“I really like Olivia.”
“So do I.”
“She’s smart and funny and kind and she doesn’t care that you played football.”
I could tell that Jake was getting attached to her, something he rarely did. He sometimes had a difficult time relating to people. He lived in his own head a lot. But it was clear that he and Olivia had connected.
My heart ached as I thought about how Jake would feel when I had to tell him that Olivia and I were getting a divorce. It had never even crossed my mind that he would be affected by my decision.
But I could see that he would be.
“Olivia said she’s going to try and help me get an interview at TTT Security.”
“Really?” Jake had mentioned earlier when I picked him up from the airport that the company he really wanted to intern for this summer was TTT, but he hadn’t heard back from them.
“She knows the founder, Maddox Cruz.”
I’d heard of Maddox Cruz. He was a tech genius and also a billionaire. “She does?”
He nodded. “She said she had a crush on him in high school.”
“She did?” I knew I was in no position to get jealous, but damn if I wasn’t.
Jake continued talking about the security company and how badly he wanted to work for Cruz. All I could think about was this crush that Olivia had.
When we got to the next tree Trevor and Olivia set their phones down with the timers set. I wrapped my arms around Olivia’s waist and pulled her close to me. Like always, she stiffened for a moment before melting against me.
I buried my nose in her hair and inhaled. She was my wife. The thought of her having a crush made me hold her a little tighter. The photos got snapped and we all headed to the final tree destination before we went to Bay View.
Jake and Trevor were in front of us discussing a new video game and even though I told myself to let it go, I heard myself say, “Jake said you’re gonna help him get an interview with Maddox Cruz.”
Olivia grinned. “I’m gonna try.”
“How do you know him?” Jake had said that she had a crush on him in high school, so I figured that was it, but I wanted to see her expression when she talked about him.
“We went to high school together. We had a lot of the same classes because we both fast-tracked our graduation and finished in two years.”
Her expression was unreadable, which normally didn’t bother me, but drove me crazy in this instance. “So you were close?”
A wide smile spread on her face. “No. I was very…quiet in high school. I don’t think he ever noticed me at all.”
I called bullshit on that. Olivia was someone who was noticed. The atmosphere changed whenever she entered a room. Trevor said when he first met her, he nicknamed her Tupac because all eyes were on her.
“Do you guys talk often?” I continued my crush investigation.
Her head shook. “No. I haven’t spoken to him since I was sixteen. But Bailey has, she’s planning his wedding.”
“He’s getting married?” Getting married was good.
Olivia nodded. “To his high school sweetheart, Peyton.”
“So you two never…” It was none of my business, but I still had to ask.
“No,” she responded as if that idea was ludicrous. “Why? Are you jealous?” she asked as if it was a joke.
“Okay, picture time!” Trevor announced loudly.
I looked up and saw that we’d made it to the last location, which was great timing because it saved me from answering Olivia’s question.