Love on Ice

Chapter 62 - Olivia

~Smut warning~

Two weeks have passed since my father returned to rain hell onto me, again.

The house went on the market a week ago and I've had people viewing it nearly every day this week.

Watching them walk around, in my home, the place I once loved, breaks my heart even more.

I've spent the last two weeks between James's and mine, leaving this house is inevitable, so I started packing up things as soon as I got back home.

I've made more trips to charity shops and waste centres than I ever have.

Clearing out Ellie's room completely was one of the hardest things I've had to do in a long time, I felt like I finally was letting her go.

James was there, as always, ensuring me although I was closing one door, literally, I was opening new ones, to the future, and that still includes Ellie within my memory and heart.

I've never thought about the future, I've lived in the past for a while now, grieving what life I once had.

I'm scared to push that behind me, accept it's the past and move forward.

But I don't need to be afraid, because that future is with him, I'm sure of it.

If I haven't been packing up boxes and hosting viewings to strangers, I've been working on my photos.

My project is nearly complete, choosing to use the team as my project was definitely the best choice, I have the photos, I just needed to work on my portfolio and final written assignments and I can submit my work and finish my degree.

I've also taken James up on his offer, moving my clothes and some personal items into his house, Megs is in the midst of moving back to her parents house, she's already applied for graduate jobs and is interviewing in the next few weeks.

The future, it's scary to face.

My phone rings in my pocket, I answer it with a smile on my face, as I always do when he calls.

"Hey."

"Hey, where are you?" James asks through the phone.

"Mine, just finishing packing some more boxes. I arranged a charity collection this morning which they're coming to collect tomorrow, I've got eight boxes of household items, I felt bad at first for requesting a van, but they were beyond excited for this donation," I laugh.

"I bet, you sure you don't want to keep anything?" he asks and I can tell he's speaking through his Bluetooth in his truck.

"No, I've kept what I need to, what I want to. The house is nearly empty, just the bulk furniture, but the couple that viewed today said they would pay more if the furniture was sold with the house as well, so I said to the agency to sell the house with the furniture," I shrug as I talk.

"Hmm good plan, you're one hundred percent you don't want to put it in storage for the future, save buying new things?" he asks.

"I can't afford to pay for storage, when I rent, I'll do an Ikea haul," I reply.

"If you rent", James adds.

"When I rent, I'm not crashing in your spare room for the rest of my life," I laugh.

"You haven't slept in that spare room Olivia," James replies, and I can hear the smirk.

He's right, we haven't been able to keep our hands off each other since we found our peace again.

I've slept in his bed every night I've stayed at his.

"I promise when I do fully move in when the house is sold, I shall give you some space," I reply.