What If I Lived a Lie? [You Me at Six]

Chapter Seven: There's Just Something About Her.

“Josh, why is your girlfriend in our kitchen, making eggy bread?”

“It’s French toast, Oliver.”

“You Americans are strange.”

For a moment, Josh swore it was her. That she was back, ready to admit to her mistakes, ready to admit that she was wrong, ready to come home. When Josh rounded the corner into the kitchen, his heart was pounding and he felt like he couldn’t breathe, it couldn’t really be her, could it?

It wasn’t. It was Olivia.

He felt a newfound resentment when he looked at her, he just couldn’t help it. He hated the way she smiled at him so sweetly, sometimes; he hated the way her hand was always warm, and fit just perfectly in his; he hated the way she always smelled sweet and pure, like vanilla and sugar, and all the sweet things in the world; he hated the way she stuck her tongue out when she was concentrating, or baking, and how endearing it was. He hated the way that she made it so easy to forget about her, his first love, Emma. Sure, she had cheated on him, and sure, he was angry, but he loved her; he could forgive her, he’d reasoned, if she just asked for forgiveness. It didn’t look like that was happening any time soon, but, for some reason… He couldn’t let her go.

Josh had almost forgotten his and Olivia’s conversation last night, and how she’d ended up at this house.

“Hello?” she’d said.

“Hi, Olivia; what’s up? I hope you’re not backing out.”

“No, I wouldn’t do that to you, two days before. Besides, a deal’s a deal, like I said,” she took a long pause, and Josh stopped himself from picturing her biting down on her lip, as he always did, “I, um, need a favor.”

“Depends on what it is.”

Olivia swore his voice was colder than normal, but she brushed it off, her own voice coming out timid when she spoke up in response, “Can I stay with you tonight?”

“Uhh.”

“Please. It’s just… Dan is taking Hunter, y’know, to the Kerrang! Awards, as his date, and… I’m… I just don’t want to be in their way.”

“Oliver’s been staying ‘round mine for a few days, as long as you don’t mind him being here as well, you’re free to come.”

“Thank you,” she responded softly.

“Yeah.”

This time she couldn’t ignore the edge to his voice, and hung up, for fear she might ask a question she was not prepared to hear the answer to.

Olivia winced when she saw his face falter at the sight of her, she’d never felt so small and unwanted. She quickly recovered and produced a weak smile, mumbling an “it’s just me.”

She glanced at Oliver—he obviously had no clue what was going on—before she looked down at the pan she was using and wondered why she agreed to this deal in the first place.

“Aw, have you had your first lover’s quarrel?” she heard Oliver’s voice teasingly say, from the kitchen table nearby.

“N—”

“Don’t be silly, Oliver,” Josh interrupted before Olivia could speak again, “I was just upset, because I had the same idea that my lovely princess, did, here. She just beat me to it.”

Olivia blinked a few times in surprise, princess? She looked up at Josh, but barely had anytime to be stunned before he was leaning down, planting a soft kiss upon her lips. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink when he pulled back, murmuring a “good morning, babe.” There was a smile on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes.