Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 137

“You’re back!” Clarisse exclaimed.

Oliver froze in his spot. Clarisse was standing behind him.

‘Play it cool, and calm,’ he reminded himself.

‘Don’t mess up in front of her,’ he added, which didn’t exactly help.

“I am,” he laughed nervously.

“So, what’s up?” He asked, his brow raised. Clarisse wouldn’t approach him for some random reason.

She shrugged, “It’s nothing, it’s just good to see someone I recognize here roaming around these halls.”

“Louis and Sophia are busy with their boyfriends,” Clarisse explained. The rest was self-explanatory.

Oliver blinked, it’d be rude of him to keep quiet when Clarisse already started a conversation.

“Well, I was just about to get a drink and have dinner.”

“I suppose it’s a bit early to have dinner but we could just chat,” Oliver offered.

He was pleased to see a smile forming on Clarisse’s face.

“Yes, I’d like that very much,” she accepted his offer.

She creased her brow, worrying Oliver in the process.

“Just to clarify, this isn’t a date, right?” Clarisse questioned.

It was the right thing to do – she had a boyfriend after all.

Oliver nodded, “Of course.”

“Just the two of us getting drinks, ‘is all,” he assured – those words sounded better in his head.

He and her took a trip to the nearest bar.

(Author’s Note: Keep in mind that they are no longer at the palace, it’s the same bar where Marcus and Louis met. Alright, continuing with the story…)

“So, what’s up?” Oliver asked her.

Clarisse slammed a glass down the table.

“I’m a horrible girlfriend is what’s up,” she told him.

Her usual self wouldn’t be telling Oliver this, she felt different. Floaty too.

Then again, they were friends, so she hoped he didn’t mind seeing her this way.

“A horrible girlfriend? I doubt that,” Oliver scratched the back of his neck, a drop of sweat rolling down his face.

He hadn’t the slightest idea why she was confiding in him. Were Sophia and Louis too busy to be there for her?

“Why are you telling me this?” Oliver asked curiously.

Clarisse gave him a look, “Because, we’re friends.”

He didn’t realize he could be classified as a friend of hers. It was an honour of cou—

He smacked himself in the head.

‘Enough overthinking this and be yourself,’ he mumbled to himself.

‘This is about her, not you,’ he also reminded himself.

“We are,” he nodded slowly.

“So as your friend, why do you think you make a horrible girlfriend?”

Clarisse took a deep breath.

“I’m feeling bored in my relationship,” she finally answered.

Oliver tilted his head to the side.

“Bored in your relationship?” He inquired curiously.

Never would he have thought she’d be the one getting bored of her relationship. He still rooted for Blaine and Clarisse.

As per his knowledge, feeling bored in a relationship was completely normal. Sure, it might’ve been a sign one partner wasn’t a good match for the other, and it also might have meant that she struggled to commit to a relationship, but he still didn’t know what was going on.

She hadn’t told him yet.

“Yeah, bored.”

“I can’t fathom how I am, but…”

She neared him, inches away from him, not that she realized.

“Is it possible to feel bored of how perfect someone is?” She asked.

Oliver moved away, her lips inches away from his. Those soft-looking, kissable lips of hers.

“I am the last person to ask that,” he answered truthfully.

“I know nothing about relationships, believe me.”

Clarisse pouted – she wasn’t disappointed, she simply didn’t know what to do.

Oliver said, “But that doesn’t mean you can’t tell me what’s going on.”

“We’re friends, remember?” He reminded her, shooting her a small smile, hoping it’d help things.

He was trying to keep things from becoming awkward. The last person you’d come to for relationship advice was the man you were in an arrangement in, even if he was a friend. Who could blame him for being caught so off guard?

A small smile made its way to Clarisse’s face.

“You’re right.”

She sighed, “I just…”

“He’s doing all the right things,” she referred to Blaine.

“And I feel like I’m messing up at everything I do.”

“I shouldn’t be feeling bored with someone like him, but I still am, even when he still loved me after all these years. I love him, I do. I just don’t know what to do with the guilt of feeling bored in a relationship that many others dream of having, as well as a man others would love to have.”

“How am I supposed to compete with that?”

She looked at him apologetically, “I’m rambling.”

Oliver shrugged, “It’s alright.”

“Besides, want me to tell you something to lighten up the mood?”

Clarisse raised her brow.

“What could possibly lighten up my mood?”

She didn’t mean to sound that harsh.

Oliver decided to let her in a secret.

“I have developed a liking towards one of my friends.”

Clarisse’s jaw dropped.

“You what?”

She covered her mouth with her hands in surprise.

“Who’s the lucky girl?” She immediately inquired.

Oliver opened his mouth.

He refrained from telling her who this mystery girl was, instead telling her, “Someone amazing.”

Clarisse seemed to momentarily forget about her problems.

“Do tell, keep on going,” she coaxed. This was exactly what she needed.

“What’s this girl like?”

“She’s lucky,” Clarisse mused.

Oliver regretted telling her what he told her.

Why did he do that?

He was at risk of her discovering who she was.

Clarisse would tell Sophia, who’d tell Nicholas, and eventually news would travel to her.

He was so lost in his train of thought he hadn’t noticed Clarisse waving her hand in front of him.

“You there?”

“Earth to Oliver.”

She repeated, “Helloooo? Earth to Oliver.”

Oliver blinked, “What were you saying?”

Clarisse explained, “I was asking you what you thought of her, and what she’s like.”

Oliver pursed his lips.

Why not tell her, it’d give him some form of closure.

He supposed it was the closest thing to a confession.

“Well, she’s sweet, compassionate, beautiful, incredibly intelligent, funny most of the time…”

He chuckled, “I could go on.”

“You really like her, huh,” Clarisse said in awe.

Oliver nodded instantly, “I do.”

“Does she know?” Clarisse furrowed her brows.

Oliver was close to saying, “She does, because I just told her.”

Instead, what actually came out from him was, “No, I’d rather not tell her.”

Clarisse thought long and hard, it couldn’t be someone she knew, could it?

It couldn’t possibly be Sophia, the words sweet and compassionate weren’t words one would think of when hearing her name. Sassy, cruel and badass were more like it.

“Is it someone we know?”

She answered her own question, “It couldn’t possibly be, there’s no one that fits that description.”

“Hmm.”

Oliver didn’t understand how she didn’t see the irony of things.

Her.

It was her she was talking about.

How could she not have realized?

Did she not think of herself that highly?

Was she in some sort of denial?

He shrugged it off.

“We forgot to order drinks,” he brought up.

Clarisse hadn’t realized either.

“Oh right.”

Oliver called over a waiter and ordered drinks for him and Clarisse.

“What would you like?” He asked her politely.

“A lime mocktail, please,” Clarisse replied.

Clarisse thanked the waiter before she dove back in on her and Oliver’s previous conversation.

“Whoever she is, she must be one fortunate person.”

“She caught the attention of you, for god’s sake,” Clarisse said, gesturing at him.

Oliver watched, unable to say anything.

“I’m the lucky one to have met someone like her,” he said.

“Don’t be so modest, whoever she is she’s missing out,” Clarisse said.

Oliver smiled, “She probably isn’t. It’s me that is, besides as long as she’s happy I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

Claisse stared at him.

He stared back at her.

They looked directly at each other, exchanging stares, their eyes glued to each other.

‘God, when will this torture end?’ Oliver asked inwardly.

What were the chances he put himself in this situation?

He who asked her to get a drink in an attempt to cheer her up ended up telling her he liked her. And the worst part was, she didn’t realize it.

To think of it, things were better off this way.

She was forbidden fruit.

He was crazily in love with her.

She didn’t reciprocate it. He’d made his peace with it.

She had Blaine.

He reminded himself, she had Blaine.

“You should tell her,” Clarisse coaxed.

Oliver shook his head, “No, I shouldn’t.”

“I don’t get to be the person who ruins her life by confessing to her,” Oliver mumbled.

He frowned, “And besides, wasn’t the whole getting drinks thing supposed to be about you?”

“Don’t bring my liking on someone into things,” he crossed his arms, huffing in annoyance to play the part.

Clarisse laughed softly, “Well, it has been about me, and I feel much better now.”