Page 45 of Light My Fire Three Times
I’m not buying it. Not even a little.
“Yeah? And you didn’t think to check with me first?” I bite out, my patience running thin. “You know, I live here too, Karl.”
Olivia looks back and forth between us, clearly uncomfortable. I’ve got my issues with her, yeah, but this is all Karl’s fault.
If I’m being honest with myself, I don’t even know what my problem with her is. She’s a lot of things: complex, sarcastic, and unpredictable, but she doesn’t deserve to be dragged into this mess.
Karl shrugs, unfazed, as usual. “I don’t see the problem. She’s staying for one night, Leo. No big deal.”
I’m not happy with the way this is unfolding. It feels wrong. Μy hands start to clench as my frustration grows. Karl just doesn’t get it. It’s not about one night. It’s about respect, about communication, about thinking before you act.
“Seriously?” I snap, stepping forward. “You can’t just bring her into this house without talking to me first. It’s my space too.”
Olivia shifts on her feet, her eyes avoiding mine. I can tell I’ve made her feel small, and she’s probably internally blaming herself.
I want to tell her to stop, to tell her it’s not her fault, but I can’t quite get the words out.
“I didn’t mean to make it awkward,” she half-whispers. “If it’s a problem, I’ll find somewhere else.”
I stop myself before I say something I’ll regret. It’s not about her. It’s about the fact that Karl did this without a second thought, as if it’s his house, as if I don’t get a say.
“No,” I say, trying to rein it in. “Stay. It’s just… it’s just this whole thing, Karl, you can’t just do stuff like that.”
Karl looks at me as ifI’moverreacting, his eyes flicking to Olivia, then back to me. “She’s not a problem, Leo. Relax.”
I exhale, rubbing my forehead. This is going to be a nightmare, but I’m not about to tell Olivia to leave. Not now, not after everything that’s happened.
But still, I can’t shake the unease sitting in my chest. I don’t want to live under the same roof as Karl and Olivia at the moment.
It’s awkward as hell, and I can feel the tension already building between the three of us. And then there's this weird knot in my stomach every time I look at Olivia. I’m caught between two sides I didn’t sign up for.
“Fine,” I mutter, throwing my hands up in defeat. “Whatever.”
Karl nods, already distracted. Olivia, on the other hand, glances at me for the first time since we started talking, her eyes flickering with rage.
She opens her mouth as if she’s about to say something, but then closes it again. Probably deciding she shouldn’t. Myrelationship with her doesn’t exactly have a great track record when it comes to communication.
Great. Now I’m really confused.
I don’t say anything else, hoping I’m not making a bigger mess of this than I already have.
I turn away, heading back inside, needing space to think. And then I hear it.
A kiss.
I stop in my tracks.
I don’t know if it’s just a light peck or something more profound, but I hear the unmistakable sound of lips meeting skin, the kind of kiss that makes your stomach flip.
When I turn back toward the door, I see Karl cupping Olivia’s face, his lips pressed firmly against hers.
My stomach lurches.
This is what it’s all been leading to. This isn’t just some friendly thing, some temporary arrangement. They’re dating.
And for a second, the air’s knocked out of me. It’s not jealousy. It’s… discomfort. This whole damn situation is uncomfortable.
“Great,” I mutter to myself, barely able to keep the bitterness out of my voice.
