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Post by Laurel Lance on May 19, 2014 19:02:16 GMT
Laurel had finally stood up and told Joanna to hold all her calls and memos until the next day after the third person had come up questioning her about her thoughts and feelings on Oliver's return. He had returned from the dead and Laurel seemed to be standing in the spotlight, his ex-girlfriend that he had cheated on with her sister, who hadn't returned with him. Her thoughts on his return? He should have stayed gone. She couldn't exactly say that out loud though, everyone in the city was happy that Oliver was back, including her own boyfriend who just happened to be Oliver's best friend. Laurel wasn't rethinking her and Tommy, though it was making things quite awkward now.
Grabbing her purse, Laurel had stormed out of CNRI's offices, leaving her car at the office as she opted to walk. She had gotten used to the Glades a long time ago, the atmosphere didn't scare her. At the same time, she wasn't upset that the walk to Toro's wasn't all that long. It was like a different world, stepping out of the Glades and into the other part of Starling city. The sushi joint had always been her favorite, the food was great and the vibe was classy. Maybe her time spent around people with money had jaded her taste buds, but whatever the reason, Laurel turned to the unagi and rainbow rolls of Toro when she was having a bad day. Sliding into one of the booths in the back of the restaurant, Laurel faced away from the door, content to avoid everyone in Starling.
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Post by Oliver Queen on May 19, 2014 19:07:25 GMT
He wasn't sure if his best friend had talked to Laurel yet or not, but it couldn't wait any longer. Oliver knew that the weight of his sin was probably too much for Tommy to try and defuse even with the best of intentions, or the best of charm. Instead, he'd face it head on. Having followed Laurel discreetly from a distance, he enters the restaurant, picks the best looking candidate to be Laurel's head of hair, and walks over to stand beside her table. "Hi." he greets, carefully, not putting on airs.
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Post by Laurel Lance on May 19, 2014 19:18:08 GMT
Laurel was already behind in her work, too many lunches away from CRNI with Tommy to keep up at her usual pace, but today was different. She couldn't concentrate on work with everyone asking her about Oliver and her sister and the shipwreck, it was too much. People were too nosey. That's why Laurel had come here, to be alone. Though that didn't seem to matter to Oliver Queen. She didn't need to look up from her table when he greeted her. She had heard that voice a million times before, and more recently on TV, his face plastered all over the news.
Slowly Laurel's gaze turned upward, taking away any shred of doubt in her mind that she had gotten the voice wrong. It was indeed Oliver Queen standing beside her, and she could feel her muscles tense at the sight of him. Turning her head more, Laurel looked around the restaurant. "So there are about five open tables here. I'm sure any of them would fit you."
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Post by Oliver Queen on May 19, 2014 19:30:18 GMT
"I'm sure they would have fit you too, but you chose this one." Oliver gave. "It's good to see you, Laurel. But I don't expect that feeling to be returned." He adds solemnly, sitting down across from her. She could say what she needed to say. Whatever was hurtful or whatever she wanted to say. He'd weather that storm, do what he came to do, and then leave.
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Post by Laurel Lance on May 19, 2014 19:35:56 GMT
At one point, Laurel's heart would have leapt to hear that Oliver was happy to see her, her among so many other beautiful women that Oliver could have had. That was back when they were dating though, back when Laurel didn't know that Oliver was picking other women alongside her. Oliver had the nerve to sit down and Laurel could feel her grip around her phone tightening. "What are you doing here Oliver? I get a feeling it's not for the lunch specials. How did you know I was here?" If Joanna had told him, Laurel was going to give that woman a piece of her mind later on.
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Post by Oliver Queen on May 19, 2014 19:54:22 GMT
"I'm here to talk." Oliver gave, shrugging lightly. "Your assistant didn't tell me, don't worry. I was walking by the courthouse and saw you come out. I imagined you didn't want to talk in the public eye, so I came here." His eyes look somber and serious as he speaks.
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Post by Laurel Lance on May 19, 2014 19:59:52 GMT
"Stalking is a crime. The laws weren't so clearcut when you died, but they've gotten better now." What could he possibly have to talk about? And here? Now? Even in the back of the restaurant, Laurel felt like the world was around them. "What are you here to say Oliver?"
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Post by Oliver Queen on May 19, 2014 20:12:42 GMT
"If memory serves I'm pretty sure the one stalking has to have the intent to do harm or worse." Oliver shook his head. "Good luck proving i had that intent." Now his tone turns serious. "Things aren't that great between us. They haven't been. I came to apologize for the fact that I've been a real scumbag. That I cheated on you with Sara. That Sara died because she was with me. I realize that it's my fault. I accept that. I accept the fact that you'll probably hate me for a long time. It also hurts me more than anything to know that it was my fault. To have nightmares about that night for years." He pauses, looking her in the eyes. "I can't do anything about what happened. But I can apologize, and hope one day you'll find it in you to forgive me. And I can endure all of the anger that you no doubt have towards me because it's better for you to express it."
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Post by Laurel Lance on May 19, 2014 20:24:36 GMT
"A victim has to fear for themselves or an immediate family member. If you're stalking me, then I fear for my father because if he found out he'd try to kill you, and any fight involving my father makes me fear for his life." Laurel rolled her eyes at the obvious notion that things were strained between the two, but that wasn't her fault, it was all Oliver responsible for that. "You should have nightmares. You have no idea what it was like to be here. You got to die, but I had to live."
Eyebrows came together in anger as Laurel glared at the man sitting across the table from her. For months she thought about what she would say to him and Sara when they were found off the coast of some nearby island, but they were never found, no one was ever found. The boat wasn't even found. "For five years I have had everyone in this city tell me what happened. All the news reporters, my friends, your friends, everyone was an expert. I heard from everyone...everyone except you. I need to hear it from you now. Where is my baby sister? What happened to Sara and why didn't you bring her back to me?" The anger was the only thing holding back the tears, that rage that had been boiling within Laurel for five years.
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Post by Oliver Queen on May 19, 2014 21:15:19 GMT
If Quentin Lance tried to kill him, he would be in for a rude awakening. In this, he knew that Laurel's fear was justified. And as such, he would not dissuade her from her insinuations on that subject. He had nightmares about a lot of things. Including that. As he listened to her words, thoughts begin moving around inside.
"Were it anyone else on that island, I'm sure they would be dead." He began. "I'm sure plenty of people are experts at things they know nothing of." This comment was a thinly veiled reply to her anger, but he continued. "My father's boat ran afoul of a big storm. Something happened during that time, I don't know exactly what. One minute I'm laying there with her listening to the thunder, the next...the boat's turning on its side, water comes rushing in. I instinctively grab on for something with one hand and grab for her with the other. She was swept out into the waves before my eyes. It all happened so fast.. I-I wanted to find her, but I blacked out not long after. She's gone."
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Post by Laurel Lance on May 19, 2014 21:39:56 GMT
Laurel had waited five years to hear the truth about that day, what really happened, though she had long ago given up any hope of ever hearing the exact truth. Now that she had...she didn't feel any better. She was still angry. Still hurt. Still confused. "There were half a dozen people on that yacht Oliver. How were you the only one to survive? You used to panic when you couldn't find your wallet to pay off the hotel staff to not tell anyone you were there." The question had been circulating around her mind ever since Oliver was discovered to be alive.
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Post by Oliver Queen on May 20, 2014 2:16:09 GMT
"That's how I used to be." Oliver gave with a sigh. "As for why I was the only one to survive, I don't quite understand that myself. Washed ashore on a deserted island..somehow still alive." It was a combination of truth and fiction, and would be enough to get past her senses on that.
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Post by Laurel Lance on May 20, 2014 2:41:35 GMT
Shaking her head, Laurel wanted so badly to get up and leave. Sitting at the table, it was like betraying her father, but if she left she'd never get the answers she had wanted for so many years. "Used to be? You talk like you've changed. You're here to clear your own conscious, because there's nothing you can do for me anymore. You already showed me who was important in my life. With Sara gone, my mother had no reason to stick around. My father had no reason to be a parent. Why should they? They only had me left, not like it was Sara who was left, like it should have been." What Laurel would have given for some alcohol to numb this conversation, though it was the middle of the day, not exactly appropriate time, though the entire situation was inappropriate.
"Why her? There's at least half a million girls in Starling that are prettier than me, or who have bigger breasts, or whatever else you wanted that I didn't have. If you were trying to hurt me, you could have done that with anyone else. I was in love with you, any woman would have exploded our relationship like you clearly wanted. Why did you have to drive a wedge between my entire family? I'm stuck between missing my sister and hating her for sleeping with my boyfriend."
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Post by Oliver Queen on May 20, 2014 3:13:59 GMT
He sits impassively, and lets her speak. It hurt, certainly. If that was what she wanted, that was working. But he would reply with simply this. "I was kind of expecting the whole blaming me thing. And that's all well and good. You have that right. But sometime you should stop and ask yourself, "What if Sara wanted to go of her own accord?" He paused at that, deciding to let her have one more go at him before making his exit.
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Post by Laurel Lance on May 20, 2014 3:24:37 GMT
Raising an eyebrow to his single question, Laurel felt her teeth clench as her jaw set in stone. In one motion Laurel raised her hand as she leaned across the table, slapping Oliver. "Sara was young and defiant, I'm sure she did go willingly. But she didn't just show up out of the blue. You invited her. Nothing ever could satisfy you, you always wanted more. You're the one who cheated. I hope you live with those nightmares forever."
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