&. @oliviaclxrke
He couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe he had flown across the world for a girl who’d broken his heart and spit on the shattered pieces, or that he, evidently, still wasn’t over her. He’d told himself he wasn’t going, that he absolutely would not meet Olivia at Leakey Falls under any circumstances ---and then part of him worried about her being there alone, and he told himself that at the very least, he could go just to be certain that she got back into town safely. He was late, but that wasn’t the point. Like always, she had asked him for something and he had complied like a dog on a leash. God, she had him wrapped around her little finger, didn’t she? He was excited to see her, and he hated himself for it, and he knew she’d be able to feel the warring emotions inside of him despite his best efforts to appear cool and collected.
It was no coincidence that he took the walk at the leisurely pace, then, as he attempted to gather his thoughts and calm his nerves ---not only for the sake of his pride, but for the sake of Liv’s sanity. At least it would only be the two of them, and only his emotions she’d have to contend with. When he stepped into the clearing, he first heard the trickle of water, then he smelled her. His heart beat faster with every step he took, and his hands clenched into fists. When he saw her, he stopped. Dead in his tracks, he stood, the only movement about him the rise and fall of his chest, and the whitening of his knuckles as dull nails dug into sweaty palms.
“Olivia.” His voice caught in his throat, and it took a second try for his call to be loud enough to be heard. It was no accident he called her by her full name ---he was distancing himself. “You look better than you sounded on the phone.”
