Page 39 of Mad Love

Olivia

Who is this?

Very funny.

Olivia

Love you too, b-hole.

I groan and laugh under my breath. My parents wouldn’t let Olivia call me an asshole when we were kids, so she tried a-hole. No go. But for some reason when she pulled out b-hole, they thought that was the funniest thing. Naturally, it stuck. She’s been calling me this since I was nine and she was twelve.

I’m unsure if I should go help Sadie get Caleb ready or if she needs this time with him. I decide on the latter, and when she comes out with him half an hour later, he’s all dressed up in a grey sweater outfit, looking adorable.

“Look at the two of you.” I hold up my phone. “Can I take a picture?”

Her cheeks flush and she blinks. “Sure. Or you can just get some of him.”

“But you both look so great.”

She smiles down at him. “He does look so cute, doesn’t he? It’s the softest sweater, and he’s the perfect size. It’s like cuddling with a teddy bear.”

I snap a few pictures, pausing when she kisses his head, her eyes closing for a second like she’s breathing him in. And then I hurry to catch the moment, my heart thrumming in my chest.

I hear more about Sasha during the funeral than I have yet and feel like I have a better sense of who she was. Funny, compulsive, and a little bit reckless, caring, and stubborn. Her friends and family talk about her like they never knew what she was going to do next, but that she made them want to be along for the ride. I also hear about how crazy she was about Caleb, and that’s the part that nearly brings me to tears. I hate that Caleb will never know his mother.

Caleb is sitting with Sadie and her family, and I spend most of my time watching them. Caleb because since I found out he existed, I haven’t wanted him out of my sight, and Sadie to see how she’s reacting to all of this. She looks even thinner than she did when I met her a handful of days ago. I need to make sure she starts eating more.

When the service is over and Sadie sees that my parents and Felicity came, as well as the guys, she bursts into tears and hugs everyone. She reaches me last and the look in her eyes both surprises me and breaks my heart.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

Overcome with emotion myself, I just nod and reach out to hug her. As I do, I feel her take a deep breath and relax into me, and something almost as fierce as when I saw Caleb for the first time happens inside of me. I don’t know her well at all, but I want to take care of her. I want to protect her from pain and to be someone she can turn to. I want to trust her and for her to trust me in return.

A little bit shaken by the intensity of these feelings, I don’t know what to say when she finally pulls away. We could’ve been hugging for seconds or minutes, I don’t really know. Time sort of stood still for me.

I don’t know how to explain it, and I don’t feel the need to try. Both of us are in a fragile state, for different reasons, but the common root is our love for Caleb. That’s bound to put more gravity on any interaction I have with her.

I notice her hands are shaky when I let her go.

“I’ll ride with my parents to the cemetery,” she says, finally meeting my eyes again. “You don’t have to come to that. It’s just family, and they can bring me back to Silver Hills. Caleb too, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, it is. I don’t mind staying close and taking you both home though,” I say.

“Thank you. I think I’ll ride with them. You’re probably sick of seeing me cry by now and I have a feeling the cemetery is going to bring out the ugly cry.”

“I think you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met,” I tell her.

She stills, her gaze fixed on mine. When she blinks, the spell is broken and someone calls her name. She turns and lifts her hand to wave. I tear my eyes from her to see a good-looking guy walking toward her.

“Thanks, Weston,” she says, before walking away.

I go out to eat with Felicity and the guys, but my mind is a million miles away.

“You okay?” Felicity asks under her breath.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m…distracted.”

“You worried about being away from Caleb?”

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