Page 42 of Yours Actually

We search for Joe and Charlene to say goodbye but fail to locate them.Olivia’s manners make it so she doesn’t want to leave without finding them, however her feet are clear in that they’ve had enough.

We’ve almost reached our suite when her phone rings.I know the ringtone to be the one she reserves for Hayden.Not a good sign when her boss is calling at this time on a Friday night, especially when he knows she’s away for the weekend.

“Hey,” she answers the call.“What’s up?”

We continue walking down the corridor as she listens to what he has to say.I make out the fact that something’s wrong but have to wait until she ends the call to find out what’s happened.

“It turns out that while I managed to have Penelope’s lies all taken down, they’ve done the damage I guess she was hoping for.”She releases an angry breath.“One of our biggest clients, who I work closely with, has expressed his concern over my work on a contract we’re currently finalizing.”

My own anger at Penny surges.“And?”

“And so now I have to spend time tonight working.It’s a lengthy and complex contract which I’ve put a lot of hours in on already, but Hayden wants me to go over it again just to be sure everything’s in order.I don’t blame him, but if I run into Penelope tomorrow, I can’t be held accountable for my actions.”

I frown.“Penny’s here?”

“Yes.I’m not sure how you missed that fact tonight.”

I refrain from telling her I didn’t see Penny or any other woman besides Larissa because the only woman I’m looking at these days is her.

We reach our suite and I follow her in and watch as she takes her laptop to the workspace in one corner of the living room and sets herself up at the desk.

“Did you bring tea with you?”I ask.

She glances up as she takes a seat in the large chair that at least looks like it will offer her some comfort while she works late.“Yes.”

“I’ll make a cup for you.It’s in your suitcase?”

Her lips spread out in a smile and she nods as she leans back into the chair and exhales a long breath.“Thank you.”

God, she looks tired.This bullshit that Penny created has exhausted her.I’ve known this all week but being so far away, I was unable to support her except with texts and phone calls.But even then, we’ve both been so busy that we had little time for either, and when we did call, we were lucky if we got ten minutes of conversation.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?”

She sits forward and opens her laptop.“No.”

“Are you hungry?We didn’t eat much.I can go find you something.”

“I’m not hungry.”At my expression that says I don’t believe her, she adds, “I promise to tell you the very minute my stomach threatens a growl, at which time I will allow you to go on a mission to source me all the food in the lands.Until then, you should go into the bedroom and put your feet up.You need rest after your hectic week.But mostly, I need to get this work done and it will take me longer if you’re hovering like you are.”

She’s right; I am hovering.And that’s not something I’ve ever done for a woman.Well, except for Liv.I try to do this for her whenever I can but since she prefers to be the one who watches over her loved ones, I rarely get the chance.

I continue watching her while she starts typing.“I’ll leave you alone but I want to know the minute you need something.Let me look after you tonight.”

She looks up mid-typing, her features softening.“You say that like I never let you look after me, which we both know isn’t true since you had to do a lot of looking after me last weekend.”

“We also both know the only reason I got to do that was because you were drunk.”

“Okay,” she says haltingly like she really doesn’t want to be agreeing to this.“I’ll let you know when I get hungry or thirsty or when I need your ear for whining.Honestly, it’ll probably be whining that I’ll need and then you’ll regret forcing me into this.”

I shake my head at her inability to relinquish some independence.Then, lifting my chin at her, I say, “Do your work.I’ll bring you tea in a minute.”

After taking tea to her, I head into the bedroom and shower.I then lie on the bed and flick aimlessly through Netflix in search of something to distract me from Olivia.Finding that kind of distraction is proving a hell of a task and if I know anything right now, it’s that I’m in for a long night.

12

OLIVIA

I stare at Callan who has passed out.The television is blaring with a horror flick, which is highly concerning.Callan never watches horror and the fact he was makes me wonder again if he’s going through a sex-addiction crisis.Or possibly a pre-thirties crisis.I’m honestly not sure which would be worse.On one hand, a sex addiction can have a devastating effect on your life and lead to depression and other addictions.Yes, I researched this during the week and discovered that eighty-three percent of sex addicts have concurrent addictions.Eighty-three percent!However, having a crisis in your twenties surely has to mean things are dire.Your twenties are meant to be some of the best years of your life.

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