Straight Shot ➳ Oliver Queen

16. Beat

C H A P T E R    S I X T E E N

BEAT

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A/N: A Karter/Oliver ship name has been requested... ideas anyone?

Oliver had refused to let me look at apartments alone. We set off a few hours after I had called Josh Nolan (the newspaper editor) to visit a few apartments. Oliver was surprisingly picky and had very strong opinions on each of the several apartments we looked at.

The apartment we chose was less than a five-minute drive away from the Queen's mansion. The apartment wasn't furnished, so I would have to wait until my furniture was shipped from California to move in, but it would be here shortly.

The apartment was the last listing on the paper I had brought, but when I walked in, I knew it was perfect. It was rather large for an apartment and had been well taken care of. The walls were bare and painted a boring white, which I would have to do something about, but the hardwood floors were a nice edition. There were big windows all across one wall of the living room, which, for some reason, Oliver was very wary of, but I ended up convincing him they would let more light in and make the room look brighter.

Back at the Queen's mansion, I hurriedly got ready for the interview I had set up at the Starling City Sentinel. The job was already mine, but there were still logistics to be discussed. I changed out of the sweater and jeans I had been wearing while house hunting into a red, sleeveless blouse with a collar and fitted black slacks. I tucked the shirt into the waistband of the pants before pulling my hair back into a low ponytail.

After informing Moira where I was off to, I left the mansion and got into the car I had rented, a royal blue 2012 Chevy Cruze. I started the car and pulled the seatbelt across my chest. I was about to put the car in drive when I felt a soft knock on the window. I rolled it down to expose a frustrated Diggle, who stood just outside of the car. He leaned over and looked at me questioningly.

"You mind mentioning to your best friend Oliver that he's making it a bit hard for me to do my job?" He said in a sarcastic tone.

"Did he give you the slip again?" I assumed.

"One of these days, I'm gonna find out where he goes." He decided, shaking his head. "You wouldn't happen to know, would you?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Trust me. If I had the slightest idea, I would tell you." Diggle stepped back and I pulled out of the driveway, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror to see him watching my car drive off the property.

"Wow, you'd sell me out just like that?"

"Jesus!" I exclaimed, the car swerving as I nearly had a heart attack. Oliver had popped up in the back seat and was leaning over my seat. I clutched my beating heart as I tried to catch my breath. "What... the... actual... hell...?!" I managed to get out between short breaths. "You're stowing away in my car? Are you kidding me?! You are a psychopath!"

Oliver climbed over the center console and slid into the passenger seat, fastening the seatbelt across his chest. "More like a highly functioning sociopath, but I've been called both." Oliver teased with one of his signature smirks.

"Is there a reason you're hiding in my car like a serial killer?" I interrogated, still tense as I clutched the wheel, my knuckles turning white. At least I had corrected my driving after my swerve and was driving in a straight line now, even though there weren't any other drivers on the neighborhood road.

"Diggle won't let me out of his sight," Oliver answered, glancing back through the back windshield as if checking if we were being followed.

"Gee, wonder why?" I muttered sarcastically, rolling my eyes.