Chapter_20
The rain poured steadily when Olivia returned to school, its relentless rhythm matching the heaviness in her chest. She sat by the window, gazing out at the downpour as if the rain could wash away the turmoil swirling inside her. The gray sky mirrored her mood perfectly—gloomy and uncertain.
She had been discreet about not taking the clothes Tyler had bought her back to her dorm. Instead, she kept them in the school dormitory, hidden from her family’s view. After washing the lingerie, she hung it on the balcony to dry, the white fabric swaying lightly in the breeze, almost like a silent reminder of the events of the past few days.
Tyler, meanwhile, was a world away from her thoughts. After leaving the hospital, he found himself increasingly irritated. He drove aimlessly for a while, the sound of rain hitting the windshield drowning out his thoughts. Eventually, he pulled over under a tree by the side of the road, the rain intensifying as if the weather itself reflected the discontent building inside him.
Inside the car, he sat in the silence, lighting one cigarette after another. The smoke curled in the air, his mind blank as he stared out into the downpour. Memories from the previous night came flooding back uninvited, and his mind wrestled with emotions he couldn’t quite pin down. He smoked in silence, the only noise the sound of his breathing and the rain beating against the car. It wasn’t until the last cigarette had burned out that he finally crushed the butt in the ashtray, the emptiness in the car matching the hollowness inside him.
Back at school, Olivia sat alone in her room, her phone in her lap. She had been contemplating the situation, unsure of how to navigate her feelings toward Tyler, the complicated situation with her sister, and her own emotions that seemed to shift with every passing day. Eventually, her fingers hovered over the screen of her phone, and with a racing heart, she typed two simple words: “Thank you.”
Her thumb hovered over the send button for a moment longer than she intended. She knew it was a simple message, but her heart was pounding as she pressed “send,” as if the weight of the words would somehow change everything between them. She leaned back against the wall, lips pressed together, waiting for a response.
The rain continued to pour outside her window until midnight, the sound almost like a lullaby as she waited, her thoughts scattered in a thousand directions. When her phone buzzed the next morning, it was a message from Tyler. Four simple words: “Don’t worry about it.”
She stared at the message for a long moment, her heart sinking and rising at the same time. But something compelled her to reply, something that made her feel both brave and foolish.
“Tyler, can I buy you a meal? To thank you for what you’ve done for Jacob,” she typed, her fingers trembling a little as she pressed “send.” She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to say, but she couldn’t help it. She felt a strange urgency in doing something for him, something that would somehow balance the scales of all that he had done for her family.
A while later, Tyler replied: “Let’s do it tonight. I’ll pick you up.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She felt like she was on a rollercoaster ride—rising and then suddenly plummeting. She quickly typed back, “Sure.”
In the evening, when Tyler arrived to pick her up, he was driving a different car—one she hadn’t seen before, its sleek design matching the cold, distant air he seemed to carry with him today. As she got in, she noticed a faint smell of cigarette smoke still lingering in the car, and she couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose slightly.
“What would you like to eat?” she asked, trying to break the tension that had formed between them.
Tyler rolled down the window to let the smoke dissipate before turning to her. His gaze flicked over her for a moment, lingering just a bit longer than necessary. She wore the dress he had bought for her, the white fabric looking delicate and perfectly suited to her. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met, but Tyler looked away first, his expression unreadable.
“Are you sure you want to buy me dinner?” he asked, his tone flat.
Olivia nodded earnestly, her nerves making her voice tremble slightly. “I do,” she said, her mind already racing with thoughts of how to handle the money he had given her. She wanted to return it, but she hadn’t figured out how to broach that subject yet.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice more uncertain this time. She couldn’t afford a lavish dinner, but she didn’t want to appear rude. Tyler’s status felt so out of reach for her, and she worried about spending too much.
Tyler’s usual cold manner returned, and he cut off her self-imposed troubles. “I’ll pick the place since you’re treating me,” he said, starting the car and pulling away from the school.
The drive was quiet, save for the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the car. The cool breeze that followed the rain made the night air feel crisp and refreshing, though Olivia couldn’t shake the feeling that everything between them was shifting in a way she didn’t quite understand.
After half an hour of driving, they arrived at an exclusive restaurant, the kind of place she had only ever heard of in passing. Olivia’s eyes widened as they pulled into the entrance, and she felt a wave of unease sweep over her. This place was far beyond her budget—and, she suspected, far beyond Tyler’s usual choices.
Tyler got out of the car first, his movements swift and practiced, while Olivia hesitated before following him. Her heels clicked softly on the pavement as she walked behind him, her nerves tightening in her chest. The building loomed before them, elegant and imposing. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she didn’t belong here.
He glanced at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “What, you’re unwilling to spend so much?” His tone was cutting, but there was an edge of something else in it—frustration, maybe.
“No, I’m just wondering if I brought enough cash with me,” she said quickly, trying to deflect.
Tyler’s gaze remained cold, almost mocking. “I thought you wanted to thank me for Jacob? Where’s your sincerity?” he said, leaving Olivia feeling confused and slightly frustrated by his words.
They entered the restaurant, where the staff greeted them with practiced politeness, and they were led to a private courtyard. As they walked in, Olivia felt herself shrinking a little under the weight of the luxury around her. Tyler sat down without hesitation, but Olivia paused, unsure of where to sit. The staff’s eyes were on her, and she felt exposed, out of place.
“What’s wrong?” Tyler’s voice was colder than usual, his eyes narrowing. “You dare not sit?”
Olivia quickly took her seat across from him, her face flushing with embarrassment. He handed her the menu, but she couldn’t focus on it. The prices seemed exorbitant, each item more expensive than anything she had ever considered ordering.
“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” Tyler asked, looking at her with a faint flicker of curiosity.
Olivia shook her head quickly, the words stumbling over her tongue. “You’ll order,” she said, pressing the menu back toward him. “I’ll pay.”
Tyler nodded and looked over the menu, but when he spoke, he rattled off a list of dishes so expensive that Olivia could hardly believe her ears. “One lobster thermidor, squid paella, cheese platter, duck confit, grilled oysters…” He paused, as if considering adding more.
Olivia blinked, her voice coming out in a near whisper. “It’s just the two of us. Isn’t it a little wasteful to order so much food?”
Tyler glanced at her, his face unreadable. “Don’t worry about it.”