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“You’ve protected and cared for me. Given me a safe space to share my feelings and my problems. You’ve supported me through one of the hardest times of my life…” Tears filmed her eyes again as emotions flooded through her. “You’ve been my friend, and every time you touch me, Cole, I light up inside. It’s not a fluke or misguided appreciation. It’s love. I adore your smile. The way your eyes crinkle when you laugh. How deep your faith runs. The way you take care of everyone around you, including your friends, and the amazing way you speak about your grandmother.”
He didn’t say a word. Cole stood there, stock still, as if he was in shock. But he didn’t interrupt her or tell her to stop. He was listening to every word, and that gave Olivia the confidence to continue.
“I know you’re scared of following in your parents’ footsteps, but I believe in us. In what we can build together, with God as our guide. Things can be different, Cole, but you have to choose it. You have to work for it.” Olivia sucked in a shuddering breath. “I love you with all my heart. I know you may still walk away from us, and if that’s the case, I’ll be okay. But you should know exactly what you’re rejecting. You deserved to know the truth about my feelings. Think it over. Whatever you decide, I’ll respect it.”
Silence descended in the room. Cole opened his mouth and then closed it. Olivia sensed his confusion and turmoil. She didn’t want to make this worse for him. The point was to be honest with her feelings and then give him the space to decide.
Her heart also hurt. It was romantic and foolish, but a small part of her hoped he’d echo her feelings. She needed her own time and space. “I’m starving. I’ll join your grandmother and Jackson in the cafeteria.”
Olivia spun on her heel and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. The tears filming her eyes fell onto her cheeks. She swiped them away. No matter what happened, she was proud of herself for being brave. There was nothing else to be done now. The ball was in Cole’s court.
She took another breath to steady her emotions and then walked to the elevator. A beep came from her cell phone. Her grandparents had bought her a new one the day after the accident. Olivia pulled it from her pocket and checked the text message. It was from David.
I’m so sorry about what happened the other night. Can we meet at your office this morning so I can apologize in person? I feel terrible about what happened and would like the opportunity to explain.
Olivia hesitated for a moment, fear creeping along her spine, but then she gave herself a mental shake. Chief Sims and Eli said Bryce was working alone. David’s behavior the other night was weird, but stress had caused her to misinterpret his actions as hostile. It was better to clear the air sooner, rather than later. Grandpa had left his truck for her to use in the hospital parking lot. She could pop to the office, have a discussion with David, and check on a few things for Eli and Sienna’s wedding.
Decision made, she texted David. The elevator doors swung open and Olivia stepped out onto the ground floor. Instead of heading toward the cafeteria, she turned left for the parking lot. As she stepped into the brilliant sunny day, a silent whisper of doubt caused her to hesitate once more. She glanced back at the hospital doors. It felt weird to be going somewhere alone. She hadn’t done it in over a week.
But the danger was over. It was time to reclaim her life.
Olivia crossed the lot toward the truck.
TWENTY-NINE
Cole hung his head in his hands. It’d been twenty minutes since Olivia left his hospital room and his mind was still spinning with everything she’d said. A part of him wanted to jump for joy, the other part of him wanted to run and never stop, and a third wanted to cry. He couldn’t untangle the knot of emotions lodged in his chest. Everything was a mess.
And it was all his fault.
“Cole?” A gentle hand touched the top of his head. “Are you all right, honey?”
Nana. He hadn’t even heard her come in. Cole lifted his head to find his grandmother standing at his side. Jackson was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Olivia. They must still be in the cafeteria. Cole wouldn’t blame Olivia if she never spoke to him again. She’d poured her heart out, said some of the most touching things he’d ever heard in his life, and he’d stood there like a dunce.
She hadn’t deserved that, but he’d been at a loss for words. The internal war inside him had left him adrift in confusion. He’d prayed, but it didn’t feel like God was interested in answering at the moment.
“Olivia’s in love with me.” Cole hadn’t intentionally meant to say the words out loud, but once he did, relief washed over him. If anyone could understand what he was going through, it was Nana.
“Well, that’s obvious to anyone with eyes.” She settled on the window seat next to him. Her hand slipped into the pocket of her dress and she removed her rosary beads. “And I know you’re in love with her too, so I’m confused about where the problem is.”
“I’m not built for marriage. I’m too much like my parents and I don’t want to make the same mistake they did. My temper lurks under the surface. I can feel it. It’s only a matter of time before it comes out again and destroys everything.” Pain tore his heart in two. “Just like it did on the night my parents died.”
“Cole…” Nana rubbed his back like he was five years old, crying on her lap about a busted knee. “What happened that night wasn’t your fault. Your parents are responsible for their decisions. It was their job to protect you. Instead, they trapped you in a car and made you listen to more yelling and screaming than anyone has a right to hear, let alone a little boy.”
Heat built behind his eyes. Intellectually, he understood what his grandmother was saying, but it was hard to let go of the guilt. “If I hadn’t screamed?—”
“They might’ve had the accident anyway. It wasn’t the first one.”
He inhaled sharply and turned to face his grandmother. “What?”
“Your mother and father had a prior car accident, about a year before they died. Totaled their car.” She clutched her rosary. “Your mom was in the hospital for a week. It was caused by them fighting.”
“I didn’t know about that.”
Nana shook her head, her mouth taut. “It happened in the summer while you were staying with me. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you to worry.” She sighed, suddenly looking weary. “I’ve tried to protect you but haven’t done a good job.”
“That’s not?—”
“It’s true. Before you parents died, I tried to convince them to let you live with me. They refused. I didn’t fight them on it. That was my first mistake. My second has been keeping the truth about their relationship from you.” She tangled her hands together in her lap, the rosary wrapped around her gnarled fingers. “Cole, your parents were never a good match from the start. They were both young and too immature to get married.”
