Miles Hollingsworth, a grade 12 bisexual, billionaire, "bad boy " more than the boyfriend of the girl in the accident.
Olivia Pomegray, a grade 11 hopeless romantic, rich, "good girl", now with even more trauma than before.
The third series of Degr...
"Miles...." She trailed off looking around the study. Except it wasn't the study any more. It was her new bedroom. I stood by her in the room waiting smugly and let her look around.
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"Your new room Olivia. Well I say new, but I didn't know how you'd feel about change, and I loved your room, but now it's on the ground floor-" I rambled walking over but I was cut off. Cut off by a hard kiss.
I sank into it, letting my arm drop from behind my head to her waist. It wasn't just any kiss, it was our first. Since the accident, I hadn't kissed her, in the hospital, we'd had barriers such as life supports and nasal cannulas stopping me from being able to properly and passionately reach her mouth. It was easy to just condense and talk about the weeks of waiting and rehabilitating into a mere 10 minutes conversation but it really had been the hardest thing in existence. And now here we were, back, being us.
"I don't care about my feet, I don't care about my brain. How could I be sad about my life, when I have someone as amazing as you in it? she whispered against my lips. I smiled.
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We had spent the last month, after Olivia's first physio session decorating the study to her bedroom. It had been quite a tedious task getting her double bed down the stairs. But we did it for her because she was worth it. It was finished only yesterday in the nick of time. Frankie had been certain on a full makeover but I knew Olivia would just want familiarity. So we placed EVERYTHING back to the exact spot it was in, thanks to the help of Hunter's freakish neat habits.
There's a slight cough and my eyes dart sidewards. James was standing with his arm around Emily.
"You like the room then." He smiled, we exchanged a glance giving a silent kudos to the other for actually pulling off the "great room swap"
"I love it. Just thinking about tackling them stairs made my knees hurt." She beamed at him.
"Exactly why we did it. Just one of the many things that will change around here for you Olivia, things will get easier." He promises coming over and giving her a kiss on the head.
"And you made the upstairs your study now?" She asked and Emily flushes whilst James looks at me.
"What?" Olivia laughs awkwardly waiting expectantly for an answer.
"It's not a study." Emily shook her head.
"Then where will you work?" Olivia shook her head. James had gotten a job from a friend of mum's once Olivia had got the 2 week notice she could come home. It was a work from home job like before that he could do via the computer, it was less pay but it was less stress for the Pomegray's so that was the real reward.
"It doesn't matter about that, the new room is a bedroom now," James explained.
"You're moving in!?" Olivia cries.
"No, Olivia, well Emily basically is moved in. It's just, another bedroom, it's kind of... for the baby." Olivia's father says nervously as we all wait in anticipation for her reaction.
"The baby." She repeats her face unreadable.
"Our baby," Emily adds awkwardly patting her stomach and I hold Olivia tight willing to help with any reaction.
Olivia squints at her dad. "Can I talk to you alone please?"
Olivia's POV:
Emily and my father were pregnant? Well, Emily. I was overwhelmed, to say the least. It was a weird flurry snowstorm tsunami of happiness, unknowingness, scaredness with a hint of bitterness. I could of died and they had made a baby to replace me.
I didn't really believe that, it wasn't fair and I was grateful for my room. Ugly thoughts seemed to be popping into my mind more recently lately. Since when was I so easily effected.
On a more relieving note, Emily had looked very ashamed when I had requested to talk to my father alone which made me feel incredibly guilty-I still had some decency about me. She probably still felt new to our family. She hadn't been in it that long, which is what terrified me the most.
I sat my dad down on my new, old-but-now-in-the-study, bed. He looked so uncomfortable and strained that I just decided to hit straight to the point.
"Dad, are you sure you are ready to be a parent?" I asked honestly. He took my hand and smiled at me weakly.
"I am a parent Olivia," He laughed slightly pretending he didn't know what I really meant.
"Okay, dad, do you really want this child? And are you willing to raise it?" I ask again.
"I do, Olivia. This baby came as a surprise to us both, but Emily told me the day before you woke up. We believe it was a happy sign. Hope to carry on and we did and look where we are. I have you, my incredible daughter, and if I have one more child like you, I'll have all I need and more." He enthuses squeezing my hand every other word. His words were touching but I still was sceptical.
"I'm glad you feel passionate about the baby dad. I'm happy for Emily and I want us to be a family, I do. It could be really great and I look forward to that. But I won't have this baby grow up the same way I was. From 13, I had no mum and I was looking after you." I explain and he furrows his brows listening to me speaking my truth.
"I thought you liked Emily?" He says sounding slightly bothered.
"I do, and I loved mum. But she hurt and left us, I just need time to trust that Emily is round for the long haul. I'm scared this makes us vulnerable again and I'm in no shape to go back to square one with us and having a baby to look after on top of that. You understand right?" I continued. I couldn't do it, I wouldn't even think about it, the depressed dad days after mum left were bleak and I couldn't imagine having a sibling on top of that. That's why alarm bells went up. The fear of being vulnerable came flooding in immediately.
"I understand you. In fact, I felt the very same when you came to me that day before you started dating Miles. I was scared for us -that we would be taking one step forward and three huge steps back. But you were ready, and you have something good. Trust me as I trusted you when I say this: Emily's been there with me at my lowest just like you were for Miles at his. I am ready for this Olivia. I thought about it, and I spoke to my therapist and he's supportive. I will be the father you helped me to be. You don't have to feel any responsibility, just learn to trust Emily, I promise she won't hurt us." He replied. As he mentioned Miles I couldn't help but soften at the edges. I did understand.
"I will try." I agreed. I really liked Emily, it wasn't personal to her. Maybe it was time to let go of the past, I just don't know if I could yet.
"Good. I told you things would change around here for us Olivia and I don't just mean the baby. You are your priority now, not me. You are free of this burden of caring for me." He smiled his best smile and I felt his cheek. What I must have put him through, it still showed in the wrinkled forehead and hairline, but he still got through it. He was a good man.
