Chapter 8

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Olivia

The idea of getting a decent amount of sleep had now been thrown straight out the window. It was almost seven in the morning, and I'd probably gotten a total of four hours of sleep if that last night. I had been having these awful nightmares about Daniel these past couple of days, so I tried to avoid sleeping at all costs just to skip the torture. These nightmares were mainly about the fire, intense heat, and fear of this vicious cycle.

Every time I drifted off, I would soon wake up in a panicked state, feeling like my skin was burning and on the verge of tears. To keep myself busy, I tried to binge-watch TV shows and drink lots of those awful canned espresso drinks, anything to keep me awake. It'd been only two days of this, and I could tell my new sleeping habits took a toll on my body. Between that and the emotional state that I was in, I may as well just be a zombie.

I sat up in my bed and pushed the fluffy white bedding off of my body, exposing my skin to the cool air in the room. I couldn't help but raise the white shades that covered the window that my bed was pressed beneath before glancing out at the city below me. The sun was just beginning to rise above all of the buildings, and it was absolutely beautiful. Watching it brought a sense of calm over me, which I never really felt that often these days.

Sighing, I pulled myself up from the bed and stretched my limbs before sighing out in satisfaction. Since I couldn't sleep, I may as well just get up and go do something productive. A vanilla latte was definitely a must on my list for the morning as I still had not gotten one since being back in the city. I also really needed the caffeine.

This new apartment building was only a block away from Filtered, which was very exciting news for me. I could just go there, relax and catch up on some homework that I desperately needed to complete. I'd been out for a long time, and playing catch up was going to give me hell, and I knew it.

I flicked on the light in my closet and stared at the few pieces of clothing that I had left. We hadn't gotten around to do any shopping with me being home and resting in Oswego, so that would definitely have to be done soon. Of my limited options, I decided to just throw on a simple pair of black leggings with my oversized NYU sweatshirt. I glanced at the bird's nest on top of my head in the mirror and tried to play around with it a bit but made no progress. I might have even made it worse.

"Hello, black beanie." I muttered to myself before placing it on my head and strolling out of my bedroom as I did so.

My black knee-high winter boots were sitting by the front door, so I plopped down next to them and shoved my feet inside them. Cassie had already left for campus for her morning classes, so it was pretty quiet besides the sound of me ruffling to put my shoes on and the heater system warming the place.

As for me and school, I decided that I didn't want to go back until after the trial was over tomorrow. There would only be one week of finals left, so it wouldn't be too much for me to handle, I hoped. All of my professors were extremely understanding of the situation and were having me finish the in-class work at home and email everything to them on the due dates, which I appreciated. I don't think I'd be able to focus if I had to go back on campus before getting all of this drama sorted out.

As I made my way outside, I shivered slightly as the cold, icy wind blew past me burning the skin of my cheeks. I no longer owned any scarves to wrap around my face to protect me from the chill, unfortunately, but at least the little coffee shop was a short walk away.

I could see Mrs. Smith standing behind the register chatting with some of her customers as I approached Filtered. The little gold bells jingled against the smoggy glass door as I pulled it open. Mrs. Smith looked up instinctively to see who had just entered, and a huge smile spread across her face as soon as she laid eyes on me. I watched as she brushed past a few of her customers she had been speaking to in a rush to get to me before pulling me into a huge hug.

"Oh my god, Olivia!" She cheered before kissing me on both of my cheeks. I couldn't help but laugh softly at her excitement to see me. I missed this woman so much. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"You too, Mrs. Smith, you have no idea." I croaked out between giggles as she held onto me so tightly that I almost couldn't breathe.

"How are you doing love, are you okay?" She asked, holding me out at arm's length before looking me up and down as a mother would her child. "You were all over the news. I was so worried about you, my goodness!" She rambled, her eyes full of concern.

"I'm okay, I promise you." I assured her before walking with her over to the counter.

"Vanilla latte?" She asked, and I nodded my head.

"Yes, please! It's been too long." I laughed, hoping she would stay away from the subject of the fire.

"Coming right up, my love, it's on me this time."

I frowned deeply before pulling my wallet out anyway. The last thing I wanted was for people to start treating me differently and feeling bad for me. I needed a sense of normal, and this was not that.

"No, please, I'll pay." I nearly begged, digging for a five-dollar bill in my wallet, but Mrs. Smith grabbed my hands on her own to stop me.

"No, my love, you deserve a drink cost-free. Just accept it." She pleaded, nodding her head.

With a small huff, I relaxed my shoulders, giving in to her, knowing that I would lose this battle.

"Thank you, Mrs. Smith." She smiled warmly before scampering over to the various equipment she used to work her magic.

I wandered off to my favorite booth as always in the back corner and smiled as I looked over the cracked leather of the scarlet seats that I loved and missed so much. I pulled my laptop out and opened up some of the homework assignments I wanted to get done while I was here. O-chem would probably be the first thing I'd tackle since it would definitely take the longest.

"Here you are, my love." Mrs. Smith hummed, placing my latte down on the table next to my laptop. "Enjoy, and call me over if you need anything."

"I appreciate it so much." I smiled as she did so in return before hurrying off to attend to others.

I couldn't even bother to wait for the latte to cool down before taking a large sip, nearly moaning in response to its deliciousness. No one would ever top Mrs. Smith's vanilla latte's.

For a good couple of hours or so, I was able to zone into my O-chem homework while enjoying my latte as I worked. I'd actually been getting a decent amount of it done. The coffee shop had been pretty calm, which helped in limiting my distractions. It was just me, Mrs. Smith, and a few other regulars.

I heard the bells jingle against the glass door, breaking my concentration at once. I glanced over at my phone that said it was now almost ten in the morning—a popular time for other college kids to start populating the place to grab coffee before their classes. I glanced up to see who had just come in, and instantly my heart began to beat off my chest.

There he stood at the counter, with that infamous cheesy smile on his face, Jason. I had never seen him in here the entire two years I'd been coming to the little shop. I think I would have noticed such a gorgeous man. It had actually been a while since I saw him in general. Judging by the neat, navy blue uniform he had on, I'm guessing he'd been at work. That uniform fit him to a T, might I add.

I shook my head, trying my hardest to refocus on my homework, but my eyes kept finding their way back over to him. The way he stood there with his coat tossed over his shoulder, rocking back and forth on his feet, trying to decide what to order was attractive on its own. Despite me not wanting to be, I was very infatuated by him.

It wasn't until he looked over towards me and caught me staring did I abruptly pull my eyes away, blushing as I did so. Of course, to my dismay, he decided to come pondering over to me as soon as he was done placing his order.

"Hey, stranger." He cheesed, standing right before me. His tall and lean yet muscular build towered over me as I sat in the booth below him.

"Hey, Jason." I greeted, my face still hot from blushing. He chuckled softly, knowing that he was the reason behind my redness.

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?" He asked, glancing over at the booth across from me.

I could feel the nerves in my body going into overdrive as I glanced up into his eyes, those goddamn blue eyes of his. They really got me.

"No, sit." I nodded softly as I could hardly find my voice.

I watched as he smoothly slid into the booth right in front of me while letting out a quiet yawn. I couldn't help but smile at him and let out a soft laugh. I could tell he thought I was laughing at him by the look on his face, but really he was just so...cute.

"I'm sorry for all the yawning." He rasped, ruffling his hair.

His voice was a little croaky and rough, and it sent shivers down my spine, the good kind. "I just got off from a really long shift, and I'm beat."

"It's okay. I can't even imagine working 24 hours straight." I spoke rather quickly as my nerves continued to wreak havoc on me.

"I enjoy it. It's just exhausting sometimes, but anyways how have you been?" He asked, changing the subject rather quickly.

I guess he didn't enjoy talking about work too much. I'd have to make a mental note of that for the future...I mean, if there were to be a future conversation between us. There definitely would be, right? I mean, he lives across the hall.

I pushed my laptop back a bit to lean forward with my arms on the table to try and make myself more comfortable.

"I've been good." I lied, watching as he examined me with his eyes. They made me feel so skittish. "How have you been besides being tired?" I asked, trying to draw the conversation away from myself.

I squirmed around under his rather intense gaze as he ignored my question before sighing out deeply.

"You're lying to me, but if you don't want to say it's okay." He shrugged before placing his arms on the table just like me before leaning forward a bit as well. "I understand. I don't want to overstep."

"No--I mean, I guess I should say I'm as good as to be expected." I shrugged, playing with the sleeves of my sweatshirt.

"Here you are my dear." Mrs. Smith chimed in, now standing beside Jason with a hot coffee in her hands.

He took the coffee off of her and thanked her as her eyes bounced back and forth between the two of us. I could feel my cheeks begin to grow warm again, just imagining what Mrs. Smith was thinking.

"Everything still okay, Olivia?" She asked, earning a nod and smile from me. She said nothing more before walking off, thank goodness.

"She knows you by name. You must be a regular." Jason laughed before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I've been coming here practically every day since I moved to the city." I prattled, fiddling with my empty mug.

"You're not from here?" He asked, a little shocked. "You kind of have an accent, and you blend in well."

"I mean, I'm from New York, Oswego to be exact, you know, on the other side of the state?" I asked, earning a nod from him. "Where are you from? You don't sound like your average New Yorker." I admitted, growing a little more comfortable around him.

I honestly was curious, though, and he spoke a little bit slower than most New Yorkers. His voice was deep and masculine, but there was this sweetness to it that I wasn't very familiar with. I liked it.

"I'm actually from Dallas." He stated, catching me off guard. I would have never guessed it.

"You don't sound Texan." I chuckled, shaking my head. "I can't believe that."

Jason let out a chuckle himself before taking another sip of his coffee. I couldn't help but watch his large hand as he held the mug to his plump, pink lips. God, he was so handsome...I needed to stop thinking like this.

"That stereotypical southern accent that people think we have isn't really a thing..well, at least not for a lot of us." He shrugged. "I admit, I do say y'all sometimes." He admitted letting out a small laugh.

"That's adorable." I babbled before I even realized that I'd even said that. I pretty much just called the man adorable. I didn't want to do that, not out loud anyway!

His calm persona, however,r let me know that I was just overreacting inside my head. "You think so?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "People around here give me so much crap for it."

"Well, that's not very nice." I smiled in response to the one that was growing on his face. "What brought you to New York?"

I watched as he sucked in a deep breath before clearing his throat. "It's complicated, but long story short, my mom left my dad because he was a total dick, then moved out here for a fresh start."

"Oh wow." I sighed out, not sure what to say to that. He'd said it so calmly like it was absolutely nothing, but it sounded like a heavy load to me.

"Yeah, but life got so much better when we left. My mom remarried a great guy, and I finally got myself a baby sister to love on." He smiled.

"Lucky, I'm an only child." I sulked, pouting my bottom lip just a bit. "I've always thought it would be cool to have a sibling.

"It is." He admitted pulling his cellphone out from his slack pocket. "My sister Hannah is only four, but she's my world. This is her." He smiled brightly before proudly showing me a photo of the little girl who had wild, dark curly hair contrasted by bright blue eyes, just as blue as his.

I couldn't help but let out an aw for the child. She was indeed a cute little one.

Time had gotten away from me as I continued to chat with Jason about random things as we enjoyed getting to know little things about each other. As I imagined he was from the time he came to see me in the hospital, he was a genuinely sweet guy. Friendly sweet or more than just friendly sweet, I still couldn't tell. Or maybe I didn't want to be able to tell. I didn't want things to become complicated. I had enough complicated things in my life.

"Are you ready to head out? I think I'm gonna crash right in front of you if I don't find my bed soon." He chuckled.

"Am I boring you to death?" I asked fake hurt, causing him to shake his head, rapidly repeating the word "no" over and over as he did so.

"Jason, I'm kidding." I smiled, feeling my cheeks go red for the millionth time since we'd been hanging out. "I think that's a good idea."

"Let's walk together. We literally live 5 feet away from each other." He suggested.

As we both stood up, I watched him tuck his hands into his navy pants, awaiting a response.

"Yeah, of course." I nodded, following behind him as he held the door open for me.

We took a rather slow walk together around the corner, still chatting about the most random of things. He stood so close to me that his coat sleeve would brush up against my sweatshirt. Once we were between both of our apartment doors, Jason turned to face me with a solemn look, causing my heart to sink just a bit.

"Hey, before you go." He started, rocking on his heels once. "I just wanted to wish you luck tomorrow, I kind of know about it since my chief is going to be on the case as well as one of the fire marshalls who I know really well."

My body tensed at the mention of my court hearing tomorrow. I'd honestly forgotten about the whole thing while Jason and I were talking at Filtered.

"Thanks, Jason." I nodded, biting my bottom lip. "I'm really nervous, if I'm honest. My lawyer is saying it could be hard to prove him guilty because he's got money and power on his side."

"Everything will go well, trust me." He reassured me before embracing me in a comforting hug which I readily accepted. "Don't be nervous." He whispered, squeezing me a little tighter.

I relaxed in Jason's arms, letting my head rest lightly against his coat, allowing his words to soothe me. I didn't want to let him go. I don't know what it was about this man that made me feel so secure in his presence. I'd only been around him a couple of times, and he had this effect on me each of those times.

"You have my number." He reminded me by pulling back from the hug. "Call me or shoot me a text if you need anything from me." His voice was soft but serious.

He was really concerned for me, and it made me feel all warm inside. I wasn't used to that coming from a man other than my own father. It took me by surprise.

"I will," I whispered, pulling at the sleeves of my sweatshirt. "I'll see you around, Jason."

"See you around, Olivia." He simpered before we went our separate ways.

"It's about time you show up!" Cassie shouted as I stepped into our apartment. "I was about to call the police. You haven't answered any of my calls!" She yelled, rushing over to me.

I began taking my shoes off, shaking my head at her overprotective behavior.

"Uh, hello?" She shouted, now right up in my face. "Where have you been, Olivia Owens? It's almost four o'clock."

"Filtered, catching up on homework," I stated, gesturing towards my laptop.

I could feel my cheeks going hot just remembering how well Jason and I got along and how good being around him made me feel.

"Why do you look like that?" Cassie asked, growing suspicious.

"Like what?" I shrugged, pulling my beanie off and wandering over to the sofa.

Cassie stood in front of me with her hands now pressed to her hips. "Really, Olivia, what were you doing?"

I stayed silent for a moment as she stared at me long and hard. I could feel my palms get clammy, so I started rubbing them against my leggings.

"Okay..." I trailed off, glancing up at her face, which was full of impatience. "I might have lost track of time because I ended up talking to someone."

Cassie's mouth dropped instantly, and I knew she knew exactly who I was talking about. I mean, who else could it be? I didn't really have very many friends because of my situation, or my past situation should I say.

"Mr. Pretty eyes?!" She gasped out, hopping onto the sofa next to me. "Oh my god Olivia, I told you fate wants you together I-"

"Cassandra, stop it." I cut her off laughing. "We literally just happened to be in the same place at the same time and we talked and got to know each other, nothing more."

"Mhm." She hummed causing me to roll my eyes.

"Seriously Cassie stop, I just think we are going to be good friends, he's a nice guy."

"I think you guys are going to be a hell of a lot more than 'good friends'."

I fanned her off with a hand. "It's way too soon for any of that, I'm going to court over my arson of an ex tomorrow for christ's sake!"

"What does that have to do with your feelings for Mr. Pretty eyes?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"You know what, whatever Cassandra." I stammered no longer wanting to argue with her about this.

"You can do whatever you want and make up excuses too, but you still know I'm right." She shrugged before hopping up and disappearing into her bedroom.

"Maybe, maybe not." I muttered to myself picking at my white nail polish.

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