, I found a plain black t-shirt and in one of my drawers, I found a pair of sweatpants. When I walked back out, she was scanning the living room. It was small, but at least it was something. The only thing separating us from the kitchen was a small breakfast bar. Again, it was small, but it was perfect for me.

"I like it," she said and faced me again. "How does it feel to live on your own?"

I handed her the clothes and shrugged. "I like the quiet, but sometimes it gets too quiet." And then I pointed to my room. "Bathroom's to the left."

Liv thanked me again and walked into my room. The bathroom door shut and I let go of the breath I had been holding. It didn't take long for her to change. When she walked back out, she handed me her wet clothes and I put them in the dryer. Back in the living room she was sitting on the couch and she twisted her hair into a ponytail.

Timidly, I sat beside her.

It didn't feel different with Liv there. It almost felt normal. But then I remembered why she's there and what we're supposed to talk about. I didn't know if I wanted to talk about it or not. But if it'll help us get over it, then I'm all for it. I miss my best friend; despite what I feel for her. "How can we pretend something never happened?" I asked.

"That's why it's called pretending," she said. "I should've known."

"It's my fault too. I came to you that night."

Liv turned to face me and she brought her knees up to her chest. "It was both of us, Dawson. Neither one of us said no that night."

She had a point. "I tried to convince myself that what I was feeling was only because of what we did, but months later...I still felt it, Liv."