Chapter_234
Olivia didn’t answer him right away. The air between them grew heavier, thick with unspoken words and emotions. Then, without warning, Tyler gently cupped her face, turning it toward him. The moment was still, a breath shared between them, their gazes locked in quiet understanding.
For a second, time seemed to slow.
Tyler’s lips moved closer to hers, a slow, deliberate movement. And then he kissed her. It was brief, lasting only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Olivia stood frozen for a moment, her mind in a whirlwind, struggling to grasp what had just happened. She felt as if she were entranced, as if she couldn’t control her body, her heart, or the confusion swirling in her chest.
As the kiss ended, Olivia blinked, her thoughts scattered. She stared at him, unsure of what to say or do next. Her body, though, had already responded instinctively—moving closer to him, drawn by a need she couldn’t quite explain.
Tyler, sensing her uncertainty, wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a gentle embrace. His warmth seemed to soothe her, and in that moment, it felt like he was trying to erase all the sorrow she’d carried with her—the lingering pain from her first love, the grief she still couldn’t fully let go of. His embrace was comforting, yet it brought a quiet ache, reminding her of everything she was trying to escape from.
Their lips met again, this time more urgently. Tyler held her head close, his kiss deepening as he drew her even nearer. Olivia, overwhelmed by the intensity, let go of all her reservations. She responded, feeling herself drawn further into his orbit, her breath mingling with his. The world outside of them seemed to fade away, leaving only this shared moment between them.
When they finally broke apart, the air around them was thick with the unspoken, and Tyler whispered in a soft voice, “You deserve better, you know that?”
His words were tender, almost like those of a close friend, a mentor—yet the closeness of their bodies suggested something more. Something more than friendship. Olivia felt lost in the vulnerability of the moment, unsure of what to think or feel.
She couldn’t say anything, though. All she could do was hold onto his shirt, feeling the rhythm of their breathing sync as she tried to fight back the emotions threatening to rise within her. Despite her efforts to hold herself back, Tyler pulled her closer, and their kiss grew more intense, each second unraveling a bit more of her resistance.
He was like a balm to her hurt, moving with such care that it almost felt like he was trying to ease the pain she’d never quite healed from. She was so caught up in the moment, in his warmth and his touch, that she didn’t know how to stop. She didn’t want to stop.
There was a knock on the door, a soft reminder of the world outside.
Linda’s voice came through the door. “The car is ready, Mr. Tyler.”
Tyler pulled away from Olivia, his expression briefly changing as he moved to open the door. Olivia, still wrapped in the fog of the night’s emotions, found herself in front of the mirror, struggling with the zipper of her dress. She hadn’t noticed how tightly it was fitting until now. Her fingers fumbled with the fabric as the reality of the situation started to settle back in.
“I’ll wait downstairs,” Linda called from the other side of the door, sensing Olivia’s struggle.
Tyler, his gaze soft yet distant, turned back to Olivia. She was still adjusting the dress, her back exposed, but she instinctively tried to cover herself.
“I’m changing, Tyler,” she said, her voice tinged with nervousness.
Tyler approached her, his presence suddenly filling the room. He stood behind her, towering over her, and Olivia could feel the weight of his gaze on her. The air was thick again, and she suddenly felt acutely aware of his proximity.
He noticed the stuck zipper and quickly fixed it, his brow furrowing slightly. “Is the dress too small?” he asked, his voice calm but with a hint of concern.
Olivia hesitated before answering, touching her stomach lightly. “It’s so tight I can hardly breathe,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tyler’s eyes scanned her dress, the way it clung to her figure, and for a moment, she felt a sense of discomfort. It wasn’t just the dress—it was everything. The kiss, the confusion, the emotions she couldn’t untangle.
As her thoughts swirled, Tyler, seemingly noticing her unease, made a decision. “Change into a different dress,” he said gently, his tone suggesting he wasn’t asking, but telling her.
Olivia stood still, uncertain of what to do next, her mind still racing with the weight of the past few hours. The line between friendship and something more had become so blurred that she wasn’t sure where they stood anymore.