Chapter Text
Lincoln looked at her befuddled, hesitating - not believing this could be happening.
“Please! Just go!” the beautiful bride begged.
There were people beginning to gather at the entrance of the wedding venue.
Still unsure of what to do, Lincoln took off. He would probably get in trouble for it, but he couldn’t leave this poor woman there.
Octavia was desperately gulping for breath.
Taking advantage of the limousine's bar, she picked up a bottle of Scotch with trembling hands, poured into a snifter and drank a big gulp.
The tears were welling up
Lincoln dared taking his eyes off the road to look at her through the rear-view mirror.
“So, huh…” he began, unsure of what to say. “Where to?”
She looks at him, a lost look on her face. She started sobbing.
“Hey, hey. Please don’t cry,” he begged. “Do you want me to take you home?”
Home. Where all the wedding stuff would be, along with her worried and judgmental friends.
Oh, God! What had she done?
She'd just left Atom there at the altar, in front of all their friends. She couldn’t go back. Not now, not anytime soon… How would she face her friends and family after that?
“No!” she shouted. Regaining herself, she tried again, calmer this time, “No.”
The very last thing she needed right now was to scare the poor chauffeur. She’d already dragged him into this mess.
Lincoln drove for a couple of minutes.
Then, he slowly brought the car to a halt and looked back at her.
“How about some food?” he asked gently.
Octavia stared at him a moment and nodded.
She waited in the car, alone with her thoughts, while Lincoln went to Burger Shack. When he returned with their burgers, he joined her in the backseat of the limousine.
“I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just got the Classic. Hope that's okay.”
“It’s fine,” she assured him.
Octavia took one bite of the burger, then closed her eyes and moaned.
“Oh my God,” she said around a mouthful. “It's been a while since I've had one of these.”
He looked amused at her expression and she smiled shyly.
“Sorry. I'd forgotten how much I love it.”
Lincoln chuckled. “Don’t apologize. I’m glad you like it.”
She sighed. “You’re being so nice to me. I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Lincoln.”
“Lincoln,” she repeated, savoring it. She smiled. “It’s a good name,” she decided. “I’m Octavia.”
“I know,” he says gently. “Your brother is technically paying me for today’s event.”
Lincoln was afraid the reminder of her Wedding gone wrong would make her cry again.
“Today didn’t really go how I expected it to.” Octavia looked at him and grinned. “I bet things didn't go the way you expect either, huh?”
“Did I expect to be helping the runaway bride? Hmm, no.”
They laughed.
He stopped short at the sight of her smile, the sound of her laughter... She was so beautiful. Back to business, he decided.
“Where do you want me to take you?”
Octavia’s smile faded and she looked lost and forlorn
“I don't know,” she confessed. “But I can't go back, not yet... I can't face them.”
Lincoln had an idea and was saying it out loud before he could convince himself that it was a bad idea.
“Listen, I know we just met,” he began. “But I want to help you. You can crash at my place for however long you need.”
She frowned.
“You’d do that? Invite a complete stranger to stay at your place?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I want to help.”
Octavia was pretty sure she shouldn’t accept the offer. After all, wasn’t there a rule about not talking to strangers and definitely not going anywhere with them? But, despite what her logical brain thought, she trusted Lincoln.
Besides, she could use a place to wash up, change out of that damn dress, get some rest… And some time to sort things out and figure what she was going to do next.
Overcome by his kindness, she made her decision.
“Okay.”
***
They reached Lincoln’s apartment about fifteen minutes later.
As she was getting out of the limousine, Octavia tripped on her large dress and fell knees first on the graveled ground.
“Ow!” she exclaimed in pain and frustration. “Crap! Damn dress!”
Lincoln ran to her side and helped her stand slowly.
“Are you okay?”
“Sure,” she lied.
He glanced down at her dress and saw the small stain of blood. Double crap!
Without a second thought, Lincoln locked the car and picked Octavia. up into his big strong arms. “Come on.”
“I’m okay, really.”
“I’ll be the judge of that once I look at it.”
Lincoln set her down on the ground for a quick moment while he opened the door, then pulled up again with no effort. She knew she didn’t weigh a lot, but she was a damn grown woman. He didn’t even break a sweet.
He carried her inside.
When Octavia Blake imagined herself crossing the threshold on her wedding day, she sure as hell didn’t expect it to be in the chauffeur’s arms.
As soon as he stepped into his place, they were greeted by an excited big golden retriever.
Lincoln laughed. “That’s Max,” he explained with a smile. Then, he froze and looked back at her with a frown. “You’re not allergic, are you? I completely forgot to ask.”
Octavia was too busy petting Max lovingly to reply right away. “Hmm? Oh, no. I’m not.”
“Good. Max, down!” he ordered.
The dog loyally obeyed and Lincoln carried Octavia to the couch. He set her down carefully and went to get the first aid kit.
Without Lincoln in the room, Max jumped into her lap immediately. Octavia laughed. The gorgeous dog was just like a giant puppy. All happiness and mischief.
Lincoln returned to the room with the kit and was about to tell Max to get down again. Octavia intervened. “It’s okay,” she told him, a huge smile on her face. She loved Max already.
While Octavia petted the dog and let him lick her face, Lincoln sat opposite her on the coffee table.
“May I?” he asked, pointing to her injured knee.
Octavia nodded.
He took her leg gently and placed it on top of his. His hands trembled when he lifted up her dress to reveal the wound on her right knee. Both of them were breathing heavily, hoping that the other wouldn’t notice.
She had run away from her fancy wedding, left everyone hanging, including her boyfriend of ten years and now she was shacking up with the Limo driver. Who, by the way, had his hand on her leg. For health reasons, sure. But still… Could this possibly get any more awkward?
Lincoln took a piece of cotton, applied some disinfectant solution to it and pressed it gently to Octavia injury.
She winced.
“Sorry,” Lincoln apologized with a grimace.
She held on to Max tighter. The dog comforted her by laying his head down on her chest and whining.
Good news. The blood had stopped.
He finished cleaning the wound and applying ointment, and made a simple gauze dressing on it. Then, Lincoln set her leg back down gently.
“Can you stand?”
Slowly, Octavia pulled herself up on her sore leg.
“Yeah, I’m good. Thank you.”
Lincoln smiled. “No problem.”
He took the kit and left the room to store it away again. Max nudged her hand, begging for more attention. Octavia caressed the dog’s soft fur again.
Her mouth felt dry. It was probably from all the heavy breathing and almost drooling over Lincoln. He returned to the room.
“Can I have a glass of water please?” she asked.
“Sure.”
To test her sore leg, she followed him to the kitchen, still limping slightly.
While Lincoln went to retrieve a glass from the cupboard, Octavia looked around the small kitchen. It had been years since she’d been in a house this small.
Lincoln gestured grandly at the place, the water in his hand.
“This is the kitchen,” he said with a smirk.
Octavia lifted an eyebrow.
“I’d gathered that, thanks.”
She glanced at the fridge. The door was crowded with pictures, schedules, even recipes… Octavia saw a picture of Lincoln with a pretty girl with brown skin and dreadlocks, and felt her heart sank.
What the hell, Octavia?
Although, to be honest, she should have expected this new turn of events. Lincoln had a girlfriend, of course he did. Look at him!
He handed her the water glass.
Octavia took it gratefully. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was a beat, a moment when they just stared at each other.
Then, she spoke.
“Your girlfriend's cute,” Octavia stated, trying to sound nonchalant.
It shouldn’t bother her. But there it was. She took a drink of the water, drinking to shut those feelings down.
He frowned. “My gir... What?”
Octavia pointed to the picture.
“No.” Lincoln just laughed. “That’s not– That's my sister, Gaia.”
“Oh.” She knew she probably shouldn’t feel good about it. “Okay.”
Lincoln grew serious.
“Will you be okay by yourself for a little while?” he asked.
She whips her head to look at him, eyes wide.
“You're leaving?”
Was he serious?
“I have to return the limousine.”
“Oh. Of course. Do you have a car? How are you coming back?”
“I have my motorcycle over there.”
“You drive a motorcycle.”
“Yeah. I was supposed to deliver the limo right after finishing the event, but I'm don't think my motorcycle and that dress would've been a great idea.”
Octavia laughed lightly. “You’re probably right.”
Lincoln took the Limo’s keys and headed for the front door.
“I’ll be back soon,” he promised. “Just… make yourself at home.”
After he’d left, Octavia set about exploring the house.
The apartment was small and quaint, yes. But there was life in it. She could feel Lincoln’s presence, she could find little pieces of Lincoln everywhere.
Suddenly, something caught her eye.
Octavia limped toward the opened book and stopped short at what she was seeing.
Yet another thing she was discovering about her host.
Lincoln drew.
And very well, she might had.
She picked up the sketchbook and flipped through its pages, finding drawings of Max, his sister, the Empire State Building, a lake, a forest… Then, she noticed another black book on the desk. She about to pick it up when she saw two more books on the shelf in front of her.
She chuckled.
How many sketchbooks did Lincoln have? She would have to remember to ask him.
Octavia let out a sigh.
Being by herself, Octavia began to feel completely worn out. She hadn't slept at all the previous night and the weariness was beginning to weight her down. Exhausted beyond words, she lay down of the couch, adjusting the large wedding dress as best as she could, closed her eyes and let herself drift off… hoping everything would turn out okay.