Forever

XII

She was running and running even though she shouldn't because it will just make her condition worst, but she was running until she made her way out of the building, the cold breeze of the night welcoming her. She hugged herself tightly, slumping down on the marble concrete stair that led outside. She looked for her phone on the pocket of the dress and dialled the number of her mum. She answered in two rings.

"Oli—"

"Mum," she cut her off; her voice was evidently shaky even in the phone.

"Honey, what happened?" Her mum exclaimed on the other line. "Olivia?"

"Mum, can you come and get me? Mum, please," she pleaded and she heard some shuffling from the other line.

"But how about Aus—"

"Mum, please," she stopped her saying his name. "Just come here, please."

She could hear her mum heaving a deep sigh from the other line. "Okay, honey. I'll be there in ten."

Olivia ended the call, placing the phone on her lap. She stared at the empty university grounds, and she can feel that her face was wet with tears streaming down since awhile ago. She brought her hand to her lips, stopping the sound of sobs escaping but she failed, and soon enough she was on full crying.

Austin was just near her, hiding behind the large post of the building. He could see her, it hurt him seeing her like that, and he wanted to go to her, to hug her, to comfort her, but he couldn't. Not at that moment. What happened was all too much for a night.

Her mum arrived in exactly ten minutes, and the moment she got out of the car to go for Olivia was the moment he walked away. He was then assured that she could go home safely.

*

Olivia was in her room—wearing her pyjamas, all the makeup gone—as if nothing happened. But no, she couldn't just go around pretending nothing happened as her mum entered the room, holding her mug that had a steaming tea in it.

She felt the bed shifted, and she watched her mum place the mug on her bedside table. Her mum then looked at her and reached out for her hands. She let her hold it.

"Now tell me what happened," her mum said, squeezing her hands in a reassuring manner. Olivia looked at her with her big brown eyes, now seemingly heavy with dark bags because of the crying she had been doing. And then she started crying again.

"I told him, Mum," she said, her voice squeaking. Her mum's eyes softened at the sight of her, squeezing her hands to let her continue. "I told him and he's angry with me."

Her mum observed her carefully, her thumbs caressing the back of her hands in a comfortable manner. "I'm pretty sure he's not angry with you, Via. He just... maybe, has trouble understanding everything," her mum assured her, but Olivia shook her head vigorously.

"No, you didn't see him. He's angry! He's angry and he won't forgive me," she said while sobbing. "He's about to tell me he loves me but then I just cut him off and told him about my condition. He thought he was never important to me. He's angry at me, Mum. I'm losing Austin, Mum. I'm losing him," she stammered out.

Her mum tried to console her, tackling her in a tight embrace. She sobbed in her mother's arm, staining her jumper. "Why didn't you tell him that you love him as well?" Her mum asked her, fully aware of her daughter's feeling. Olivia froze in her arms, her mum smoothing her back up and down.

She blinked away the tears, processing the words of her mother. After quite awhile, she responded. "I can't Mum, I can't do it. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here," she said in almost a whisper. Her mum loosened up her hold on her, holding Olivia's chin to make her look at her.