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Chapter 1
Olivia
Two years later
I bounce my leg as I sit in the chair in the therapist's office. Dr. Horne sits in his chair across from me with his leg crossed over his other knee and balancing a notebook against his leg.
Dr. Horne is at least 50 years old with graying dark hair, a mustache, and a goatee he likes to rub as he asks me questions. This is the fifth therapist I have seen since Kevin tried to kill me and then killed himself. Since the incident, as my mother likes to call it, I have suffered from crippling anxiety. Everyone thinks they have a magical cure. But no one can undo what Kevin did to me out in the woods. No one can know what it was like when I finally woke up after being unconscious for who knows how long, and found Kevin's body lying next to me. Broken ribs that took months to heal, and I had to drag myself to the car, and it took hours to open the door and then get my cell phone to call for help. I passed out so many times trying to get into the car, where my purse and cell phone were.
I lay on the ground after I called for help for what seemed like hours before I was jolted awake by the sirens from the police cars and ambulance. My arm was broken in several places, along with my leg. Apparently, Kevin had stomped on not only my head but my arm and leg as well, breaking both. I spent months in rehabilitation learning to walk again and feed myself after the traumatic brain injury I suffered from the punches and the stomping of my head.
Kevin's mom came to the hospital to say how sorry she was for what her son had done to me. She came in while I was sitting in a wheelchair near the window in my hospital room. My leg and arm were both in casts, while my head and ribs were wrapped up. She knelt next to the wheelchair and cried with her head resting on my leg. I felt a pang of sympathy for her, as she had lost her son. Then she said, “Olivia, I’m so sorry I should have gotten him some help.” So she knew he was violent and a danger to others, and she did nothing. I just stared out the window, not talking.
Finally, after I didn’t answer her at all she got up, kissed me on the forehead, and left my room. A single tear rolled down my cheek that I swiped away.
I look at Dr. Horne as he talks to me. He mostly talks while I sit and observe. I haven’t felt much like talking since it happened. Sitting here listening to Dr. Horne drone on, he tells me to think of a time when I should have seen a red flag with Kevin.
What the fuck is going on? I wanted to scream at Kevin. He begged me to get on my knees and give him a proper apology.
I felt my face flush with anger and humiliation as I looked at Kevin, who was still gripping me. "What do you mean, Kevin? Why should I apologize to you?"
He looked down at me, his eyes dark with anger. "You know exactly what you did, Olivia. You embarrassed me in front of our friends. You made me look like a fool."
I felt a surge of defiance rise up in me. "I didn't do anything wrong, Kevin. You were the one who was acting like an asshole. You were flirting with that other girl right in front of me!"
Kevin's grip on me tightened, and I winced in pain. "That's not the point, Olivia. You disrespected me. And now you need to make it right."
I shook my head, tears of anger and frustration welling up in my eyes. "I'm not going to apologize to you, Kevin. I didn't do anything wrong."
He glared at me for a long moment, then suddenly released me and stepped back. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "If that's how you want it, then we're done."
I watched in shock as he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there alone and confused. I knew that our relationship was over, but I couldn't help feeling relieved that I had stood up for myself.
A few months after the incident where he broke up with me, Kevin picked me up from school. He said he wanted to apologize to me for breaking up and that he felt he should come and see me to apologize in person.
Kevin pulled up as I was walking home from school, his music blaring as he slammed on the brakes next to me on the sidewalk trying to scare me. I jumped as he got out of his car and ran around gripping my arm. “Olivia please, I need to talk to you,” Kevin said gripping my arm tightly.
“No Kevin, you said we were done so that’s that,” I said trying to pull my arm away. I dropped my book I had been carrying onto the sidewalk. “Please just let me go, you’re hurting me.”
“Just come with me, I want to apologize to you, and you’re not letting me,” Kevin said looking into my eyes.
I stared back at him and sighed. He wasn’t going to let up, I knew that look he gave me, a look of determination etched upon his face. “Fine,” I said and Kevin released his grip upon my arm. I bent over to pick up my book and came over to the car. Getting in on the passenger side, Kevin took off down the street.
As the car sped down the familiar streets, the tension between us was palpable. Kevin's apology hung in the air, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was truly sorry for. Was it the way he ended things, or was it something deeper? I glanced out the window, watching the cityscape blur by, lost in my own thoughts. Memories of our relationship flashed through my mind, both the good and the bad. It had been a whirlwind romance, filled with passion and laughter, but it had also been marked by arguments and jealousy.
Finally, Kevin pulled into a secluded park, a place we used to frequent during our happier days. The memories flooded back, overwhelming me with a mix of nostalgia and pain. I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for whatever Kevin had to say. We stepped out of the car, the silence between us deafening. Kevin cleared his throat, his gaze fixed on the ground. "Olivia, I know I messed up. I should have never ended things the way I did. It was immature and unfair to you."
His words hung in the air, and a part of me wanted to believe him, to give him a chance at redemption. But another part of me couldn't forget the hurt he had caused. "Kevin, apologies don't erase the pain. Breaking up with me was one thing, but the way you treated me just now... it's not okay."
He looked up, regret etched on his face. "I know, and I'm truly sorry for that too. I let my emotions get the best of me. I've been struggling with my own demons, and I took it out on you. I never meant to hurt you, Olivia."
I studied his face, searching for sincerity. There was a vulnerability in his eyes that I hadn't seen before, and it made me pause. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for us to heal from this if he was willing to put in the work.
"I appreciate your apology, Kevin," I said softly. "But it's going to take more than words to rebuild the trust that was broken. If you're serious about making amends, we'll need to take things slow and work through our issues together."
Kevin nodded, his expression filled with determination. "I understand, Olivia. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. I don't want to lose you."
As we stood there, facing each other, I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Perhaps this was the turning point we needed, a chance to rebuild what was broken. I couldn’t help but wonder if he really was remorseful and things would change between us.
