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“That’s what I should call you?” he jokes.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop the uptick of my lips at his corny attempt to be funny. “That’s what I’m studying and I have a final in like two hours.” I blink my eyes several times as if to say, sooo bye?
He puts his hands up in defeat before running a hand through his thick dark hair. “Fine, I’ll let you be.” He pulls his card out from his inside pocket and hands it to me. “Maybe when you’re done, you’ll call me and we can celebrate you being finished?”
I lick my bottom lip and realize my mouth has gotten very dry. I reach for the coffee in front of me and take a long sip. “I don’t know if tonight will work,” I tell him as I pray that this blow off will deter him from pursuing me further. It’s not that I’m not attracted to him, or that he’d done anything wrong. I just don’t date much, and I don’t need the possibility of this clouding my head while I take the most taxing final of my college career.
He smiles and nods his head as if he hears the implication loud and clear. “You’re graduating this weekend, like Alyssa?” Or not?
“Yep.” I run my fingers over the indents of the precise block letters stamped on his card. I run my gaze over it and catch his full name.
BENNETT CLARKE
“I’ll see you this weekend then,” he says and my eyes shoot up to meet his. Wait, what? He winks and then he’s gone, leaving me alone with my very confusing thoughts and the smell of the sexiest man alive swirling around me.
By the grace of God, I made it through the test because I spent about half of my exam wondering what he meant by his ominous statement.
Is he coming to the graduation? To be supportive of Wren?
He asked you out on a date and gave you his cell phone number, and you think he
’s coming to be supportive of Wren?
I ponder this all the way home when I spot the pink roses sitting in front of my door. I pick them up as I walk into the apartment I share with Alyssa, pressing my nose into the pale pink flowers. I’m just about to call out for her, as I assume they’re from Wren, when I see my name very carefully written on the card.
Olivia,
I hope your exam went well.
Congratulations on being finished with college.
I hope you’ll give me a call sometime.
BC
Present Day
I’m brought from my thoughts by someone approaching, and before I even look up, my heart sinks and I dig my nails into my palm as I steel myself for my mother-in-law. “Wrenny!”
“You called her?” I groan, under my breath as I stand up and wait for her to criticize everything about me. Heaven forbid I stay seated. Dressed to the nines, as usual, Caroline Clarke glides down the hallway. Her brown hair is cut into a sleek bob and I know there’s not a hair out of place. Bennett’s mother exuded style and confidence and is undeniably chic. I always thought she reminded me of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. If she didn’t drive me completely insane, I’d actually love to raid her closet.
“Mrs. C.” He smiles and gives her a polite nod.
She doesn’t acknowledge my presence when she stops in front of us and fixes her eyes on Wren. “What happened to my baby? Is he alright, can I see him?” Her voice is surprisingly calm, though I’m sure she’s just building up to the full-blown hysteria.
“I was just discussing that with Liv. He’s suffered some head trauma, more specifically a subdural hematoma, which is a brain bleed.” I immediately prepare myself for the performance that Caroline Clarke is gearing up to give. It will be unprecedented, I’m sure. Her hand finds her chest and then her mouth and then her chest again. Her heavily made up green eyes are wide and unblinking as they move to room four zero nine. “Very common in car accidents, nothing to be alarmed about, we’re just going to keep him for a few days.”
“I…” She sniffles. “I want to see my child. Right now.” She points at the ground, and I give him a look that says, see what you did?
“Olivia, I don’t know what that look is for, but I’m here now, so you can go. I know you may not care, but I certainly do,” she says snidely.
“I care,” I tell her. “I was still married to him for almost seven years.”
“Shame, all that time wasted.”
“Enough, Caroline.” Wren speaks up and I know that he’s typically the peacekeeper and usually polite, so I’m surprised at his comment, although I know that he’s very familiar with our relationship.
“Wren, dear, try to understand my perspective. She left my poor son after she failed to give him any children.” She pulls out a compact and dabs at her eyes before sliding it back inside her Chanel bag. Her eyes flit to mine and for a second, I see a bit of regret over her choice of words beneath her green eyes that match Bennett’s, but just as quick as I see it, it’s gone and I’m left with the usual contempt she has for me.
