Page 20 of Shattered Mind

If her unusual quietness and shaking hands are anything to go by, then she’s pretty fucking far from fine.

I watch Olivia from my truck a moment as she fumbles with the lock on Hunter’s front door. After she drops the keys for a second time, I let out a resigned breath and climb out.

The last thing I want to do right now is comfort her. And after the traumatic events of today, I’m well aware that makes me an asshole, but I don’t know a fucking thing about comforting another person. I prefer to steer clear of emotions. I deal with my own shit in my own way, without the help of someone else.

“Here, let me,” I hold my hand out for her to pass me the keys, but she continues as though I never spoke.

“Why does he have so many fucking keys?” Liv huffs, her voice trembling slightly.

“Give me the keys, Liv.”

“I don’t need your fucking help,” she snaps, still refusing to look at me.

My head rears back slightly at her tone, but I quickly recover. “I don’t fucking care. Give me the goddamn keys, Olivia.”

My tone is harsher than I intended. She’s had a rough day, we all have, and if she needs to take it out on someone then that’s fine. She can yell at me all she wants.

Before my brain has a chance to protest against it, I place my hand on her shoulder and turn her to look at me. She flinches for the second time in the last ten minutes and my jaw clenches with barely restrained anger, because if it weren’t for that prick Ryan putting his fucking hands on her, she wouldn’t be flinching at all. “Look at me, Olivia.”

Her eyes meet mine reluctantly. “If you need someone to yell at, fine. If you need someone to punch, kick, or blame, I’m right fucking here. You are not the only person who almost lost someone today. You think I’m not angry? I’m fuckingraging.My brother almost died today. Savannah and Reign were kidnapped,youwere hurt by someone right under our fucking noses and we have no idea where he is, so give me the fucking keys and let me open the goddamn door.” My body trembles with barely contained rage by the time I finish my tirade.

Her shoulders slump as the fight leaves her and the first tear falls.

Fuck.

Her baby blues sparkle against the bloodshot whites of her eyes, and I curse myself for raising my voice.

I’ve seen those eyes burn with fury when I say something to piss her off. Twinkle with amusement when she’s up to no good. Every emotion she ever feels reflects in them, and right now, they’re soul destroying.

She places the keys in my hand, and I turn to unlock the door. Liv wastes no time pushing past me and rushing towards the guest room, no doubt to have her breakdownin private. I remain in the doorway for a beat and listen as she closes the door. Within seconds of it clicking shut I hear her sobs. A knot forms in my stomach as I war with myself. Do I go in there and apologise for my outburst? Or would it just make things worse?

Deciding she needs time to herself to process everything and feel what she needs to feel, I head towards the kitchen and grab a beer from the fridge before moving to the living room and turning on the TV. I kick my boots off and lean back against Hunter’s sofa.

Taking a long pull of my beer, I flick through the overwhelming number of children’s movies on his Netflix account.

I shake my head with a huffed laugh.

Never would’ve expected my brother to become a family man, but as I look around his house, at the toys scattered on the floor, the throw blankets draped over the side of his sofa and the discarded child-sized shoes in the corner, it’s glaringly obvious that’s exactly what he was meant to be.

I swallow down another mouthful of beer as I select a comedy movie, opting for something light after the darkness of the last twenty-four hours.

A door closes somewhere in the house, and I keep my gaze on the TV as Liv moves quietly through the kitchen. I hear a quiet gasp behind me and when I turn, I find her standing in the entryway clutching a beer in one hand and her chest in the other. Her eyes are swollen and red, cheeks puffy from crying and I look away quickly.

“You scared me. I didn’t know you were still here.” She says, moving to the sofa and taking a seat at the other end. Her familiar coconut scent surrounds me, raising the hairs on my arms and I shift in my seat.

“Hmm,” I hum, “thought I’d crash on the sofa for the night.”

She nods, taking her own mouthful of beer and I watch as her throat works with a swallow. It shouldn’t be attractive, but I’m quickly learning that everything Olivia does is attractive, and the thought pisses me off.

“Thank you.” She says it so quietly I’d think I imagined it if I hadn’t already been watching her.

“For what?”

“Staying,” Liv whispers, her eyes holding mine. Seconds pass with our gazes staying locked on each other until I can’t take it anymore. I give a swift nod and look away, focusing my attention on the movie playing in the background.

She doesn’t apologise for snapping at me, and I don’t apologise for snapping back. We just come to a silent truce as we both settle back against the couch.

I feel the heat Liv’s stare on the side of my face, but I don’t look back. Not at all through the agonising hour left of the movie, and not when she gets up to leave, muttering a quiet goodnight as she goes.

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