My Forever (Canary Series) (9 page)

"I do love Olivia. She means the world to me. I want to be here so I can help take care of her," Nate said. He had this big smile on his face that he always got when he thought about Olivia.

"When did you know?"

"When did I know what?"

"When di
d you know that you loved her?"

"I've known for a long time, si
nce before she came to school."

"How did you know before she came
here?"

"That is something I'
m not ready to talk about yet."

"Oh no you don't, you will tell me w
hether you are ready or not. I hardly trust you as it is, so tell me, how did you know that you loved her before she came here?"

Nate looked around trying to find something to easily throw Garrett off the subject but noticed nothing that would help. "Garrett, I don't usually talk about this with anyone. But knowing you, you're not going to give up until you know and that you will do what you can to keep me and O
livia apart until you do."

"You got that right, so the best thing for you to do would be to
tell me everything right now."

"You might as well get settled in then because there is a lot to tell you. Just hope that Olivia won't be mad when I'
m late."

"Oh, I don't think she will mind." Garrett said as h
e situated himself on the desk.

"OK, so here's the thing. Both my parents and her parents are
part of the Organization. Well, our mothers were until they both died, but that's beside the point. Anyway, they ran in the same circles, went to the same parties and all that mess. My parents and Olivia's parents always talked about the possibility of me and her getting together. But then, of course, you have Michaels’ parents saying that, because her and him were such close friends, the only logical explanation would be for them to be together."

Garrett laughed, "Wow, so they were kind of arrang
ing a relationship for Olivia?"

"Yeah, which I never liked
. I didn't know her then, just knew what I had observed from seeing her around at the events her parents dragged her to and from what I was told from my parents, her parents and everyone else in the group. When I first saw her she grabbed my attention even before I met her. I always hated going to the events before, but I found myself looking forward to them somewhat because I hoped that she would be there. I had to be very sly though about getting information about her because I knew if I wasn't then her parents and my parents would try to come up with a plan to get us together and I didn't want that."

"Why was that? If you liked her and knew that your parents wanted to set you two up then
why not take advantage of it?"

"Because, I knew that she was different and special. I knew that she did
n't belong in the world that our parents were in. I could tell that she was too good to be in it, that she was destined for something better. Plus, I wanted to make sure that if something were to develop between us that it was organic and not forced upon us. Who knows what would have happened if it was forced, I might not have ended up falling in love with her. I might have hated myself, or our parents, for arranging this. I wanted to make sure that I was the type of man that she deserves."

"So, when she and Ia
n got together?"

"That hurt me
more than I can ever describe, but I wanted to be the supportive friend. So I supported them, but a part of me also used it to my advantage."

"How so?"

"Well, because they were together all the time she spent a lot of time at our house and with our group. So I got to know her better, she got to know me and I was able to prove that I’m a good guy."

"And she never knew that you ha
d known her, well about her, for years.”

"Correct, all she saw me as was Ian’s friend, she didn't see me as
the son of a man who was in the Organization. She actually saw me for who I really am. Being around her has made me want to be a better man. She just has that way about her that makes you want to work hard and prove that you are good."

"Yeah, don't I know it?
And she knows it too and can use it to her advantage if she wants to." Both of the guys started laughing.

"She sure does have some talents, many of which she doesn't realize she has. That's part of what makes her so special. She is oblivious to all that makes her amazing. And I love it; she doesn't go around and flaunt it. Her wholesome, down to earth, caring, sweet personality is what mak
es her stand out in the crowd."

"What was it about her that caught your attention that first time?" Garrett asked. He was sure he knew but he wanted t
o know.

"To be honest it was the way she just kept to herself. She was in the corner reading a book while everyone was going around. It didn't seem to phase her one bit. That's what caught my attention. I made my way over to her to meet her but people kept stopping me to talk. Once I finally got to where she was
she had disappeared. I looked all over for her and didn't find her. I have dreamt about her every night since."

"Do
you still dream about her now?"

"Of course I still dream about her. She is the best thing in my
life; I found my happiness, my reason for living, the love of my life. There is no way I wouldn't dream about her. I literally can't imagine my life without her. When her and Ian ran into each other at Cedar Country I was a bit jealous and always wonder what it would have been like if I had been the one she ran into and not him."

"I wonder what things would have been like if she never ra
n into him in the first place."

"Wow, do I hea
r some jealousy in your words?"

Garrett laughed, "
No, of course not. No reason to be jealous, I’m just protective of her and if she hadn't run into him then maybe they wouldn't have gotten together and she wouldn't have lost herself when he died."

"See, that’s the thing about life. Everything happens for a reason, w
hether we like it or not. Even if they hadn't run into each other they might still have ended up together. It could have been fate."

"So, what do you say about this whole situation between you tw
o? Does she know how you feel?"

Nate laughed nervously, "No she doesn't know how I feel. I plan on telling her, but t
he moment has to be right. As for this situation, we have both been through a lot and, don't get me wrong; I miss Ian and loved him like a brother. But maybe his death was nature’s way of bringing me and Olivia closer together. I thought that when he died that our friendship would have ended, but it didn't. Our friendship only got stronger, so I believe that everything happens for a reason. I always knew that she and I are meant to be together, it was just the fact of having to be patient."

Garrett sat there silently taking everything in. He found out a lot that night and it needed to be organized in his head before he could take any more in. Nate started to play with a piece of string on his hoodie giving Garrett some time. When Nate looked at his watch he realized that it was getting late and he really wanted to go for a walk with Olivia. "Garrett, it's getting late and I really need to finish getting ready and go meet Olivia so we can go on our walk. Is there anything else you want or need to know, or did I satisfy what you want
ed to know?"

Garrett shook his head, "Nah, I think we are good. Thank you for being honest with me. I know it was har
d but I do trust you more now."

"Hey, like I
said anything for Olivia. I do love her and will do anything for her, even if it means having to tell someone my secrets in order to be with her." Nate got up and started heading towards the door. He picked up his jacket from the hook on the wall by the door and reached for the door knob.

"Wait, Nate
, I do have one more question for you."

Nate turned to look a
t Garrett, "And that would be?"

"Are you going to follow your family’s footsteps and join
the ranks of the Organization?"

Nate took a deep breath and turned to where he was facing Garrett, "I made myself a promise when I was little that I would never become a
part of the Organization no matter what. I don't like what they stand for and don't approve of what they do. So no, I will never join the Organization, I plan on becoming an Agent to stop them from doing what they are doing. Is there anything else?" Garrett shook his head, "Great. Well, I’m going to go meet with Olivia. I will talk to you later. Remember, what was said in here doesn't leave this room. It's just between the two of us."

Garrett nodded, "
You can trust me. I won't tell anyone. Plus, it's not my story to tell it's yours. Just don't hide it too much longer from Olivia."

Nate knew that he would have to tell her at some point, but knew that timing was everything too. He just nodded and opened the door and went to the living area where he was to meet Olivia for their walk.

Olivia got ready, picked up her notebook and headed out of her room. She was looking in the book and writing when she ran into Christine, "I’m so sorry Christy, I should really not write while walking."

Christine laughed, "Yeah, well I wasn't paying attention either. So there is no reason to apolo
gize. What are you working on?"

"Oh nothing
, just a new song, no big deal," Olivia said smiling.

Christine smiled, "Really Liv? You're writing a new song. That is awesome,
I’m so happy for you. It's been forever since you have done anything with your music."

"Yeah, well something Mrs. Hayes
said to me on the phone tonight made me realize that I shouldn't let Ian's death affect my music and my passion for it. And that I should use the pain to my advantage and write music about it for the world to hear; and many will be able to connect with it."

"Well, I’
m glad that we are getting the Liv we love back. We've missed you, it's been a long time coming but you are slowly coming back."

Olivia smiled, "
Well, we can thank Cole, I mean Nate, for that. He has been a big help with all of this. I'm just so happy and blessed that he is in my life. And I love him so much."

Christine look
ed at Olivia with her eyes wide in shock, "What did you just say?"

Olivia smiled, "I said I love Nate. Wow, I
’ve never said that out loud or admitted it. I love Nate."

Christine shook her hea
d, "Well it's about time."

"What?"

"I wondered how long it would take you to admit your feelings for him. I could tell from day one, but then you went out with Ian. I wanted to speak up and tell you that you're with the wrong guy but I knew that you would be mad at me and probably hate me so I just kept silent."

Olivia laughed, "Yeah you're right about that
, I would have hated you. I guess the right guy for me was right in front of me the whole time. I just didn't see it."

"Oh no, you saw it but the tim
ing wasn't right for you guys."

"Maybe you're right about the ti
ming. But how will I tell him?"

Christine shrugged her shoulders, "
Now that I don't know. Maybe just wait and see what happens, you have a lot going on right now as it is. You don't need to throw a boyfriend into the mix. Let him come to you that would be the best thing."

"Do you think he will?"

"Yes I do, if he doesn't then he is stupid and doesn't deserve you. Well, I got to get to my homework. Don't stay out too late, will you?"

Olivia smiled, "I promise, if I get back and you're asleep I will be quiet and make
sure I don't wake you."

"Sounds good, have
fun and have a good night Liv."

"Than
ks, you have a good night too."

The girls gave each other a hug and headed
in separate directions, Christine going to their room and Olivia going to the living area.

***

Olivia entered the living area and looked around to see if anyone was there. When she saw that she was alone she let out a relaxing breath and headed towards the piano. She pulled the bench out and sat on it then arranged her notebook on the piano and opened the lid. It had been so long since she had sat down at the piano it felt foreign yet familiar to her. She stroked the keys slightly and couldn't help but think back to the last time she played music. It was the night before the final competition and everyone was nervous, so Olivia just started playing a song to help calm everyone down. Ian was sitting beside her on the bench and their friends all around the piano just listened to her play. The thick tension that was in the room seemed to have faded and they all relaxed some.

Olivia opened her eyes and snapped back to reality. She had to move forward and stop drifting back to the past. After she collected herself she opened up her notebook and started to play what she had written
the best she could with one hand being in a cast. There were no lyrics written down but as she played they just came to her. When they popped into her head she would stop playing and write them down. After working for about fifteen minutes she had completed the song and started playing it from the beginning. When she came to a part that she would end up changing a bit she would fix it in her notebook and start from the top again. She did that seven more times until she was able to play it all the way through without stopping to fix something.

Olivia played it all the way through with so much passion she had forgotten that she was in the living area of Mapleleaf until she heard someone clap when she finished causing her to jump and fall off the bench. Nate rushed over to make sure she was
OK, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that. Are you OK?" He asked his face full of worry.

She laughed, "Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't realize that you had come into the room. I should have been more observant, instead
I was in my own little world."

Nate helped her up
, sat beside her on the bench and looked at her notebook, "Did you just now write this?"

"Yeah, it took me about
thirty minutes to do the whole thing."

"It'
s beautiful Canary, I love it."

"Thanks Cole, it doesn't hurt that I have inspiration. And
I had a nice talk with someone who opened my eyes and made me realize that I shouldn't let my passion die because of a tragic event that I should use it to help my passion."

"Well, whoever said that and made you open your eyes is smart and absolutely correct. I have missed hearing you play, but I didn't know you could sing and write songs li
ke that. Do you have any more?"

"Yeah, I have tons of songs that
I have written over the years."

"Can I hear some of them?
"

Olivia turned around so she could look him straight in
the eyes, "You really want to?"

Nate nodded, "Of course I do, why wouldn't I? You are really talented babe. I don't know why you never really let anyone
hear you sing."

"I guess I never thought that I was that great, I would sing along with the radio
but never anything like this. I always just stuck with the piano."

"Yeah, I know I've heard you play the piano so many times it was always so calming. Even the angriest
of songs you seemed to make so soothing."

Olivia laughed, "Well that sure is an accomplishment. Maybe I should write that on my application to the music schools where it asks what your talents are '
I’m able to make the angriest of songs so soothing and calming.' That will for sure make them question things."

"Hey
, it will get their... Wait, you said you're going to apply to music schools?"

Olivia nodded, "Yeah, I have always wanted to go to a music school after I graduate here. The past year I didn't think that I would be able to return to my music. Now that I have, I can'
t imagine doing anything else."

Nate took Olivia into his arms and held her, "You are so amazing,
you know that? I’m so proud of you and will do anything I can to help you get into any of the music schools out there."

Olivia leaned back
, looked at him and smiled, "How have I gotten so lucky to have you in my life Cole? I mean it. You have been so amazing. You are so supportive, caring, inspiring, and just..." She was about to say that she loved him but stopped herself and turned back to the piano.

He looked at her wondering what she was about to say but just smiled and let it go. "How about you just play me one more song
and then we go for that walk."

"Sounds like a deal to me.
Which would you like to hear?"

"May I?"
he asked, before grabbing her notebook. She nodded, giving her permission for him to look through the notebook. While he looked she just started playing random pieces of songs waiting for him to choose a song. "Found it, how about you play this song?"

Sh
e looked at the song he chose and looked back at him, shocked. He just looked at her and smiled; then gave her a wink. She blushed, returned her eyes to her notebook and started playing the song she wrote called, "The First Time I Say I Love You."

After she finished she turned to look at him and he gently lifted her chin and lean
ed down and kissed her gently on her lips. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in the kiss. After a few moments they broke apart, both breathing heavy with their foreheads touching. "How about we go for that walk?" Nate said and Olivia could only nod.

They both stood up and he helped her get her stuff together. She put her notebooks in the piano bench and closed the lid on the piano before turning back to Nate. "Alright, I'm ready for that walk Cole," she said with a smile.

He placed his left hand on her lower back and guided her to the front door. Once they got there he grabbed one of his jackets and helped her put it on, then he grabbed his other jacket and put it on. He opened the door and motioned for her to go first, "Beautiful ladies always go first." She smiled up at him and walked outside. He followed her and locked the door. Once they started walking he took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers. He was determined to make this night perfect.

***

Olivia and Nate started walking in silence around the grounds. Many times she would look down at their intertwined fingers and up at him and just smile. He would squeeze her hand in reassurance, letting her know that she wasn't dreaming. "Where are we going?" Olivia finally asked, wondering where he was taking her.

"Well
, my precious Canary, I figured I would surprise you with something special, but first we have to get to the cliff," he said smiling his devious smile.

"Th
e cliff? What did you do Cole?"

He laughed, "You will just have to wait and see. But trust me when I say you are
going to love it dear Canary."

She moved closer to him and held on to his arm tighter, "Oh I know I will love it."

As they continued to walk she hummed random pieces from different songs that she had written. She knew that when it came to music she had music ADD but she never thought that it would happen with her own music. As soon as Nate would start singing to her humming she would change and completely throw him off. "Will you please stick with one song and hum it all the way through?"

She stopped humming and laughed, "I'm sorry
. I guess my music ADD is acting up."

"
Your what?"

"My music
ADD. Have you never heard of that before?" He shook his head and she laughed. "OK, well, here is a crash course in music ADD. It's when you start listening to one song but in the middle of it change it to something else and you keep on doing that; not really listening to a song in full. Even if you are really into the song and singing along with it you still end up changing it. That is why I don't like CDs."

"Because you can't put a CD on shuffle and listen to different types of music back to back unless you make a mix, but even then you are only limited to a certain number of songs."

"Exactly, I mean come on, why limit yourself to your music. It's like with reading, or movies, you don't just stick with one genre, you expand your horizons and experience all kinds of genres. You get so much more out of it and also get a greater appreciation for the other genres.”

"So Ms. Singer/
Songwriter what kind of music do you want to make?”

"You know what? I never really thought about it. I just want to make music
that's all. But I do know that if by some miracle I get signed to a record label I won't let them dictate what I sing, where or how I do my writing. If they don't like it then they will lose me," Olivia said with so much determination in her voice that Nate knew she meant business.

"Well, I believe that you will get a deal. You are t
oo talented not to. Plus, whoever wants to change you will have to answer to me because you are perfect the way you are."

Olivia smile and then noticed lights in the background, "Cole, what
is all of this?" He smiled and motioned for her to go ahead and look. She looked back at him and then took off and stopped just past the trees where the lights were hanging. She spun around to take everything in.

Besides the lights hanging in the trees she noticed that there was a blanket spread out with a picnic basket open in the center. Upon her approach
she saw that there were carnation petals scattered around the picnic area, coupled with softly lit candles to give it a romantic touch, which caused tears to spring to her eyes. Olivia turned around to see Nate leaning against one of the trees smiling; she had never known him to do anything so romantic. She smiled and went up to him and gave him a hug. "Thank you," was all she could say when a tear escaped and slid down her cheek.

He smiled and used his right thumb to wipe away the tear and then kissed where the tear was. She looked up to him wondering why he did that. He laughed, "I don't know
. I guess because the last thing I wanted on your cheek was something happy and not something sad."