The Last Five Years

Drew

I sat at my dining table, staring at the phone. I had listened to Poppy's voicemail three times now, each time making me feel worse. I sighed, rubbing my forehead. I decided to call her back. It was the least I could since I'd been ignoring her ever since Peter's funeral.

The phone went straight to voicemail, and I was strangely relieved. I suddenly realized I hadn't even thought about what I would say to her. I was winging it. I cleared my throat. 

"Hey, Poppy. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back with you. I've just had a lot going on. If you decide to move out, I have an extra bedroom here in Maryland you could stay in until you got on your feet." I was shocked. Had I really just said that? I shook my head. "Anyways, I hope you're doing better. Take care, Poppyseed." I hung up.

What had I just done? I'd gone out of my way the last few months to avoid anything Poppy related, and I just told her she could come out to Maryland and stay in my apartment. What was I thinking?

"Did I hear you talking to someone?" My girlfriend, Olivia, walked out of the bathroom with her hair wrapped in a towel, wearing one of my t-shirts. She smiled, sliding into my lap.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing. "Yeah, I was just returning a call I had missed." I wrapped my arms around Olivia, burying my face in her back. "Enjoy your shower?"

She turned to face me, taking my face in her hands. She grinned, kissing me softly. "It would've been more enjoyable if a certain someone had joined me." She kissed me again.

Olivia and I had been dating for almost three months. I'd bumped into her at a coffee shop, and it was love from the word 'go'. She was amazing. Oddly enough, we had worked together on a few things at Johns Hopkins, but we had never noticed each other. She was studying to be a neurosurgeon. Most nights, she stayed with me at my apartment. But she didn't live with me, exactly. We had both agreed it would be good to each have our own spaces so early in the relationship.

"So, lovely, I may have done something a little idiotic." I bit my lip.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

I smiled, scratching my head. "My high school girlfriend told me she's been having a bit of a tough time after her fiancé passed away, and I told her that if she needed a place to stay, she could crash here until she got back on her feet."

I expected a slap in the face, anger, or anything aside from the response I did receive. Olivia smiled. "That's sweet of you, Drew."

"You're...you're not upset with me?"

She shook her head, taking my hands in hers and pulling me over to the couch. "Of course not. She's your high school girlfriend, not your current girlfriend."

I laid on the couch, and Olivia curled up next to me. I entwined our fingers and kissed the top of her head. I was nervous; I was about to say something I hadn't said to a girl in almost six years. 

"I love you, sunshine."

Olivia turned to look at me, eyes wide and sparkling. "I love you, too, Drew." She kissed me, and I could feel her smiling.