Chapter_80
Tyler’s mind raced as he observed Olivia and Jacob walking side by side in the rain. His grip on the door handle tightened, the image of them together stirring a sense of unease deep within him. The words Naomi had spoken earlier haunted him: “Look how much Jacob loves her. Any man would fall for her.” The more he watched, the more his emotions conflicted. His protective instincts flared, but there was something else, something more complex stirring beneath the surface.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts. What is this? he thought to himself. Why does it bother me so much?
The driver, sensing the tension in the car, cleared his throat and asked quietly, “Shall we wait, Mr. Tyler?”
Tyler didn’t immediately answer, his gaze still fixed on Olivia and Jacob. The rain fell heavily now, but it couldn’t wash away the rising discomfort he felt. He watched as Jacob spoke to Olivia, his face bright with a smile, while Olivia, in turn, seemed to relax into the moment, the weight of the day lifting slightly.
What am I afraid of? Tyler thought, his chest tight. She’s just walking with him. It’s nothing more.
But the seed of doubt had already been planted. His feelings for Olivia were becoming clearer to him, but they were tangled with an overwhelming sense of responsibility—toward Naomi, toward their family. It felt like there was no room for anything else. But as he sat there, watching Olivia from a distance, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was losing control.
The driver spoke again, his voice careful. “Mr. Tyler, should we head to the office?”
Tyler snapped out of his reverie, blinking as if waking from a trance. He nodded curtly. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Olivia, under the protection of Jacob’s umbrella, felt a strange mix of nostalgia and discomfort. It had been so long since she and Jacob had walked together like this, but now, it felt different. She could almost hear the echoes of their past conversations, the light teasing, the shared moments of laughter.
But now, as they walked in the rain, things felt uncertain. She didn’t know how to navigate this space between them—between what they used to be and what they were now. She couldn’t help but glance at Jacob out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he felt the same way.
Jacob, noticing her distant look, smiled reassuringly. “It’s nice, isn’t it? The rain always makes me feel calm.”
Olivia smiled back, though there was a tinge of sadness in her expression. “Yeah. It’s peaceful.”
As they neared the entrance to the school, Jacob’s voice broke through the quiet again. “Olivia… I just wanted to say, I don’t know what’s going to happen between us, but I’m glad we can still be friends.”
Olivia nodded, unsure of how to respond. She didn’t want to make things awkward, but the truth was that things weren’t simple. She had always cared for Jacob, but she wasn’t sure where her heart lay anymore. The past felt distant now, and the present felt confusing.
“I’m glad too,” she said softly, but there was a weight to her words, an undercurrent of something unspoken. She wasn’t sure if it was nostalgia or something deeper—something that had always been there but she had never fully acknowledged.
Tyler’s car pulled up to the school entrance just as Olivia and Jacob reached the gates. He was about to get out when he noticed the two of them stand for a moment, still talking under the umbrella, their heads leaning in closer to one another. It wasn’t anything overtly intimate, but Tyler couldn’t shake the feeling that something was shifting.
His fingers tightened on the door handle once again as he watched Olivia laugh at something Jacob had said. The image of them, so at ease with one another, gnawed at him. He had always known that Jacob had feelings for Olivia, but seeing them together like this, in such a simple moment, felt like a stark reminder of how much he had to lose.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions brewing within him. Focus, he reminded himself. You’re here for Naomi, for the family. Don’t let this cloud your judgment.
But as the sound of Olivia’s laughter reached his ears, Tyler couldn’t help but feel a tightening in his chest. He wanted to believe that he could control his emotions, that he could keep everything in balance, but right now, it didn’t feel that simple.
Back at the hospital, Naomi lay silently in her bed, her eyes distant as she thought about the conversation she’d had with Tyler. She knew she had pushed him with her questions, her insecurities, but a part of her couldn’t help it. She had always worried about being a burden, about being left behind, about losing him to someone like Olivia.
Maybe it’s all in my head, Naomi thought bitterly, staring at the ceiling. Maybe I’ve already lost him.
The door to her room opened, and the nurse stepped in, breaking her train of thought. Naomi blinked, trying to push away the remnants of her despair. She needed to focus, to pull herself together. For Olivia. For Tyler.
But deep down, a small voice inside her whispered, Is it too late for me?