“Iamstill nursing a broken heart,” I remind her, even though it suddenly hits me that I don’t quite feel that way. I’m pissed at Jack and want to punt him off the top of a volcano, sure, but I’m not sure ifheartbrokenis the way to describe how I’m feeling.
I should probably look into that further, but it’s late, I’m exhausted, and all I want to do after this shitstorm of a day is go to bed.
It actually wasn’t atotalshitstorm of a day,I muse.It wasjust a shitty bump in the road, but the rest of the afternoon turned out pretty okay.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that.” Mom’s voice coming through the receiver startles me and points out that I actually said that last part out loud. “So go to sleep, honey, and then try to let yourself enjoy your adventure tomorrow.”
“I’ll try.” Though I suspect that with Tyler involved, it won’t be very hard. He was always the best at planning our adventure days. “I love you, Mom. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“I love you too, pea.” She yawns. “Be safe, and have fun.” She wishes me good night and by the time we hang up, I’m staring at the dark ceiling with my phone pressed against my chest, my thoughts swirling at a million miles per hour.
Jack.
Jack andLilly.
Tyler.
Tyler’s family taking me in.
Our adventure day tomorrow.
Jack.
Things failing with Jack.
What the fuck am I going to do now?
“What I’m going to do is try to keep it together,” I sigh into the dark, feeling the edges of my vision get fuzzy as I drift off to sleep.
As if that’s ever worked out for me in the past.
Chapter Eighteen
When I wake up the next morning, I decide that it’s more than literally the dawn of a new day. It’s the dawn of a new Olive—one who doesn’t let herself mourn stupid guys like Jack Cameron.
New Olive is brave,I remind myself as I slip out of bed, brush my teeth, and yank on a T-shirt and shorts for the day.New Olive is a badass.
I even decide to leave my planner tucked in my suitcase before I head into the kitchen for breakfast.New Olive sometimes hands things to the universe to decide her fate.
That last one is a bit scary, so I have to give myself a few calming breaths as I walk down the hall, but I do it. I slide onto a stool at the breakfast bar and grab a box of cereal that Ella left out, along with a carton of milk. Getting myself set up, I take out my phone to idly scroll social media while I start eating, patiently waiting for my sleepy brain to turn on for the day.
“All right.” Tyler claps his hands, causing me to lift my head from where I’m sitting devouring my Lucky Charms. “Let’s get a move on.”
“What exactly is on our agenda today?” I ask as we cleanup and then meander down the driveway. I boost myself into the Jeep. Tyler starts the engine. Even though I’m a bit wary of spending time just the two of us after so many months apart, I can’t help the excitement bubbling in my stomach at the day that lies ahead.
“We, my dear Olive”—he winks at me as he pulls out of the driveway—“are going to explore the island of O?ahu.”
“Exploring?” I can’t help the playful laugh bursting from my chest as Tyler eases us down the sloped road and toward the main highway. “What do you know about Hawai?i? We got here at literally the same time.”
He scoffs as he makes a turn and picks up speed. The sunroof is open and the windows are rolled down, so the wind whips through the car and swirls my hair around, making it hard to see him. “Give me a little more credit than that. This isn’t the first time I’ve been here.”
I do the math in my head of when his brother and sister-in-law moved to the island. “They’ve only been here a little over a year, Ty.”
Through the floating tendrils of hair coating my face, I see his expression turn sheepish. “Okay, this is mysecondtime here. But I’m still not a total newbie like you are.” He shoots me a triumphant smirk and then starts to roll up the windows when he sees the messy state of my hair.
I dart my arm out and rest it on his bicep, stalling him. Tiny pinpricks of electricity sprout up where the pads of my fingers rest against his smooth skin, making me shiver involuntarily. “No, leave it. The air feels nice.” He nods at my request but looks straight ahead at the road, looking as if he’s swallowed a bug. “Is…is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” His voice sounds off, but the playfulness is gone, leaving me with an emotion that I’m not really able to process. Tyler shifts his arm out of my reach, scratching his temple, and I sit back in my seat and watch the tall green mountains and puffy clouds float by as we whip down the highway. We meander for a while, admiring the sights and the hypnotic blend of modern concrete and steel buildings mingling with the palm fronds and lush hills, the air smelling like both seawater and sunshine.
