It never ends

I woke up to a loud ringing coming from the bedside table. I groaned quietly as I turned towards it vibrating on the table.
I reached up to grab it and immediately felt Olivers tightening arm around me. I glanced back at him, memories of earlier came flooding back. Everything he said, it was a lot, and explains a lot. The worry on his face when he first told me, it was still there.
I stretched further and grabbed it. It was 10:00 exactly, which made me wonder who was calling, and why they were being so precise.
I leaned up and sat on the edge of the bed then looked at the caller I.D. I felt my stomach drop, this was the last thing I needed right now. My mother calling me. The last time we spoke I was still living in the dorm. Both my mom and dad visited me, waiting for me. My mom told me she didn’t like Oliver, only from physical appearances; I remember she warned me. What worries me now is that if I had known then what I know now, would I have believed her. I hated the answer.
I didn’t want to answer the phone, but maybe she was calling to apologize. I highly doubted it, but the thought was always there. I came to the conclusion I might as well answer, how bad can it be? I can always hang up.
“hello” I said, holding my phone up to my ear.
“Skyler, I’ve been trying to call you since 7” Her voice was already condescending.
“I was sleep” Oliver stirred and opened his eyes, which landed right on me. He was about to say something but I shushed him before he got the chance. I got up and left the room so I could talk alone, and so I wouldn’t bother him with the noise.
“Sleep? It’s 10, what have you been doing. You never sleep this late.” I heard her take a breath over the phone “Please tell me you’re safe”
I knew what she was suggesting. “I’m fine, why did you call me?”
“Honey, it’s only a few days before thanksgiving, your father and I just wanted to check whether or not you were still coming. I was hoping we could put our last encounter behind us and have a nice family dinner.” I looked at the date at the top of my phone. It was the 23rd, I didn’t even realize. I guess I’ve been too distracted. The time went by so fast. I didn’t respond.
“Like we used to.” My mother always did this. Attempting to guilt me and now that I recognize it and I’m old enough to tell her no I want to. But I don’t want to go on in life with a bad relationship with my parents. I don’t want to be that kind of person. Even if sometimes their views on things are completely messed up, I know they care and want the best.
Maybe this trip is what I need right now. Perhaps it’ll help calm my nerves. Maybe It will help with things between me and Oliver, not that things were bad but they weren’t exactly good. It could be the thing that we need now most is a new environment for a while.
“Alright, I’ll be there” As soon as the words left my mouth I looked for a hint of regret, but I found nothing.
I knew my mother was smiling over the phone, a tight, controlled smile. The line suddenly went silent and I thought she had hung up, I looked down at the screen. Nope; I was about to hang up until I heard some murmuring and put the phone back on my ear.
“What?” I said.
She sighed. “I said, are you still with that….boy”. I rolled my eyes, I thought she would have somehow, miraculously, gotten over it. Obviously not. I knew I should have hung up. To be honest, this was probably the main reason she called.
“Yes” I kept my answer simple. I felt her silent disapproval.
“Okay, just try to be here by tomorrow please” I was a little taken back, usually you’d give someone a day or two to drive somewhere. But going on what she said I’d have to leave today.
“You want me to just drop everything and drive all the way there. What if I had plans today” I didn’t have a problem driving there now did I have plans; but I don’t like the fact that she still thinks I don’t have a full life of my own.
“It’s not that long of a drive, Skyler.” I heard the floorboard creak from behind me, I turned to see Oliver. He only had on his boxers and his hair was messy, nothing new. But his face wasn’t calm and carefree like it usually was, he wasn’t smiling and his eyes were lowered. He looked as if he was stressing all night. He probably was.
Memories came flooding back of our conversation. Oliver finally revealing a part of his past with me. I know how much it took for him to tell me, he didn’t want me exposed to his ugly past. But it was better than being in the dark.
He looked at me for a few seconds, most likely wondering who I’m talking to. He went into the refrigerator and took out a beer bottle.
“I’ll try to make it” I said before hanging up. I put my phone on the counter and looked back. I felt Oliver watching me, quietly. In the next few seconds he was either going to completely ignore last night or bring it all back up.
But he wasn’t saying anything, which worried me. He was being unusually quiet. I realized he was waiting for me to say something.
“So” I crossed my arms. “Are we going to finish our conversation?”
Oliver took a sip from his bottle. “There’s nothing to talk about”.
“Oh really?” I said raising my eyebrows.
“I told you everything, unless you want to get into the small, unimportant details”
I shook my head. I didn’t need to know, I didn’t want to.
“Are you still mad at me?” His tone was serious, as if that was the only thing he cared about at the moment.

“I wasn’t mad, just insanely frustrated and irritated. How do you think I felt when everyone knew something about you and I’m the only one who didn’t?” I feel like I should be mad, as if I should yell at him and walk out. But I don’t. I figured it would have been bad if he didn’t want to tell me and no one else did either. I probably would be mad if I just found out about all of this when he told me, if I didn’t have time to let my mind come up with an idea of what happened.
I’m not mad, if anything I’m a bit relieved. No more secrets, at least for now. Ever since he told me it was like he exposed a whole other side to him, I felt as if we were on a whole other level of trust. I thought it would have been hard to forgive him, but it wasn’t. I guess it wouldn’t be hard to forgive someone if you truly love them.
“I know” he said penitently. “I should have told you, it’s not like I could just tell you out of the blue. I never even wanted you to know”. I understood. It wasn’t something I would voluntarily tell someone either.
I still had one more question on my mind. “Why did you avoid telling me whenever I asked about it?”
“I didn’t want you to know, I told you that. I was hoping you would have forgotten about it.” He took a sip from his drink “You still didn’t answer my question”
“What question”
“Are you still mad at me?”
“No, I’m not mad, I am happy you told me,” I walked over to him and placed my hands in his. “Do you have anything else you need to tell me?” If there was anything else, it was better said now.
“No”. I pressed my lips together. I decided to believe him.
He didn’t respond. It was alright because I knew that was the answer he really wanted to hear. I reached up and kissed him on the cheek, in my attempt to get him in a better mood for what I was about to tell him.
“Where did that come from?” he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Nowhere, I just have something I need to tell you”
Oliver’s expression didn’t change. “What? Does it have something to do with who you were on the phone with?”
I nodded. “Yea, it was my mother”
Oliver groaned. Oliver knows how my mother feels about him, and I know how he feels vice versa.
“What the hell did she want?” He took another sip of his drink. The hostility in his voice was a bit unnerving.
“She wants us to come over for thanksgiving” I said with a smile, hoping it would soften what I just proposed.
“Us” Oliver repeated, lifted his eyebrow.
“ Yes us, I want you to come; I don’t want to go alone”
“You’re mother fucking hates my guts”
“No she doesn’t” I lied. “she’s just stuck in her ways” which was true.
Oliver groaned. “Please” I begged.
“Please” I repeated. I didn’t like begging, but I don’t want to face my mother alone even more.
I knew if I kept continuing what I was doing, he still wouldn’t budge. I had to think quickly before he fully made up his mind and I was stuck going by myself.
“Would you go if I told you my ex was going to be there?” I smiled when I felt Oliver stiffen.
“Why the fuck would he be there”. I sensed more than hostility in his voice, jealousy?
“I’ll explain if you come with me” I ran my fingers along him arm in an attempt to further coax him.
Oliver rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine”. I silently praised myself. I reached up and kissed his cheek. I felt relieved.
“When do we have to be there?” he asked.
“We should leave by tonight.”
“Alright” with that Oliver finished his drink and went back into the room. That wasn’t as hard as I thought it would have been. Now I just have to figure out how to get by the next couple of days.

Notes

Song Credit: Paramore
I chose this song because I love the lyrics and parts really fit into the song.
Sorry for such a long wait, but my summer is almost over. I won't be on until a little after the fourth of july.

Thanks to everyone who has read and commented and subscribed. I know I don't update a whole lot, but i'm not done with the story anytime soon.