chapter five

I dropped my pen onto the book and took my glasses off. I was shuttled between my classes, the cafeteria and the library whole day. My exam week was coming through and I couldn't even take a moment to a moment to scratch my head. I’ve been unwillingly ignoring Olivia because of how busy I was.

Olivia: where are you?

Jackson: i am at library.

Olivia: no way...

Olivia: where exactly are you?

Jackson: i'm by the table at the end of the long shelves.

Jackson: why?

Olivia: i'm here :)

Jackson: what?

"I said, I'm here, Jackson. Which part did you not understand?" I turned back and I took my cup of coffee from the small disposable tray she held. "I’m tired because of my exams, sorry." I took a sip from the coffee. "I was looking for a place to read this book. Then I remembered you saying that you'll be in library the whole day. Then I thought, "My little bunny must be in the library, I should go there and show him some love." Now I'm here." I smiled. She stared at the books on the table. "Man, these books have so many pages. How can you memorize them all?"

"Well, I can't actually. It’s making me so depressed. Luckily, I know someone who is about to become a psychologist." She smiled. "Good for you. I can arrange a session any time you want."

I smiled and stared at her with that smile still on my face. "All of my

worries are now gone. Can't you stay by my side forever?" She smiled. "I want to stay with you all the time too. Unfortunately, I can do that only at school." While I was staring at her admiringly, she held my hand and put her head on my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head. "I think we can do that some where else. Let's go."

"Okay. I can read you a book." I packed my stuff and got up. Held her hand and walked her through the library's door. We got in the car, I drove the place that I went before. It was a place that was full of sakura and willow trees. But we were in winter so there were no blooming flowers, of course but it was great in winter with snow covered branches, too. "I'm sure you're gonna love it. It's my favourite place in the whole city." On the road, she told me a lot of things about her childhood. When she kept quiet for a while, I looked at her. "Don't look at me like that."

"Why?"

"I can't focus on the road and you don't want to have a car accident." She laughed. After a few minutes, we were there. "Here we are." She got out of the car and looked around. "This place is gorgeous!" I smiled while watching her turning around. "Come," I held her hand and brought her to my favourite spot, "here is my favourite." We were standing under a willow. She hugged me. I kissed her hair. There were stars in her eyes, and they were shining everytime she smiled.

“ I feel like I'm touching or hugging you whenever I get the chance, is that okay with you?"

"It's fine. I love that." She giggled. "I'm very happy about it."

"It's cold here. Let's go that café. There is a heater and we could drink something." She rested her jaw on my chest and looked at me. "Let’s go there." I kissed her cheek and put my arm around her shoulder. She smiled. "Do that more often, please." When we got inside the café, she touched her cheeks and said, "I'm cold," with a cute voice. There were a lot of people who were half asleep or resting while laying down in here. It was a place on the road and people usually came here when they got tired of long road drives.

We sat somewhere. "Would you like to eat something?"

“ No I’m okay." I put my head on her knees and laid down. She started to read the book that she was about to read at school. I was trying not to fall asleep but I finally gave in and closed my eyes.

-

I opened my eyes slowly. Her fingers were in my hair, she was stroking them. "Good morning," She said. "Did you sleep well?" I smiled and got up. "It was one of the best sleeps I've ever had in this twenty three years of life. How long have I been sleeping?" She checked her watch. "About half an hour, probably. You slept after I read five pages. And I wanted to watch you sleeping. Then, I wanted to eat a cookie, want some?" I smiled and bit.

"Olivia," I said. "Yes?"

"You're so pretty, you know that, right?" She held my hand. We were getting closer each other inch by inch. It was too early, it shouldn’t have happened but I couldn't help it. When our lips were about to touch, her phone started ringing. She cursed under her breath and answered the call. "Yes Cindy?" She listened her for a few seconds and hung up the phone. She said, "I have to go early today. Just in time!" with a angry tone. "It's fine, beautiful. Obviously, it'll happen when the time is right."

She put her head onto my chest. Her ear was a few centimeters above my heart. She probably could hear my heart beating. I started to play with her cheeks while she was trying to read the book. "Jackson, please." She said. "Fine, read it." I said. While she was reading the book, I realized that I wasn't listening what was happening in the book. I was just listening to her cute voice changings. She was changing her voice for each characther.

A few hours, we just sat there. Sometimes we chit-chatted, listened to music, hugged each other with no reason, listened our heart beats. It was weird that nobody texted or called us. Normally, phones couldn’t keep quiet at those times. This was what happens in the movies, actually. She said, "Jackson," with an excited voice. I opened my eyes. "Were you sleeping?"

"No, I was just living the moment. You were saying?"

"You hardly ever talk about your family. I told you a lot about my life. But I don't have any idea about yours." I took a deep breath. I didn't know how to tell about it. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no. I just... I don't know how to tell her you about it. It's complicated. I have two families. My biological parents got divorced when I was 8. Then they both got married again with other people. And my biological mom's last name is 'Swan' which is same as my dad's. My mom changed her last name after the second marriage. But, my dad's wife's children and me, my elder brother and my sister's have the same last name. That's why."

"How many siblings actually you have?"

"My elder brother and my little sister. They are the biological ones. But as for step siblings, in total, I have four little sister and three brother. With biological ones--"

"Okay, okay, I wish I hadn’t asked about it!" I laughed. "Told you. It's complicated. Sometimes I get confused too."

"Well forget about my family, where does your brother study at?"

"He is in LA. He's in love with that city since our childhood. My sister is in highschool. She is living with my mom, in Nashville." While I was talking about my past, she was listening to it as if I was telling her the most important thing in Earth. Then she put her head on my shoulder, again. "I've dreaming about this for months." She stared at me and kissed my cheek. "I didn't think I'd find peace in a man's arms."

"I didn't think I'd like someone as much as I like you."