Page 122 of Love for a Lifetime

“I love you,” Lyric whispered. “Olivia does too.”

Anna just nodded and stepped back. Her expression was resigned as she let go of her friend.

Lyric looked between Dawson and Anna. “I’m going to let you two talk.” With a wink at Anna, Lyric stepped out of the dining hall, her heels clicking on the tile floor.

Dawson leaned back, resting his hands against the counter behind him. “Don’t be upset at Lyric. She means well.”

“I know. I’ve just been running from reality,” Anna admitted. Her voice had almost no inflection, as if she were resigned to defeat.

“Olivia and I didn’t mean to hurt you. In fact, I had no idea you were even interested in me.”

Anna huffed. “And that was the way I liked it. It was just a…” She waved her hand above her head. “An infatuation or something. Nothing real. I just want to find a guy that treats me well, and I saw how good you always are to women. I kind of latched onto that.”

“So, you’re not interested in me, just a guy who is nice like me.”

“Basically. It took me all week to figure that out though.”

“You deserve a man who will treat you well. Don’t ever settle.”

Anna scoffed. “Have you seen the options out there lately? I’m creeping toward my thirties, and I haven’t met a decent man in…a while.”

“That’s not true. There are lots of good guys around here. Still, I get that it’s hard to find someone you’re compatible with, attracted to, and who loves you back. Dating isn’t meant to be easy. Figuring out who you’re meant to walk through life with is a big decision.”

Anna fidgeted with her fingers. “You and Olivia sure made it look easy.”

Dawson held up a halting finger. “Wait a minute. You saw us for about point-two seconds. That’s not an accurate representation of our relationship.”

Straightening and propping her hands on her hips, Anna looked up at him. “You’re telling me that your relationship isn’t perfect?”

Okay, he really couldn’t deny that claim. “It’s only been a couple of weeks. Give us some time, and I’m sure we’ll have a disagreement over…something.”

In truth, he couldn’t imagine opposing anything Olivia said or believed, but he was right when he said they would eventually have to face-off over something. Especially if they spent the rest of their lives together the way Dawson intended.

“Maybe you will, but…” Anna tucked her chin and shook her head. “I was so stupid.”

That was unexpected. “Stupid how?”

“I had no idea Olivia had feelings for you. Real feelings. Not the silly ones I made into a big deal. I mean, how long has she been interested in you? I steamrolled over her with my own petty crush, and I never thought to ask about her. I’m the worst kind of friend.”

Dawson held up his hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. No one thinks you’re a bad friend. In fact, Olivia is torn up over this. She’s heartbroken that she might have ruined the best friendship she’s ever had.”

“If the two of you ever have an argument, she’s supposed to come to me–her best friend–for girl talk. How can she do that when she can’t even talk to me? I mean, she didn’t feel comfortable enough to share her feelings with me. I’m supposed to be the one she runs to when a man breaks her heart. I failed her.”

“You didn’t. And for the record, she’s never getting her heart broken. She wants a chance to apologize. We were going to tell you soon, but Olivia was terrified of what you might think. She respects you, and she cares about you. Also, she’s going to need a lot of support in the next few weeks.”

Anna sniffed and jerked her head up. “Why?”

Anna was one of the few who knew about Olivia’s battle with endometriosis, and until Olivia was ready to share it with the world, Anna would be the one she looked to for support.

“She’s having surgery in a few weeks for endometriosis.”

“Again? I guess I should have expected that. It’s been a while since her last one.” Anna’s brows pinched as she looked up. “Wait. She told you?”

“Finally. She didn’t want to.” He’d gotten past that little secret, realizing all of Olivia’s reasons for hiding it.

“That’s a big step,” Anna said, biting her lips to conceal a smile. “I’m glad she told you.”

“You and me both. I’m glad she’s had you by her side all this time.”

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