i never outgrew you - joshua bassett x olivia rodrigo

chapter three

Josh's pov:

I had adjoining rooms with Olivia. What seemed like an inconvenience at first. It turned out to be one of the greatest things about living in Salt Lake for the next few months. We would leave it open more than we would close it, enjoying each other's company without always talking to each other. I could hear her composing new songs on her keyboard or guitar and she could hear the same from me, especially when I went to her room to play on her keyboard and write music of my own.

Like last season, we had been given the opportunity to write a song together but also one song separately too, and with our deadlines coming up, we spent a lot of time together, figuring out different melodies and lyrics to illustrate the feelings Ricky and Nini were feeling in the show.

"Hey" I hear Liv say from her room, "Could you come to listen to what I think I decided for Nini's song in Episode 5?"

"Yeah of course," I say, before rolling out of bed, where I was going through my script.

Liv and I had gotten so comfortable with each other that I didn't feel the need to put my top on so I strolled into her room, with just my grey sweatpants on.

Liv was still wearing her Wildcats pyjamas that Frankie had bought her for cast secret Santa, with her hair up in a Nini style ponytail and no makeup.

She looked gorgeous. I wouldn't even hesitate to say it to her now either, she was so beautiful and I'm allowed to find my best friend beautiful, it doesn't mean I feel anything more.

"You look so cute," I say to her, which makes her radiate with happiness.

"Thank you, but you're definitely cuter," She says and winks back. Damn.

"So this is just after Ricky says to Nini about wanting to hang out with Gina a bit more, not even on a romantic level but Nini instantly feels jealous and goes into this downward spiral basically" she explains before finding her fingers on the write frets on her guitar.

"I can't believe Ricky sometimes, he's so lucky, especially after Nini turned down the Youth Actors Conservatory for him, he honestly doesn't know what he's missing"

Olivia looks up at me from where she is sat on her bed and smiles.

"Yeah, you're right"

She starts strumming on her guitar and sings the lyrics with so much meaning.

I know I'm a stop on the way to your soulmate,

I fill you up, but only while you wait,

You're everything to me, I see my future in your eyes,

But I know when you're kissing me, that you're just killing time.

It's okay, I know my place, 

I know I'm a stop on the way to your soulmate

"You're so talented, Olivia Rodrigo, I'm so in awe of you" I blurt out, whilst she's still singing, not thinking before the words leave my mouth.

She stops strumming.

"Really?" She says, blushing heavily.

"God, yeah Liv, you're so talented and caring and I want to hear you sing for the rest of my life if you'll let me and you're so beautiful inside and out and you always look after me and everyone else and any guy would be so lucky to have you"

She just looks at me, smiling, I could almost see the thoughts racing through her brain.

"You really think all of that about me?" She says, standing up so she's suddenly a lot closer to me.

Suddenly shy by her closeness, I mumble.

"Of course I do, you're my best friend" 

She looks down to my lips and backs up to my eyes.

I do the same, I can't help it. I'm suddenly fixated on thoughts of kissing of her. 

She then leans in, so close that even if I leaned in by a centimeter, we would be kissing.

I wanted to be kissing her, but I was just so frozen by her sudden confidence.

"Is that what you think we are? Best friends?" She whispers, so quietly, but loud enough so I could hear.

I nod slowly, still trying to stop myself from kissing her, still staring at her and wishing I knew what her chapstick would taste like.

I lean in finally but she leans back.

"Best friends don't kiss Josh," she says, hurt. I could see how upset she was but she was pretending to keep her cool.

 I suddenly wished I had kissed her when she first leaned in or said no when she asked if we were just friends.

"We need to get ready to go to the table read," She says, nodding towards the door.

"Right, yeah, we do, I'll see you later" I mumble, shuffling my feet towards the door.

I start to get ready and put product in my curly hair.

Suddenly, I hear a door close and the sound of someone locking a door.

I pop my head out of the bathroom and notice Liv had closed and locked the adjoining door.

I sigh.

I should have kissed her.

I wish I had kissed her.

I didn't want to be just friends after all.