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130 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Wincing at the fact that they would be spending a long walk together, Olivia couldn't help but wonder how many awkward silences they would encounter. Natalie may not have any qualms about dating the same woman as Olivia but the paralegal was still coming to terms with it.
Glad for an easy topic to concentrate on, Olivia calmed herself down enough to shift her anxieties to her affection towards her niece. "I think she does. I know she'd rather go home but I guess I'm the next best thing?" She chuckled with a small lift of her shoulders.
"Oh no. I'm not powered. I think the gene might have been passed from her father's side of the family because none of mine are." She admitted. "Have you been training long?"
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130 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Olivia's hand instinctively ran over the tallest dog's head as they came sniffing, scratching it behind it's ears. With Natalie's response came a surprised widening of dark brown eyes before a little nod came after. It was always difficult to pinpoint someone's occupation based on their looks. Was it really Olivia's fault for thinking Natalie was a model?
She found herself following Natalie without kicking up a fuss. Her question had Olivia smiling and nodding. "We grew up together, kind of. I was still a kid when she was born." Olivia offered. "Is the student lounge far? I wouldn't want to put you out, you could just let me know how to get there..." her voice trailed as she looked around.
The school really needed to invest in proper signages.
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183 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
When Natalie turned with a bright smile, Olivia couldn't help but return it with her own. She was still in her head about the whole Teddy dating other people thing but there was just no denying that Natalie was just an all around sweet person. If Teddy had told her about dating Olivia, Natalie didn't show any signs of it being negative. Maybe she really was just in way over her head with this dating business.
"Yeah, student lounge." She nodded, swallowing inaudibly, her throat suddenly dry. Her dark eyes swept over the dogs and her smile softened before looking back up at Natalie. "Do you mind directing me there? I get mixed up all the time and I should have called Kenny to meet me at the entrance but the girl doesn't really have much time in her hands. I'm really just meeting her in between homework and training."
Olivia realised she was rambling but she couldn't stop. What with her nerves poking at her and the fact that she was just flustered around the beautiful woman. "Are you a teacher here?"
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169 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Olivia didn't make it a habit to meet Kenny at her school unless there was something very important and Kenny knew not to ask her to come over for the same reason. But they hadn't seen each other in so long that it just seemed to make the most sense for Olivia to go to Kenny instead of the other way around, given the latter being completely swamped by school work.
Kenny had texted her to meet at one of the lounges and now that Olivia was here, she felt stupid not asking Kenny where exactly the lounge is.
Up ahead, there was a woman who looked like an official so Olivia approached her. She seemed vaguely familiar from behind but Olivia didn't think too much of it before clearing her throat to announce her presence.
"Excuse me, do you mind showing me where the lounge is? I'm supposed to meet my niece and..." Olivia's voice trailed off when she realised why the person looked familiar.
It was Natalie.
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327 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
If Olivia were to be honest, a large part of her response was purely physical but based on personality, Teddy won out by a mile. She didn't know Natalie but from the small amount of time she'd met her, Olivia gathered that she was thoughtful, knew her partner well, and was sweet. Olivia couldn't even begin to wonder whether she even met those criterias.
She chewed on her bottom lip as Teddy responded after some time. She didn't think she had been that rough, she thought she had been pretty factual. Although it did bring her a little bit of comfort that Teddy didn't feel the same way. She could at least rely on Teddy being truthful when she did speak.
Olivia was suddenly reminded of what Teddy had told her the day she had confessed having feelings for her boss. "If some man comes along next week and sweeps you off your feet, I'd like to know about it before I make a fool of myself." Why didn't Olivia say the same thing then? It really would have made this a lot easier to swallow.
The paralegal finished her drink and set the mug aside just for something to do as she considered her next move. She had just made a fool of herself and now, she knew she would be second guessing herself even more if she did continue seeing Teddy. Did she really want to subject herself to that kind of mental torture? Looking at Teddy and remembering how much fun she had been having with her, how freeing it made her feel, her immediate answer was a resounding yes.
She took a deep breath and looked to the side, still unsure of what to say. "Do you mind if I take a beat with this? I'm ninety-five percent certain that I'm being an idiot because of my meds." She finally spoke, giving Teddy a cursory glance with a sheepish grin on her face.
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241 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
For once, Olivia wished Teddy didn't make her work for clarity. Teddy was always so composed that it made her feel so inadequate in her own confusion. Especially when Teddy would ask questions that made her dig deep.
Of course, she was very much aware how absurd that thought was but it was so difficult to really know Teddy apart from what Olivia sometimes only thought to ask. Olivia had been so smitten by that very aspect when they first started dating, In fact, she still wished she herself could be like Teddy in that respect. But it was still difficult.
Olivia sniffled and looked at Teddy. "You do know you're like...top tier. And Natalie is right up there with you and I'm maybe like...second rung from the ground. Third if I put a little bit of effort." She gave a little snort. "I'm not throwing a pity party, I'm really not. I mean I think my meds are starting to kick in, sure, but I'm new to this. I don't have much to offer in terms of experience. And I won't be able to do anything with you without raising suspicion from my colleagues." She sighed and closed her eyes for a while. The strain of being awake was slowly taking its toll on her eyes.
"I don't know, man. I'm a bundle of insecurities that you don't need to be burdened with." She gave a tired smile.
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192 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Olivia must be delirious if she thought that continuing their relationship would be a good idea. But she was still so unsure of her role now that she knew who the other person was. It wasn't like she would rather not have known but knowing that it was someone like Natalie who not only looked like a goddess, from what little time Olivia had spent with her, Natalie acted like one too.
A huge wave of insecurity engulfed the paralegal and she sighed. She didn't want Teddy to feel like Olivia was a wreck all the time, having the need for validation always. Though she had said so as a joke in their earlier days, it was proving to be true now. She couldn't do that to Teddy. It wasn't her job.
She took a long sip from her drink and looked down at her trembling hands before pulling the blanket around her. "I'm being unfair to you." Olivia finally said after a long pause. Her anxieties mixed with her illness was causing Olivia to falter. "I don't want to end this. I just don't think I'm the right fit for you."
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62 Words
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The straightforward question deepened Olivia's frown before she realised that she was absolutely confused by the question. Did Teddy really think that they can continue seeing each other still?
"Was I not supposed to?" She asked, genuinely curious to know the answer. "I don't see why we should continue this if you already have someone else." She continued with a little sniffle.
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73 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
When Teddy didn't leave, Olivia thought her brush off wasn't decisive enough. Should she have been clearer about it? But before she could tell Teddy that she was tired and she needed sleep, the blue-eyed brunette spoke up.
Pursing her lips at the admission, Olivia's eyebrows knit together in a small frown and she looked at Teddy quizzically. "Which part don't you understand?" She asked, keeping her tone as level as she could.
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239 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Seeing the falter in Teddy's armour didn't feel as victorious as Olivia thought. It just made her feel even more horrible. She was used to second guessing herself but she had thought she didn't have to around Teddy.
When Teddy offered to tell Natalie, Olivia took a deep breath that caused her to cough once more. She was so over this sickness. She took a longer, slower sip from her mug, remembering her mother's little home miracles that didn't make sense but somehow worked.
"That's on you, Teddy. I personally don't like being blindsided is all." Olivia rubbed her eyes again, stifling a yawn. "I knew we weren't exclusive but...couldn't you have told me before I..." she stopped herself from continuing. She hated being vulnerable with someone who revealed pieces of themselves only when asked.
Fact of the matter was, Olivia had been invested in them. They'd gone slow, Teddy had respected her boundaries but Olivia was so close to opening up even more but now that this had come to light, she didn't see the point. Who knew how far along Teddy and Natalie's relationship was? For all Olivia knew, they might have already been together longer than Teddy and her.
Based on the display she saw at the office, it looked far more intimate than she would have been comfortable with. "Thanks for stopping by, Teddy. I really appreciate it." Olivia offered a small, genuine smile.
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131 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Always composed. Olivia knew if she continued her line of accusations, she'd be the hysterical one. She didn't want to be. She was far too tired.
"I see." Olivia nodded and took a sip from her mug. "I wasn't aware that I had to." She said before looking up at Teddy, focusing on her eyes. It was easier to look at them, after getting comfortable with her.
"Does she know you were seeing me?" Olivia asked, knowing that Teddy would pick up on the past tense Olivia had deliberately used. Whatever Teddy's answer was going to be, Olivia wasn't sure whether she wanted to continue pursuing a relationship with Teddy after knowing she had someone else. It just didn't seem right to her.
She wondered whether Teddy thought it seemed right.
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132 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Once the drinks were made, she put one mug on one side of the kitchen table while bringing the other to her side of the table. "You can sit down if you'd like." She said after a while. Her eyes dropped down to Teddy's feet but didn't say anything about putting on house slippers. She didn't think Teddy would want to stay longer once she knew why Olivia let her in.
"I'm not entirely sure how to raise this issue but I just want to know, did you forget to tell me you're also seeing Natalie? Or were you just waiting for me to find you with her to get the hint that you don't want to see me anymore?" Olivia's voice was surprisingly level despite the emotions brimming at the surface.
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211 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Olivia didn't find it as amusing as Teddy that she mentioned work. She had to have known what exactly Olivia meant but of course, she was always in control. She couldn't let anything slip.
Whatever happened had to have just been in Olivia's head and her being so pissy in her head wasn't helping her at all.
"Of course it's alright." Olivia forced a smile before letting it drop. "But I'm not okay as you can clearly see." She gave a short bark of laughter as she gestured to herself. Another cough came before she looked up at Teddy. "And that's not what I'm asking."
Olivia was feeling quite faint and she needed to sit, but she didn't want Teddy to come in, not really. If she came in, Olivia had to be hospitable, something she didn't want to be in present company.
But she didn't want to let Teddy think she was pissy for no reason. And she had clearly made a point that this conversation was far from over. She cursed under her breath before opening the door wider and then heading into the kitchen. She draped her blanket over a chair and brought down two mugs before she made warm honey lemon drinks for the both of them.
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120 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Funnily enough, Olivia did want company. Just currently not the one that had shown up at her doorstep. But of course, she was much too polite to say anything so she gave Teddy an amused smile for her little factual quip.
When Teddy asked about eating, Olivia just then realised that she didn't even know what time it was. She'd just been in bed the whole day but her stomach didn't even show any indication that she needed sustenance so she hadn't actually eaten.
"Is that all you're here for, Teddy?" She asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. A little sneeze escaped before another coughing fit which Olivia turned away from Teddy for before swiveling back to look at her boss.
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114 Words
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i'm driving fast now
don't think i know how to go slow
Teddy was acting so normal. Like she hadn't been flirting with another woman in the office for everyone to see. Olivia didn't know whether to commend her or think her revile for being so stoic.
"I'd invite you in but I really shouldn't. Germs, contagion." Olivia waved her hand in a vague gesticulation. If this had been two days ago, Olivia would have been overjoyed to see Teddy's face.
She knew she was being petty but she was far too sick to give a crap. Part of her wanted to ask Teddy about Natalie and what that meant for them. But another larger part was just eager to slam the door in Teddy's face.
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