“I don’t want things to end like this.” Liam’s words shattered the silence. He looked straight ahead into the dark morning, his gaze never moving to hers.

  End? He was ready to let things go because of one dinner with someone he didn’t approve of? “Has anything really begun?”

  His head whipped to gaze at her. “Yes. It has. Don’t deny there is something here between us. You may be fighting what it could be, but don’t negate its existence.”

  Olivia looked down to her hands. “It shouldn’t be this hard.”

  “You’ve made it that way. You take everything I do or say as a nail in the coffin. I can’t keep walking on eggshells forever.”

  “Eggshells? You want to control me. I want to be trusted to live my life, a life you seemed so eager to give to me. I don’t think that’s asking too much.”

  “He’s not going to be satisfied until he has you.”

  “Stop.” She turned and looked at the fat flakes falling outside, knowing they were as cold as she felt inside. “I’m sorry. This is all just wrong.”

  When he said nothing, she opened the car door and escaped the emotional well inside. She walked to her car and got in, turning over the engine and pumping up the heat. She shivered in the cold, rubbing her arms to warm them up. A knock on the window made her jump. She rolled down the window once she saw it was Liam.

  “‘I’m sorry’ is bullshit.”

  “What?”

  After a huff, he reached into the open window and kissed her hard. He pulled back and gazed at her a few seconds before speaking. “Figure out what you want in life and then when you miss me in it, give me a call.”

  Olivia bit her bottom lip as she watched him march back to his car and slip inside. As he drove off, she shivered, not so much from the cold as his words.

  She already missed him.

  * * * *

  “So are we going to talk about you and Liam all night? I thought this was my chance to show you I was a good choice.”

  Olivia flushed, not realizing she’d monopolized the conversation in regards to her and Liam’s failed attempt at a relationship. “I’m sorry, Bastian. I hadn’t realized what I was doing.”

  Bastian smiled at her from across the table. “It’s okay. I can see you care a lot for the guy. I pretty much thought it when I saw you two together, but now I have confirmation. And you were very clear you were only interested in being my friend. I had hoped to change your mind, but I can see you’re crazy for Liam.”

  “Crazy for Liam? I think that’s a pushing it a bit.”

  Bastian’s eyebrow rose. “I don’t. You’ve got it bad. And it sounds to me that you’re scared and running away from him.”

  Olivia flushed again. “Just how do you figure that?”

  “You’ve spent all night listing the reasons why you shouldn’t date the controlling, pigheaded male.”

  She cringed, realizing how right he was. She hadn’t even comprehended what she was doing. Bastian probably felt as though he’d been in hell. “I’ve been horrible, haven’t I? I’m sorry.”

  “You haven’t been horrible. Love makes us nuts.” Bastian sighed and took a gulp of his wine, his expression shifting, his gaze becoming distant. “Believe me, I know.”

  “I’d say there’s a story behind that look. I’ve monopolized the conversation, so it’s your turn. ’Fess up.”

  “There’s nothing really to say.”

  “Oh, come on. We’re friends, remember?”

  Bastian smiled at her, placing his empty wineglass back on the table. As he grasped the wine bottle to refill it, his gaze drifted again. “I was left at the altar.”

  “Oh, Bastian, I’m so sorry. How long ago?”

  “About three months.”

  “Who in their right mind would leave a catch like you at the altar?”

  “I’ve been asking myself that same question for months now. I’m such a catch.” Bastian winked at her and chuckled before growing serious again. “We were happy. Or so I thought. I’d been a player most of my adult life and I found the one. I was ready to settle down and be a one-woman kind of man.”

  “Now I feel even more horrible. I’ve been going on and on about some other man after all this has happened to you.”

  “Don’t. It actually felt kind of nice saying it out loud. You’re the first person I’ve told. Most of my family and friends were witnesses to my humiliation and they’ve avoided talking to me about it. They were scared I’d get upset, I suppose.”

  “Have you seen her since?”

  “Thankfully, no. But I have to see her sister every day, which isn’t a great reminder.”

  “Every day?”

  “She works for me as a therapy tech. It’s how I met my ex-fiancée. They’re practically look-alikes, so I get to see my ex’s face every day.”

  Olivia couldn’t imagine dealing with those emotions. It made what she was going through feel so trivial and ridiculous. “That must be hard.”

  “Harder than I ever imagined.”

  “Wait, was her sister the tech that helped you on Wednesday during my PT?”

  His brows furrowed a moment as he considered what she’d asked. “Yes, why?”

  “Ahh. You ignored her through the whole session and I thought you were being really rude. At least now I know why. I doubt I could look at her either in your shoes.”

  “I was rude to her?” His eyebrows rose as he asked the question, apparently not even realizing what he’d done.

  “You never looked at her and you barely spoke. She looked miserable during the whole thing and I felt sorry for her. I’d assumed you were angry with her for some reason. I guess now I know.”

  Bastian looked thoughtful for a moment. “It isn’t her fault what her sister did. She’s a good tech, one of my better ones. I’ll have to try and be nicer.”

  “Well, well, well … isn’t this cozy?”

  Olivia looked up at the interruption, cringing when she saw Jenny. “Hello.”

  Jenny turned to stare at Bastian and then back to Olivia. “A second doctor? Well, I should grab some paper and take notes.”

  “Hello, Jenny.” Olivia wasn’t in the mood to have a scene with the woman.

  Jenny leaned in to the table, a cruel smile twisting her lips. “I knew you and Liam weren’t right for one another. If you’ve hurt him, you’ll answer to me. He doesn’t deserve this.”

  Bastian spoke up, “Jenny, this isn’t a date. It’s two friends talking over dinner. I know all about Liam.”

  Jenny stood up and gazed at them both. “Sure. Well, you two have a great night.”

  As Jenny walked away, Olivia released a breath. “That was uncomfortable.”

  “She was ready to walk down the aisle with your golden boy. I can understand how she feels.”

  Olivia watched Jenny leave the restaurant and look over her shoulder at Olivia, her stare icy. Olivia shuddered, fear spiking within her as she considered the damage the woman could wreak with Liam if she ran to play tattletale. “They would have made quite the pair.”

  “Why did you end things with Liam? You’re apparently no more over him than Jenny is.”

  “I never really let anything get started with Liam. I let my fears get in the way and pushed him away. And then when things got back on track, I pushed it off again.”

  “What are you so afraid of?”

  “Being hurt. I’ve not been on many dates and the ones I have been on ended badly. Men and I don’t seem to work too well. I didn’t want Liam to be another black mark on my track record.”

  “That’s rather stupid, isn’t it?”

  Bastian’s blunt question made her smile, which was the exact opposite from how she would be expected to respond. “Yes, it is rather stupid.”

  “Olivia, don’t walk away from him if you want him, especially if fear is the only thing holding you back. I see the way he looked at you. It looked exactly like the way you looked at him. He never looked at Jenny like that. Never.”

  Olivia let that news sink in a moment, her chest tightening at the prospect she’d let the man of her dreams slip through her fingers because she wasn’t strong enough to face her fears. “The chances of reconciling with Liam are small. If Jenny gets to him, those chances could be decimated.”

  “Then it sounds like there’s no time like the present.”

  “I need time.”

  “For?”

  “I need to be the woman he deserves. I’m on the path. I want a place of my own, paid for with my own income. I want to be standing on my own two feet, to prove to myself I can do it. I don’t want to be the coddled little girl any longer. I need to make that happen before I go to him. I need to be stronger.”

  Chapter 18

  Liam opened the door, the heavy knocking making him rush. His heart hoped it was Olivia, come to tell him she’d realized how much she missed him. He couldn’t think straight with the visions of her spending her free time with Sebastian York when she should be with him. She had to see the light.

  As he opened the door, Jenny stood smiling at him.

  “I have something to share with you. It’ll only take a second.”

  He wasn’t in the mood to listen to anything she had to say. “Not tonight.”

  “It’s about Olivia.”

  Liam paused, his hand prepared to close the door on her. He should, because anything she said would probably be negative. Yet, he couldn’t close it, needing to hear whatever she had to share, needing to feel closer to Olivia.

  “Come in.”

  Jenny smiled brightly and walked in, dropping her coat into the nearest chair. “I was out with friends last night and I bumped into Olivia. She was looking quite lovely, talking over candlelight … with Bastian York.”

  Liam felt like someone had slammed their fist in his gut, even though he’d known about the date. He’d seen how close they’d looked on the floor during PT and he also knew Bastian’s reputation. He never seemed to be without a willing female for very long. Just how willing was his Olivia? Had she succumbed to Bastian’s charms already? He felt his fists tighten as the thought of the two of them together rushed through him. How could he have been so stupid to pair them together?

  “They were quite chummy, whispering and chuckling with one another. As soon as I saw them, I immediately worried about you, knowing you had a little thing for Olivia yourself. But then I wondered if you’d finally seen the light and let the girl go.”

  “If that’s all you have to share, you can leave now.”

  “Liam, I can’t leave you like this. You look terrible.” Jenny moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. “I’ve always been there for you; let me be there again.”

  “I’ll be fine, Jenny. I just need to be alone.”

  Jenny stepped back, anger filling her face. “You really are a moron, you know that? You have rose-colored glasses on when it comes to Olivia. She’s had her surgery according to my sources. She’s healed. I assumed you would walk away from her once your guilt was gone, but you’re still entangled in her web. Now she’s left you and is moving on with her life, with Bastian York. You need to get your head out of the sand and move on with yours before you become any more pathetic than you already are.”

  “You may be right, Jenny, but I won’t move on with you. I love Olivia.”

  Jenny snatched her coat and purse and stormed to the door without a word. He took a deep breath once she was outside and he locked the door behind her. He dropped his forehead to the cool wood and he wanted to rush out and face Olivia and tell her how he felt, but she’d made her choice. The ball was in her court.

  Later, Liam sat on his balcony later, watching the snow falling. He loved to watch it, loved the heavy silence it created. Usually, that was. Now, Jenny’s words echoed in his mind, shattering the peace and tranquility of the day. He felt a raging fire within. He wanted to punch Bastian in the face. He wanted to grab Olivia and shake some sense into her.

  She’d had a date with one of his colleagues. That was enough to get Bastian in trouble at the office, but what was the point? Liam would just look like a jealous asshole, and considering he’d dated her, too, he’d be shining a spotlight on his own trip across ethical lines.

  Olivia wasn’t tied to Liam; she had every right to date whom she wanted.

  He shivered as he sipped his coffee. Watching the snow was prime time for his brain to tune out and just take in the wonder around him. Yet, there was no tuning out today.

  Not when his heart was breaking. How the fuck did she get in there so quickly?

  * * * *

  Olivia watched as the moving men brought out the last box from the house. She stood on the wide steps beside her mother, realizing her new life was beginning with that box. It represented her independence. She’d finally made it and she was happy. Yet there was melancholy mixed in as well. Olivia loved her parents and would miss being there with them. But it was time to be a grown-up and prove she could do things on her own.

  “Olivia, if I’d known you were really going to move out, I never would have opened my mouth.”

  “It was time for me to go. You wanted proof I could make it on my own and now I’ll show you. I’ll prove it to myself, which is even more important.”

  Tears shimmered in her mother’s eyes. “I still say it’s too soon after surgery. You haven’t even finished your therapy. You could hurt yourself emptying all those boxes. I should come help you.”

  “No, you have your hands full trying to get ready for Christmas. Bastian showed me how to move properly and not hurt myself. He’s also offered to come help me unpack when he can.”

  Her mother wasn’t swayed. They’d already had these arguments all week. “Christmas is almost here. How is my holiday going to be good without you here?”

  “I couldn’t pass up on the loft. When Bastian’s mother showed it to me, I knew it had to be mine. If I hadn’t grabbed it up, it would have been gone. It’s only fifteen minutes away from here and the Yorks will be my landlords, watching out for me. You should be glad I’ve gotten so lucky.”

  “I should be but I’m not. What about Christmas?”

  “I’ll come spend the night on Christmas Eve so we can have dinner and open presents the following morning and then have breakfast like we always do. Will that make you happy?”

  “What would make me happy is to have my daughter back under my roof.”

  “Mom, how many times have you said you were scared I wouldn’t be okay after you and Daddy were gone?”

  Her father took that moment to step out of the front door. “Gone? Where are we going?”

  Her mother turned and punched his shoulder. “Don’t make this harder, Stan. She shouldn’t go. Tell her.”

  Olivia’s father stepped close and kissed her cheek as he hugged her. “I’m proud of you, kiddo.”

  She felt the shimmer of tears as she smiled at her father.

  “Oh, by the way, a letter came for you this morning,” her father said as he pulled an envelope from his back pocket.

  She took it and read over the embossed address of her dream literary agency, the one she’d hoped for from day one as she’d dropped the copies of her novel in the mail. She gulped and looked at the thing as if it were an alien that had landed on her hand.

  “Open it. Good things are happening for you today. I can feel it,” her father said with a broad smile across his face.

  Olivia ripped open the envelope, watching as her mother brought her hands up to cover her mouth, mirroring the fear she felt in her gut. She read the first line. And then she read it again. And then she read it a third time to make sure she had read it right. Once she’d done that, she read the next few lines to ensure she wasn’t insane.

  “Well?” Her mother all but moaned.

  Olivia let out a squeal that stopped the moving men and had everyone close by staring at her. “They want me and have even found an interested publisher already!”

  Tears really came to her eyes as her parents drew her into their arms. She’d finally done it. She was going to be published. Joy rushed through her body and she wanted to scream the news to the world.

  No, not the world. The one man who meant the world to her.

  * * * *

  “Dr. Palmer, your three o’clock is in room five.”

  Liam looked up at the nurse, barely cognizant of who had spoken to him. “I don’t have any more appointments today.”

  “We fit her in at the last minute.”

  Once he’d nodded his head acknowledging her news, she quietly slipped out of his office, her brows wrinkled in pity. All the nurses had seemed to look at him in that same way the last two weeks and it was beginning to piss him off, if he’d had the energy to be pissed off. All he felt was … numb.

  He’d been staring at an X-ray for what had to be twenty minutes and he still wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking at. His focus was shot to hell. Liam had spent the last weeks in a state of unconsciousness. He’d worked, saw patients, and had done everything he could to ignore the pain he felt inside. After Jenny had visited him, he’d realized it was completely over.

  Olivia had moved on and left him behind.

  His profession wasn’t one where he could allow his mind to drift. He had to get it together and move on as well. Yet what he really wanted to do was march over to the Owens’ place and bang on the door, demanding she see him so they could have it out and clear the air. He wasn’t quite sure what it was that held him back from doing it, but there was something in his mind they kept telling him to back off.

  She’d pushed him away at every turn. Her fear had made it impossible for them to attempt to have a relationship. He couldn’t live like that. He should just walk away from it and be grateful it hadn’t gone deeper.

  Then why did he think of her night and day? Why couldn’t he sleep? She was the one. He knew it deep down in his bones. If he let her get away, what would he have? He couldn’t let her slip through his fingers. There had to be a way to make her see the potential between them.