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“No. Like I said, he hates me.”
“That seems kind of extreme. Maybe he was just shocked to see you again.”
“Maybe.” Even if he’d snapped at her tonight, he’d shown her a different side when he bought her that postcard. “But I can’t deal with him right now. I’m already under enough pressure.”
“Do you need my support?” Sofia’s voice perked up. “I could come to Cyprus in a heartbeat. I’ve never been there.”
“That’s okay. I’ll be fine.” As much as she adored her little sister, Olivia couldn’t handle any distractions. Not when Grant was just waiting for her to mess up.
“Okay. Well, let me know if you change your mind since I’m only a teensy plane ride away. I’d love to get some new sponsors and do a series about Cyprus.”
“Thanks. Right now, I need to get settled.”
“I think my ride is here. Have fun, okay? Like actual fun, not Olivia fun. And don’t let Mr. Hottie get to you.”
With that, she signed off. Still seated, Olivia slowly released the air from her lungs. Seeing Rick again had brought back a host of powerful memories. For years, she’d tucked them into a corner of her mind and locked them up tight. But tonight, that was no longer possible.
So she let them back in.
The summer before her sophomore year of college, she’d participated in her first dig—a two-month archaeological field school in Clear Lake, California. She’d been with sixteen other undergrads, bunking in army tents and learning excavation techniques. She loved everything about it. The thrill of uncovering artifacts. The camaraderie and inside jokes. The satisfying exhaustion she felt at the end of each day.
She’d bonded with Rick right away. Like her, he’d just completed his freshman year of college and was passionate about archaeology. He didn’t just want to travel; he wanted to have adventures. She fell harder for him than she’d ever fallen for anyone, and he felt the same way. Even though he was returning to Berkeley after the dig ended while she’d be back in San Diego, they both believed they could make their relationship last.
When she was with him, she felt like a different person—someone who wasn’t afraid to let loose and take chances. One night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, he convinced her to sneak out with him. He borrowed one of the staff trucks and took her to the lake, where they went night swimming, kissed under the stars, and shared a bottle of brandy he’d smuggled into camp. When they returned at one in the morning without getting caught, Olivia had felt like a badass.
The next few weeks followed the same delightfully wicked pattern. More swimming, more late-night conversations, more swoony make-out sessions. Until the night they were caught in a powerful storm. As the rain hammered down and the lightning flashed, they waited in the shelter of the truck rather than risk the roads. Lulled by the steady rainfall, they fell asleep in each other’s arms until the sun streamed in through the truck’s windows the next morning.
By the time they made it back to camp, everyone knew what they’d done. Given that their crimes included underage drinking and “borrowing” a camp vehicle without permission, the dig director could have involved the police. Instead, he’d expelled them from field school and called their parents. Rick’s father arrived first, but Olivia waited all day for her dad, her apprehension growing with each passing minute.
When he arrived, he was more upset than she’d ever seen him. No matter how many times she apologized, he refused to listen. It was months before he forgave her.
She couldn’t believe how stupid she’d been. She’d put her whole future in jeopardy—all because Rick had sweet-talked her into breaking the rules. The toughest thing to accept was that he wasn’t entirely to blame. He might have provided the lure, but she’d taken the bait like a lovestruck idiot.
Her adventures ended there. Though she’d been tempted to go out in the field again, she was too afraid to take the risk. What if other archaeologists got wind of her epic failure? They’d never respect her. And how could she trust her own judgment after the mistakes she’d made?
After she and Rick had parted, he’d reached out to her for weeks, but she wouldn’t answer his calls or his texts. Even though she missed him, she couldn’t let him back into her life. Not if there was any chance she’d be tempted again.
Up until now, she’d never considered how much her actions must have hurt him. No wonder he hadn’t been pleased to see her again.
The sound of footsteps startled her back to the present day. With a jolt, she peered up, only to see Rick standing over her. Having him appear after her deep dive into their memories threw her heartbeat into a wild cadence.
“What’s up?” she said.
“I was out looking for you. What are you doing all the way over here?”
He was looking for her? If he was trying to stir up shit, she wasn’t having it. Today had been enough of an emotional roller coaster. She stood and brushed dirt off her bottom. “My sister called to check in on me, and I didn’t want to wake the others.”
“Must be nice. I haven’t talked to anyone in my family in weeks.”
She didn’t recall him being at odds with them. “Why not?”
“It’s not important.” His scowl suggested her question wasn’t welcome.
Fine. Let him keep his secrets.
A wave of tiredness washed over her. After everything she’d been through, she didn’t have the strength to keep fighting with him. “Look, I’m exhausted. Is there something you wanted?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I came over here to apologize. I was a dick today. Sorry.”
