Loving My Best Friend

Ch 12 - A Man In Her Life

The vacation went by faster than Emily had anticipated. And Emily was happy as it came to an end. Due to Emily's and Oliver’s efforts, Eleanor and Rickard were happily together like a couple should be. Emily wasn’t happy with Oliver’s tactics of getting Crystal away from his brother Rickard. In order to save his own brother, Oliver had sacrificed Emily's brother, David, and now Crystal and David were a couple. Emily still felt upset at the thought and shot Oliver a nasty look at which he frowned.

“I will miss you, Emily,” Eleanor said, coming to Emily and hugging her.

“So will I. Please stay in touch when you reach New York,” Emily said, squeezing Eleanor’s hand and she nodded.

Emily felt like her sister was leaving and she felt her heart sink. She didn't have many friends in her life. The closest one was Oliver and that didn't go well. But with Eleanor it had turned out more than friendship. She was beginning to feel like family to Emily.

“Don’t worry, you can meet her any time,” Oliver whispered in her ear and Emily got startled. She turned her head to glare at him and found herself mesmerized by his blue orbs.

Her glare softened as she saw the concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?” He asked and Emily averted her eyes, nodding.

“I have to be okay,” Emily said and dragged her bag to the car. The driver then took the bag from her and placed it in the trunk of the car. They were leaving for the airport to fly back to New York and everyone was saying goodbye.

It was then Oliver grabbed her wrist, stopping her and she turned to look at him. “You don’t have to be something you aren’t.”

Emily grabbed his hand on her wrist and pulled it away. She looked into his eyes as she pulled her hand away from his. “Unlike you, I don’t have the liberty to be unwell. I have to support my family and my business.”

Oliver continued to stare into her eyes, making her nervous. The sincerity in his eyes puzzled her. “I am here, if you need me.”

Her shoulders sagged. “As a what? As a best friend, that we haven’t been for the last several years,” Emily snapped.

It was then Emily noticed a few heads turning their way and becoming aware of their heated exchange. James and Chloe looked particularly intrigued but they kept their distance. Whereas Matthew and Kate were as usual into each other.

Seeing them, Oliver grabbed Emily’s arm and gently dragged her to the back entrance of the garden, away from the prying eyes. They stood a few inches apart as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“I still consider you my best friend whether you do or not. So yes, I will be there whenever you need me as your best friend.” Oliver said, letting go of her hand.

Emily was shaking her head. “If you still consider me your best friend, then why did you kiss me the other night in the kitchen? Is that how you treat your best friend? Or do you have no respect for me?”

Oliver ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. “Would you believe me if I said that it was out of my control? Wanting you is out of my hand, Emily.” He took her hands in his and pulled her closer. “I don’t want to but yet I do.”

“You have to get it under control if you want to see me as your best friend. It cannot work both ways, Oliver. I don’t want to get hurt,” Emily said in a request, and Oliver nodded reluctantly. He gulped, looking away and then turned to look at her.

“If that’s what you want from me, then fine. I won’t try to touch you again. But I want my best friend back.”

Emily was taken aback. Was he really agreeing to be best friends again, just like before when everything between them was platonic? It was like a dream come true for Emily. At the same time, she felt a pang in her chest and knew that her heart wanted more, wanted something impossible. But this was best for her and better than what they were at present.

She blinked at Oliver in disbelief and asked, “Are you serious?”

Oliver stared into her eyes for a while and then nodded. “I am. I miss my best friend and want her back.”

It was then tears filled Emily’s eyes and she let her guard down. “I miss you too…” She gently hugged him and knew that due to the delicate nature of their chemistry, she should not push her luck, and drew back quickly.

~~~~~~~

Months later…

Oliver and Emily were having dinner at an Italian restaurant. They sat across from each other in a dimly lit restaurant. The soft glow of the light cast a warm ambiance over the scene.

The waiter came, smiling and took their orders. It had been sometime since they had spent the evening together. They were mostly engrossed in work and Emily couldn’t deny that Oliver had contributed to her company more than she could think of. It was his hard work that her company had done record business this quarter. And she couldn’t deny that his presence as her best friend in her life had made a significant change. She had started to rely on him for things she used to tackle alone. Now she looked forward to meeting him every day.

They waited for the dinner to arrive and continued their conversation.

“So have Rickard and Eleanor finalized the date for their wedding?” Emily asked, sipping on the virgin mojito.

Oliver pondered for a moment, then nodded, “I don’t know the exact date but it’s next month,”

“Oh, that’s such a short time for preparations. How are they going to manage?” Emily asked.

“They have plenty of people to manage. Don’t worry,” Oliver glanced around and then asked. “Can I ask you something?”

Emily nodded, taking a mouthful of her drink and wondered what it was that had Oliver thinking twice before asking. She almost chuckled seeing the seriousness. He never hesitated in speaking his mind, no matter how awkward it came out.

“Are you really asking me?” Emily said with a grin.

Nodding, Oliver replied. His blue eyes scanned her face and Emily wondered what it was that he was looking for. “Because it’s about you.”

“Ask, Oliver.” Emily said and glanced at her watch, getting impatient waiting for her food.

“In Miami, months ago, what was it that you were upset about?”

His question sobered her in milliseconds and Oliver noticed the change with discomfort. She looked down at her hands and frowned. He could see that she was still upset about whatever it was.

“I am sorry, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Something is bothering you and you’re not sharing it with me,” he said, and Emily continued to avoid his gaze.

“I understand your concern. But it’s something very close to me. Like my family. I can’t talk about it.” Emily said and bit her lip.

“So I am not close enough to you,” Oliver said, and looked away.

“You’re closer than him, Oliver. Of course you are.” Emily pleaded with him.

“So it's a man?” He asked, his eyes flaring dangerously and his fists clenched at his sides. Emily noticed the anger in his eyes and frowned.

“Oliver, it’s nothing to worry about. Can we talk about something else please?” Emily said, but Oliver was still restless as he reluctantly agreed to change the topic. The moment she said that it was a man, Oliver felt a tightness in his chest combined with anger and sadness. He was unable to get hold of the feeling as it was rapidly spreading through him. He knew something was wrong with him. Lately, he had been thinking of Emily more than he should. He felt like he was breaking his promise to Emily that he would respect their friendship and maintain his distance. But with time, he realized it was killing him.

At the mention of another man in Emily’s life, Oliver had realized that this wasn’t going to be easy and he needed to do something about it. This agitation, this irritation he felt, knowing that there was another man in her life, made it difficult for him to think properly. He couldn’t function like this and this problem needed to be solved before it got out of hand.

“I need to talk to Dad,” Oliver whispered to himself.