I inhale sharply, the air thick with the weight of her defiance.On her own.As if she doesn’t know I will move heaven and earth for her—that I would tear the world apart if she so much as asked.
Why now?After everything we’ve shared, why would she shut me out of this, of all things?
“You don’t have to do anything alone, Olivia.” My voice drops, low and insistent. “You have me.”
Her eyes soften, and for a moment, I think she’ll change her mind. She’ll let me fix this. Let me take care of her.
She places a hand on my chest, and I nearly shudder at the warmth of it.
“I know,” she whispers. “But I need to prove to myself that I can stand on my own, too.”
The ache in my chest intensifies. My thoughts are a vicious spiral.She doesn’t trust me. She’s creating distance. She wants a life separate from me.
I can’t take it.
Without thinking, I reach for her and curl my fingers around her wrist—seeking connection, not restraint.
“Then let me take you,” I insist. “Let me at least be there to support you.”
“Thank you, but I can manage this.” Her fingers brush gently against mine. “Please, my love. I need to do this for me.”
My frustration mounts, the fear beneath it clawing at my ribs.
“No, Olivia, please…” The words tumble out, my voice cracking despite myself. I grip her arms now, my desperation fully exposed. “I hate being shut out like this. At least tell me where you’ll be.”
Her eyes turn glassy. I can tell that she hates seeing me like this, that it upsets her to think of hurting me…but not enough to change her mind.
She takes a deep breath.
“Nathaniel,” she says carefully, her voice shaky but resolute. “I’m just asking for a little space. If you can’t give me that…then I don’t think I should come back to the penthouse tonight.”
My axis tilts. The ground beneath me seems to crack open. The threat of her absence slams into me, a sharp, unbearable blow.
“No.” The word is barely a breath. My chest hurts. I’ve forgotten how to breathe without her. I weigh my options, and it quickly becomes clear that it’s not worth the risk of pushing her further. “Fine.” The word tastes like ash. “But I’ll be waiting. You will text me the moment it’s over, and I will come pick you up.”
Olivia shakes her head. “I will text you when it’s over,” she says calmly. “But you will not come and get me. You need to trust that I’ll keep my word and come to you. In the same way I need to be able to trust that you will keep yours and not interfere with this.”
I say nothing. I won’t make promises I can’t keep. And maybe Olivia knows that, but for now, she accepts my silence.
She steps closer, cupping my face in her hands. I lean into it instinctively, my body craving her. And when she kisses me, it’s like oxygen flooding my lungs. I respond instantly, my arms locking around her, desperate to keep her there.
She sighs into my mouth, the sound a balm to my fraying nerves. But it’s not enough. I pour everything into the kiss—my need, my fear, my desperation—hoping she’ll feel it. Hoping she’ll understand.
When she finally pulls away, I chase her lips, unwilling to let her go. But she cups my cheek again, her thumb tracing the edge of my jaw.
“Tell me you love me,” I urge, pressing my forehead to hers.
She smiles. “I love you. So much.”
She presses a final kiss to the side of my mouth. “I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
And then she pulls away. I let her go because I have no choice. My arms feel empty without her. The warmth of her touch fades too quickly.
I watch her disappear down the walkway, and every step she takes feels like a knife twisting deeper.
But then that pang of loss shifts. My pulse slows, my thoughts sharpening.
She can have her space. But I’ll always know how to find her.
