Chapter 46Olivia
Olivia
“W hat are your dreams, Olivia?”
I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that unless I was being interviewed, and even then, it wasn’t an honest question.
That was the moment that changed it all for me.
That was the moment my feelings for him were no longer unrequited.
Falling in love with Cade was reckless. Lightning speed as I dove headfirst with every impulsive action.
It was thrilling.
Madness.
But thrills are a temporary high, and the more I ponder our story, I realize that maybe it was the leap that’s fleeting.
Perhaps it’s the fall that’s endless. An infinite plunge, sinking into every layer that makes up Cade Owens.
He’s not the hero I ever expected to find after all this time, but my expectation was overrated. Too cliché for a man as amazing as him.
One leg is tucked under my bent knee as I lean against the bark. Across the patchy ground, green leaves peek behind the guardrail, the smell of pollen whirling under my nose. The warm sun beams down on my face, a gentle wind brushing through the loose strands of my fishtail braid.
Then I stare at the blank notebook paper on my thigh, smiling softly when I begin writing.
They Met Twice
The first time they met, she needed him.
The second time, they needed each other.
A second chance.
The beauty of a second chance is that they’re gifted to certain people.
There’s always intent behind it, and it would be foolish not to discover what that purpose was.
When life tosses people together, there has to be some experience to endure or lesson to learn.
But when life continues to tangle their paths over and over, maybe that’s just life’s way of saying they were built for every moment.
Not just the simple times or the rough ones.
Both.
And every road between.
Somehow, their souls were searching for each other without knowing what to look for. Somehow, life brings back the person who’s meant to stay.
Life flies them back.
Maybe my writing motivated me to do it, or maybe I’m just a sucker for the dramatic.
My palm lays flat on the cool glass, eyes scanning the globe light fixtures and Tiffany blue benches of The Grind. As jumbled as my stomach is, I can’t place if it’s disappointment or relief.
Disappointment because I don’t see that leather coat I miss so very much, or relieved because I don’t exactly know what I would say just yet.
My fingers absently land on the belt of my high-rise jeans as I inhale. A smirk greets the corner of my mouth, turning back the hands of the clock to so many small moments.
Tiny figments I’ll cherish for many lifetimes.
I turn to take a onceover of the cars lining the sidewalk, displeasure rearing its ugly head when his white Harley isn’t decorating the curb too.
When I eventually enter through the glass door, I idle myself behind a few women. Reflexively, my head peeks about, my body slightly leaning around to scope the scene before I blow out a breath.
Murmured conversations and laughs linger around me, a muddled mockery of this asinine idea I had. I should’ve known better considering I haven’t returned any single message of his.
My attention wanders, feet stepping forward as I inch closer to the order counter. I eject another breath, and the cork board of neon notes snags my concentration. Indifferently, my eyes roam the messages—some clever and some strange.
Hell, who am I to judge?
Until I catch the golden yellow petals peeking behind a pink Post-it in the bottom corner.
The green stem of the Black-Eyed Susan has been wrapped around the pointed edge of the board, only to curl around the thumbtack of the message.
I did think of you.
I saw your eyes.
I dip my brows, flashbacks of our argument popping before me, and I realize he’s responding to my question.
“Did you even think of me?!”
I pad over to the wall, my fingertips lifting to caress the silk petals. We planted this flower together . To heal and thrive. A token of how we saved each other .
Cade doesn’t just keep me protected with his physical strength. He cradles my heart far from the ground to prevent it from shattering.
He fell in love with all my blemishes, his love only blossoming with every conversation and intimate moment. His love listens . His love is passionate and persistent. His love keeps my heart safe.
Just like he did the first time we met.
All those months ago.
That’s the power of Cade’s armor.