Chapter 27
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
OLIVE
It’s been four days since I broke things off with Harrison. Four days of tears and junk food.
“Olive, girl, you need to pull yourself together,” Zoe says, not for the first time.
I give her a nasty look and go back to my mope-fest.
She holds her hands up. “Don’t give me that look. I’m just saying if you won’t talk to the man, it’s time to move on. You’ve got a book to finish, and all this sad-sack stuff isn’t going to get it done.”
“Actually, I’ll have you know; I’ve written the best break-up scene ever.”
“And what about the part where the characters get back together and live happily ever after?” she asks.
I scrunch up my nose because that’s not been a thing and isn’t even something I can stand to think about. I’ve been enjoying ripping my hero and heroine apart until they are both miserable… just like I am.
“Exactly. You can’t finish your book like this. I know you’re hurting, but you need to try to rejoin the real world. Or at the very least, talk to Harrison and see what he has to say.”
“You mean, listen to his excuses? Zoe, I just can’t do it. I can’t hear it from his own lips that he was just playing with me.”
“Would he really be trying so hard to get you to listen to him if they were excuses?”
Ugh, I hate when she pulls out the sense talk. I don’t want things to make sense right now. I want to stay in the safety of my misery. If I’m lost in my heartache, I can’t be hurt anymore.
There’s a knock on my door, and I cringe, knowing it’s probably Harrison…
again. Like the best friend she is, Zoe goes to the door.
When I hear a woman’s voice instead of Harrison’s, my ears perk up.
Seconds later, Rita walks into my messy apartment, taking in my sad-sack appearance.
I’m wearing two-day-old pajamas, and my hair is a rat’s nest on top of my head.
I’m a mess. Meanwhile, Rita is perfectly put together in a Chanel suit.
“Hi Rita,” I say, trying to sound perkier than I feel… and look.
“Olive, darling girl, are you okay?”
I snort a sad laugh. It’s obvious that I’m not even a little okay. Her gentle smile feels so motherly and kind that my chest squeezes and my eyes fill with tears again.
“Oh dear,” she says, crossing the room and wrapping me in a hug. I’m stiff for a moment, then relax into her hold, taking the motherly comfort she’s offering. Something I’ve sorely missed since my mother passed away.
I sniffle and get control over my emotions once again. “Sorry about that,” I say softly, wiping my eyes as I pull away from her hold.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize for feeling how you do.”
I give her a sad smile. “Thanks.”
“Now, tell me, what’s wrong?”
Zoe clears her throat, interrupting. “I’m just going to head home. You okay, Olive?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
She gives me a quick side hug and whispers that she’ll call me later.
“Thanks, Zoe.”
“Do you want some tea or coffee?” I offer to Rita, wanting something to distract from what I know she’s here to talk about.
“No, thank you. I just came to talk and deliver something…”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Did Harrison send you?”
“Yes and no…”
When I don’t say anything, she continues.
“First of all, I need you to know I never meant for you to get hurt, Olive. I truly think you and my nephew are a perfect match.”
I snort at that. “And how does his fiancée fit into it?”
Her brows furrow. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. Harrison isn’t engaged. Honestly, I didn’t even know if he would ever give love a chance.”
“He doesn’t have to be in love to be engaged. The ring on that woman’s finger is damning evidence.”
Rita shakes her head. “That woman is a viper and desperate. She would do anything to tie herself to Harrison… including breaking a wonderful woman’s heart in the process.”
Could it be true? Could the woman have lied about being engaged? If so, how did she know about my letters and that Harrison was the man Rita matched me with?
“What about my letters?” I ask, suspicious. “You gave them to Harrison.”
My words sound accusatory, and I don’t even care. She matched me with someone she knew from the start wasn’t looking for a relationship when she knew all I wanted was to fall in love.
“Actually, Harrison sort of stole that first letter. He was so enamored by you that he couldn’t handle letting me match you with anyone else. Which is why I knew giving him your letters was the right thing to do.”
I scoff. “The right thing? I trusted you to match me with someone who had the same goals for a relationship that I do.”
She has the decency to look slightly chagrined but not nearly enough to be apologetic.
“Olive, dear, I knew from the moment I first talked to you that you’d be the one to change my nephew's mind about everything he thought he knew about relationships. Call it a sixth sense, if you will.”
“Was there ever a perfect match for me like you claimed?”
“Harrison is your perfect match.”
I shake my head in denial. That can’t be possible.
Not when he didn’t even want a relationship from the get-go.
My mind trails off to the letters and how I thought that he seemed perfect and all the guilt that surrounded that.
All the guilt that wasn’t necessary since Harrison and Thomas were the same person.
A fission of anger shifts through me, breaking me out of my sadness and splitting me down the middle. Half despair, half anger… okay, there may be a little bit of hope that what Rita says is true mixed up in there. I’m not quite ready to admit to any of those feelings just yet.
“I’m not lying when I say that you and Harrison are perfect for each other.”
A single tear leaks down my cheek. “I wish I could believe that.”
Rita pats my knee then hands me an envelope. “Read what he has to say… just give him a chance. Reach out and grab your happily ever after. It’s right here for the taking.”
With those parting words, she leaves.
I stare down at the envelope with nothing but my name on the front in what I now know is Harrison’s handwriting. Part of me wants to rip into the envelope and see what he has to say. Another part of me is terrified that what he has to say won’t be enough.
It only takes me a minute to give in to the curiosity. I open the letter and start to read.
Dearest Olive,
There are so many things I want to say to you, but the first and most important is that I’m sorry.
I’m sorry that I left you in a vulnerable place where you couldn’t trust in our relationship.
I realize that through the weeks, I never said how much you mean to me, though I tried to show you every day.
I now know that it’s not enough to assume someone knows how you feel just by action alone. You deserve the words too. I just hope that it’s not too late.
Honestly, I wasn’t looking for a relationship when I first approached you. But you changed me. I knew the moment I touched you that I wouldn’t be able to live without you. I might not have realized it right away, but in my heart of hearts, I knew. I will never forgive myself for hurting you.
Vera, the woman who you spoke with at my office, is a conniving snake.
She has been pursuing me for years. I should have fired her long ago.
Everything she said is a lie. As for her reading your letters…
they were in my desk drawer. Vera and Sam were responsible for the theft.
That’s how she read those letters, not because I allowed her to. I swear I would never do such a thing.
As for not telling you that I was the man writing to you… well, I have no excuse for that. I liked the idea of getting to know you better, and I ended up learning more about myself and the kind of relationship I’m capable of in the process. I can’t apologize for that.
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I have three more words to tell you… but I want to see those pretty blue eyes of yours when I do…
Hopefully yours,
Harrison
I read the letter no less than a dozen times. My heart is in my throat, slowly piecing itself back together yet still choking me with emotion.
I read the last sentence again.
Is it really possible that Harrison feels the same way that I do?
Three little words…
That can only mean one thing. I want to ask Zoe what she thinks, but at the same time, I don’t want to share Harrison’s words with anyone, not even my best friend. It feels like these words are meant for me and me alone.
Now I just need to decide what to do with them. Do I trust Harrison’s words, or do I hide away my damaged heart so it can’t be hurt anymore?
I fold up the letter and put it back in the envelope. I decide to take a shower. Time to wash off the last couple days of sadness. It feels good to be clean. I feel refreshed and ready to face things head-on.
I don’t realize it until I’m already dressed, but I’m wearing my favorite dress and have fixed both my hair and makeup. I got ready on autopilot, but from what I’m wearing and how much effort I’ve put in, it’s like my subconscious already knows what I’m going to do…
I’m going to go get my man.
The cab ride to Harrison’s building seems to take forever.
It’s late, but something tells me he’s still going to be at the office.
The security guard gives me a nod and a smile as if he’s expecting me.
I smile back, feeling lighter than I have in days as I make my way to the elevator.
I get to Harrison’s floor, and it’s dark save for the light creeping out from under his office door.
I slowly walk toward the door… nervousness finally taking over. I stand outside the door for a long minute, gathering my courage. Before I have a chance to knock, the door swings open. I jump, startled.
“Olive,” Harrison says my name like a prayer to the heavens. “You’re here.”
I give him a shy smile. “I got your letter…”
He reaches for me, then drops his arm before making contact. I feel the loss more profoundly than anything I’ve ever felt before. I want his touch. I crave it. I’ve been without it for days, and it feels more like weeks… months… forever.
“I’m so sorry, angel,” he says, sounding gutted.
I shake my head. “You have nothing to apologize for. That woman hit me right where it would hurt most. I should’ve trusted in what we have—had,” I correct.
This time when he reaches for me, he doesn’t stop short. No, he pulls me against his chest where I melt into him. “Have. What we have… that is… if you’ll have me. I’m no good at relationships. I’ve never been in a real one… I can’t say I’ll always do the right thing.”
I smile up at him. “I’ve never been in one either. We can learn together.”
He gives me a relieved smile and lowers his lips to mine in a sweet kiss. “I love you, Olive. I never thought it was possible that I would feel this way about anyone. But here I am, head over heels for a woman. You hold my heart in your palm.”