Page 33 of When Forever Comes

She smiles when she sees me, but her eyes narrow as she notices Olivia’s hand on my arm. Olivia stiffens beside me.

“Weston!” she says when we reach her, then stands and kisses both of my cheeks.

I pull back and cough uncomfortably. “This is Olivia Swann, my…” I pause, looking over at Olivia and trying to decide on the best word to use. “Date.” It doesn’t feel like a strong enough description, but it will have to do for now. As much as I’d love to call Olivia mine, we are still on new ground and I want us to have that talk before putting a label on our relationship.

“It’s a pleasure.” Giselle extends her hand for Olivia to take.

Olivia shakes it awkwardly and sends me a sideways glance, looking incredibly uneasy. I give her my most reassuring smile and the tension appears to leave her shoulders.

“Nice to meet you,” Olivia says.

After we order, the three of us fall into conversation. Giselle talks a lot about meeting me when I first came to the island and some of the funny times we shared. Olivia listens intently, smiling and laughing when appropriate.

As the evening goes on, Giselle and I talk more business. I ask Olivia her opinion on several things, and she gives me thoughtful answers. She doesn’t realize it, but my goal is to one day soon have her name next to mine. Maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.

When Olivia comes back from a trip to the restroom, she wears a look I can’t quite decipher. All I know is that I don’t like it.

She zones out while Giselle and I finish up our discussion. I try to hurry it along as quickly as possible because as time ticks on, Olivia becomes more and more tense.

Overall, this hasn’t been an unpleasant dinner, but I’d rather have spent this time with Olivia one on one. Giselle isn’t bad company, but I’ve always found her to be too flirty for my comfort.

When the waiter asks if we want dessert, I order mine and Olivia’s to go.

We say goodbye to Giselle, and I take Olivia to the nearest park and we sit on a bench.

“I’m sorry. That was probably painful for you,” I say, trying to ease the tension.

“Not at all. Giselle is a very impressive woman.” Olivia swirls her spoon around the icing on her cake but never lifts it to her lips.

“I guess so.”

“She’s very beautiful. Built like a supermodel.”

“She was a supermodel.” The second the words leave my mouth, I want to take them back.

Olivia lifts a shoulder. “Not surprising.”

I successfully burned the conversation to ash, so I sit and take a few bites of my chocolate cake.

“How’s your cake?” I ask.

She lifts the tiniest amount to her mouth. The light in her eyes flickers, then immediately dims.

“I’m not really a dessert person.” She puts the spoon back in the container.

I don’t remind her that back in high school she’d often eat dessert before dinner.

“Is there anything you want to do before we go back?” I ask, attempting to save what’s left of this evening.

In less than forty-eight hours, her plane will take her back to her life in Emerald Springs without me. And in these last four hours, she has built a wall high around her heart.

She shakes her head. “No, I’m getting really tired. This has been a busy week.”

My heart sinks.

“I hope it’s been a good one,” I say, not hiding the desperation in my voice.

“The best.” She smiles and an ounce of tension leaves me.

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