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I reach forward to take her hand and squeeze it. “Never. I don’t think she could ever hate you. She may hate me, though. She’s had a lot more practice at that.”
“She’s never said anything like that to me,” Felicia murmurs, squeezing my hand back. Her face is still downcast and uncertain, and I yearn to put her at ease. “Even when she was furious with you. She sometimes thinks you don’t understand her, but she knows that you always want what’s best for her even if you don’t agree about it.”
Sometimes, we all need the reminder that our kid doesn’t hate us.
And sometimes we need the reminder that our friends have our back as well.
“Felicia, I don’t think you understand the difference you’ve made in her life. In both of our lives. Olivia is confident in herself because you’ve helped her learn how to be kind to herself. And you’ve made me realize that I’m capable of loving someone again, even though I thought I was long past feeling like this ever again.”
Her green eyes are shining with emotion when she finally looks up at me. I bring her hand to my lips and press a kiss to her knuckles to reassure her.
“Everything’s going to be fine. We’ll figure it out. It’s not going to be easy, but the best things in life are always worth whatever challenge they give us.”
“You really think so?” she asks, her voice quiet but strong, just like she is.
I lean forward and press a kiss to her temple. “I know so.”
Chapter 8
Felicia
The days have passed in a wonderful blur. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect getaway. It’s like a dream, almost too good to be true.
But it’s not. It’s real.
Not even the thought of returning to our regular lives can get me down.
I watch him as he starts cracking eggs into the pan for dinner. He didn’t judge me at all when I asked him to make them, even though we had the same thing for breakfast. Something about doing something so homey like breakfast makes me incredibly happy, so I can’t help requesting it for dinner. He looks so domestic in his apron and gray sweats—how could I resist?
Thunder abruptly booms outside, making me jump with an undignified squeak. Brock turns and gives me a knowing smile. As the eggs begin to sizzle in the pan, he leans across the kitchen island to pull me in for a reassuring kiss.
“So much for our hike after dinner,” he says, glancing out at the gathering storm.
“I don’t mind,” I say. “I love the storms up here.”
“Just glad you’re not getting bored yet.”
“Never,” I say teasingly. He gives me a much longer kiss, one that has me sighing. “Or at least not any time soon.”
“That’s more like it.”
His smile warms me through even more than the fire in the fireplace on the other side of the living area. It’s spring, still, so being at such a high altitude means there’s still snow clinging to the ground in some places. With the rain not popping up at random times as it likes to do, it can get even chillier in the blink of an eye. Brock jumps at any chance to build a fire so that we could cuddle in front of it.
It’s been nice to pretend the outside world exists, if even just for a few days. I know it hasn’t been the easiest for Brock, considering he’s an influential and important man in the tech industry. Unlike me, he’s been sure to keep up on his texts and emails.
For my part, I’ve continued to ignore my dad’s texts and calls. And the ones from work.
And Olivia.
As long as I’m not thinking about it, it isn’t stressful. When I do think about it, the guilt threatens to overwhelm me. I’ve been doing everything I can to avoid my phone. I’d much rather keep living this fantasy with Brock while I can.
Because I know I won’t be able to do it much longer.
No matter how much he’s reassured me, I can’t help wondering if our days are numbered. Something like what we have can’t possible work outside of the little world we’ve made for ourselves over the past few days.
Brock suddenly slides a plate across the counter to me, before topping up my glass of orange juice to complete our breakfast for dinner.
As if sensing my unease, he tries to break through the tension. “What would you say to staying longer than a week?”
