He glares at me, unimpressed by my answer. “I mean it.”
“No worries, boss,” I say. “I’m way too tired these days for funny business anyway.”
I smirk, mostly to cover the way my gut tightens. But even as I say it, part of me wonders how long I’ll be able to keep that promise.
6
Olivia
Wild One - Faith Hill
Iget Teddy to school on time.Gold star for me.
It’s my first official day on the job, and somehow, we managed to make it through the morning without a single meltdown. Not that it was smooth. Not even close. He’d insisted on finishing a Lego tower before we left. And when I gently tried to nudge him along, his whole body went still—rigid in a way that made every part of me freeze too. One wrong move and I knew I’d either push him into a spiral, or worse, shut him down completely. So I sat there, counting quietly under my breath, waiting until he was done. Only then did he slip his little hand into mine and let me guide him out the door. My heart kind of stuttered then. So yeah, we were on time. Barely. But I’ll take it.
Theodore, I found out, is his full name. But when I called him that yesterday, Sebastian shut it down instantly. “It’s Teddy,” he said with a look that left no room for argument. Like that onedetail meant more to him than everything else we’d covered. Like getting it right mattered in a way I didn’t fully understand yet. But I’m learning. Slowly. One block, one quiet moment, one step at a time. By the time I slide into my car after my first successful drop-off, the adrenaline is still humming in my veins.
We’d talked about it—briefly. Just enough for me to know this whole setup is casual. Sebastian said he’d have time off at the end of the year, and until then, he needed the help.
This is fine,I tell myself.I can handle this.
Except I’ve never handled anything like this before, and the weight of not wanting to let Teddy down presses hard against my ribs. My phone lights up with Bradley’s name. Of course.
“Morning, sunshine,” I say, forcing cheer into my voice.
“You’ve got to stop making impulsive decisions, Liv.” His tone is softer than I expect, but it lands like a punch anyway.
I groan, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel. “Nice to hear from you, too.”
“I mean it. You can’t just jump into things without thinking.”
“And you can’t parent me over the phone,” I snap, eyes on the road as I pull away from the kerb. “I’m not twelve.”
“With the way you act sometimes, I wonder.”
Heat prickles at the back of my neck. Easy for him to say. Bradley has never failed at anything in his life. Not once. Meanwhile, I’ve tried everything. I did the studying. I got the shiny bachelor’s degree. I ticked the boxes, and in the end, none of it fit. None of it was what I wanted. Being the youngest Mitchell means there’s always been this invisible pressure to keep up, even if nobody ever said it out loud. Mum and Dad never pushed. My brothers never compared. But I did.Icompared. Because I don’t want to be the one who falls short. I can’t be.
“I’m serious, Liv. You can’t just—”
“You can’t tell me what to do anymore,” I bite out. “I’m an adult. What I do, who I hang out with, who I date—it’s none of your business.”
He scoffs. “What the fuck does dating have to do with this?”
“Oh, you know what I mean.” My grip on the wheel tightens. “My whole life, you’ve dictated what I do and how I do it. You have no right. Is it because he’s your best friend? Your work colleague? Get over it.”
“Liv—”
“No, don’t ‘Liv’ me.” My chest tightens. “You secretly dated my best friend, remember? And I survived.”
He almost growls through the phone. “Don’t get any ideas in your head. This is different. He’s got responsibilities. Big ones. This isn’t like some boy your age.”
I don’t answer. I can’t. Because part of me thinks that’s exactly the point. Older men have always seemed more put-together. More certain. Like they know what they want. But what do I know? I’ve barely figured out whatIwant.
“Unbelievable,” I mutter.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Or reckless.” His voice softens, and for a second, he’s not lecturing me, he’s just my brother. My worried brother. “That’s all I’m asking.”
My throat tightens. “Fine. I promise. Happy?”
