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It was decently sized, with enough room for Oliver to move around comfortably. Counters lined the wall, giving him plenty of space for prep work, and the cupboards were all high ones. The color scheme was light, giving the kitchen a neutral vibe that I could appreciate, and I considered the curtains curiously.
They were a nice shade of burgundy, adding a pop of color to the kitchen, and something told me that’d been one of Oliver’s purchases, not his family.
Shaking that to the side, I watched as the man himself breezed in. He snuck a glance inside the bag and beamed, kissing my head.
“Thanks, it’ll be nice to have food at work that doesn’t come from a vending machine.”
I shrugged, leaning into the contact. “I won’t be able to all the time thanks to my job but I don’t mind making you lunch when I can.”
Snagging the bag, he ran a hand through his hair and smiled down at me. “I wouldn’t expect you to do it all the time anyway. You’re busy, just like I am, and besides, I can’t take it for granted if it’s only every now and then, right?”
Before I could say anything, he continued. “Whenever you feel like doing it, I’ll appreciate it, but there’s no pressure. We’re both adults, and if I wanted my lunch made that badly, I’d do it myself.”
That was better than Harvey. He’d always been downright surly if I didn’t have his dinner on the table at the exact same time every night. It didn’t matter to him that I worked late some days and came home exhausted.
The longer I spent away from him, the more I remembered about our relationship and how it was on the edge of being abusive. He’d never fully crossed that line–I would have run away from him if he had–but maybe that’swhyhe didn’t.
He knew how to be subtle enough that I didn’t even realize he was manipulating me.
A chill worked down my spine at the thought, and I shoved the mental topic away. Instead, I focused on Oliver and the appreciation burning behind his eyes.
Standing, I kissed his cheek and stayed there for a second, enjoying the scratch of his stubble. When his phone beeped with an alarm though, he pulled away with a grimace.
“I have to head out, but like I said, feel free to stay as long as you want.”
I followed him to the door, watching as he prepared to go. Just as he was walking out, I said. “Have a nice day at work.”
He nodded, pulling me in for one last hug before walking away. Once the sound of his car faded in the distance, I moved for his room.
Right, time to get changed and start the day.
Chapter 14
The restaurant was hopping today, and it was all I could do to keep up with the orders. The other waitresses were in the same boat, all of us working like a well-oiled machine to keep the tables cleaned and full of people.
I hadn’t seen Emily yet, thankfully. I would have snapped if I’d had to deal with her remarks about Oliver for one more minute.
Personally, I thought I’d been handling it remarkably well since we’d started dating. It’d only been a few weeks, but Emily seemed determined to tear down my happiness over it with her snide remarks.
“He’s just going to leave you.”
“You’re going to get hurt, thanks to him.”
“He’s a playboy and a cheater.”
Every new comment made my blood boil hotter, and it’d been all I could do not to snap at work. I had no idea what had happened to make Emily despise Oliver so much, but I was beyond done with her behavior.
He’d already said he didn’t cheat, and I believed him.
Even if the little voice in the back of my head tried to plant doubts otherwise.
I didn’t realize that Harvey was capable of murder, and I’d been with him for years. What if she knew something I didn’t?
That insidious little voice dug its claws in, and I grimaced, trying to shake it. I didn’t used to have those kinds of trust issues, but it was another thing I could thank Harvey for. I had trouble trusting my judgment of people now and hated that he could do that to me.
Another customer came in, snapping me back to the present and away from the spiraling thoughts. This wasn’t the time for them. Shoving the topic away to be considered later, I walked toward the woman waiting to be seated with a menu in hand.
She stood straight and tall in what looked like some kind of designer workout suit, the blaring pink color burning my eyes as she impatiently tapped her foot.
