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Besides, we both had our own lives to live—on differentcontinents. A few weeks from now, there would be an entireoceanbetween the two of us. It would be foolish to indulge in dreams that belonged in the past.
But when he called me ten minutes ago, I could sense something was wrong. He didn’t want to talk over the phone and insisted on seeing me before I went home. Oliver rarely acted like that, but after yesterday…I didn’t want to make much out of our interactions.
“That’s all there is to it, Bud,” I murmured to my faithful companion as I finally managed to lock the door. “Nothing more to it, right?”
Suddenly, Buddy started barking excitedly. I turned around and found Oliver haphazardly parking his bike by the bushes, looking like he’d been stung by an adder. His hair was a bit wet and messy, his eyes flashing wildly. His shirt was also wet and clung to his body in places.
“Amanda!” he called out in a breathless voice. His eyes darted around. “Are you alone?”
I noticed it first—the stench of alcohol on his breath. A long time ago, the combination of Oliver and alcohol was a heady concoction that stirred a lot of things in me. Now, it only rang alarm bells in my head.
“Yes,” I said uneasily. “It’s just Buddy and me now.”
“I need to tell you something…” he paused for a while and then, “I saw Dan today.”
I shook my head and laughed nervously. “You must be mistaken, Oliver. Dan left earlier this morning for work. He won’t be back until late tonight.”
I remembered my disappointment when he left this morning. It had become something I had gotten used to, a chronic ache that had been there that I had learned to accept as part of our relationship.
He’s just a busy man…
But Oliver was insistent, “I saw him, Amanda. He was at the lake today—with somebody else.”
The pain clawed at my heart, hot and searing, even as I backed away from him. “You’re lying, Oliver.”
“I’m not!” he argued, and then his voice softened. “I swear, I’m not, Amanda. I wouldn’t make this up to hurt you.”
“You’re lying and on top of that, you’redrunk!” I flung back at him. He tried to hold my arm but I pushed him away. “Why are you doing this, huh? Is it because you don’t want me to be happy with him? You think you can just walk into my life and mess it up just like that?”
“I swear I’m not doing this to hurt you!” he shoved his hand into his hair in frustration. “Look, Julian and I went to the lake to drink a couple of bottles while we caught up with stuff. I took a dip in the lake and that’s when I saw them—they were out in one of those rowboats kissing each other.”
I backed away from him. He looked crazy, and hesoundedcrazy. I knew Dan. I knew he would never hurt me the way Oliver was claiming. This was all a mistake. This was all a huge mistake…
“You’re wrong, Oliver,” I shook my head. “You drank more than you should and you thought you saw something. Dan would never do that to me.”
I tugged at Buddy’s leash and he whined as he glanced up at Oliver. “Let’s go home, Bud.”
“Amanda—”
I glared fiercely at him. “Stay away from me, Oliver. Go away and stay away! I never want to see you again!”
I turned around and angrily stomped to my car. Buddy followed with droopy ears behind me but he kept looking back at Oliver, who was still standing by the kindergarten door, grief etched on his handsome face. I glared at him when he hesitated and motioned to his carrier. Buddy let out another sad whine, but he clambered inside when he saw my stern face. I secured the carrier in the back of my car and drove back home.
I knew I shouldn’t, but I looked back at him through my rear-view mirror. Oliver was still standing where I left him, his features a mask of sadness and dejection as I drove away.
* * *
At home, I slammed the door shut after Buddy trailed inside with a sad look on his face. He hated it when I did that, but I was fuming with rage and hurt.
I thought I made it clear to Oliver when we talked at the cafe yesterday. Twelve years is a damn long time. He had his life and I had my own. Why couldn’t he just stay on his side of the fence and let me live my own life peacefully? Who did he think he was, barging into my life, making me feel all sorts of conflicting feelings, and thendrive a wedge between me and my boyfriend?
I dialed up Dan’s number and he answered me on the fifth ring. As soon as his voice came through, I felt myself calm down a little.
What was I doing disrupting his work? I never called whenever he was at the office because I didn’t want to be that clingy, annoying girlfriend. He’s probably in the middle of something and here I am being so needy…
“Hello, babe?” he answered. When I didn’t say anything, he started to get worried. “Babe, is everything alright?”
I tried to fight back the tears but they came running down my cheeks. “I saw Oliver again today,” I told him. “He said some things…”
