Barely Breathing - Chapter 15
Chapter 15 - Gun Loaded With Guilt
WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA : 5:52 PM
Ville’s POV
The sound of the steel bars being drawn back brought us out of the daze that had swept through the group. Looking over to the door I saw Olivia standing in front of Missy by a guard. Her face was hard to read as her brows were drawn together and a weak smile was on the bow of her lips.
“Come on, these ladies have paid your bail.” The guard came over and opened our cell. We filed out after being handed our things.
Bam was the first to speak. “Thanks, Hun,” he said as he pulled Missy into a hug and kissed her cheek.
“You’re welcome, you convicts. Now let’s get out to the Hummer and I’ll drive us home.” Missy had thought it best to leave Ashlee and Megan at the house before coming to the police station.
“I’m calling shotgun,” Bam yelled as we got outside.
“Fine by me, man; I just want to get a door so I can sleep.” Dunn moved past me and opened the back door. Missy and Bam were already at the front doors.
Olivia shrugged more to herself than us. “Guess that means I’m stuck in the middle, then.”
Watching her made my heart clench a little. Here we were right next to each other and we still couldn’t bring ourselves to have a conversation. Her eyes had even seemed to ask me silently to speak to her in the jail.
I slide in behind her just as Missy was turning on the car. All was quiet for once. Dunn was already leaning against the door to take a nap. Missy and Bam were showing their sweet side in front, just holding hands over the consol. And of course, Olivia was sitting next to me silently, awkwardly. The whole ride was just awkward.
Olivia’s POV
Once the car pulled to a stop everyone piled out. As I scooted off the seat I was surprised to feel Ville’s hands on my waist helping me down. Looking up I saw him giving me a meaningful gaze. He kept a loose hold on my middle as everyone else filed inside.
“Are you guys coming in?” Missy called out as she opened the back door.
Ville raised his hand in gesture them inside. “We’ll be in, in a bit.”
They nodded and closed the doors behind them.
“Are we going to have an uncomfortable conversation now?” I slowly moved from his touch.
“Not if you don’t want it to be, sweetheart.” His voice was warm; my insides melted a little as he spoke.
I bit my bottom lip and just looked at him, waiting for him to start. Instead of talking, he gently took my hand and began to walk around the Hummer along the front driveway.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered the words while giving my hand a squeeze.
If I wasn’t already feeling bad about our fight, his current actions were making me drown in the guilt. He may have called me a child, but he had only been angry. The way I had acted, it was no wonder. When you act the brat, you get treated the brat.
Without realizing it tears had begun to run down my cheeks. I touched the damp skin on my face, surprised by my own crying.
“Darling, why are you crying?” His hand fluttered over my own now wet one.I looked at him, sniffling a little bit. His gaze was worried, probably thinking I was having another breakdown.
“I feel like such a jerk, right now.” My words were bubbly from hiccups as I chuckled distastefully to myself. “Not only do I yell at you to begin with and then ignore you, I continue to hold a grudge after you save me from my psychotic ex. Now you’re trying to fix it after I acted like a spoiled child who didn’t get the candy they wanted. I am a horrible person. Why are you still talking to me?”
The tears continued to fall down my cheeks harder than before. I moved out of Ville’s reach and walked away. Truly, I didn’t want to hear his answer. I walked toward a lone tree swing. I had convinced the guys to put it up last fall for my birthday. There was every intention in my mind to stay there all night, not making anyone else’s life harder.
I could feel his presence behind me as I gripped the chain of the swing. Choosing to ignore him I sat on the hard wooden seat. While I could ignore him, I had no control over him coming up behind me and hesitantly grabbing the chains above my head.
“You are not a horrible person; being a little melodramatic and lacking self-confidence, right now, but not horrible.” His voice seemed to float to my ears from above me.
I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. “Says the man who writes about doomed love and soul-shattering heartbreak.”
He took my light hearted tone as invitation to stay where he was, even to begin pushing me lightly. “Thus, I know quite a bit about being melodramatic. And I continue to talk to you because I would hate myself if I didn’t. I enjoy your company, simple as that.”
“I’m sorry, for freaking out a moment ago, and for being a royal bitch the other day. You didn’t deserve that.” My legs began pumping to make the swing go higher. It was relaxing, like being in a nostalgic childhood fantasy, except at night.
We didn’t talk for some time after that. It was sweet just being pushed by Ville on the swing. The night was quite and his presence made me comfortable. It was some time later that we finally stopped. It was too cold to stay out much longer without a proper jacket.
As we walked inside we made idle chit chat about nonsense, just happy to be on good terms again. Of course, by not being focused on anything urgent we saw Bam, Missy, and Dunn’s faces in the window spying on us. Just before we made it to the door they scrambled away to make like they had been doing other things.
“Just so that you nosy people know everything’s cool again.” I raised my voice so they knew I had caught.
Ville just chuckled at my side as we watched the group fidget. I glared them down before heading toward the stairs to go to my bedroom.
“How would you like a guitar lesson before bed?” Ville asked before I had made it very far.
I stopped and turned around, a smile stretched across my face. “That sounds perfect, let me go and grab the guitar you gave me from my room.”
“Better get into something comfortable while you’re at it. You have a few days to make up for.” I could tell he was teasing, but it still made me blush a bit.
“I think I can do that.” With that I raced upstairs.
A/N: Man I went longer than I expected without an update. I was under the impression that this would be updated last week and then chapters 16 and 17 would be updated today. Alas that is not the case.
More importantly today is my 19th birthday! Thus I’m giving you 2 updates in 24 hours! The next one will be near noon PST check back for it.
Chapter List | Chapter 14 | Chapter 16