My Love for Her

1: Missing Friend

Author's note: I would love to hear people's opinions about this, if anyone has any!

"Babe, you have to stop worrying, okay? I'm sure she'll be here." Olivia squeezed my hand, trying to comfort me.

"I'm worried, Liv. I mean, I know Kim is wild and crazy, but she's never late for me. She knows it's really important to me that you two meet, she wouldn't let me down! I mean, we've been together for over a year now, and you still haven't met my best friend, baby. I just, I know she would be here."

"Alice, honey, why don't we just try her house?" Olivia put her hands on either side of my face, like she always did to try and calm me down. She could always tell when I was getting worked up. "She would have gotten to the house last night, right?"

I nodded, trying to breathe slower and calmer. "Yeah, you're right. Okay. I'll try ringing her phone one more time, and then we'll try her house." I took my phone out. "I just have a really bad feeling that something has happened to her." I dialled the number.

"I'm sure she's fine. You told me that your anxiety's been acting up the past few days, what with all of the assignments you were rushing to finish. I'm sure this feeling is just from that."

"She's not answering her phone, Liv."

"Okay. We'll try her parent's house." She kissed me, and then the two of us stood up.

I took my girlfriend's hand, and the two of us began walking towards my best friend's house. Today had been so important to me! Kim hadn't met Olivia yet, even though we'd been together for so long. University and bad timing had stopped them from meeting, and I really wanted them to get along.

"Alice, honey, you need to calm down. I can literally feel the stress coming off of you."

I looked at Olivia. "I'm sorry. I just - I really want you and Kim to be friends, and I know we're not really off to the best start but I promise, baby, she's not like this, she really wanted to meet you and she's never late so I know that she must have a really really good reason-"

Olivia stopped walking and turned to face me. "Alice, honey, it's okay. I promise you, me and Kim are going to be absolutely fine. We'll get along great, I promise. I mean, we both love you, right?"

I laughed nervously. "Right, you both love me so you have to love each other. Right."

Olivia and I had been to Kim's mother's house several times together, even without Kim being there. Kim and I had been friends since we were children, and her mother was one of the few adults I felt I could really open up to. I had even discussed my relationship with Olivia with her, coming out as bisexual to her despite not having told my parents yet, or anybody else in my family (they all thought Olivia and I were just roommates and very good friends). When we arrived at the house, Grace's immediate reaction was a huge smile and a hug for the both of us.

"Oh, it is so great to see you both!" she beamed. If I hadn't had such a fear about what had happened to Kim, I wouldn't have even noticed the worry in her mother's eyes. "Come in, girls, and I'll make us some coffee."

"Thanks very much, Mrs. Knight," Olivia said as we walked into the house.

"Please, Olivia, it's Grace." She led us into the kitchen. "Sugar and milk for both of you, right?"

The two of us agreed.

"You haven't seen her, have you, Grace?" I asked, knowing the answer.

Grace sat down with us, and shook her head, sighing. "She was supposed to arrive last night, but she never showed up. I'm very concerned, if I'm being perfectly honest. I presumed she was with you when she didn't answer her phone."