Love Drunk

Chapter 5

(Cole^)

Shale

I woke up the sounds of screaming and crying, causing me to leap out of my bed and into the hallway., the sounds led me to Olivia's room and I found her tossing and turning in her bed as she screamed and cried out incoherent words in her sleep.

I jumped onto the bed beside her, shaking her awake. She finally responds, waking up with a startled gasp as tears pour down her face. She takes one look at me with her horror filled eyes and launches herself into my arms, crying on my shoulder. I stroke her sweat slick hair as I murmur to her that everything will be okay.

The pretending is over.

***

I sip my cup of coffee as I stare at Olivia worriedly over the top of the table. She was drinking her own cup of hot chocolate, staring down at the book in front of her. Probably some Stephan King horror book. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun with lose strands framing her tan face as she looks down at the book. Her dark eyes followed the words written across the page, flying fast as she read.

"Stop looking at me like that," she says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

'Like what?"

"Like I'm some wounded animal. I'm fine. It won't happen again, last night was just a onetime thing," she assures me sternly, though I don't believe her. "So...has lover boy texted you yet?" she asks, changing the topic.

"No," I sigh in disappointment.

"Wow, I thought my company was enough. You hurt me, Shale," she teases, causing me to roll my eyes as she returns to her book.

The silence stretches on, but it's not awkward, its comfortable. I'm just glad to have my cousin back.

"Aren't you going to be late for work?" she finally asks, out of the blue.

I look at the digital clock on the microwave and jump up from my chair in a hurry, spilling my coffee. I have to be there in an hour! I still have to shower, get ready, and find a way to get there through the New York traffic.

"Shit!' I exclaim, grabbing napkins and quickly wiping up the spilled coffee.

"Oh Shale, I thought you were more responsible than this," she tsks, not looking up from her book.

"Fuck you!" I shout before dashing off into my room.

Her laugh is my only response as I struggle to get ready for work.

I'm going to get fired!

***

"Shale."

"Yes Ms. Calvo..." I start in a rush, breathing heavily. "Wait, you said my name correctly," I say astonished.

"Don't I always," she says in a du tone, causing me to break out of my daze. "You're an hour late."

"I'm so sorry Ms. Calvo, it won't happen again it was just..."

"Shh, I don't want to hear it. I already got my own coffee and breakfast and took care of today's appointments so it's all good," she shrugs with a sweet smile, placing on her reading classes as she takes of the cap to a pen.

"Wait...what?" I ask in surprise.

Yesterday she would have fired me if her coffee was too hot or too cold, or if she got croutons on her salad, but today I'm an hour late and she's okay with it. What the hell?

"Now can you run these down to development please," she asks, handing me a portfolio without looking up at me as she reads whatever is on her desk.