CHAPTER 42
OLIVIA
I t’s a little after five when I feel my phone vibrating in the back pocket of my jeans. I let out a groan. Whoever it is will have to wait.
I hoist the overloaded black bag over my shoulder and push my way out of the fire exit door before dumping it in the waste bin behind the café. I let out a breath and brush my hands off before making my way back inside.
I spray some disinfectant on the stainless-steel work surfaces and grab a cloth, wiping away any spilled ingredients. I repeat the process throughout the entire café, making sure every surface is sparkling before I leave for the night.
Everyone else has left for the day, their shifts having ended at five on the dot leaving just me to clean the place and lock up. I don’t mind it, though. Bella has covered for me for the past week.
I didn’t tell her the real reason why I needed some time off. I lied and told her I wasn’t feeling good, and I’ve been hiding in my bedroom ever since.
I haven’t even spoken to Grayson properly. I feel bad, because I know he has attempted to check on me more than once this week, but I just haven’t had it in me to see or speak to anyone.
The phone call I had with Carter took an unexpected toll on my mental health, but after rotting in my bed for a week straight, I finally dragged my ass up and into work.
Now that the shift is over, I realise I probably should’ve left the house days ago. Being here helps to keep my mind distracted and something about being in an empty café at the end of the day is therapeutic to me. I enjoy going through the procedure of making sure the place is ready to go first thing in the morning. It makes the morning shift easier for me or Bella, depending on which one of us are opening that day.
Since living with Bella, I’ve seen the work she puts in behind the scenes for this place. She’s up at four AM every day preparing baked goods for the day or coming up with new recipes for her display case. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does for her business and if staying behind for an extra hour makes her life a little easier, then that’s what I’ll do. I have offered to help her on more than one occasion, but she made it pretty clear that the only person she trusts near the oven is herself, so I settled for being her taste tester instead.
The vibrating in my pocket starts again and I throw the cloth in the sink and grab my handbag from the cupboard before pulling it out. My brows furrow when I see I have five missed calls from Carter, all within the last few hours.
Shit.
I quickly lock the front doors and switch off all the lights before exiting the café through the back. I lock that door behind me and dial Carter as I walk the short distance to my car.
He answers on the second ring. “I have been trying to get hold of you all day, Liv.”
I blow out a breath. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been at work all day and only just checked my phone. What’s wrong?”
I start the car and connect my phone to the Bluetooth as I reverse out of my parking space. Carters deep voice filters out of my speakers. “The estate agent came out today. Someone has put an offer in on the house and it’s more than the asking price.”
My heart sinks into my stomach. “What?”
“They can move in within two months. That gives you time to fly home and pack the house up. You need to decide what you’re going to keep or sell. You’ll need to find storage for the things you’re going to keep, unless you plan on taking it back to Rosewater Creek with you.”
Tears burn the back of my eyes as his words sink in. Pack up the house. My throat constricts with emotion.
I knew this day would come. Of course I did. I just didn’t think it’d come this soon.
“Carter, the house has only been on the market for a week,” I say, my voice raspy with disbelief.
A heavy sigh comes through the speakers. “I know, Liv. But people have enquired about this house for years. It’s sat empty until recently, so they’ve jumped at the chance to buy it. Hence the over asking price offer.”
I say nothing, unable to form any words around the tightness in my chest. My hands shake against the steering wheel as my emotions threaten to bubble over. “Look, just think about it, okay? You don’t have long to get back to the agent, so sleep on it tonight and call me tomorrow. If you take the offer, you need to book a plane ticket as soon as you can.”
I give a teary nod forgetting he can’t see me and hang up the call without saying goodbye. I reach a red light and take a deep breath as I try to keep the tears at bay.
It’s no use and the first tear falls, quickly followed by a second and third before I’m sobbing uncontrollably.
A horn sounds behind me and I put my foot on the throttle, taking a left towards the ranch instead of going home.
I need my best friend. I need her to tell me it’s going to be okay. That I’m doing the right thing. Because right now, nothing feels okay and everything seems wrong.
I know I took the steps to put the house up for sale. I thought I was ready for that. But as my heart thunders in my chest and the thought of closing that chapter of my life sink in, I begin to wonder if I’m ready at all.
“Hey, Siri. Call Savannah,” I say through my tears to my phone and the dial tone sounds throughout the car.
“Hey, girlie,” she answers, her voice chipper and completely unaware of the mental breakdown I’m currently having.
“Sav,” I cry.
There’s rustling, as if she’s sitting up. “What’s wrong?” her tone is serious now.
Rain drops begin hitting my windscreen almost as if the sky is mocking me and I blink rapidly to clear my vision. The streetlights become less and less as I make my way towards the country lanes, and I attempt to calm myself as the road ahead of me becomes harder to see.
“Someone made an offer on my parent’s house. I have until tomorrow to decide,” I hiccup between sobs .
“Oh, Liv. Where are you right now?”
“I’m on my way to the ranch,” I reply.
The rain falls harder, and I turn my wipers on full speed as I sit up straighter and white knuckle my steering wheel. Silent tears stream down my face, reflecting the rain as it runs down my windows and I swipe at them aggressively.
“How far are you?” she asks, her voice full of concern.
“I’m on the-,” movement to my left cuts me off as a deer runs from the side of the road. I let out a shrill scream as I swerve the car to avoid hitting it.
I’m not quick enough.
The left-hand side of my car hits the deer with a jerking force. The weather and loose gravel send the car to the side, and I lose control. My hands slip from the wheel, and I try to slam my foot on the brake but in my panicked state I miss, hitting the accelerator. The car speeds up and I try to regain control of the wheel but before I can, I go careening across the road towards a grass bank.
I vaguely hear Savannah’s voice calling my name as I close my eyes and brace. I hit the bank with violent force and my air bag deploys, sending my head back against the seat.
The sound of metal crunching and glass breaking mixes with my screams as the car becomes airborne. Loose belongings in the car fall around me, some of them hitting me but I keep my eyes closed as I’m jerked from left to right violently.
After what feels like hours the car finally stops moving and I open my eyes. Pain immediately explodes all over my body. My ears ring and the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth as I try to get my bearings.
I’m upside down .
My head pounds as I look around me, searching for anything to get me out of here. I search around for my phone but come up empty and panic sets in.
Flashbacks of the night my parents died assault me as the car groans and glass falls around me. I can hear my mum as she cries out for my dad. The sound of sirens in the distance. The silence that followed as she fell unconscious.
My vision blurs and I try to blink but my eyelids feel like they have weights attached to them.
Everything hurts.
I can’t breathe.
I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. Blood trickles down my arm and I try to lift it, but my limbs are heavy with exhaustion. I suck in painful breath after breath as blackness creeps in around the edges and swallows me whole.