Chapter_55
Olivia’s voice trembled as she finally spoke, the words slipping out like a confession. “Someone at school took pictures of you dropping me off and posted them on the school’s forum. They… they say that you’re my… sugar daddy.”
Tyler’s expression darkened instantly, his jaw tightening as he processed the information. “When did this happen?” His voice was low, edged with concern.
“Two days ago,” Olivia murmured, almost too softly for him to hear.
The change in his demeanor was immediate. His eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing as his frustration began to build. “Why did you only tell me now?” His voice was firm, the tension palpable.
Olivia’s grip on his wrist loosened, her fingers falling away as if she were suddenly aware of the distance between them.
Tyler’s gaze remained hard, and he fixed her with a piercing stare. “Were you not going to tell me if I didn’t ask?” he demanded, the accusation hanging in the air.
Before she could respond, he stepped back, his voice clipped. “Wait here.” He turned on his heel and made a quick phone call, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Olivia stood in silence, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. She listened intently as Tyler spoke to the school director, his voice sharp and unwavering. Even from across the room, she could hear the exchange, the school director explaining the situation in a calm but uncertain tone. Tyler’s response was increasingly harsh, his words biting.
“You must solve this today. I don’t want this rumor to spread in the school again,” he said, his voice laced with authority before the call ended abruptly with a click.
Tyler turned back toward Olivia, his expression cold and unreadable. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Come with me,” he ordered.
Confused but not daring to argue, Olivia followed him upstairs. The silence between them was heavy as they entered his room. Tyler was already seated in a chair, the smoke from his cigarette curling lazily into the air. He frowned as he extinguished it, the sharp smell of burnt tobacco mixing with the tension in the room.
Olivia stood by the door, unsure of what to say, her gaze flickering nervously around the room. Tyler sat in silence, his focus on the smoldering cigarette but never once glancing at her. The air between them felt thick with unspoken words, the distance between them more palpable than ever.
Finally, Tyler lifted his gaze to meet hers, his expression unreadable. Without warning, he reached for her wrist, pulling her toward him with force. Olivia flinched, trying to pull away, but before she could, his hand was at the back of her neck, drawing her close. In one swift motion, he pressed her face into his neck.
The intimacy of the gesture left Olivia breathless, still, and vulnerable. She froze in his arms, her body trembling as she let out soft, broken sobs. She felt the weight of everything she had been carrying—the shame, the isolation, the fear—all coming to a head in that moment.
Tyler felt the tremors in her body, the soft hitch of her breath against his neck. His hand moved from the back of her neck to her head, his fingers threading through her hair as he closed his eyes, feeling the weight of her pain. She had been through so much in the past few days—so much more than she let anyone see. He could feel the humiliation and hurt she had kept bottled up inside, a pain he couldn’t fix but could feel with every trembling breath she took.
She clung to him, her hands weakly resting on his chest, no longer struggling against his hold. It was as though she had given up, the tears flowing freely now. She was like a bird in his arms, fragile and trembling.
In the dim light of the room, Tyler whispered into her ear, his voice thick with emotion. “You should’ve told me, understand?” The words carried not just reproach but an undercurrent of empathy, of regret that she hadn’t felt like she could turn to him sooner.
Olivia’s voice was barely audible, a whisper against his skin. “I didn’t know how to tell you.” Her words were raw, filled with a vulnerability she hadn’t allowed herself to show before.
Tyler’s grip on her tightened, his arms pulling her closer as if he could protect her from the world that had been so cruel to her. “You should have,” he repeated softly, his voice full of quiet sorrow, but this time there was a gentleness in his tone that wasn’t there before.
Olivia closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his embrace and the weight of her own emotions crashing down on her. She didn’t know what this meant, or what would happen next, but for the first time in days, she felt like she wasn’t alone in this fight.