Chapter_14
“I’ve dressed myself,” Olivia said, her voice soft and hesitant.
As soon as the words left her lips, the car’s interior lights flickered on, illuminating the space around them. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she quickly averted her gaze, feeling an unexpected wave of vulnerability.
Tyler sat quietly beside her, extinguishing his cigarette with a casual flick of his wrist. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words. Finally, his calm voice broke the stillness. “I’ll take you home.”
The drive to the Jones’ residence was about half an hour, but Olivia’s emotions were in turmoil, a jumbled mess of guilt and confusion. She couldn’t bear the suffocating closeness in the car any longer, and before Tyler could say anything else, she reached for the door, intent on escaping the tension.
Tyler, taken off guard by her sudden move, reached out instinctively, his hand brushing hers. “What are you—?”
“I’ll make my own way home,” Olivia replied quickly, her tone sharp as she avoided his eyes.
“It’s a half-hour drive,” Tyler countered, his voice tinged with a subtle impatience.
Olivia hesitated for a moment, her fingers gripping the door handle. “I’ll get a taxi,” she said, the words coming out more to convince herself than him.
Tyler frowned, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. Before he could protest, she was already slipping out of his grasp, vanishing into the night without a backward glance.
“Olivia—” Tyler called out from the car, but she didn’t stop. Ignoring him, she hailed a taxi, her heart pounding as she drove away, leaving him behind.
The house felt eerily quiet when Olivia arrived, the stillness pressing in on her. She made her way upstairs, eager to escape any chance of encountering Mrs. Jones. Slamming the bedroom door behind her, she leaned against it, trying to steady her breathing.
As soon as her eyes closed, memories of the night before flooded her mind—Tyler’s touch, the kiss, the weight of his presence. Guilt gnawed at her. She had tried to hold it together, but now it felt impossible. What had she done? What was she becoming?
Mrs. Jones returned home later that evening, none the wiser to Olivia’s earlier arrival. The next morning, at breakfast, she asked casually, “Olivia, didn’t you go to school yesterday? When did you get home? I didn’t even notice you came back.”
Olivia, distracted, stirred her porridge absently, not responding right away.
Mrs. Jones studied her for a moment, sensing something was off. She pressed on, adding more protein to Olivia’s bowl with a gentle smile. “You’re too thin. You should eat more, sweetheart.”
Olivia kept her head down, forcing herself to eat, the food feeling heavy in her stomach. She had no appetite, but she ate anyway, determined to keep her composure. Each bite was a struggle.
Later, Mrs. Jones suggested, “Why don’t you come with me to visit Naomi in the hospital today? Your dad will be there this afternoon.”
Just then, Olivia’s phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she saw Jacob’s name flash before her eyes. Her heart sank, and she tightened her grip on the phone, the tension in her body becoming unbearable.
After a long pause, she replied softly, “Sure.” The words came out numb, and Mrs. Jones didn’t notice the shift in her daughter’s mood.
In the afternoon, Olivia accompanied Mrs. Jones to the hospital, where they found Darren chatting with Naomi. The room was light with Naomi’s laughter as she examined a gift from her father. The contrast between Naomi’s cheerful energy and Olivia’s quiet discomfort couldn’t have been more stark.
Olivia lingered at the edge of the room, feeling like an outsider, disconnected from the warmth that surrounded her. It was Naomi who finally noticed her standing there, and with a smile, she called out, “Dad, Olivia has been standing there for a while. You haven’t even spoken to her.”
Darren slapped his forehead in mock exasperation. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I was so caught up in Naomi that I completely forgot about you.”
Olivia, eager to avoid attention, quickly reassured him, “It’s fine, Dad. You should be with Naomi.” Her voice was quiet, but her words carried a weight she couldn’t shake off.
At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Everyone turned to see Tyler and his secretary entering the room.
Tyler wore a subtle smile as he stepped in. “What’s all the chatter about? Everyone seems so cheerful.”
Naomi’s face lit up at the sight of him. “Tyler, you’re here! Look at the gift Dad brought me from his trip. He still thinks of me as a child.”
Tyler’s eyes remained on Naomi for a moment, his smile warm and affectionate. Only after entering the room did he notice Olivia standing nearby. He paused, meeting her gaze briefly.
Olivia immediately looked away, her heart racing as she tried to avoid his eyes.
Tyler, aware of the tension, redirected his attention to Naomi. “You’ll always be a child to Mr. Darren,” he said softly, his voice gentle as he stood by Naomi’s bedside, holding her hand.
Naomi, grinning, squeezed his hand affectionately. “You’re making fun of me again. I’m upset now, hmph.”
Tyler’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’d be delighted if you behaved like a good girl and followed your treatment.”
Olivia looked down, feeling a pang of jealousy at the easy intimacy between them. Tyler’s gaze flickered toward her from the corner of his eye, but he didn’t speak.
Mrs. Jones, ever perceptive, broke the silence. “Olivia, come over here and chat with Naomi.”
Olivia nodded and walked over, standing beside her sister. Tyler stood nearby, his presence weighing heavily on her.
Mrs. Jones glanced between them, then asked with a knowing smile, “Tyler, did Olivia… go out with you last night?”
Olivia froze, her stomach tightening at the question. The room seemed to hold its breath, a delicate secret hanging in the air. Darren looked awkward, unsure of how to respond.
Olivia, unable to find her voice, stayed silent. Tyler, however, answered with a casual air, “Hmm, I drove her home last night.”
Mrs. Jones smiled, her tone light but tinged with something else. “I saw her boyfriend calling this morning. I thought maybe you two were together last night.”
Olivia’s lips pressed together tightly, her gaze fixed on the floor. No one spoke for a moment.
Naomi, sensing the tension, chimed in with a smile, “Mom, Olivia is an adult now. You don’t need to keep watching over her.”
Mrs. Jones, taken aback, fell silent, and Tyler quickly seized the opportunity to change the subject. “I’ll go speak to the doctor. You all carry on.”
Naomi nodded, releasing his hand. “Alright.”
Tyler left the room, and Olivia felt the suffocating pressure of the silence. She stood there, torn, until about twenty minutes passed. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, “I’m going out for a bit, Dad.”
Her words went unnoticed by everyone, and she waited a moment longer before slipping out of the ward.
As she exited the hallway, she unexpectedly ran into Tyler, who was leaving the doctor’s office. Her heart skipped a beat, and she froze.
Tyler turned at the sound of her footsteps, their eyes meeting for a long moment.
Before Olivia could pull away, Tyler stepped toward her, offering a tube of ointment.
“Here,” he said, his voice softer than usual. “I got this from the doctor. I may have overdone it yesterday. I’m sorry.”
Olivia looked at the ointment, confused, her emotions churning once more. “You didn’t have to…”
Tyler’s eyes held hers, steady and unspoken, the weight of everything hanging between them.