Chapter_171
Olivia’s eyes flickered toward him, her mind still swirling with the tension of the past few hours. His question felt oddly out of place, but she couldn’t deny the flicker of curiosity. A wedding banquet… The words seemed to mock her in the current moment, considering the state of their relationship—or lack thereof.
“I don’t know,” she said, her voice soft. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
She met his gaze, the weight of their silent exchange settling between them. He was trying, in his own way, to make this whole thing feel more normal—like they were just two people discussing trivial matters. But it didn’t feel normal. It felt forced, and the contrast between their outward calm and the emotions that were bubbling beneath the surface made her want to retreat further.
“Have you thought about who you’ll invite?” she asked, the words coming out sharper than she intended.
Tyler leaned back, his gaze turning distant for a moment. “My family,” he said, his tone nonchalant. “A few business associates. You know, the usual crowd.”
Her fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of her blanket as she processed his words. The usual crowd. There was nothing personal about it. Nothing that even remotely felt like a celebration of a marriage between two people who cared about each other.
“Sounds like a fun time,” Olivia murmured, trying to keep the bitterness from seeping through.
Tyler’s gaze softened again, and for a brief moment, there was something vulnerable in the way he looked at her. “Olivia, I know this whole situation is… complicated. But I’m not asking for us to act like we’re perfect. I just want us to try and make it work.” His voice was quieter now, almost pleading, though he tried to hide it behind his usual calm demeanor.
She wanted to respond, wanted to tell him that it wasn’t that simple. That she didn’t know how to just try when the foundation of everything between them was built on something that felt so wrong. But all she did was nod, looking away.
“I know,” she said finally. “I know you want to try.”
Tyler remained silent for a moment, before nodding in return. “I’ll give you the space you need. But just know, Olivia, I want this to work. I want us to work.”
Olivia didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t know if she could believe him or if she even wanted to. She didn’t know what was worse—the constant tension between them or the growing realization that she had no idea what she wanted from this marriage, or from him.
He got up slowly, but before he left, he looked back at her. “You should get some rest. I’ll check on you later.”
She nodded without looking at him, listening to the sound of his footsteps fading away as the door closed softly behind him.
Alone in the quiet of her room, Olivia let out a shaky breath. What am I doing here?
As much as she wanted to escape the complexity of it all, she couldn’t. The question of what was real—what was truly hers—lingered in the back of her mind. Would she ever get an answer? Or was she destined to be stuck in this in-between world of duty, obligation, and questions she couldn’t even bring herself to ask aloud?