Forever Yours #Wattys2017 FINISHED

8. How They Laugh

OLIVIA

I couldn't stay at Ian's place for too long after he had left. Only a few minutes after, my head started to pound severely again. I hardly slept at all last night - I was haunted by strange dreams that made me not wanting to fall asleep again.

I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach and there were only one person I could talk to.

... Sam.

So that's how I found myself sneaking out from Ian's place and are now sitting in a cafe waiting for my friend.

But he was late...

"Hey, sorry you had to wait for so long" He immediately apologized when he finally arrived. His hair was slightly messy and his voice was shaking slightly as he spoke. He hurried here.

"It's fine Sam, I'm just glad that you could make it" I assured him as he sat down on the chair in front of me.

"And I'm glad you called" He now said with a serious tone. "I heard you were sick?" He looked me over with a now worried expression that soon faded. "But you look fine, why did you call in sick?"

I took a deep breath and sighed. "Sam... Someone broke into my apartment"

His eyes widened in surprise. "Are you okay?" He asked and reached for one of my hands, holding it in his.

"I'm fine... But my apartment aren't" I started to explain before taking my first sip from the coffee I ordered while waiting for him. "I'm just lucky that Ian was there, the thief was still in the house when I got home."

I don't know what I would've done if Ian wasn't there with me. Who knows what the culprit would have done if he saw me, if I were alone.

And without Ian... I don't know how I would have escaped from those images I got. He pulled me out from that nightmare of a trance.

A chill spread down my spine as I thought about the images again and I pushed them deep down inside of me to forget it.

I don't want to think about it again.

Ian... He makes me feel a strange feeling I've never experienced before; safe and familiarity.

... Home.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" His eyes roamed my appearance once again to see if I was hurt.

His words made me realize... How hurt was Ian? I didn't really notice, being in my own kind of bubble; searching my brain to see where those images appeared from... Searching my brain to see why it feels like I know him.

But I can't remember a thing.

"I'm fine, but I think Ian might be hurt"

I should have thought about him more. After all, he was the one who sort of saved me. I'm selfish.

"He's a cop, he'll survive" Sam pushed it away. "Do you need a place to stay? You know, you can always stay at my place. I don't mind nor care how long you need a replacement apartment." He smiled at me when he spoke until his eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Hey.... Where did you stay at last night?"

Automatically, I started to spin my coffee mug around after snatching my hand back from Sam's grip and focused on it instead of Sam.

"Grace..." He pushed it.

"... Ian's place." I murmured quietly, secretly hoping that he wouldn't hear me.

But unluckily he did. His eyes widened even more. "Ian's... Woah that's just... Wow... Smooth move dude." He muttered the last sentence for himself but I heard it too. "Really?" He asked surprised.