38. Chapter 38 #3
“You’ll see once I show you the contract later, but Oliver personalised them for each of the girls. I can’t speak for any of them, nor can I tell you what’s in theirs, but in mine-” she flickers her gaze to look down in her lap.
“A few years ago, I dropped out of university because of a toxic boyfriend. Since I lived with him, leaving was my only option. I never knew my mum, and my dad kicked me out when I was fifteen to make room for his new family. My ex had also turned all my friends against me, limiting my options further.” My heartstrings tighten, and I feel awful for judging this poor girl, now knowing she was in a similar situation to me when I was her age.
What’s worse…is that I got through it with the help of my loving and supportive family, something she didn’t have.
“The same night I left that part of my life behind, I drove here to London and ended up at the same bar as Oliver. We hit it off, and after he found out I was planning on sleeping in my car till I figured out what to do next, he let me stay with him until I got back on my feet.”
She pauses to smile.
“But the two of us realised we were far from compatible; he was a neat freak, and I’m more of a controlled mess type person. So that alone caused a lot of arguments, and don’t get me wrong, the sex was great…but there was always something missing,” she reveals.
It does hurt to hear, but she was right…sex with Oliver was great, but not enough.
“I had the opportunity to live with Oliver, unlike the other girls, so I could always tell that there was always a lack of something. Especially after sex. After he helped me clean up, he’d go back to his room or into his office until early hours of the morning.
Living together ended after about a month; he kicked me out, and I never figured out what that missing piece of him was until…
” Diamond pauses to look at me, holding my hand tightly as I try to pull it away and she squeezes it.
“Oliver modified my contract for us to see each other casually twice a year, as long as I stuck to my agreement and didn’t share any details of what I witnessed while living with him.
But what you don’t know is that Oliver’s version of kicking me out didn’t mean kicking me out on the streets; it meant giving me a place to stay, a job and a real chance to get back on my feet.
In a matter of twenty-four hours, he’d brought and had me sign for ownership of the flat I currently live in and had Nigel set me up with a receptionist job at his cousin’s dental clinic, which I worked in until a few months ago. ”
She pauses again to rest her hand on her heart.
“Then…a while after that, I got a knock on my door. My father hand-delivered me a compensation check and apologised for abandoning me. Even now, he texts me every once in a while, but I haven’t replied, not really ready to deal with that yet - but the point is, Oliver did that.
For me, for someone he barely knew and as you can tell, he’d never admit it, but he helped give back a part of me I didn’t know was missing.
He doesn’t see it as a big thing, but his heart is way bigger than he leads on. ”
Knowing that all too well, I stay quiet.
“I want you to know all of this because, well, I’m hoping we can be friends, but also because I know it doesn’t excuse what or how Oliver may have treated you when things ended between you, but there really is a good man in there; he just…gets lost in himself.” Diamond recites with a soft smile.
“And Oliver and I haven’t slept together since last year. We only briefly hung out back in April on a day out with Theo, and the last time we crossed paths was when I met you.”
She tilts her head at me.
“I think for some time now, Oliver only sees me as a younger sister, nothing more, nothing less,” she adds, squeezing my hand again.
“I know what I saw that day, between you and Oliver. You’re his missing piece, Luna. I know it hurts that he left, and knowing that…Surly bastard-” she giggles under her breath.
“He probably said things he’s strongly regretting, and you may not think it, but I’m pretty sure he’s trying to figure out the best way to make amends and find his way back to you,” she finishes softly, before shifting out of her side of the booth to wrap her arms around me tightly.
I hadn’t realised that I was crying; as much as I’m still mad at him, I still love him.
Diamond’s story only confirms that Oliver Walters is a one-in-a-million kind of guy; for someone so detached from the idea of real relationships, he does care for others and has a heart of gold.
I miss that grumpy bastard; I miss Theo, and I also hate Diamond for making me cry in public.
She didn’t know about Oliver’s emails, yet everything she said was happening as we speak.
He was making his way back to me whether I wanted it or not; the time of all this just makes me cry more.
I do want Oliver to come back. I can’t be sure if I’ll completely forgive him, but I’d give anything to have him towering over me right now, so we can make a start.