4. Olivia
CHAPTER 4
Olivia
“C ome on in.” Bax stands back against his front door, holding it open, and Gemma bounds into the house ahead of me.
As soon as I step inside, I notice that unlike Kourtney’s house—which is just that, a house she stays in when she is in town—his has been updated and made to feel like a home. The floors are all modern, multicolored wooden planks. The accent wall where the TV is hung is customized, with thick, square panels that have been painted over in a matte-black that coordinates with the furniture nicely. Two cozy-looking leather couches close in the living room, one bigger than the other, with a large, square, wooden coffee table in the middle that blends in with the color scheme. A round, low-profile tray sits in the middle of it, holding about five remotes and an empty vase.
When he shuts the door, locking us inside the quiet of his house, I feel the tension I didn’t notice before coming off him in waves, and guilt hits me hard. I hate that he had to come home after what was probably a long day and get dragged into my situation. A situation that included him having a gun pulled on him.
“I’m really sorry.”
Turning toward me, his eyes lock on mine as he shrugs off his coat and tosses it onto the back of the couch. “I promise there won’t be any hard feelings if you want me to just call my parents and Liam to have them come help instea?—”
“It’s fine.” His hands flex at his sides, and I fight the urge to bite my lip or shift on my feet as he stares at me.
Growing up, I had a crush on him, and even my mom used to think he was cute. But he’s not cute anymore. His features are harder, his jaw and cheekbones sharp. The outline of muscles under the tight material of his shirt hints at the power he carries within his big body, and the tattoos that cover his arms give him an air of mystery and danger. He’s no longer the boy I used to know, and I feel off-kilter around this version of him.
“Did you eat dinner?” he asks over his shoulder as he walks away, leaving me no choice but to follow behind him.
“Yeah, I ate with Mom and Dad earlier. Have you eaten?” I step into his kitchen, that is just as nice as the living room and completely updated, with deep-gray cabinets, chrome appliances, and quartz countertops streaked in warm hues of gray and gold.
“Not yet,” he mutters, going to a set of glass doors where Gemma is waiting to be let out. “I’ll get something later.”
I catch a glimpse of his covered back deck when he opens the door, and it looks just as nice as the inside of his house. “Are you sure? I mean, I don’t know?—”
“I’m fine,” he interrupts me. “Let’s just make the calls and get things sorted.”
“Right,” I whisper, the twist of guilt wrapping around my insides getting tighter. Pulling out one of the leather-topped stools at the bar, I take out my phone, as I hop up onto it and dial Liam’s number first.
When it goes to voicemail, I don’t bother leaving a message. I know he will never listen to it. I hang up and send him a text, telling him what happened and asking him to call me back. Then I dial my parents’ number as I watch Bax pull out a small can of food and pop the lid on it. The sound it makes is distinctive, and within seconds, a black shadow zooms across the kitchen floor and right to him—not to the food. When the feline gets up on its back paws, wanting to be picked up, he lifts it off the floor and cradles it in the crook of his muscular, tattooed arm.
“Olivia,” Mom answers, and I open my mouth and shut it. Maybe I’m not surprised that Bax has a pretty black cat since I know his cousin is a vet and that she works hard at finding homes for all the animals who come in but don’t have a place to go after she nurses them back to health. I am, however, surprised to see him so willfully cuddle the cat, who has obviously claimed him as its human. “Olivia, honey, are you there?”
Damn.
“Umm… sorry, Mom. I’m here.” I drop my eyes from Bax and focus on the gold-and-gray coloring of the counter. “Remember how I mentioned that my stuff was getting delivered?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s here, but I’m going to need some help unloading everything.”
“I thought you paid someone to do that.”
“I did.” I sigh, then explain what happened. By the time I hang up with her, she’s got on her shoes, and she and Dad are getting ready to leave. A few minutes later, Bax comes back into the kitchen from wherever he disappeared to while I was on the phone.
“My cousin Jax and my brother Talon are on their way.”
“My mom and dad are coming. I couldn’t get ahold of Liam.”
“He’s probably out.”
“Probably.” I look down at my feet when I feel something soft brush against my leg. “Hey, pretty kitty.”
“That’s Ira,” he says, and I lean down to scratch the top of her head.
“She’s sweet.” I look up at him. “Another gift from your cousin?”
“No.” He smiles. “Or not directly. Talon took in Ira’s mom, Soma, and her littermates when they were dumped at July’s vet practice. I was over at his place one day, helping him with something, and Ira claimed me.” He eyes the cat now in my arms. “I’m surprised she’s out. Normally, when people are over, she hides until they’re gone,” he says. Then we both look at the back door when something clinks against it. I see Gemma waiting to be let back inside. “I’ll let her in, and then we can go see what’s happening out front.”
“Sure.” I watch him open the door, and Gemma rushes inside, bypassing him to come to me. Ira, who is not okay with the wild pup’s excitement, takes off toward the doorway to the living room and disappears out of sight. “It’s like you didn’t just see me a few minutes ago.” I laugh, sliding off the stool I was sitting on when she lies down and rolls to her back, giving me her belly.
Feeling eyes on me, I look up at Bax, and his eyes wander over my face, making me self-conscious before he clears his throat and looks away.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I grab my cell phone off the counter, then follow him to the front door.
When we step out of his house, the police cruiser the guys were taken to is gone, but there is now a police SUV and a tow truck parked on the street next to the semi. As Bax and I make our way down the sidewalk to the street, Cobi and a large, older gentleman come walking around the side of the semi into view before parting ways. As Cobi comes toward us, the older man walks to the tow truck and starts speaking to the driver, who has gotten out.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, wondering if I should have made sure that I’d be able to unload my stuff before I phoned my parents.
“The moving company signed off on you removing your items from the truck, but we can’t move it from where it’s parked, and we have to take photos of everything since there is another delivery in the back,” Cobi says, looking between Bax and me. “Did you get ahold of anyone?”
“My parents are on their way. I couldn’t get in touch with Liam, but I sent him a message.”
“Talon and Jax are coming,” Bax adds, and Cobi lifts his chin before looking at the back of the truck.
“We should open it up and see what we’re working with.”
I stand back while the two guys unlatch and lift the rolling door at the back of the semi and figure out how to use the lift. By the time they have that sorted, two trucks are pulling up, and just like Cobi, I recognize Jax and Talon immediately from when I would spend time at Bax’s parents’ house, and all his cousins and siblings would be there.
“Thanks for coming, man.” Bax gives his brother a one-armed hug and a slapping handshake to his cousin’s hand before motioning to me. “You remember Olivia, Liam’s little sister, right?” he asks Talon.
“Olivia?” He shakes his head with a smile as he meets my gaze. “Liam told me you moved back. How have you been?”
“Good.” I smile and shift on my feet. Having known him for years before I left home, it’s difficult to ignore the instinct to give him a hug. The reason I do is because after I hugged Bax at the bar days ago, I replayed that moment over and over in my head a million times and realized I shouldn’t have done that. He knew me when I was younger, and even though he and Liam have always been friends, we haven’t. If anything, he only tolerated me because I was his best friend’s little sister.
“Nice to meet you, Olivia.” Jax smiles at me before sending Bax a look I don’t understand.
“All right, guys, let’s get this done so we can get this truck moved,” the older gentleman I saw Cobi with when we came outside says as he walks up to join us.
“Olivia, this is Chief Marshall,” Cobi introduces before pulling out his phone and passing it to me. “You take pictures as we pull everything out.”
“I can help unload stuff,” I offer, the guilt compiling once again.
“You can, but you’re not going to,” Chief Marshall says with a kind smile that makes me feel slightly less insulted.
As the guys begin the process of unloading the boxes closest to the doors, my parents pull up, and my mom comes to stand with me while my dad jumps in to help. It’s a relief to hear the guys all joking and laughing as they work to remove everything that belongs to me from the back of the truck. I know they would much rather be spending their evening at home with their families than here doing this. Heck, I don’t even want to be here doing this.
After all the pictures are taken, we begin the process of moving everything into the house, with my mom and me helping to carry the smaller items and the guys taking care of the larger things. As I’m walking up the sidewalk with one of my lamps, my cell phone starts to ring, so I step to the side so I’m not blocking the path and take it out of the pocket of my shorts, seeing it’s Liam calling.
“Hey.”
“Sorry, kid. I just got your message,” he says, the background noise making it difficult to hear him. “I’m going to tell my date I’m cutting out early and will be on my way.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re just about done. Mom and Dad and Bax’s brother and cousins are helping.”
“Are you sure? I can be there in thirty minutes.”
I look at the driveway. Except for my couch, a couple of odd pieces of furniture, and a few more boxes, almost everything is already inside.
“I’m sure.” The sound of the tow truck backing up catches my attention, and I watch Chief Marshall direct the driver where to stop in front of the semi.
“All right, but I’ll help you with whatever you need this weekend.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you sure you’re good?” he asks, sounding like he feels guilty.
“I’m sure. Enjoy your date.” I hang up with him after saying goodbye, then take the lamp inside.
When I get back outside, the tow truck and semi are gone, but Chief Marshall is still here. He calls me over to have me sign off on some paperwork and to let me know that the delivery company I used will be calling me. He also tells me that I should demand a full refund, which I just might do.
By the time I’m done speaking with him, the guys have taken everything into the house. When I step back into the foyer, Talon is coming up the hall with Cobi and Jax right behind him.
“Bax is setting up your bed, but he’s almost done, so we’re going to take off,” Talon tells me, stopping near the front door.
“Thanks again for coming to help. I owe you.”
“It’s all good,” he replies, Jax and Cobi saying something similar before they offer goodbyes to my mom, dad, and me, then head out the door.
I turn to my parents.
“Do you want us to help with anything else tonight?” Mom asks, looking around at the massive amount of boxes and furniture that has taken over Kourtney’s living room.
“No, I need to go through everything, and that’s going to take a little time.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. You guys already did too much.” I hug her tight. “Thanks again for coming on such short notice.”
“You know we’re here anytime you need us.” She lets me go and starts to put on her coat as I look over at my dad, who holds open his arms to me.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“No problem.” His lips press against the top of my head. “I’ll be over Saturday to start taking stuff to storage.”
“You’re the best.” I let him go and allow him to move toward the open front door, watching him take Mom’s hand to help her down the steps. Wrapping my arms around my middle, I stand in the doorway and wait until they are backing out of the driveway before I close the door.
When I turn to face the living room, I draw in an exhausted breath, then maneuver around my couch that is pushed up against Kourtney’s, with my dining table stacked on top of it. I walk past the kitchen, the half bath in the hall, and the spare room Kourtney uses as an office that is attached to my room through a Jack and Jill bathroom. Her bedroom is on the opposite side of the house. When I reach the end of the hallway, I squeeze past my mattress that is propped up against the wall and step into my bedroom, finding Bax bent over the frame of my bed as he puts it together with tools he must have brought over from his house at some point.
“You really didn’t have to do this. I could have had my dad or even Liam help me this weekend,” I say quietly, and he lifts his eyes to mine. From a distance, they look crystal blue, but up close, I know they’re seafoam green with a jade ring, keeping the lighter shade contained within, the colors unique to only him.
“It’s not a big deal, and it will be better than sleeping on that tonight.” He motions to the twin-size air mattress that is half deflated and folding in on itself.
He’s not wrong. I’ve been using it for the past few days while I waited for my stuff to get here and have woken up each morning practically on the floor, with every inch of my body aching.
“Did Liam ever call you back?”
“Yeah, but he was downtown, so I told him not to worry about coming since everything was basically inside at that point.”
He nods, then watches me as I step farther into the room.
“How can I help?”
“I’m about done.” He moves to my forest-green, velvet, pin-tucked headboard and lifts it with ease, sliding it into the slots that attach it to the frame. “Do you have your sheets?”
“They’re somewhere in one of the boxes in the living room. I’ll just sleep with the sheet and blanket I’ve been using and find them tomorrow.” I help him push the headboard up against the wall and then look around the room. It’s smaller than I thought it was—or it seems smaller, now that my queen-size bed, dresser, and side tables are taking up most of the space.
“What are you going to do with the rest of your stuff?”
“Liam said I could just put everything in his storage unit, but I’m not sure it will all fit. So I might have to rent something myself.”
“Since I helped him put all of his shit in there, I can tell you now that you’re going to have to rent something. How long are you planning on staying with Kourtney?”
“I don’t know for sure.” I follow him into the hall and walk to the end of my mattress so I can push it into the room while he pulls it, doing most of the work. “But I’m thinking six months, maybe a little longer.”
“Do you think you’ll ever go back to Chicago?” He steps into my space, and my muscles bunch when he presses his hand against my stomach to move me out of the way so he can tip the mattress onto the frame.
“No.” I rest my hand where he just touched me, still feeling it there. “My plan is to stay here,” I say, as he walks around to the other side of the mattress to tug it over the rest of the way while I push it from my side. “Mom and Dad aren’t getting any younger, and I just want to be closer to them.” I blow a piece of hair out of my face, and he watches it float through the air before meeting my gaze once more.
“I get that,” he replies softly, pulling his eyes off mine to look around. “Do you want help with anything else tonight?”
“No. Honestly, you’ve already done too much. I owe you one.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, it’s late. I can get everything sorted this weekend.” I step out of my bedroom, and he follows me down the hall and into the living room, where he grabs his coat from its spot over the back of the couch. I move past him to the door and open it. “Thanks again for everything.”
“No problem.” He stops so close I’m forced to tip my head back to meet his gaze. I would be a liar if I said that I didn’t feel my stomach flutter at the sight of him towering over me, with his dark hair a mess and the scruff covering his jaw.
“I’m next door if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” My muscles relax, and I let out the breath I’ve been holding when he steps outside.
“Make sure you lock up.”
“I will.”
“Night, Oli.”
“Night, Bax,” I whisper, and he looks over his shoulder when he gets to the bottom step, his eyes sweeping over me and seeming to linger before he drops his gaze to his boots and makes his way down the sidewalk.
I wait until he reaches his driveway before I shut and lock the door, then turn toward the living room. I think about looking for the sheets for my bed, but instead, I go to the kitchen, take out the spaghetti I made last night, and put it in the microwave.
As I’m sliding some garlic bread with shredded cheese under the broiler in the oven, my cell phone on the counter rings. Seeing it’s Rebecca calling, I slide my finger across the screen and put it to my ear.
“Hey! How was—?” I cut myself off when I hear her sob. “Oh no, what happened?”
“He’s dating someone.”
“What?” I whisper, my heart physically hurting from the pain I hear in her voice.
“That’s why he wanted to meet up. He said he thought he should tell me in person rather than over the phone.”
“Oh, Reb.”
“We just broke up.” Her voice cracks. “He told me he loved me. He said he didn’t want to break up when I told him that we should take a break. Now, he’s dating someone else, and it’s apparently serious.”
“What a dick,” I say quietly.
“I know.” She drags in a shaky breath. “I’m glad I didn’t move in with him.”
“Me too,” I agree, feeling like an ass for making her feel bad about her decision when obviously she was right and I was wrong about him.
“Can I come see you?” she asks, the plea clear in her voice.
“Of course you can.”
“Okay, I’m going to talk to Helen tomorrow and see if I can take a few days off. Maybe I’ll fly in at the end of next week and stay through the weekend.”
“I’d love that. We can explore Nashville together,” I tell her, the idea replacing some of the guilt I was feeling with a bit of excitement.
“Maybe I’ll meet someone there,” she says through a sigh.
I scoff. “How about we just plan on girl time?”
“That’s probably smart.” She sniffles. “I’ll call you tomorrow after I get to work and talk to Helen.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you too.” She hangs up, and I let out a breath, then finish what I started.
I take the spaghetti out of the microwave and sprinkle it with fresh parmesan, then put the lid on it. I wrap the garlic bread in foil, then put two of the apple oatmeal spice cookies I normally eat for breakfast in a baggy. I place everything in one of the warmer bags I use for my lunch, then grab my keys and leave the house.
When I arrive next door at Bax’s, I ring the bell and wait, then wait some more, as my insides twist into a nervous mess. Just when I’m about to leave, the front door opens, and my mouth instantly goes dry. Seeing Bax fully clothed might knock me and the rest of the female population off-kilter, but him standing in front of me wearing only a pair of sleep pants, with his tattooed, muscular torso on display, turns my brain to mush, and my insides liquid.
“Oli?” He frowns, and I shove the bag I’m holding at him.
“I didn’t want you to have to cook,” I say, and he lifts his eyes, which were on the bag now in his hands, to me. “It’s just spaghetti and garlic bread.” I back up a step and stupidly don’t realize there is an actual step behind me, so I stumble backward off it.
“Shit.” He takes a stride toward me as I right myself, but I continue to back away from him.
“I’m okay.” God, my face feels like it’s on fire. “There are also cookies.” I move another pace backward. “Have a good night.” With that, I spin on my heels and rush away, trying not to look like I’m rushing.
“Oli?”
Where is a portal when you need one?
“Yeah?” I turn to look over my shoulder from where I’ve stopped on the lawn between his and Kourtney’s houses.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I bite my lip when I see the roguish smile tilting up his lips, then hustle the rest of the way home. Once I’m locked in the house, I attempt to get the vision of a shirtless Bax out of my head.
But I quickly learn—that’s impossible.