Olive's P.O.V.
Time seems to fly by when you're actually enjoying life. Halloween was this weekend already and Lucas and I will have been dating for a month now. I felt giddy thinking about it. Lucas and I have not spent a single night away from each other since his accident. We alternate between his apartment and my flat. We each have our own drawer, although I honestly have 2 drawers and a quarter of his closet at his place.
"We have to match, Rose," Lucas argued with me over our Halloween costumes.
"Do we really have to dress up? Aren't we too old for that?"
"Take that back. We are never too old," he argued back, making me smile with his playful tone. "Please, Rose, dress up with me?"
He gave me those eyes again, the ones that always seem to melt away my resolve. He was not playing fair.
"Fine," I sighed. "But nothing that's going to have me half naked."
"Never," he shook his head.
His cast was finally due to be removed this Friday, just in time for Halloween. He was excited to have it gone. He was getting tired of not being able to scratch very well with the cast on. His arm had been healing so well.
"What about this one?" He asked, showing me the couple picture of beauty and the beast. "You know cause your my Rose?"
"I get it, but there's no way I'm wearing a big poofie yellow dress." I shook my head no.
"You're right. Okay, okay, let me get serious. Let's see what would my Rose actually like to wear," he mused to himself as he continued to scroll though costume ideas.
I wasn't even sure what I would want to wear. I am not one for dressing up much. Trying to come up with an original costume idea is impossible. Plus so many of the adult women costumes are just so sexualized. Like everything is sex this or sexy that. I'm tired of it.
"I think I found it," Lucas smiled triumphantly as he turned his phone again.
"I think you did." I smiled back happily. He knows me so well.
It was simple, nothing that made me look sexy or too frilly. He'll be Jack and I'll be Rose in the greatest love tale. Only we'll have a happier ending since we won't be on a sinking ship. I love the movie Titanic.
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The week flew by and Lucas and I were getting his cast removed. I'm not going to lie, it was not a pleasant smell and Lucas' arm seemed all pale and pruney, making me crinkle my nose. Lucas seemed so happy to be free of that cast finally. I gently ran my hand over his arm. He had a few scars now, but they were scars that reminded us of how precious life was. They were scars that helped us tell each other how we truly felt. They were beautiful.
"I love you, my knight," I told him as I continued to stare at his naked arm.
"I love you, my Rose." He kissed my temple, making me smile.
"So, the parties tonight, right?" I asked him.
"Mhm, Leo is excited to go. Rachel is coming to town again, and they're going together."
"When do you think those two are finally going to tell each other they like one another?" I shook my head disapprovingly of the two. It was obvious that Rachel loved Leo and it seemed that he liked her back at least.
"What do you mean?" Lucas seemed so shocked by my question, like he had never phathomed the thought.
"You can't be serious? You haven't noticed the way Rachel looks at Leo? Or how she always goes to him first? How she's always at his side anytime she comes to town? Lucas, you've gotta pay more attention."
"Seriously?!" He seemed so genuinely shocked.
"Yes, seriously."
"That would be so awesome. Leo would actually be family. We have to get them together, Rose. Play cupid with me tonight?" He seemed so much more excited for tonight now. It made me laugh.
"Okay, I'm down."
Lucas and I devised a plan for tonight that we hoped would get those two to confess their feelings for each other. It was fun scheming with Lucas. He was devilishly wicked in a cute kind of way. I loved being part of the plan making.
We both got dressed in our costumes. Lucas wore a white long sleeve shirt with brown trousers and suspenders, looking just like Jack. I had on the iconic purple and white dress with pink sash around my ribs that she wore the night the ship sank. Since it's cold in New York for Halloween I had on the coat that Jack gave Rose part way through the night.
"Are you ready Rose?" He asked, holding his arm out for me to take.
"Ready, Jack." I grabbed it, getting into character with him.
He smiled sweetly at me as we headed out of his apartment. We decided to take my car tonight. Lucas drove the car. I made the mistake of letting him let me drive once, and I saw how scared he was. He wouldn't admit it, but I could see how rigid and pale he had become. He needs control in order to be in a car. I don't really mind not driving anyway. I hate driving in New York, so I'm just fine with him shaufering me around. Especially, if it gives him peace of mind.
We arrived at the sorority row where we planned on hopping from house to house and enjoying the different festivities at each. We paid the cover at the first house, waiting for Leo and Rachel to meet up with us. We headed outside to the back yard where different games had been set up. It was less crowded out here than inside. Lucas grabbed me a whiskey as we waited.
"Wanna play a game Rose?"
"Always."
"I'll tell you something about myself and you guess if it's true or not. If you guess wrong you take a drink. Then we'll switch"
"Sounds like fun."
I felt like I knew Lucas pretty well now. Of course, I don't know all about him. A month is not enough time to know everything, but I feel like I could make good inferences based on what I know about him.
"Okay, first statement," he said, shifting his shoulders to stand up straighter. "I was arrested once."
I hadn't expected him to say that. I, honestly, had no clue and could see it being either.
"Can I ask a question?"
"Only one," he said, holding up his index finger.
"How old were you?"
"17."
"Then I say it's true."
I figured a lot of 17 year olds get in trouble. Besides, if it was when he was 17 then it meant John was alive. If John were alive then they must have gotten into some shenanigans together.
"That is..." he waited a moment to try and keep me in suspense. "correct. I did indeed get arrested. I guess I have to take a drink since you got it right.'
"What did you get arrested for?" I asked him curiously. I can imagine it being something stupid, but I am curious to know exactly what it was.
"John and I were messing around after a soccer game and jumped a fence to get into the baseball field after drinking a bit. We were caught instantly." Lucas laughed at his past self as I'm sure the memory played out in his head.
"I could see that," I mused. "Okay, my turn. My tattoo artist taught me to play guitar." I was trying to through him for a loop, but all is did was make him laugh.
"My one question is how many tattoo artists have you had?"
"Two." I held my fingers up as I answered.
"Then I say it's true."
"That's right, but how'd you guess?" I took a drink of my whiskey while I waited for him to answer.
"I saw the guitar in your closet a while back. I could tell you played and I didn't figure you learned from your dad. Ian doesn't seem the type to play and you didn't have many friends then." He knew me so well, even past me.
"I hadn't realized that you knew I played. I haven't played in a little while." I need to pick it back up before my fingers soften back up.
"I want to hear you play one day." He rubbed my cheek sweetly with his thumb while he spoke.
"One day." I nodded.
"What can I do to get you to let that day be today?" He stripped forward, closing the space between us. He was trying to use this close proximity to entice me into doing what he wants.
"Hmm,, you'd have to show me something you can do that I haven't seen before." That seems fair to me.
"Okay, deal. Wait right here," he said as he raced off from my side.
I'm not sure where he went or what he's doing, but I didn't like the fact that I was now alone. I played with the drink in my hand to keep myself busy. My eyes roamed the party, scanning for any familiar faces. I could see a couple of engineer students getting plastered in the distance. They were taking shot after shot. I would have never guessed one of them as a party animal.
"Liv?" An all too familiar voice came my name.
I should have figured he'd be here.