Lucas stood there, frozen in shock, as Olive walked away. Her words cut deep, leaving him feeling rejected and confused. He couldn’t understand why she felt that way about him. As he watched her disappear into the distance, a pang of sadness hit him. He realized he had developed strong feelings for Olive, but she didn’t feel the sa. Had he misread the signs, or was she just playing gas with him?
anwhile, Olive walked back to the villa, trying to shake off the feelings of guilt and anxiety. She knew she had been harsh, but she needed to protect herself from getting hurt. She couldn’t let Lucas’s charm and good looks cloud her judgnt. Quickly, she changed out of the gown, wiped off her makeup, and slipped back into her boyish outfit. Then, she made her way to where the helicopter was waiting.
"Please, can you take back to the other villa?" Olive asked the pilot, a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit.
"What about Master Lucas? Isn’t he going back with you?" The pilot’s expression was concerned.
"I don’t know about him. Can you please take back to the villa?" Olive repeated, her eyes pleading.
"Sure, young master," the pilot replied, and Olive climbed into the helicopter.
As the helicopter lifted off, Olive gazed out the window, watching the villa and Lucas disappear into the distance. She felt a mix of emotions—guilt, anxiety, and a hint of relief. She was glad to be leaving the tension and awkwardness behind, but a part of her wondered if she had made a mistake.
"We’ll be arriving at the other villa shortly, young master," the pilot’s voice broke her reverie.
Olive nodded, her eyes fixed on the horizon. She couldn’t wait to get back to her normal routine and forget about the events of the day.
When the helicopter landed, Olive jumped out, eager to escape the mories of Lucas and their encounter. She was relieved that the others weren’t at the villa when she got back. She made her way to her room without anyone questioning her and locked the door behind her.
For a mont, she just stood there, trying to process her emotions. She felt like she had been through a rollercoaster and wasn’t sure if she was ready to face what ca next.
Just as she was starting to calm down, there was a knock on the door.
"Olive, can I co in?" It was Lara, her best friend and confidant.
Olive hesitated for a mont before opening the door. "Hey, what’s up?" Lara asked, noticing Olive’s somber mood. "You and Lucas just disappeared."
Olive sighed and let Lara in. "It’s just been a long day," she said, trying to brush it off.
But Lara knew better. "What happened with Lucas?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Olive hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But sothing about Lara’s concerned expression made her open up. "I told him I couldn’t date him," she said, summarizing the day’s events.
Lara’s eyes widened. "Oh, Olive, I’m so sorry. What did he say?"
Olive took a deep breath, recounting the conversation and the hurtful words she had spoken to push Lucas away.
Lara listened attentively, her expression sympathetic. "Olive, you did what you had to do to protect yourself. Don’t beat yourself up over it."
"I know, but I keep hurting him. I keep pushing him away. I feel like I’m so selfish, Lara. I really love Lucas, but I can’t date him because I’m scared of losing my scholarship, I’m scared of our class difference, and I’m scared of what people would say," Olive revealed, tears brimming in her eyes.
Lara quickly moved closer and pulled her into an embrace. "Co on, baby girl. Don’t cry now. I understand your feelings. And you aren’t selfish. If Lucas were in your shoes, he would have done the sa."
"I don’t know, Lara. I just don’t know. I feel so terrible about myself." Olive cried her heart out while Lara decided to keep quiet, simply listening and comforting her.
As Olive wept, Lara held her tightly, letting her friend release all the emotions she had been bottling up. She didn’t try to offer any solutions or words of wisdom—just a listening ear and a comforting presence.
After a while, Olive’s sobs subsided, and she pulled back, wiping her tears with her sleeve. Lara handed her a tissue, and Olive blew her nose, feeling a little better.
"Thanks, Lara," Olive said, her voice still shaky. "I just feel so lost and confused. I don’t know what to do."
Lara nodded understandingly. "You don’t have to figure it out right now. Just take so ti to think about what you really want. And rember, I’m here for you, no matter what."
Olive smiled weakly, grateful for her friend’s support. "I don’t know what I’d do without you, Lara."
As they hugged again, Olive felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew she still had a long way to go, but with Lara by her side, she felt like she could face anything.
**Bang!**
Olive and Lara abruptly stopped hugging when they heard a loud bang in the corridor. Lara quickly went to the door and opened it, only to see a flower vase shattered on the floor.
Olive joined her, her eyes wide in shock. "Did soone hear our conversation?"
"I don’t know. But I don’t think so. It’s probably just the wind," Lara said, trying to dismiss the idea that soone had overheard them.
"But what if soone did?" Olive asked, her body tensing with frustration.
"Don’t worry, Olive," Lara said, trying to reassure her. "Even if soone did hear, they won’t know what we were talking about. We were speaking in hushed tones, and the door was closed."
But Olive’s mind was already racing with worst-case scenarios. What if Lucas found out that she had feelings for him? What if he knew that she was scared of losing her scholarship and their class difference? But she decided to push the thought aside and just listen to Lara.
---
The next morning dawned bright and clear, the warm sunlight streaming through the windows of Olive’s room like a gentle awakening. The air was crisp and fresh, filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the distant chirping of birds. Olive stirred beneath the covers, her mind foggy from the tumultuous events of the previous day. As she slowly sat up, her gaze fell upon Lara, who was sleeping peacefully on the adjacent bed, a soft smile on her face.
Olive threw off the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet dangling in the air. She felt a sense of trepidation wash over her, as if the weight of her secrets and lies was crushing her. The events of the previous day replayed in her mind like a broken record, each mont a painful reminder of her confusion and fear.
With a heavy sigh, Olive stood up and began to pace around the room, her bare feet making soft creaking sounds on the wooden floor. She felt trapped, like a bird in a gilded cage, unable to escape the confines of her own making.
As she walked, the morning light danced across her face, illuminating the dark circles under her eyes and the faint smudges of last night’s tears. Olive felt like she was living in a dream, a never-ending cycle of fear and doubt.
Just then, a soft knock at the door broke the silence. "Hey! Can I co in?" Henry’s voice called out, gentle and concerned.
Olive’s heart skipped a beat as she hesitated, unsure of what to say. "No! I’ll co and et you now."
"Okay! Hurry up, breakfast is set, and there are lots of fun to have today," Henry replied, and Olive soon heard his footsteps recede.
"Good morning, sunshine. I’ll head over to my room now before Mark cos looking for ," Lara said, now fully awake. She approached Olive, giving her a hug. "I’ll see you at the dining room," she added before making her way out of Olive’s room.
The mont Lara stepped out of the room, she was t with the gazes of Henry, Aiden, and Mark. Olive quickly ca to the door, just as shocked as Lara.
"They’re going to get the wrong idea now," Olive thought as she facepald.
"Damn! I knew it. I knew you and Arthur were a thing," Aiden was the first to speak, his voice laced with disdain. "How could you spend the night in his room when you have a boyfriend?"
"No, Aiden. I trust Lara, and I trust Arthur," Mark assured, his words sending waves of shock down Aiden’s spine, who had expected him to react with anger over his girlfriend spending the night with another guy. Instead, Mark was calm.
"Did you hit your head or sothing?" Aiden questioned, his eyes wide in shock.
"Drop it, Aiden. He said he trusts his girlfriend," Henry chid in, rolling his eyes at Aiden.
"This is so annoying. Where the hell is Lucas, though? Didn’t you both disappear yesterday?" Aiden asked, his gaze fixed on Olive, who looked just as shocked as he was.
"He didn’t co back to the villa since yesterday?!" Olive thought to herself, her expression downcast.
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