Chapter 29 - In Love ♡︎

Morning sunlight streamed softly through the thin curtains of Olive's room, painting everything in a pale golden glow. The house was quiet except for the distant hum of conversation downstairs and the clinking of dishes from breakfast. Olive was still half asleep, bundled up beneath her blankets, her hair messy and her cheek pressed into the pillow when a sudden of a few knock echoed through her door.

"Ollie! Are you up?" Jackie's cheerful voice rang from the other side before Olive could even answer. The door burst open, and Jackie stepped in with her usual energy, a wide grin on her face and curiosity practically glowing in her eyes.

Olive blinked rapidly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Jackie? Wh-What time is it?" she mumbled, her voice groggy.

Jackie crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Late enough that my best friend should already be telling me everything about her date last night," she teased, her smile widening. "Come on, Ollie. Spill. I've been dying to know."

Olive's cheeks turned a faint pink as she yawned and pushed her hair out of her face. "It wasn't... anything big," she said softly, her tone still sleepy. "We went to a movie, then bowling—which I was terrible at, by the way—and then for ice cream. That's it."

Jackie came over and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes lighting up as she listened. "That sounds adorable! And Dylan? How was he? Was he nice? Fun? Too much of a show-off?"

Olive smiled shyly and shrugged, playing with a loose thread on her blanket. "He was nice," she admitted. "Really nice, actually. He made me laugh a few times and didn't make fun of how bad I was at bowling."

Jackie grinned, nudging her lightly. "That's a good sign! You deserve a guy who's sweet to you. So... how do you feel about him?" she asked, dragging out the word "feel" with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Do we like him?"

Olive's face softened, and she looked down at her hands. "I... don't think so," she murmured after a long pause. "Not like that, at least. Dylan's kind, and I had fun, but it just didn't feel right. Like, I wasn't really there. My heart was somewhere else the whole time."

Jackie tilted her head, the teasing in her expression fading into something gentler. "You mean... you don't like him?"

Olive shook her head slowly. "No. I don't."

For a moment, Jackie was quiet, then a warm smile spread across her face. She reached over and pulled Olive into a tight hug, her voice soft. "I'm proud of you, Ollie," she said. "You've come such a long way since you got here. You've started opening up, talking more, laughing more... you're not hiding in your shell anymore. And that's what this was all about—just getting you out into the world, trying new things."

Olive hugged her back, closing her eyes as she smiled faintly against Jackie's shoulder. "Thanks, Jackie," she whispered.

Jackie pulled back a little, still smiling. "You're welcome. And don't worry about Dylan—if he's not the one, that's totally fine. You've got time to figure things out."

Olive hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Jackie," she said softly, her voice trembling just slightly. "There's... something I have to tell you."

Jackie's smile faltered, replaced by concern as she looked at Olive's face. "What is it?" she asked gently, her tone shifting from playful to serious in an instant.

Olive bit her lip, her fingers nervously twisting in her blanket. Her heart pounded as she tried to find the right words, the memory of last night flashing vividly in her mind—the rain, the way Cole had looked at her, his hands cupping her face, the warmth of his lips against hers, the way he'd told her he loved her.

She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's about... Cole."

Jackie's brows lifted slightly, a flicker of confusion in her expression. "Cole?" she repeated slowly. "What about him?"

Olive stared down at her lap, her cheeks burning, her fingers trembling slightly as she tried to form the words. "Something... happened last night," she said quietly.

Jackie froze, watching her closely now, sensing there was more to the story than Olive was letting on. She reached out and gently touched her friend's shoulder. "Ollie," she said softly, "what happened?"

Olive's heart was pounding in her chest as she sat there on the bed, still clutching the edge of her blanket like it was the only thing anchoring her. The sunlight streaming in through the window made everything feel too bright, too exposed. Jackie's wide eyes were locked on her, frozen in disbelief, as Olive tried to gather the courage to say it again—to make it real.

"He... he told me he loves me," Olive repeated, her voice trembling as she looked down at her lap. "Last night, after I came home from the date with Dylan."

For a second, Jackie didn't move. Her lips parted slightly as if to speak, but no words came out. Then, in true Jackie fashion, her shock turned instantly into frustration. She threw her hands into the air and stood up from the bed. "He what?!" she nearly shouted, pacing a step before stopping herself. "He told you he loves you?!"

Olive flinched slightly at the sharpness in her tone, but Jackie didn't seem angry at her. She looked furious at Cole. "I'm going to kill him," Jackie muttered, her arms crossed tightly as she started marching toward the door. "That idiot! How could he just—"

"Jackie, wait!" Olive's voice came out small but urgent, stopping her in her tracks.

Jackie turned back, her expression still stormy, but when she saw the way Olive's cheeks were pink and her fingers were nervously fidgeting, she paused. Olive's gaze was soft, her eyes glimmering with something that made Jackie freeze completely.

"I... I love him too," Olive said finally, her voice barely more than a whisper, but full of truth.

Jackie's mouth fell open. "You what?" she said in disbelief, her voice cracking halfway between surprise and concern. "Olive... you what?"

Olive met her gaze, her shy demeanor still there but mixed with a quiet certainty that Jackie had never seen in her before. "I love him," she said again, firmer this time, like she needed Jackie to understand. "I know it sounds crazy, and I know he can be—well, himself—but I do. I really do."

Jackie just stood there, staring, her mind spinning. She'd known Olive all her life—knew her soft-spoken ways, her kind heart, her innocence. Olive was the kind of girl who still cried at sad movies, who apologized when other people bumped into her, who had to work up courage just to speak in class. And Cole Walter? He was the exact opposite—confident, teasing, impossible to read, and always toeing the line between charming and infuriating.

"Olive," Jackie said carefully, still trying to wrap her head around it, "you're telling me that you—the girl who once blushed for five minutes straight when Alex said she looked 'nice'—are in love with Cole Walter?"

Olive's blush deepened, but she nodded slowly. "I am," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean for it to happen, Jackie. I didn't even realize it at first. But last night, when it was raining, and he told me how he felt... it just—" she paused, her lips trembling as a tiny smile appeared, "—it felt right. Like I've been waiting to hear him say it without even knowing it."

Jackie stared, still speechless, her thoughts colliding in every direction. "Okay," she finally said, running a hand through her hair. "Start from the beginning. All of it. What happened last night?"

Olive nodded, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap as she replayed everything. "After Dylan dropped me off, Cole was waiting outside on the porch," she began softly. "He looked upset—angry, even. At first, I thought he was mad at me, but then he started saying things... things that didn't sound like him at all. He said that he shouldn't have let me go on that date, that he should've never let me go from the start."

Jackie frowned slightly but stayed quiet, listening intently.

"And then," Olive continued, her voice lowering, "he said he loves me. He actually said the words, Jackie." She pressed a hand over her chest, as though she could still feel the echo of it there. "I didn't know what to say at first. It was raining so hard, and I could barely see him through it, but when I walked up to him... I just knew. I love him too."

Jackie sat back down beside her, still processing. "And then?" she asked slowly.

Olive's cheeks turned bright pink. "He... he kissed me," she whispered. "It wasn't just a kiss, though. It was different. It was soft and warm and it made me feel safe, like everything around me disappeared for a moment. When he kissed me, it was like I could finally breathe again."

Jackie blinked, her expression caught between amazement and disbelief. "You kissed him?!"

Olive nodded, her face glowing red now. "He kissed me first," she said quickly, "but I didn't stop him. I didn't want to." She smiled faintly, her voice gentle. "It just felt... right. Like everything I was afraid of didn't matter anymore. I wasn't nervous, or scared, or shy. I just felt... warm."

For a long moment, Jackie didn't speak. The room filled with the quiet hum of morning, the soft ticking of the clock, and Olive's quiet breathing. Then Jackie finally let out a long sigh and gave Olive a look that was equal parts disbelief and affection.

"Olive," she said softly, shaking her head, "you really fell for him, didn't you?"

Olive bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered. "I think I did."

Jackie let out another sigh, half exasperated and half protective. "Well," she muttered under her breath, "Cole Walter better not hurt you, or I will actually kill him."

Olive giggled quietly, and Jackie looked at her best friend with a mixture of love and worry, realizing that this—whatever it was between Olive and Cole—was no passing crush. It was real.___

The smell of pancakes and coffee filled the kitchen as the morning sunlight poured through the big windows, casting a soft golden glow across the table. Katherine was humming to herself, setting out plates and silverware, while George flipped a few more pancakes on the griddle. The house felt warm and alive, the kind of cozy morning that usually made Olive feel safe. But today, her heart was beating faster than usual. Jackie had practically dragged her out of bed after their talk, insisting they not be late for breakfast, and Olive's thoughts had been spinning ever since.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Olive could already hear the clatter of plates and the low chatter of voices. Her fingers nervously fiddled with the hem of her sweater as she followed Jackie into the kitchen. She felt her face heat up as she looked around the room—Alex, Isaac, and Nathan were already seated, joking about something, while George smiled when he saw the two girls. "Good morning, sleepyheads," he said warmly. "You're just in time."

"Morning," Jackie said cheerfully, sliding into her usual seat like nothing was wrong. Olive, on the other hand, lingered awkwardly by the counter, clutching her hands together. "Good morning," she said softly, her voice almost too quiet to hear over the clinking of forks and plates.

Everyone turned to look at her, and Olive instantly wished she could disappear. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave a shy little smile. "The pancakes smell good," she added quickly, trying to sound casual, though her cheeks were already pink.

But before anyone could reply, she felt someone behind her. The energy in the room seemed to shift, a subtle change that made her stomach twist. Then she heard his voice—low, familiar, and full of that teasing warmth that made her heart skip.

"Good morning, tiny."

Olive froze for a second before she turned her head slightly, her breath catching as Cole stepped closer. He looked effortlessly relaxed, wearing a plain gray t-shirt and messy hair that somehow made him look even better. His tone wasn't teasing this time, though—it was soft, deliberate, almost affectionate.

And then, before she could even reply, Cole reached out and tilted her chin up with his fingers, just enough for her to meet his gaze. His touch was gentle, but his eyes held something that made her blush from head to toe.

"Good morning," he murmured again, leaning in just a little closer. The words brushed against her lips like a secret, and for a second, Olive forgot how to breathe.

Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure everyone could hear it. "G-good morning," she stammered softly, her cheeks flaming as she quickly looked away.

Cole smiled—just that small, infuriatingly confident smile that made her knees feel weak—and let his hand drop as he walked past her, heading for the table. The room had gone strangely quiet, as if everyone was processing what just happened. Cole sat down casually, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary, but the little smirk still lingered on his face.

George blinked, glanced at Katherine, and then back at Cole. Katherine arched an eyebrow, her expression saying everything she didn't have to put into words. She leaned toward her husband and whispered, "Did that just happen?"

"I think it did," George muttered under his breath, still watching the two of them with mild surprise.

Meanwhile, Jackie was frozen in her chair, a fork halfway to her mouth. Her wide eyes shot between Olive—whose face was bright red—and Cole, who looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Finally, she set her fork down and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him.

Her stare was sharp, warning, the kind that could slice through the air. She didn't have to say a word—her look alone said it all: Be careful, Cole. Don't push this too far.

Cole met her gaze from across the table, unbothered, and gave a lazy shrug. "What?" he said smoothly, picking up a piece of bacon. "Just saying good morning."

Jackie's glare didn't waver, but Cole only grinned slightly, taking a sip of his orange juice as if daring her to say something in front of everyone. Olive, meanwhile, had quietly slid into the chair beside Jackie, her head ducked low, her face still pink as she reached for her plate.

"Uh, pancakes," she said quickly, trying to change the subject. "They smell amazing, Katherine."

Katherine smiled kindly at her, though the confusion hadn't entirely left her eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said gently. "Eat up. You must be hungry."

"Yeah," Olive murmured, barely touching her food as she tried to calm the flutter in her chest.

The rest of the table began to talk again—small chatter about the weather, weekend plans, anything to fill the air—but Jackie kept sneaking glances between Olive and Cole. Every time Cole looked at Olive, she caught the faintest trace of a soft smile, one that wasn't meant for anyone else. And every time Olive blushed and looked down, Jackie knew she wasn't imagining what was happening.

Whatever was between them, it wasn't a secret anymore.