A/N: after 28 chapters I finally know where I'm going to go with this story, and how I'll end it, lmaooo. I'm estimating around 7 or 8 more chapters till the end <3

Ollie's POV

I regretted not bringing my pair of sunglasses to the cafe, but the medicine I took this morning started to kick in, so the headache wasn't nearly as bad as when I first woke up.

That, or Haruto, was a distraction from the slight hangover headache from drinking with the girls. They had forced me to play another couple of Mario Kart rounds after I got off the phone with Haruto, which led to way too many shots to count.

After helping a mother by pacifying her screaming child with one of their cake pops, Haruto walked over with two pastry bags. He plopped them on the table in front of me. "Hungry?"

"Yes," I said, reaching for one of the bags, pleased to see one of the cheesecake brownies inside. "Thank you. Also, I am so sorry for anything I might've drunkenly said."

"Nothing incriminating," Haruto mused. "I'd say you weren't that drunk."

I frowned. "Still, I can't believe I called you."

"It's fine. It sounds like you had fun with your friends."

"Aside from losing Mario Kart, yes," I said. He pulled out some napkins from his work apron, unfolding them to place his brownie. "It's been a while since I've drank that much with them. Usually, I stick to one or two seltzers—as terrible as they taste—or a glass or two of wine."

Haruto tilted his head. "Shots? Or beer?"

I shuddered. "No beer, I can't stand it. Just shots. They weren't full, mostly half or three-quarters full. Honestly couldn't tell you how many I had to down. I lost so many rounds."

"Even on the easier circuits?"

"Failed almost all of them."

"Even Mario's Circuit? Or the one with cows?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I kept hitting every single cow."

He laughed. "Can you win when you're sober?"

With a shrug, I said, "I'd probably clip a cow or two if I'm being honest."

"I'd love to see it," he mused. "I hope you're a better driver in real life, though."

I rolled my eyes. "It's why I take the bus. I think it's the depth perception, but the drivers here aren't the greatest either. The buses have many close-calls with some of the Ubers and Lyfts, especially by the school."

He nodded. "I've had a few close calls with some Ubers before too. Driving gets easier over time, though. Definitely a different type of driver here in the states."

"You've driven elsewhere?"

"A little in Brazil, maybe a couple of years ago when I visited family. In Japan, I drove in some of the rural areas. That wasn't too bad, but that's because the car was smaller." He opened his phone, typing something up before showing me his phone. "It was like this small pickup truck. A lot of the farmers have something like this for deliveries. One of my aunts owned one and needed groceries."

"You didn't need a license?"

"I probably did, but I had my U.S. license with me. If it was illegal—"He held a finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone."

We shared a laugh. "Your secrets are safe with me."

"Have you traveled?" He set the phone down. "To another country?"

I shook my head. "Unless you count the time my mom went to Canada while I was in her womb still, then no. I've been to a few different states though if that counts for anything."

"You've probably been to more states than I have," Haruto said. "I've only been to three other states. Not for long either."

"Oh? That's surprising," I told him. "I've been to at least ten. Mostly the West coast, New York, Texas, Florida, and the D.C. area."

"I've been to more countries, and you've been to more states," he commented. "I guess you could tour me in the states, and I could show you around the countries I've been to."

Just thinking about a trip to a beach or amusement park seemed like a dream but to a different country? Flying on a plane and traveling the world?

"It would get pricey pretty fast," I muttered. "Could always go through Google Maps or Earth. Move the little yellow guy around and play tourist that way."

He tilted his head before laughing. "That is true, but we wouldn't be able to taste the delicious food. I think the food truly makes the trip."

I held back a laugh. "Definitely a tragedy."

His smile remained for a bit before fading as he looked around the cafe. His eyes settled on the large display window at the front of the store before looking down at his phone.

I cleared my throat. "Something wrong?"

"On another note, I did want to apologize," He pursed his lips, slowly tapping his finger along the edge of his phone case. "About yesterday. I know this is random, but it's been on my mind since then."

"Yesterday?" I didn't know what he was talking about, especially when our boba tasting was great.

"I didn't intend to be so forward with...," he said, his words dragging along as he raised his index finger to his cheek. "Or intend to do that without asking. I know it was sudden and unexpected."

The kiss. The kiss on the cheek that is.

"Oh," was all I could say.

He stared intently down at his phone. "In hindsight, I should've asked you if that was alright with you instead of startling you."

"No—"I shook my head. "I mean, it was fine! Perfectly fine. I just-just didn't expect it, but I'm alright with it—was alright with it."

"Well, still," he said. "I wanted to apologize, regardless."

I waved my hand between us. "No, you don't have to. I just react very shitty and startle super easily. I don't—didn't mind it at all, really."

"If you're sure...."

"Totally sure!" I gulped, the same flustered feelings from last night's phone call returning. Was I always this easily flustered? "So sure that I almost thanked you for it last night."

I bit my bottom lip, wanting to slide right out of this seat. What was I saying?

"Thank?"

I couldn't even look up at him, burying my face into my hands, knowing hiding the growing blush was futile at this point.

"Well," Haruto drawled. "You're welcome for it, then."

Peeking from behind my fingers, I sent a playful glare. "Don't you have to get back to work?"

He rolled his eyes before flipping his phone over. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I'll be back for my lunch break. Want anything specific to eat then?"

"Surprise me," I mused.

He held up two fingers in a silly salute. "Aye aye, captain."

"Get to work." I pushed his phone closer as he got out of the chair and headed back to the counter, where Janice was waving at him.

—-

I hadn't looked at the message Benjamin or Mason had sent me last night during Mario Kart, nor had I even opened the messages; the notification was still posted at the top of my homepage. My phone pinged after receiving it after our tenth or twelfth match at Rainbow Road, but by then, I was at least five full shots in. Despite the haziness from the alcohol, I still remembered that I didn't want to communicate with them and certainly knew better than to text them while intoxicated.

It was equally surprising and terrifying that I knew to give them the cold shoulder while drunk and sober.

And yet, the curiosity of reading their message and wanting to know why they wouldn't just leave me alone got the better of me, and I opted to read it after Haruto went back to work.

I took in a deep breath in and out before pressing on the message, only to be surprised that it hadn't been a massive block of text.

Oliver, I know you don't want to hear from us, but I can't fathom the idea of not saying what I need to in person.

And the message after:

I know we don't deserve it, but I want you to at least hear us out. I haven't said things I should have, and I'm sure Mason does too. I know how curious you get about unanswered questions, so I just ask for a chance to let me explain. You deserve that much. Please.

It wasn't a matter of second chances at this point; I had given them so many that I had lost count already. But I knew they wouldn't quit, and years from now, I was sure to be curious about whatever unsaid things they had left to say to me—that, and I was sure I'd have some residual, albeit unnecessary, regret about not hearing them out thoroughly.

Stupid, and probably not the best idea, but when did I ever have great ideas when it came to those two. Benjamin's message was still in front of me as my hands were glued to my side.

I knew it was dumb, that feeding into his demands to meet up with me again and talk was probably only going to end up with me getting hurt again, but would I be able to understand why if I just tuned him out for good.

Torn, I peeled my hand from my side, raising a shaky finger over the screen. I stared at the words until my eyes crossed before deciding to give in. My fingers tapped the screen slowly, occasionally pressing the wrong letters before autocorrect fixed it for me, and slowly and surely—despite the nagging feeling that I should back out—I made my response.

I let it stare back at me for quite some time, letting the words repeatedly repeat until they didn't even look like words anymore.

And then I hit send.

I'll meet up with you.

Too late to back out now. I was half tempted to text him more, saying I'd pick the time and place, but I hesitated when the three dots appeared on my screen. It stopped before returning, a vicious cycle I just wanted to stop. For a few seconds, it did, and I nearly didn't expect a response until my phone chimed.

Thank you, was his response. I'll text you the place and time.

Too late to set it up myself.

Benjamin sent a follow-up message. If that's alright with you. Mason also says thanks.

Despite wanting to argue against it, there really was no reason except out of sheer pettiness.

Ok, I sent back. My thumb hovered over the screen, itching to say something, anything snappy, back to Benjamin. Pettiness was telling me to tell him that this would be the last time we'd talk or see each other, to tell him that whatever he had to say that it wouldn't do anything to change my mind about the weddings or our lost friendship, or anything.

But I couldn't go through with it. Benjamin was still an integral part of my childhood. As much as I hated everything he did and the person he had turned into in high school, he was still a person, still someone that I had once known—or thought I had known. Responding to him with anger and pettiness was only going to prove that he still had something over me, that he still affected me more than I'd like to admit.

This would be my first chance to prove to him that I was doing fine, that I was mature and stable with where I was post-Benjamin. I was free and independent of him; this was my time to show that to him.

For him, this wouldn't be his third, fourth, or even hundredth chance I had given him; this would be his last. It had to be, and I repeated it over in my head until I was certain about it. I didn't need Benjamin, and I didn't need to be carrying this weight on my back anymore.

My gaze lingered over to the cafe's counter, settling on a spot along the wall. As my eyes crossed from thinking of all the possible scenarios of meeting with Benjamin again, Haruto turned around, flashing his signature smile. I blinked, returning a smile in his direction.

Putting all the things Benjamin-related aside meant I could finally move forward from it. Let out all our feelings and emotions in the air before heading our separate ways, for good this time. No matter how hard it was to push aside the years of good memories we once had together, I couldn't keep this up, especially when there were far better friends. Including Haruto. No, especially Haruto.