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I halt for a second. All my blood turns to ice and freezes my body despite the heat.
“Oliver, are you there?” she pleads desperately. “I know this is a lot, but now that you’re a legal adult and don’t need your father, I figured now was as good a time as any.”
If she was waiting for me to be eighteen, she could have told me this eight months ago, but now she’s bombarding me with all of this during a really shitty week.
“I can’t.”
“Ollie—”
“Don’t you dare!” I growl. She doesn’t get to call me that again.
“Please take some time to think about it, okay?”
“Fine,” I say, mostly to end this conversation. “I have to go.”
“Okay, honey. Good?—”
Her voice cuts when I end the call. I lean forward, resting my head on the car steering wheel.
A brother.
I have a brother that I had no idea about.
Why now? Why this week? Why do I want to call Sally right now and vent to her about this when the girl doesn’t even want me?
I wish I could run away. Alliance runs in my veins, so I know I will come back.
My friends will come back and settle down here. Karena and Daisy are here. The ladies at the pet shelter always stock the fridge with breakfast food because they’re worried I won’t eat enough to get bigger and stronger. The library that nurtured my love for the ocean is here.
This city is also full of memories of Simon.
I could take that leap of faith and buy the van I’ve been eyeing for the past eight months. That’s why I’ve been saving up half of my income each month.
If my end goal is to travel, which is risky in its own right, shouldn’t I take that step? But something is holding me back.
Regrets maybe. I don’t want to go on this journey with any doubt in my mind, and I hate to admit it, but some of that doubt stems from my mom. I always had this childish thought that she would just show up. Now she's giving me a chance to see her again.
Without a second thought, I take out my phone and text her that I’ll be there in a couple of hours. Not even five seconds later, she sends me her location with a thank you.
I send a quick text to the girls before throwing the car in drive and driving off.
Or at least I would if the sudden flash of blonde hair hadn’t come into view right in front of my car.
Slamming on the brakes, my Jeep stops just short of running her over. Her head swipes to the side, laced with shock before our gaze meets.
Sally fills my eyes. I should ask if she’s okay, but my head races with too many thoughts to count. This already bad day is now worse.
“Oliver, are you okay?” A knock comes at my driver’s side window.
When the fudge did Sally move? I don’t even move when she asks me again, and before I can actually react, my car door is pulled open, revealing her whole body.
“Hey.” She sounds concerned. “Are you okay?”
Why is she asking if I’m okay? I nearly ran her over because I was spending too much time thinking and not enough time watching where I was driving.
It isn’t until her eyes drag over my body and land on the steering wheel that I realize the death grip I have on my poor car.
I give her a quick once over, seeing no hint of damage. Instant relief filters through my blood.
