Chapter 26

Olivia

I walked quickly through the chilly drizzle, my head down and my eyes on the sidewalk. I didn’t have to look up to know when I’d reached Desert Isle Café because the glow of light spilling from the windows glittered on the wet sidewalk. I was meeting Daisy for coffee. I’d almost backed out because I wasn’t quite up for talking about Liam, but I needed reinforcements. Last night, I’d turned off my phone after the first text from Liam, only to wake up to a several more from him, ending with: So you’re not going to talk to me this way. Right then. I won’t bloody give up.

I didn’t doubt for a second that Liam would show up at my apartment or office again. What I didn’t understand was why he wouldn’t just let it go. I wasn’t stupid enough to think what lay between us wasn’t powerful, but he had to realize it was smart to end things. I needed to get back to the life I used to have, the one where I took pride in my job and where the emotional tides of desire and need weren’t swinging me back and forth inside. I breathed through the knot of pain in my chest and pushed through the door into Desert Isle. This was one of my comfort places, always warm, always welcoming, and relaxed enough I didn’t have to worry about anything. A small sense of relief washed over me to be here. I saw Daisy already in a corner table with Harper and gave a quick wave as I headed to the counter.

Moments later, I slipped into the empty chair at the table and glanced between Daisy and Harper. “Hey there. Sorry I’m a few minutes late. I lost track of time while I was charting.”

“Hey, for once you were later than me,” Daisy said with a grin. “Harper, of course, was probably right on time.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “The only reason I’m usually on time is because if I’m on this side of town, it’s because I had a meeting somewhere other than my office. Anyway, how’s it going?” she asked, her warm blue eyes on me.

I could tell Daisy must’ve filled her in, otherwise she wouldn’t look so concerned. I didn’t bother to sidestep and looked between them. “I’m fine, perfectly fine,” I said, an edge of frustration in my tone. I’d been telling myself I was perfectly fine. My life would go right back to what it had been—drama free and without the emotional muddle of tripping and nearly landing on my face in my free fall dive into Liam.

Daisy had her coffee mug halfway to her mouth and set it down with a thump. “You are not fine. You look like hell. Liam tracked me down today too.”

“What?!” I interjected, my eyes widening and my pulse leaping.

“If you’d bothered to call me today, I’d have filled you in,” Daisy said with a thread of annoyance in her tone.

“I’m sorry. I was really busy at the clinic.” Daisy had texted around noon, telling me she needed to talk to me. I’d fired off a quick reply that it would have to wait until tonight. “So what did he want?” I couldn’t help the pitter patter of my heart, hope doing a little dance inside.

Daisy leaned back, her gaze softening. “Believe it or not, he wanted my advice. I don’t know what you said to him yesterday, but he’s pretty upset about it. What happened?”

I didn’t know what to think of the fact that my heart gave a little jump at hearing Liam was upset. It’s not like I wanted him to be upset, but at least I wasn’t alone in being a mess inside. I took a gulp of coffee, savoring the bracing flavor. “I guess I broke up with him. It’s not like we were really together, but I told him we needed to stop.”

Harper idly traced the edge of her mug and looked to me and then Daisy. “What did Liam say?”

“He said Olivia won’t talk to him, and he wanted my help. I asked him how much Olivia mattered…” Daisy swung her eyes in my direction. “And he said she meant everything. That man is seriously into you. I might think it’s stupid for you to wonder why he’s into you, but I get worrying about the whole thing. I feel responsible for blowing this up by texting you about that photo. He said you mentioned it and then explained the whole thing. Context always matters. Give the guy a chance. He looks like a lost puppy, and I think he seriously had to check his pride to come talk to me. Not to mention he actually had to hunt me down.”

“So what was your advice?” I finally asked. That stupid hope was running in circles in my heart to hear Liam had tracked Daisy down to ask her about me.

Daisy leaned back, her gaze speculative. “Not telling.”

“Not fair,” I said sullenly, taking a quick gulp of coffee.

Harper shook her head at Daisy. “Seriously?”

Daisy was unrepentant. “Seriously? I’m actually trying to be a good friend here. If there’s one thing I know about you,” her gaze swung to me “you’ve been way too committed to being alone. It’s not like I gave away any secrets. I just gave the man who’s so obviously in love with you a few pointers. That’s all.”

I stared at her, my heart drumming and my throat tight. To hear her so easily say Liam was in love with me did crazy things to me. Before Liam, my life had been tidy and calm. Even if I was trying to convince myself that was best, it was hard not to miss him acutely every other second.

Harper’s brows hitched up, and a low laugh escaped before she turned to me. “If there’s one thing you can trust about Daisy it’s that she’d kick Liam’s ass if she didn’t believe he was that into you. Maybe you should give him a chance.”

I tried to shove away the hope blooming inside me. I couldn’t let this sweep me right back into the foolish insanity. It was too overwhelming, too messy and made me feel out of control, which I definitely did not enjoy.

I wasn’t up for debating the point with Daisy and Harper, so I glanced between them. “Nothing’s going to change. He’s a famous sports star with women drooling over him. I’m a doctor with a pretty boring life, all things considered.” I took a sip of coffee and glanced to Daisy. “The photo was a good reminder of everything I’m not. That’s Liam’s life, not mine.”

My throat tightened and tears pressed at the back of my eyes, so I drained the rest of my coffee and stood to get a refill. I didn’t want to keep discussing Liam. I wasn’t getting the reinforcement I’d hoped for from Daisy and Harper. I wanted someone to tell me my choice made sense. I got another coffee and returned to the table. Harper glanced up and looked as if she might say something, but instead she looped her arm over my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. When Daisy started to say something, Harper shook her head firmly as her arm slid off my shoulder. “Not now.”

Daisy gave her a hard stare and shrugged. Conversation moved on topics that had nothing to do with Liam. By the time I left a while later, I felt slightly lighter inside, if anything because I’d had a little time where my thoughts managed to temporarily skip off the groove of Liam deepening in my mind.

Hours later, I lay in bed, my eyes wide open and the ache of missing Liam keeping me awake.