He jolts at my greeting, his phone jostling in his hands as he startles. “Jesus, Nate. You scared the shit out of me.”
Not wanting to waste time by apologizing, I ask, “Where’s Olive? I tried to text and call her, but I haven’t heard back. And we’ll need to leave soon.”
He purses his lips. “Well, I’m not surprised she didn’t tell you.”
I fight the annoyance because I know he’s right. “I know, I fucked up. I’ve been trying to apologize to her. But she isn’t answering my calls or texts and didn’t answer the door of her room.”
He sighs. “I don’t know what happened. All I know is she texted me and said she had to fly home last night.”
“Goddamn it,” I mutter, glancing around the lobby. Ian’s walking toward the door with Jenny.
Last night?
Something must’ve happened after we returned to the hotel. On the walk back from the library, she definitelydidn’t seem like anything happened during the meeting that would cause her to have to go home. She looked happy. At peace. Lighter.
It pisses me off that anything would have ruined that for her.
I look back at Cade. “Thanks, Cade. If you hear from her, will you please ask her to call me? I need to talk to her. Even if it’s just to know she’s okay.”
He gives me a sad smile and agrees.
Walking back outside, I help get the group loaded into the SUVs to head to the airport.
Uncertainty, guilt, and anxiety mix to form a rock inside my gut.
I’m the last to enter the plane, and my feet falter when Jenny is stopped in front, speaking with Cade. He has a look of disbelief as he nods slowly in response to whatever she’s saying.
“Everything good?” I ask when she walks away to take her seat.
Cade turns to me, still perplexed. “She just asked me for something. Asked. Not demanded. And she said please?” He rubs his forehead. “I think I might be having a fever dream.”
A low chuckle leaves my mouth, shocked, but pleasantly surprised, she took my reprimands seriously. Let’s just hope it lasts. I slap his shoulder. “You’re not in a fever dream. Looks like someone grew a conscience.”
He gives me a skeptical look as he turns away from me and goes back to prepping for the flight.
As I take my seat next to Ian, he glances up from his phone. “I meant to ask you, did you talk to Jack?”
I tilt my head back onto the headrest. “About the new contract?”
He nods.
“Yeah, I did. This is huge for us.”
“It is. Are you going back and help with it? Jack says the new guys are ready and can take over this job.”
Forty-eight hours ago, I didn’t have an ounce of doubt that I made the right decision when I told Jack I didn’t want to leave. Now…I’m beginning to wonder. Am I going to be able to stay here if Olive really is done with me? Do I want to see her every day? While everything in me is screaming to not give up, how hard can I push her before it becomes too much? I answer him the only way my heart allows me to, “No, I’m going to stay on this job.”
That is, if Olive comes back.
34
Olive
The sunshine assaulting me has me scrunching my face.
I really need to remember to close my curtains before I go to sleep.
I flip over in bed and burrow my head under my comforter. I would give anything for an hour more of sleep, even if my dreams are filled with a dark-haired man who’s crazy about me.
