Surviving Pain - 5

House hunting has never been fun.

It never was fun. Never before, not now.

Especially when you had just packed your things out of your ex-boyfriend's home only a night ago, and come morning, you were already searching for where to rest your head.

Never in those times when I received requests from people searching for a home to claim as theirs, had I found the thrill in it.

Exempting the motivating pay, it wasn't that much of a thing I would wear my bones out for.

Running here to there, meeting up with buyers who had one ill thing or the other to say about the property in your care, was one thing I had grown out of fancy of.

Yet for my sanity, for my well-being, for the riches that came with it, I chose the darnest job.

It wasn't fun then, it can't be fun now.

It should be easy for me, one would say. Speaking on the fact, that Loren owned a home the size of New York, also to that, I, being a realtor should even be bestowed the perk of it all, but you see, was I now to go crashing into one of those homes all because I happened to sell them?

I would have to account for it.

At the end of the day, it wasn't mine. It only had my name at the bottom of its papers, while I fixed it on the estate market, so the quicker I had those properties sold, the better for my being.

Well, that's what you get for deciding to share a home with a guy, all because you were blinded by 'love', Olivia.

Nonsense!

And what if you crashed in one of those homes? There came that intrusive voice, feeding me with nonsense and nonsense.

What if you find a place to rest for just a couple days as needed as it is?

What if? What if... That voice spared me not a rest, and now finding myself driving my car aimlessly around the neighborhood, I chose to toss aside professionalism and abuse my duties.

I drove down Hollywood hills, going to crash in one of those homes I had on the market.

~~~

The residence was a 5-bedroom duplex, and call me greedy for picking this particular one of all properties, knowing so well it was my favorite, but really it was the only one I found nearby.

...Well that, and the fact that I had longed for it since the minute I had it in my care.

I remember how much I begged Gary that we copped it since it was only fair that we moved out of our old home, unknown to me that my supposed boyfriend already had plans of his own.

Already grabbing the keys out of my bag, I pushed it into the key-hole, prying open the door.

Silence-It was all which englobed me, the second I walked into the space.

The brown settee sat at the center of the living room still had its tarpaulin cover on it, the white center rug still remained neat enough to gratify the home, and that coffee table remained as good as new all thanks to Martha.

I would have to call her now, telling her not to bother coming around for any more cleanup. For as much as I knew now, this is my home for the time being.

Hurrying into the house, I tossed the bag I had packed up with barely any of my stuff.

Not bothering to examine the area, I hurried up the stairs, finding my way to the bathroom, and soon undoing the water pump, I sank into the bath tub.

Who would think all it would take to ease the weight off my shoulders was the touch of the chilly water against my skin.

It was every bit calming, and only a minute in I found the clutches of sleep coming to grasp me.

I pulled my eyes shut to retreat into what I only deemed comfort, but upon that, all which filled my memory were images of one particular face-Those green eyes.

I snapped my eyes open at once, thoughts of our encounter, leaving me warred.

How puzzling, that for the past minute since I stepped in here, all I chose to ponder on were the ghost touches of Dr. Valentino which still remained crawling up my skin even at this second.

There was something about that fellow.

Something so intense that had me sketching out an image of every feature which made up his profile, all in my head.

The image of that look he bore in his eyes in that minute he found my substance dripping down his garments.

The baritone in his voice, the flavor in his words...

And here came the soothing hands of sleep, pulling me into its hold.

~~~

I jolted to the rings of my phone, propping myself off wherever I was.

A look around the area, and it came to my realization that I had in fact fallen asleep in the bath tub.

At once, I hurried out of there, the sound of my phone still blaring in the background, and while I snatched my towel of the bath rack, I hurried over to where that sound came from.

Ring!!!

Spare me some rest now, don't you think?

A weak sigh found its way out my lips at the caller showing up on my phone screen, and at once picking up the call, the sound of that voice came blaring from the other end.

"Jeez, Liv!!! I left you twenty unanswered calls....You had me worried. Where the hell are you?" Loren was sure to begin with her babbles, her voice finding a raise in pitch.

"I told you I was leaving" I reminded.

I heard the silence which followed from her, accompanied with numerous sighs, and with a click of her tongue, she began;

"You know I'm fine with you staying for as long as you wish" I heard her follow.

"It's not you, Loren" I interjected.

I was already making my way over to the window, having a peek out the outlying yard.

The scenery was divine.

Tell me yet again, why I was yet to have this property to my name.

Money, love. For you see, even we at times, struggle to make ends meet.

"I can't make you uncomfortable in your home, Lo" I emitted into the cell.

"Bullshit!" Spat Loren. "This is your home, as much as it is mine. You're welcome here, anytime. So what the hell are you talking ab-

"This is life now, Loren" I cut in at once.

"The struggles, the pain, the smiles in between. Dammit! It has carried me to hell and back, and I tell you, I will forever grateful for that, cause it has done nothing but build me"

"If this is the rough ride I have to take, just so I could find every peace I was deprived off, then so be it. But I would never lay my burden on you, Lo. You deserve better"

"Where the hell are you?" She demanded, and with a close listen at the noise in the background, I could hear the sound of feet shuffling, accompanied with keys dangling.

"Hollywood"

Perhaps, that was enough to keep her back in place, cause the faint steps of had stopped, following a lasting silence.

"The fuck, Liv!" She emitted. "That's miles away"

"Believe me, that's close, compared to every other one that made up the list"

"What list?" She enquired.

"Places I could have ended up in"

"Wait a minute..." I heard the raise in her voice, the sound of her tongue clicking. "Did you crash in of your sale-homes?"

"What was I supposed to do, Lo?"

And then came the sound of her laughter. Her keys jangled in the background, sounding like it had fallen, and that only told me that Loren was perhaps to laying her bed, ready to pay listen to my bemusing story.

"And what would you do if a buyer comes in?" She uttered amidst laughs.

I hesitated.

I hadn't thought of that.

The need to get under roof pushed aside whatever necessary things I should have put in mind, before coming into a property that was already on the market.

"I'd toss my belongings aside and show him the realtor in me"

"Well, that's more like it" I heard Loren breathe. "You know, I'm glad you're okay, Liv. I really am"

Silence.

"You'll get through this, believe me"

"All will be well in the end, I tell you" She poured in a sigh.

I pushed back from the window, going to stand before the mirror at a corner in the room.

My face bore a shadow of all events I had encountered the past few days.

The girl who gazed back at me was some wreck. Some wreck, I embodied. So tell me now, how I was to get through this?

"There's something I have to tell you, Liv"

I heard the voice of Loren break from the other end. She hesitated, that I noticed. And with a moment given for her to clear her throats, perhaps ponder on how best to portray words she had to spew, she finally dropped the news.

"Philip and I are getting married"