Chemistry (Otis Milburn)

46

DISCLAIMER: Chapter heavily discusses suicide and being in a mental hospital.

I wasn't expecting to be alive either. A part of me couldn't even look up at Otis and stare into his eyes. Here he was, in front of me. 

"Are you still calling the police?" I asked. 

"You're in here. There's no reason to." He sniffed. "Why? What is all this?" 

"I wasn't supposed to make it. Everything backfired. At least I'm away from everyone, but I'm still here. That is the unfortunate part." I sighed as we both sat down.

I quickly interrupted him as he was about to speak. "Otis, why the hell are you here?" 

His eyes widened. "Come on. You left me a damn note for God's sake! Explain." 

"There is nothing to explain. I already said everything in the letter. I did what I had to and it backfired, and now I don't know what to do. I'm going to be honest with you, Otis. I can't even look at you right now. The guilt is eating me alive. All I've done is become this huge burden in people's lives."

He stayed silent. He didn't agree nor deny. He just kept on looking at me.

"Nick's worried about you. Have you talked to him?" He spoke.

"No. Not yet. Am I on the news?"

"I don't know." He replied.

"Can you check?" 

He took out his phone and kept scrolling. "You are. They even know which hospital you're staying at. So tell me about this relationship with Nick. Tell me everything." 

"What I said in the letter is the truth. It is not real. It is just so our careers can continue and stay in the right direction." I tried whispering so no one around us could hear me.

"So all of this is just for show? The pictures, the kiss everything was-"

"Fake? Yes. If you don't buy it, you can ask Nick." 

"Then I don't understand. Why did you keep lying and hide things from me if this was it? There has to be something else." 

"You were going to be in danger. They know who you are, Otis. Are you not understanding? I didn't say anything because I have been protecting  you this whole damn time! Every time I wanted to say something there always would be some kind of sign or threat nearby that just forced me to keep my mouth shut and not say anything to you. I wanted to, I really did. I hope that one day you'll forgive me even if the time isn't now."

He sat there, silent. "So what now? Am I still 'in danger?'"

"No." I sighed. "You're away from me, so you're safe. For all they know right now you and I aren't having this conversation and I probably never saw you again after that night I wrote the note."

"Vivienne what's going to happen to you? You're in a mental hospital." 

I paused. "Don't worry about me. You should start going back to school."

Otis chuckled. "Right, because I'm going to listen to you tell me what to do." 

He was right. 

"... I am going back to school though. I'm sure I'll get an extension on that project. Or a new partner. Unless-?"

"Well I hope to come back s-"

His phone buzzed. He checked his home screen, laughed and looked up at me. "Congratulations Vivienne, you're starring in a new movie with Nick."