19. Olivia
I’m beside myself as soon as Luke takes his ex somewhere more private, aware that she saw me and Riley—and that Luke took her out of the equation to spare me, especially Riley, the embarrassment of a confrontation. But being aware of it doesn’t ease my worry, and I find myself glancing at Adam from time to time. He’s busy trying to distract his guests, so I try my best to focus on distracting Riley.
It’s easier said than done, though, especially when Riley keeps asking where her dad went.
“I don’t know where he went, sweetie. But he saw an old friend, so they’re probably catching up.”
It’s the best answer I can come up with.
After a while, Nila approaches us. “Hey, does Riley want to get back in the pool with me? I got some snacks in this little floating tray and we can just eat in the shallow area.”
I hesitate. “Well…”
Nila leans closer. “Listen, I don’t know what the story is, but I know you came here with Luke and that woman seems like a vengeful ex or something. Trust me, I’ve been there and it’s not nice. Let me take care of Riley while you handle that. I don’t mind.”
I don’t know why, but I can tell she’s trying to be a supportive friend and not just doing this to get some gossip out of me. Maybe it’s how she also didn’t pry much about my personal relationships when we were chatting in the pool. The feeling of kinship surges and I smile at her.
“If you’re sure…”
“Positive.” Nila stretches out a hand and beams at Riley. “Riley, want some snacks? I have a surprise for you in the pool.”
“Can I go, Mom?”
“Sure, honey.”
“Sweet!”
When Nila successfully steers Riley away, I quietly sneak into the house, wondering where to start looking for them. But I don’t have to search that long as I hear voices from the kitchen area, which is separated from the foyer by a wall. I expect a full-blown argument by now, but I realize it’s mostly the woman I hear.
Hell, I don’t even know her name. But it doesn’t take a genius to notice the crack in her voice and the anger pouring out of her.
“It wasn’t a conscious decision,” I can hear Luke saying, but the woman cuts him right off.
“Either way, it still happened. You got someone pregnant. Someone who wasn’t me, right after our divorce—when I have been asking you to spend more time with me before things went to hell for us.”
Bitterness coats every word. I stand frozen in place as she keeps going.
“And that’s not even all. How old was she when you met her? Fucking twenty? You would go that low? Pick up some bimbo in some bar and?—”
“Don’t you dare call her that.” Luke’s voice is cold steel, the same one he used when he faced Bryan Wells. “She’s not a bimbo and she will never be. We met through circumstances out of our hands—twice—but the rest of our story is none of your business.”
“I—”
“You don’t get a say, Carol, because you were already gone from my life when all of this happened. You don’t get to be hurt because you left.”
The words sink like a stone, and I can imagine myself in her shoes and hearing them from the man I left behind. Carol. I don’t know their full story beyond her cheating and leaving, but I realize now that Luke can handle this—and me being here is just a disruption more than anything since they’re also entitled to their privacy.
Wordlessly, I back away, then sneak out as quietly as I can without alerting anyone. There’s a sense of relief that no one’s looking at me or looking to check the kitchen for some gossip, which probably has a lot to do with Adam’s distraction methods. I return to Riley and Nila, who are in the pool as promised and halfway done with their tray of snacks.
“Mom, where have you been? The snacks are so good!”
“I just wanted to check something, sweetie.”
Imagine my surprise when what I checked is suddenly behind me.
“Hey. Is everyone okay?”
I turn toward Luke and search his face. It’s closed off, but he softens at the sight of Riley.
“Dad! You should get in the pool with us.”
He smiles. “I suppose I should.” Then he looks at me. “How about you?”
The quiet intensity in his gaze holds me hostage, but I break off and consciously shift on my feet. “Sure.”
“Mom, can I have some water?”
“I’ll get it. And some juice for everyone. You guys stay here.”
I don’t know why I’m volunteering immediately, but I guess it’s partly because I don’t want to cause any more drama than there already is with Carol—and I can tell Luke wants to hold me, which will definitely cause drama. I make my way back toward the kitchen, relieved when it’s empty now and the fridge is stocked with bottled water and juices. I grab a few and balance them in my arms, then close the fridge door with my butt?—
“That’s a lot of juice.”
Shock slams through me, but I recover quickly and nod.
“Yeah. For Riley and the others.”
I can’t bring myself to smile, though, as Carol’s gaze trails over me from head to foot. She looks even more beautiful up close, so elegant in her simple dress and understated pieces of jewelry. Finally, her gaze locks on mine.
“So, woman-to-woman. I think it’s only fair that I warn you about Luke.”
Whatever I expected, it’s not that. I blink. “I beg your pardon?”
“He’s a good man, there’s no denying that, and he may seem like this charming, fairy tale prince who can give you anything you want…but don’t be fooled. I’ve known him for years and he just isn’t built to be a father. Or a husband.”
My shoulders stiffen. “Why do you say so?”
She shrugs. “Because it’s not in his genes. Or his personality. It may seem perfect for you guys now, but pretty soon, he will neglect you and the kid because only one thing matters to Luke in the long run: his career. It will always come first and you’ll just be left disappointed.”
There’s still that hint of bitterness from earlier, but why does it feel like she’s trying to be sincere to me? I can’t tell if it’s real or fake because I don’t know her that well. But I do know I’m angry on Luke’s behalf, and it’s that anger that finally sparks me to speak.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. But I don’t think it’s fair that you’re judging him when you haven’t even seen him in years. I know he’s not perfect, but no one is. Your past with him is none of my business and my daughter’s future with him is none of yours. Have a good day and let’s not bump into each other again.”
I step aside and out of her way, braced for her to call me back or yell something insulting. She does neither. My steps falter when I spot Luke beside the door leading outside as if he followed me and only stopped when he heard us talking.
Angrier now that he had to hear all of that, I transfer some of the drinks to him so I can free one hand and take his. Then I tug it.
“Let’s go.”
Luke follows me without a word, much to my relief. Again, I wait for his ex to confront us, but she never does, and I hope it means I got my point across and she won’t bother him again. Still, some of our good mood from earlier has already been ruined.
“Do you want to go home, Liv? Skip the rest of the party?”
I mull it over. Then I shake my head. “No. Riley’s still having fun.”
“Okay.”
Luke tightens his hold on my hand and squeezes it, a wordless way of telling me that he will support my decision. It strengthens my resolve. It makes me not care anymore about Luke holding me close, either, or what the others have to say about it.
To hell with them. To hell with Carol.
We’re here to have some fun, especially Riley, and I’m determined to keep it that way.
And to protect Luke.
The ride home is silent. Riley’s knocked out on the backseat while Luke looks straight ahead, his hands tight on the steering wheel and his thoughts probably heavy. While we tried our best to have fun for the rest of the party, there was still that lingering awareness that someone was watching our every move—and it doesn’t take two guesses to know who our watcher was.
At least Carol didn’t approach us anymore and had the good sense not to approach Riley, either. Just like that, my thoughts are back to my conversation with her, which I’ve been replaying from time to time and can’t help nitpicking. I know she must feel like a woman scorned after Luke showed up with me and Riley at the party, but that sincere tone…
Why would she try to warn me? What is she trying to accomplish? Is it a ruse to make me distance myself so she can make a move on Luke?
The conversation I overheard between them didn’t sound like her trying to get him back, but it’s not like I heard the rest. Thankfully, we’re back in Luke’s mansion before my thoughts drive me crazy, and I jump on to the next task at hand.
“I’ll carry Riley to her bedroom.”
“I can do that, Liv.”
“It’s fine. I’ll do it. She’s light.”
He doesn’t protest. I take Riley upstairs, who wakes up when I ease her into bed and reaches out for me. Adam was kind enough to lend us his bathroom so we could shower and change ahead, and now I sink into the bed with her and let her wrap her tiny arms around me.
“Mom, are we home?”
It’s a loaded question, but I remember the way Luke welcomed her here and nod. “Yes, honey, we are. Did you have fun earlier?”
“A lot. Can we go back to Uncle Adam’s house next time?”
“Sure.”
That’s all she needs to hear to return to sleep. When her breathing is more even, I slowly slip out of her grasp and out of the bedroom. A squeak comes out when I find Luke standing outside the door as if he’s been waiting for me all along.
“Jeez, Luke. That’s twice today. Stop sneaking up on me.”
I wait for him to smile at my teasing, but he doesn’t. Instead, his tone is serious.
“Your room is here, the one beside Riley. Or you can sleep with her if you want.”
I clear my throat. “Oh. Thanks.”
I wait for a third option: his room and his bed. Disappointment courses through me when that option isn’t given, but I’m more concerned about his serious look.
“Luke?”
Silence, then?—
“She’s right, you know.”
Belatedly, I realize he’s talking about Carol. I scowl.
“Luke, she cheated on you.”
“Because I made her do so.”
What?
“Luke…what do you mean?”
There’s more silence, and I now notice how tense his shoulders are. It’s like he’s building up to something big, and instinct tells me not to interrupt.
When he finally does speak, it’s like a storm taking over.
“All she said about me prioritizing work and neglecting other things, including my marriage, is true. I was so obsessed with work and being successful on my own terms that I didn’t make time for her anymore—and when I say no time, I mean I barely saw her in a week. My success was so important to me that I forgot spending quality time with my wife was important, too, which led to her loneliness…which led to her finding comfort somewhere else. Because I was never there.”
“Luke…”
Dark eyes gaze at me with so much pain—and so much guilt.
“She may have hurt me, Liv, but I hurt her first.”