Page 2 of A World Without You
He unleashes a cheesy smile. “Now, come on. The town is celebrating!”
He takes my hand and pulls me through the snow-covered streets, lined with streetlights wrapped in lights and adorned with fresh wreaths.
When we make it to the town square, it is already alive with music, candy canes, and the magic of Christmas. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I go to check it, there’s a message from Colin.
The deal isn’t done. I’m not coming. Don’t be mad, Olivia. I’ll see you in a few days.
I asked him—beggedhim to come get me. That was my final request on the phone, just before I came outside and was nearly hung by my scarf in the door. But work just continues to be too important for Colin. I’m not surprised by his final response, but I am devastated. Because this is the clearest answer I could have asked for regarding our future together.
Colin and I have been together for so long we stopped caring for each other properly. Gone are the thoughtful gestures, late night conversations, and love notes. I used to think we’d get it back, that our struggles as a couple are normal because we’ve been together for so long. Now, I see we’ve been together so long because we haven’t had a reason to really end it.
I’ve been here for five days, and yet, he only called me twice and each time it was a fleeting phone call just to make sure the mountain men hadn’t murdered me and I wasn’t attacked by bears in the woods.
If the love is real, it shouldn’t have been so easy for Colin and me to unravel. Now I can see we’ve reached the end of our thread.
“Olivia!” Martha, the owner of the paper, exclaims, pulling me in for a hug. “You are a lifesaver. The ideas you had for the ads in the paper are working and are going to generate so much more income to keep us afloat! Honestly, I’m thrilled you stumbled through this town to save the newspaper.” Martha beams at me, and I offer a shy smile. “It’s going to be such an adjustment, but I keep telling myself you’re just a phone call away.”
A thought dances across my mind. It’s impulsive and crazy, but when I glance over at Graham holding his niece on his shoulders so she can get a better view of Santa riding by on the old firetruck, it all clicks into place.
“What if I stay and help?”
Martha leans in and squints as if she thinks she misheard me. “For how long?”
“Forever?”
“And quit your job?” There’s genuine concern laced in her voice.
I shrug. “I’m a dime a dozen at a marketing firm like that.”
She lets out a jubilant laugh and throws herself at me, burying her face in my auburn hair. “Oh, Olivia, you will fit right in. You are just what this town needs, and we will make you feel right at home, you’ll see!”
Martha is rambling, and I’m staring at Graham, captivated and a bit terrified. “Excuse me, there’s one thing I need to do.”
I move away from the crowd as I call Colin. He answers on the third ring with an exasperated hello.
“I’m staying,” I say.
“Well, obviously. The pass still has restrictions—” he begins, but I cut him off.
“No, I’m staying, staying.”
I’d like to say the phone is silent, but it’s not. I can hear the bustling of his colleagues working tirelessly in the background.
“Olivia, this isn’t a good time. We’re trying to get this deal done before Christmas and—”
I make a tisk sound so loud it stops his explanation. “It’s always going to be something over me, isn’t it?”
“Olivia...” he starts to scold. I can picture him now. Perfectly kept hair, gray eyes, and a jaw that could cut glass. He’s probably taken off his suit jacket and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. He’s delectably handsome and entirely brilliant, but he is no longer the one for me.
“What are we doing, Colin?”
“What?” The background noise quiets, and I’m certain it’s because he stepped out into the hallway.
“If you can’t drive two hours to come get me on Christmas Eve, then I don’t think we should even be together anymore,” I confess.
“Don’t do this. Come back to the city in a few days. Everything will go back to normal. You’ll see.”
“That’s just it, Colin. I don’t want it to go back to normal. I don’t want to go back to the city. I can’t breathe there. I’m suffocated by concrete towers and expectations. But the air is different here. Here, I’m free.” Each sentence I utter makes the stress in my shoulders unwind.
