Page 21 of In Full Bloom
“I’m happy you’re here,” she says back, her voice soft, the love in it evident. Love for me. Love I don’t deserve.
“I’m so sorry, Liv.” My voice cracks. “I ruin everything.”
“Shush,” she scolds. “You do not. Max is a jerk.”
“How do you know about Max?”
“Dallas told me. He was worried about you. Said you saw Max in town and that you were upset, but he didn’t think you’d appreciate his presence right now.”
I snort. “He’s right about that.” I sigh and press my eyes into my knees. “Max told him to watch out for me. Told him he needs to protect Sadie from me.” My voice breaks properly this time and I’m sobbing again.
Olivia hisses through her teeth. “I’m going to kill that bastard,” she declares. “Thatfucking asshole!” She takes a deep breath and refocuses with a shake of her head. “He’s wrong, okay? You know that, don’t you?”
I shrug helplessly. “I can’t stay here, Livvie, not with him here.”
“Katie,” she says, her voice serious. She takes my face in her hands and forces me to look her in the eye. “We donotlet Maxfucking-bastardSheridan dictate what we do. Do we?”
I shrug again but Olivia stares me down until I admit defeat. “No, we do not let Maxfucking-bastardSheridan dictate what we do.”
“Good,” she says, releasing my face after giving my cheek a gentle pat. “Why did you come home?”
“Because you needed my help,” I say, pulling out my line.
She scoffs. “Yeah, right. I know you love me, but you know we’d cope even if you weren’t here. That’s not saying I’m not happy you are here, but I know that isn’t your real reason.”
I sigh. I knew I couldn’t keep this under wraps for long, not with Olivia anyway. “I lost my job and ran out of money. I had nowhere else to go. Grandma’s house was my only option, at least until I’m allowed to sell it. Renting it was helpful, but it doesn’t bring in the kind of money I need to live in the city.”
“You lost your job?” She’s incredulous. I should have also known that I couldn’t slip that one past her.
“I filed a complaint that a manager was harassing a girl in my department.”
“You know they can’t fire you for that right?”
“Yeah, they didn’t fire me. They conveniently ‘restructured’ and my position was ‘no longer viable’.”
“Fucking bastards,” she mutters.
“I know, but there was nothing I could do. I needed a job and I needed somewhere to live. This was my only option.”
“But you don’t want to stay?” She looks disappointed.
“I want to stay, but only for Wildflower Ridge. I can’t stay, because of Kauri Creek. You know that, Livvie. This is a short-term fix, for both of us.”
“I know, I just wish you could stay. This place is your home. You could be happy here.”
I wish it were true. I really do. But this place isn’t my home, not anymore, and I’m not sure I’m capable of being happy anywhere. I don’t answer her, just lean my head against hers as we sit and stare out at the sunlight dappling the water of the lake.
Her phone buzzes and she pulls it out of her pocket, checking her messages.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, it’s just Dallas checking in. Making sure you’re okay.”
“Dallas?” I ask, my voice sceptical.
“Yeah,” she says, smiling down at her phone as she taps out her reply.
“I feel like we know different versions of the same man.”
