Under the Bridge

chapter fifty five-"none of your business."

L I A M 

My body feels weak and groggy, still not awake yet, but yearning to go out and run, especially in this nice weather. I haven't been able to work out outside the gym in a long time, and with a beach nearby, neglecting to go on a jog sounds like my nightmare. Olivia is still snoring in the bed beside me, looking almost as cute as she does when she's awake. 

I carefully remove my arms from her sleeping body and kiss her nose, rolling out of bed to feel a surge of cold hit my skin. I yawn and stretch my arms over my head, finding a pair of sweatpants and tugging them over my briefs. Coffee first, then run. It's too early for me to try and explore a town I haven't been to before. 

I glance at my girlfriend one more time before escaping out the door and down to the intricate stone kitchen, which manages to be free of anyone. With my luck, Hope and Elle will still be asleep for an hour, and I can go run without anyone distracting me. 

I find the coffee machine and put the grounds and water in, taking a mug from the overhead compartment and setting it down on the counter. There's nothing in the fridge, so I'll have to do without cream. 

"Good morning, Liam. Making enough coffee for everyone?" Elle manages to somehow be already awake at 6 AM, looking somehow alive at an ungodly hour of the day. 

I shrug. "Whoever wants some can have some. I don't need a pot." My voice sounds raspy and exhausted, this morning sound that Olivia always calls sexy that I think makes me sound like I smoke more than weed. 

"So, you don't seem like a morning person," Elle notes, still too peppy. 

The machine dings and I pour the amber liquid into my cup. "I'm not." 

She smiles, as though my harshness has not stopped her from interacting with me, and I feel myself begin to grow annoyed. I feel bad about it, but I really don't care about her, at least, not before I've had a cup of coffee. 

"So, tattoos. Those are cool," she comments. "What do they mean?" 

I take a drink of my steaming drink and look down at my chest, seeing ink designs that have become part of my skin at this point. "A lot of different things." 

Another figure strolls inside, this one, like me, not awake yet. Olivia manages to have put on a pair of shorts, the kind that cover less than they're supposed to, that I'm a big fan of. "Did I wake you up?" I ask. 

She nods and takes my coffee, drinking an elongated sip and scrunching up her face. "Jesus Christ, I wish you didn't take it black." 

I smile, bringing my lips down to hers for a moment. "I've always drank black coffee, you always make the mistake of drinking it." 

Elle clears her throat. "Olivia, your boyfriend was being standoffish. Fix him." 

She crosses her arms and looks up at me, raising her eyebrows up in a challenge but still laughing slightly. "Liam, don't be an asshole. It's too early for that." 

"It's too early to have any sort of conversation. All I wanted to do was go for a run," I grumble. "I'm not going to be awake until I finish my coffee and jog five miles." 

Olivia rolls her eyes. "I guess I didn't fall in love with you because you were a ray of sunshine," she says, sitting up on the counter and running her fingers through my hair, brushing some strands off my forehead. "Sorry, that was bothering me." 

I find myself grinning for a second, only to let it fade after a second. Olivia matches my expression and sets her pale hand over mine. "How did you sleep?"