Page 108 of Light My Fire Three Times
I nod again. I know Dottie has an angle with this, but I don’t know how much to give her. Everything is so up in the air now, so I figure it’s best to keep my mouth shut.
“Yeah, good. Erm…” I glance behind me. “I think I need to… get going.”
“Right of course.” Dottie beams. “See you soon, okay?”
I head back home, my mind spinning as I go. Thoughts of Olivia circle through my brain, and everything that has happened.
It’s hard to just focus on the fact that we’ve had such a good time together, and that my heart skips a damn beat every single time I even think of her, when I know she’s got so much going on.
Olivia’s life is up in the air, and that kinda leaves us in limbo as well.
As soon as I get home, I head to her room. I can hear her moving around in there, and I’m drawn to talking to her, to mentioning the Lantern Walk.
I stop outside Olivia’s room. The door’s cracked open, and through the small gap, I see her moving about. She’s packing up her stuff.
My stomach sinks.
I knock softly on the doorframe. “Olivia?”
She doesn’t look up right away, but then she does, offering me a small, tight smile. “Hey, Karl.”
I step into the room, my gaze immediately falling to the half-packed bags. Her clothes, her books, her things… all of it scattered on the bed.
“What’s all this?” I ask, trying to sound casual, but the tightness in my chest betrays me.
She sits back on the bed, folding a sweater with care.
“Jesse finished the apartment,” she says. “It’s all ready for me to move back in. To, you know, go back home, I guess.”
The words hit harder than I expected. She’s leaving. I mean, I knew she wouldn’t stay with me and Leo forever. It was always going to be temporary. At first, it was only going to be for one night.
“I got used to having you around.” I sound silly even saying it, but I can’t help myself. “It’s been nice having you here.”
She gives a slight shrug, her eyes a little distant. “I’ve loved being here, too. And you and Leo have both been so welcoming. I don’t know what I would have done without you. But if my home is livable…”
I swallow hard. “Yeah, of course.”
But then, as she glances up at me again, something catches my attention—her face.
She’s pale. Paler than usual. A ghostly, almost sickly pallor to her skin. The dark circles under her eyes look deeper than I’ve noticed before, and there’s a weariness in her expression that makes my heart twist.
“Olivia…” I step closer, concern pushing my words out. “You don’t look?—”
She straightens up quickly, offering a shaky smile. “I’m fine. Just tired. It’s been a lot, you know? Between the fire, the lawsuit, everything…”
Her voice trails off, and I notice the way she rubs her arms because she’s cold.
I step closer, reaching out but hesitating before I touch her.
“You don’t look fine.” I try to keep my words soft, not wanting to press her too much.
She shakes her head, but her eyes flicker away from mine, as if avoiding the truth. “I’m just a little run down. It’s nothing.”
I don’t buy it. Not for a second.
“You don’t have to go, Olivia. If you need more time…”
I trail off, but my words hang in the air. I’m not sure if I’m offering her space or asking her to stay.
