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Chapter Thirty-Nine
She was floating. Her heart was full and so was her stomach. Between the shake Niles gave her and all the food she consumed, Ollie was happy as shit. They were surrounded by their favorite people and food trucks that she had been obsessed with on their first date. Ollie looked around at everyone and then at her boyfriend and realized she had everything she always wanted. This was herfamilyand they were willing to stick it out with her through everything.
When she broke up with Jackson, she knew it was going to kill her to be away from him. But it was the right thing to do at the time. Both of them needed space and she needed Jackson to realize where he’d gone wrong. Obviously everything that had happened with the family meeting and coming to terms with what he’d learned about his sister had made things clearer for him. And she could tell that Jackson was serious about making a change, which was all she could ask for.
Someone had set up benches and chairs and their entire group of friends and family sat down and dug into the food. Niles kept everyone’s shakes filled, there was a steady stream of tacos, donuts and waffles.
“What’s going through that pretty head of yours?”
Ollie glanced at Jackson, who was watching her curiously. “I’m happy for Frankie.”
Jackson looked over at their friends and smiled. “I think Milo’s in love with her.”
“Well, good for Milo.”
“Areyougood?”
She nodded. “I am. I’mreallygood.”
“You look pensive.”
“Just thinking…”
Jackson tucked her hair behind her ear. “About us?”
“Obviously,” she smiled and leaned into his hand. “A year ago, I kept telling myself I wasn’t ready to meet anyone or have a serious relationship. And you appeared almost like the universe was telling me to get over myself.”
“I know you don’t have regrets, because you’re here, but there is abut…”
Ollie smiled. “But…I’ve been scared this whole time. I love you and I love what we have, but I feel like I waswaitingfor something to go wrong. When your sister laid into me I felt like it was myaha moment. Like there’s the other shoe falling.”
“You think you willed this into existence?”
“No, but I was waiting for it,” Ollie sighed.
“We pushed through it and look where we are now.”
Ollie nodded, because he was right. Theyhadpushed through it, talked about it and learned from everything that had gone wrong. And he’d fought for her, which was enough.
“Jackson.”
“Oleander,” he smiled as he looked at her.
“I think it’s time for us to gohome.”
He got to his feet and held out a hand. “All right.”
The short ridehome was quiet as she watched Jackson drive, his hand on her thigh, thumb stroking against her jeans-clad leg. Discounting the time they’d beenbroken up, they’d been together for nine months and she’d connected more with Jackson in that short time than she had with any of her past relationships. She’d found someone she could spend her life with and it was the last person she expected it to be.
Since Lachlan was still at the park, the apartment was empty. A few lamps were on and Ollie sighed happily as she stepped into the warm apartment and shed her coat. She offered him something to drink and Jackson agreed on a glass of wine before going to get out of his outfit.
The last time they’d been in this apartment together, Ollie had been angry. They were different people now—she was stronger and he was learning. They still loved each other, but there was a different kind of charge in the apartment. Ollie shook her head, trying not to get too caught up in the past. It had changed the course of their relationship, but loving Jackson was the easiest thing she’d ever done.
Having Jackson in her apartment could have been a trigger, but it was comforting. Their love for each other was bigger than the fight, bigger than the pain they’d struggled through. Ollie wondered if Jackson could feel it too, because it was crackling and goosebumps exploded across her skin.
In the kitchen, she pulled out her last remaining bottle of wine along with the corkscrew. Ollie also set the glasses on the counter and worked to open the bottle. The corkscrew didn’t go in straight and in her frustration, Ollie yanked it out. Her hand smacked into one of the glasses, which shattered on contact and knocked the other one over, shattering on the floor.
Andof course, in all of that, she hurt herself.
