Page 26 of When Forever Comes

During my prayer walk, I encounter several people who speak highly of him. West has built homes for the less fortunate and given them jobs all over the resort. He keeps their rent as low as possible and he pays them well to help them get back on their feet. The only part that surprises me about all of this is that he has the amount of money to make it all possible. It blows my mind.

He has always been a selfless soul, giving without reservation, even when it was all he had. Regret eats at me for not seeking him out after he left. But it hurt so much that he moved away without saying goodbye. The kiss he gave me was full of promise, but that promise felt empty when he left.

I can blame my dad for some of that hurt. It doesn’t make sense that he handled things the way he did. But West was right; God’s ways aren’t always our ways. God’s ways, even in the pain, are worth it. He works His good in His way and in His perfect timing.

Now West is back in my life, and my heart breaks at the thought of going back to my life without him.

You don’t deserve any of this,my subconscious taunts me.You moved on with Brad and almost married him despite still being in love with West. West deserves so much more than you.

I pray the thoughts away and focus on the now. Now, I have West in my life, and he wants to take me on a date. With that thought, I head back to the penthouse to meet up with my sister and figure out how to navigate this life West flipped upside down in the best way.

Despite my request to keep it casual and not over-the-top, the moment I walk into my temporary home in West’s penthouse, I find two rolling clothes racks. One is full of dresses; the other has more casual outfits. There’s a long container full of shoes in a range of styles.

My eyes land on an envelope attached to the pole with my name written across the front in West’s handwriting. I pull out the note.

My Dearest Olivia,

Here is an assortment of new clothes, including dresses for our upcoming dates. I know you don’t want me to go over-the-top but when it comes to you, I can’t help myself. Prepare to be spoiled. There are dresses, shorts, shirts, shoes, gowns, and everything in between. Wear whatever you like, even if it’s jeans and a T-shirt. You look gorgeous in everything.

I can’t wait to see you in the morning. I’ll be there around 7.

Forever Yours,

West

I bite my lip and stifle a girly squeal when my sister walks in.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” she asks, thumbing through the designer gowns.

“A very rich West spending too much money on clothes.” I tuck the note back into its envelope.

A slow smile spreads across her lips.

“Do you think he can buy me a new wardrobe next?” she asks, blinking her innocent eyes at me.

“Ask him yourself.”

She shrugs as if it’s something she’d be comfortable doing, then pulls out a white garment bag, leaving the hanger attached to the bar so she can unzip it. Inside is a gorgeous red gown.

Dana opens another garment bag, her mouth dropping open. “This is Dior.” She proceeds to unzip several more bags, telling me the names of the luxury brands. There’s Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Versace.

I make her stop. “This is crazy.”

My sister nods. “Yeah. He pulled out all the stops.”

“When did he have time to do this?” I ask out loud, unzipping another bag that contains an emerald green dress. “These are incredible.”

“And expensive,” my sister muses. She shifts her gaze from the rack of clothes to me. “You better buckle up, buttercup, and enjoy this ride. Because sister Dana is going to live vicariously through you.”

ELEVEN

OLIVIA

As we looked through the wardrobe West sent up, I told Dana all about the Brad drama. She never liked him and enjoyed the part about West forcing Brad to his knees to apologize to me. Even if his apology wasn’t genuine. West bringing Brad to his knees was satisfying enough.

She slides on a cardigan and poses. “He had it coming. What he did to you was unforgivable.”

“I don’t want to hold on to it. Sure, I’m still angry and can’t forgive him yet. But I will one day. I don’t want my bitterness to taint the life God has given me.”

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