He takes a step toward the front door, but Ashton moves to stand in front of him. He grunts in disapproval and points down at our table. “Not until you pay for my girlfriend's dinner, like a gentleman.”
It takes everything in me not to burst out in laughter. I place a hand over my lips and watch as Jerry nods in agreement before taking out his wallet and placing a hundred-dollar bill onto the table. Ashton moves out of Jerry’s way, but before he can make his escape, Zane is now standing in his way with his arms crossed, snarling down at Jerry, who’s about a foot shorter than him.
Maybe Zane has an inner lion in him after all.
“Olivia es mi novia,” he says in a horrible Spanish accent.
“Zane!” I try to snarl softly without making a scene, but everyone at MJ’s Diner is already watching us.Great. If I thought Ashton created a scandal, I have no doubt that, by the time I get home, everyone in Covewood will think I’ve been dating both Ashton and Zane. I might have to start wearing a scarlet letter in town.
“No, she’s mine.” Ashton frowns at his best friend.
As Zane and Ashton are having a stare-down, Jerry slips past them and bolts toward the front door before disappearing down the street. I’m so thankful that he lives in a different town so I don’t have to worry about running into him again.
“Uh-hmm,” I grunt, and now it’s my turn to cross my arms and frown.
Zane looks at me first, shrugging his shoulders as if he did nothing wrong, before adding, “I told you I could be scary.”
I reach out and swat his arm.
“Ouch! What did you do that for?”
“Because now everyone in Covewood is going to think that I’m a…” I don’t finish my sentence. Instead, I slump down into my chair in defeat, ready to throw in the towel with dating.
“We apologize, people of Covewood. Ashton and I were saving Olivia from a bad date. You may go back to attending your delicious dinners,” Zane announces.
“You’re an idiot,” Ashton mutters to Zane before giving my shoulder a hard pat. “You’ll be okay, Liv. It’s just a bad date, not a bad life.”
I shrug my shoulders and down the rest of my water before grabbing my purse and slipping it over my shoulder.
“You're not mad at me, are you?” Zane asks, peering down at me.
“I’m not exactly excited about your existence right now. But no, I’m not mad.” I try to frown at him, but it’s hard to do when Zane is one of my best friends, and I know he was trying to help me out. A smirk cracks beneath the mask on my face. “Ask me again tomorrow.”
He wraps an arm around my shoulders and gives me a tight side hug. “Do you need a ride home? Ash and I can get to-go boxes and?—”
“No,” I cut him off. “I’ll walk home. I can use the fresh air.”
“But—” Ashton adds.
“I live three blocks away. I’ll be fine. I promise. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“We’re here for you, anytime,” Zane says, and Ashton nods in agreement.
“Thanks, guys,” I say before leaving the diner.
I step outside and begin walking toward my house.Twinkling lights drape the bare branches overhead, and the faint scent of pine drifts through the chilly air. Normally, I’d smile at the thought that it’s the Christmas season—my favorite time of year. However, there’s a heaviness settling inside my chest, knowing another date has failed me.
I’m starting to think that the idea of a man who will love me formedoesn’t exist. I’ve had one long-lasting relationship that I thought might lead to marriage, only to find out, almost two years later, that it led to crashing and burning.
I should’ve learned a long time ago how to recognize an unhealthy relationship before letting it wreck me. In my mind, I can almost hear my mother’s lectures:“People who mistreat you don’t deserve your love, Olivia.”The words still echo in the corners of my memory, etched into me like they were meant to last, but somewhere along the way, I hit mute. I buried her voice beneath excuses, and hope, and all the things I wanted love to be.
Relationships are not a membership that someone needs to subscribe to. It’s never IOUs attached to broken hearts and tear-stained pillows. It’s hearing each other’s fears, and wants, and wishes and deciding that maybe you won’t always understand them completely, but you will always be there for each other. It’s built on unwavering trust—something I lost a long time ago. Because all I’ve ever known about relationships is that people who get close to my heart always choose to leave in the end.
Chapter Two
Luke
Ipractice my strides, attempting not to limp as I walk toward Olivia’s little bungalow. As I straighten my back, a sharp pain shoots down my leg, causing my left knee to give out as I stumble, hissing in pain. Today will definitely go down as one of the worst days of my career.
