17. A Series of Choices
O llie stared out of the window, his stomach churning. Why…was he always so…awkward… Really, he was just horrible when it came to any sort of romantic entanglement. Not that he had many of those.
There had been a time when he had tried to lie to himself that he wasn’t the problem and that it was everyone else. But even he had only been able to lie for so long. At thirty, and after failing to keep a partner for longer than a few months, it was definitely him.
The problem was, most of the time, Ollie didn’t even know what he’d done wrong. Or when he did know, he didn’t understand why it was so wrong…
Though, Ollie supposed that trying to be flirty and hinting at wanting more after an obvious pity fuck was…more than insane, considering said pity fuck was because he’d freaked out, pathetically cried, and then confessed that he saw ghosts.
Like, even for him, all of that was pretty bad. Oh, and to add on, he then tried to snoop and touch the man’s things…so…
Ollie barely held back his sigh. Ugh, he felt like crying again, but there was no point in making Noble feel worse, or more uncomfortable. He probably would never see the man again, so he might as well be kind while he still could.
“Isn’t…that your car?”
Ollie blinked at the hesitant question, looking over to where the man indicated as the truck slowed to a stop.
“Ah…yes,” he said when he spotted his ladybug, right where he’d left it by the diner. It was nice of them to not tow his car out of their parking lot. Though, he supposed they were still open.
Ollie cleared his throat. “Umm…thank you…for…ah…everything,” he finished awkwardly. Unbuckling his seat belt, he avoided looking at the man as he opened the door and slid out.
“Ollie, I…”
Ollie looked back when he heard his name, and almost wished he hadn’t. He didn’t really need the deep frown that was currently on the man’s face, as he avoided meeting his eyes, to be his last memory of Noble.
“Ha.” He forced a chuckle out. “Don’t worry about it, Noble. I…get it. I wouldn’t be interested in anything long-term with me either,” Ollie said, hoping his words were taken as humorous rather than self-depreciating.
“No worries. Promise I won’t become a creepy stalker or anything.” He winced. “I mean, I know saying that out loud probably sounds to you as if I will, but I promise, I won’t…and that I will leave you alone if you come to the library. I…won’t make things more awkward than I’m sure they already are, just due to me babbling, and the whole…ghost thing, followed by me pathetically clinging to you… I’m…I’m just going to go, yeah,” he finished helplessly, spinning away as he felt tears pool in his eyes.
“Ollie, wait!” Noble shouted without meaning to.
The man stopped, but didn’t turn around this time, and his shoulders appeared to be trembling a bit…as if he was crying.
Shit… He couldn’t... He couldn’t let him leave like this. He should… He really should stay far away from Ollie. Because him just being near would put the librarian in danger. Noble should forget about him. That was the safest thing he could have done for the man he now knew was a witch, but…he wanted more.
For the first time in a long time, he wanted to know someone. Noble had gotten a taste, and God did he want the man badly. But not just his body, he wanted to know who Ollie Oliver Wisteria Cross was. He wanted to know all about him, but wanting that…was dangerous. Yet, what if… What if someone else found Ollie?
His family—how did they die? Surely if Ollie was as powerful as Noble thought he would soon be, there was no way he’d come from a family of non-witches. And if his family was being watched, or had been before their deaths, then regardless of whether he was there or not, Ollie was in danger. That…didn’t sit right with him. He had to…
Do what? Protect him—a witch? A witch hunter protecting a witch? The same witch hunter who currently had a woman chained up in his basement, who he hadn’t yet found the nerve to kill…while lying to himself that he could let her go if he wanted to? What a joke.
“I…” Ollie rasped. “I need… I need to go.”
Fuck, he had stayed quiet for too long! Just as it appeared the man was about to bolt, in a panic, Noble blurted, “Can I have your number?!”
Ollie looked back at that, his eyes were wide and full of tears, some even now trailing down his face. The man hurriedly brushed them away, before hesitantly asking, “Why…?”
His voice sounded as unsure as Noble felt and…hurt. Ollie sounded hurt.
Part of Noble was dying to reach out, to hold the little witch and lie to him that everything would be okay. That same part had him saying, “I…froze earlier. To be honest, I haven’t been in a relationship in a long time, and was more taken aback by the suggestion, rather than not being interested. I am interested! I want to know you better, Ollie. I don’t find you awkward, and I like when you babble. I think it’s…cute.”
Ollie blinked, looking shocked for a moment, before a bright smile lit up his face. “You…” The man brushed a stray red curl back behind his ear. “You think it’s cute?”
Noble’s smile was genuine, even though he felt nothing but dread about the choice he was making right now. “Yes, I find it very cute. Now, can I have your number, and after…maybe I can follow you back to the library? If I remember correctly, you mentioned seeing a ghost there too?”
Ollie flinched at the mention of the ghost. “Ah, yes…that…” The little witch sagged a bit. “What am I going to do about that? Like, avoiding the outside and my car is one thing…but I live and work at the library.”
“How about we head over there, exchange numbers, and then see if we can find anything in your vast collection that will help solve that little issue, hmm?”
“Ah…okay!” Ollie let out a small giggle. “I’ll see you there, then!” The man shut the passenger door and hurried around the truck, rushing towards his car, he waved cutely as he did.
Noble waited until Ollie was inside before driving off.
Staring at the road, he groaned. “What the fuck am I doing?!”