Chapter 48
FORTY-EIGHT
nate
I sat at the kitchen island, researching car services in the Boston area to pick up my mother and Coach at the airport. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be arriving until after I was at the ballpark.
The two hired car services I tried were booked, and I honestly didn’t have the time to keep calling around.
“What’s wrong?” Olivia asked, walking past me and heading towards the coffee pot.
I looked quickly down the hall, checking to see if Austin was anywhere in the line of sight before dragging her into my arms. “Don’t even try walking by me.”
She smiled at me and leaned in for a kiss. “Hmm. I missed you last night.”
Her curl flopped in front of her eye, and I tucked it behind her ear. “God, baby, you’re so fucking beautiful it hurts.”
“Same. But what’s wrong?” She turned in my arms to look at the screen on my tablet.
“I’m trying to book my mother and Coach a ride from the airport. But I’m not having much luck.”
“Why didn’t you ask me?” Olivia studied my face and traced my lips with her thumb.
“Are you trying to distract me?”
“No, just taking advantage of a stolen moment so I can touch you. But I can pick them up—”
“You hate driving in the city—”
“Everyone does, but I’d be more than happy to pick them up. Call it a birthday gift.”
Olivia had asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I had asked her to try to get us a full night away alone.
That arrangement required not only a plan for Cooper to stay overnight, but for us to find a convincing lie for Austin.
Right now, it looked like Cooper would be with Jason, but that could fall through at any time.
“This is a favor. My birthday gift is between you and me.”
“And the hotel room headboard.”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “Hell, yes. Bonus points if we break it.”
The front door banged open, announcing Cooper’s arrival home from camp, and Olivia practically jumped across the room.
“Easy, Coop,” she yelled out, though if he hadn’t been so loud, we might have been caught. We’d been taking more and more chances as we became desperate to sneak in time together.
“Hey, Ma, did I get my classroom placement? Everyone else did, and I said that you would have told me if it came in.”
“I’m not sure. I don’t really check that e-mail account during the summer.” Olivia was flushed and had started to scramble. She scrolled through the e-mail on her phone and found it.
“Mom! This came in like three days ago!”
“I’m sorry, bud, but I didn’t see it.”
“But now everyone knows who is in their class, and they’re making plans without me.”
I reminded myself that it was not my place to step in—but damn, Cooper was making a huge deal out of nothing. There was no way he’d missed out on that much in two days. And Olivia carried the weight of the world—did she feel guilty?
Cooper slammed out of the room, leaving Olivia flustered.
“Liv—”
She dropped her head in her hands and inhaled deeply. “Yeah?”
“Don’t be hard on yourself for this. It was an email.”
“Well, I’ve messed up before.”
“I’m sure you haven’t.”
“Yes. In second grade, Cooper spent the entire day in the office. I forgot to sign his field trip permission slip. So while the entire class got to visit the Aquarium, he sat in a goddamned chair in the main office. I should be better at checking my email.”
“Come here.” I held my arms out for her.
Her eyes darted around, searching for Cooper or Austin.
“I can give you a hug when you’re upset, Liv. I don’t care who sees. I’m not shy about giving my friends a hug.”
It was all the permission she needed, and as I held her, she cried.
“This isn’t just about the email, is it?”
Her head shook from side to side, and she burrowed in closer. When her cheek rested on my chest, she said, “Sometimes I feel so alone. I have help from Sophie, and Austin bought the house I’m living in, but it’s all on me.”
The only thing I could do was reassure her that she was doing a good job. And I hated myself just a little for all the nights I complained about the things my mother forgot, or couldn’t go to, or couldn’t afford.
“I got you, Liv.”