all.”
“What? What do you mean, ‘a little space?’ Olivia, this isn’t like you. What’s going on?”
“Can I talk to her?”
Holy hell, was that Mitch in the background? What was he doing with her parents? Olivia’s heart slammed inside her chest. She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet—not right now—not so soon. She hadn’t figured out what she was going to say to him yet. “Is that Mitch? Is he there with you?” Lord, please let her ears be deceiving her.
Liam tensed at the mention of Mitch’s name but his neutral expression remained stoically unchanged. Heaven forbid he’d lose control of that apathetic pose.
“We’re actually at Mitch’s right now. Ashley’s here, too. We’re all worried about you, sweetheart. Mitch wants to talk to you. Olivia, where are you?”
“Umm… It’s complicated, Mom, but I’m safe. I’m with Liam.”
Dead silence.
“You’re what?”
Olivia was pretty sure her mother’s voice had just reached an undiscovered octave.
“Oh, Olivia, you can’t be serious! You ran out on your own wedding without as much as a word to anyone! We’ve been worried sick! Mitch is worried sick! How could you possibly do something so selfish?”
Olivia held the phone a few inches from her ear as her mother tried to yell some sense into her. The grim line of Liam’s mouth tightened. No doubt, he heard every word of the ass-chewing she was receiving. Finally, he glanced over at her, and she was surprised to see concern etched on his face.
“I’m sorry, Mom. But it’s a bit more complicated than that—”
“That’s what you keep saying, ‘it’s complicated.’ And that’s what you said when Liam left you. Help me to understand, honey, why would you throw this all away for him?”
Liam looked back at the road and sighed. There was no question he’d just heard that, too.
“Please, Kim, let me talk to her,” Mitch piped in.
“Mitch wants to talk to you.”
“What? Wait! No, Mom. I—”
“Olivia?”
Shit… “Hey, Mitch.”
“Liv, sweetheart, why don’t you come home? We’ll figure this out together. I know the truth, Olivia. And I know you’re not alone.”
Shit…shit…shit… Olivia’s heart raced with dread. She did not want to do this—not here, not now—not in front of Liam. How in the hell did he find out? Careful to keep all emotion from her voice, she replied as calmly as possible, “Then you know it’s not that simple. I can’t just come back, Mitch. It’s not safe for you or my parents to be around me right now. How did you find out?”
“Ashley. And I can take care of myself. I can take care of you, too. Just come home, Olivia.”
It didn’t sound like a request as much as an order. His tone piqued her already frayed nerves. Her voice took on an edge of cool civility. “I already told you, I can’t do that. And I’m sorry you had to find out this way, Mitch. I should have told you everything before. Please believe me when I say that I never meant to hurt you.”
“Uh-huh. It would have been nice to know I had some competition.”
“Mitch… Please don’t do this.” He had every right to be hurt and angry, but she just couldn’t do this right now. The guilt of her betrayal smothered her like a suffocating fog. Anxiously, she glanced over at Liam and saw the muscles of his jaw clenched. She knew he could hear everything Mitch was saying, not only because of his acutely heightened senses, but because Mitch was yelling at her.
“I’m serious, Liv. I want you to come home so we can work this out. If you don’t come back, you’re making your choice,” he threatened.
“What choice is that?” Olivia snapped. “If you think I actually have a say in this, then you obviously don’t know as much as you think you do! Do you know who Liam is? Did Ashley tell you what he is?” she demanded. It felt awkward talking about him when he was sitting right beside her.
“Oh, I know all about him, Olivia, no thanks to you! And
“What? What do you mean, ‘a little space?’ Olivia, this isn’t like you. What’s going on?”
“Can I talk to her?”
Holy hell, was that Mitch in the background? What was he doing with her parents? Olivia’s heart slammed inside her chest. She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet—not right now—not so soon. She hadn’t figured out what she was going to say to him yet. “Is that Mitch? Is he there with you?” Lord, please let her ears be deceiving her.
Liam tensed at the mention of Mitch’s name but his neutral expression remained stoically unchanged. Heaven forbid he’d lose control of that apathetic pose.
“We’re actually at Mitch’s right now. Ashley’s here, too. We’re all worried about you, sweetheart. Mitch wants to talk to you. Olivia, where are you?”
“Umm… It’s complicated, Mom, but I’m safe. I’m with Liam.”
Dead silence.
“You’re what?”
Olivia was pretty sure her mother’s voice had just reached an undiscovered octave.
“Oh, Olivia, you can’t be serious! You ran out on your own wedding without as much as a word to anyone! We’ve been worried sick! Mitch is worried sick! How could you possibly do something so selfish?”
Olivia held the phone a few inches from her ear as her mother tried to yell some sense into her. The grim line of Liam’s mouth tightened. No doubt, he heard every word of the ass-chewing she was receiving. Finally, he glanced over at her, and she was surprised to see concern etched on his face.
“I’m sorry, Mom. But it’s a bit more complicated than that—”
“That’s what you keep saying, ‘it’s complicated.’ And that’s what you said when Liam left you. Help me to understand, honey, why would you throw this all away for him?”
Liam looked back at the road and sighed. There was no question he’d just heard that, too.
“Please, Kim, let me talk to her,” Mitch piped in.
“Mitch wants to talk to you.”
“What? Wait! No, Mom. I—”
“Olivia?”
Shit… “Hey, Mitch.”
“Liv, sweetheart, why don’t you come home? We’ll figure this out together. I know the truth, Olivia. And I know you’re not alone.”
Shit…shit…shit… Olivia’s heart raced with dread. She did not want to do this—not here, not now—not in front of Liam. How in the hell did he find out? Careful to keep all emotion from her voice, she replied as calmly as possible, “Then you know it’s not that simple. I can’t just come back, Mitch. It’s not safe for you or my parents to be around me right now. How did you find out?”
“Ashley. And I can take care of myself. I can take care of you, too. Just come home, Olivia.”
It didn’t sound like a request as much as an order. His tone piqued her already frayed nerves. Her voice took on an edge of cool civility. “I already told you, I can’t do that. And I’m sorry you had to find out this way, Mitch. I should have told you everything before. Please believe me when I say that I never meant to hurt you.”
“Uh-huh. It would have been nice to know I had some competition.”
“Mitch… Please don’t do this.” He had every right to be hurt and angry, but she just couldn’t do this right now. The guilt of her betrayal smothered her like a suffocating fog. Anxiously, she glanced over at Liam and saw the muscles of his jaw clenched. She knew he could hear everything Mitch was saying, not only because of his acutely heightened senses, but because Mitch was yelling at her.
“I’m serious, Liv. I want you to come home so we can work this out. If you don’t come back, you’re making your choice,” he threatened.
“What choice is that?” Olivia snapped. “If you think I actually have a say in this, then you obviously don’t know as much as you think you do! Do you know who Liam is? Did Ashley tell you what he is?” she demanded. It felt awkward talking about him when he was sitting right beside her.
“Oh, I know all about him, Olivia, no thanks to you! And
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