Page 64 of Time To Live Again

Oh God, I’m such a pessimist. Why the hell would he want to be with someone like me? We aren’t perfect people. But maybe we’re close to perfect as a pair.

He grabs my hand and presses his lips to my palm, making me quiver. “When you have bad days, I’ll help pick you up. Do you think I don’t have days like that too? I do, and I’ll need you even more then. I’m all in, Olive. You won’t get rid of me without a fight. Deep in my soul, you’re who I want.”

That warmth in my heart ignites again, reminding me how cherished he makes me feel. How could I not fall in love with him? I’m not only going to fight for me, I’m going to fight forus. We’ll figure it out.

“You know what else, sweet thang? I have a secret too.” Sweetthang? He pulls a chuckle from me. “If I say yes to it, it will be a huge game changer for me. And it might be the answer to our living arrangements.”

I tap playfully on his chest with my fingers. “You’ve been holding out on me. Spill it.”

An earnest expression transforms his cheerful face, piquing my curiosity.

“The current manager of the hotel is retiring soon. Mom asked me to take over when he leaves. And in the future, I’m probably in line to take over the hotel when Mom can’t do it anymore. Sully has already said he doesn’t want to do it. Tonya isn’t sure, but I have the feeling she doesn’t want to either.”

My eyes widen with surprise and hope. “Holy shit. That’s awesome. Well, I think it is. Does that interest you?”

He flashes me a lopsided grin. “Well, I met this woman who’s compelling me to rethink everything. Especially about settling down. It could be here…or maybe not. Not sure where it would be, actually, but as long as we end up there together, I don’t care.”

I rest my forehead against his. “I want that too. So much. Are you willing to wait for me?”

“Look at me, Olive.” I pull back and gaze at his serious face. “I’d wait for you forever. I want you to get into a place where you feel you can give yourself freely, not because I want you to. Find your way. You need to do what’s best for you. Not for your mom, not for me, not for anyone except yourself.”

I wrap my hands around his and bring them to my lips. “Okay, but that goes both ways, Leo. It’s not all about me. I want what’s best for you too. You’re also your own priority.”

I’ll ask it a million times—how did I end up here in this amazing man’s arms, being treated like a priceless diamond? Do I deserve him? Maybe. Maybe not. He gives me the encouragement to bust my ass for what I want. And at the end of the day, he’s who I want standing by my side.

Leo sits back and looks concerned. “I didn’t tell you this before, but my aunt and uncle want to have a memorial for Corey to mark five years in March. All the things I’ve avoided are coming to a head. When you leave tomorrow, I have to start facing them. And it’s something I have to do by myself. We’re kind of in the same boat.”

I caress his cheek with my finger. “When you put it that way, I guess we are.”

He lightly grips my thighs and gazes at me intently. “Whenweare ready, Olive, I’ll be waiting for you with open arms.”

There are plenty of things I’ve done that I’m not proud of, but I must’ve done something right to find someone as special as he is. “I guess me leaving is a good thing in the long run,” I conclude. “We both need time to make things right.”

“Yes. And when we achieve what we want, the endgame is you and me, baby.”

“You and me. I like that.” I comb my fingers through his soft hair, and his eyes sparkle like he knows what I’m going to say. “Can we take a break from all this serious talk and move on to kissing and—what did you call it the other day? Do the naked dance?”

“I’m all for that,” he says with a heated gaze. “I need an extra-large dose of you to hold me over until we see each other again. It could take all night.”

Without warning, I push off of him and dash for the stairs. Leo growls. I run up the steps while pulling off my shirt. Not as easy as I thought it’d be. I’m already breathless. Leo’s footsteps aren’t far behind me, making me move faster. Once I reach the top, my bra goes next. I gasp when he wraps his arms around me from behind.

“Caught ya!” he purrs close to my ear. “Ready to put in an all-nighter?

I twist around in his arms. “Bring it on, tough guy. You’ve met your match.”

It’s time to seal the deal. There’s no going back.

27

LEO

This is a completely different kind of loss. I press my hand to my aching chest and take a few calming breaths. Yep, half of my heart is missing. The other half is now on the ferry with Olive, stuck to her like glue. Loss comes in all shapes and sizes. It tortures your soul until it becomes unbearable.

After a night full of laughter, conversation, and sex, we had hoped for a quiet breakfast together before she left. Didn’t happen. Olive’s alarm didn’t go off, so we had a quick goodbye in the hotel parking lot. She tried to get a ticket for the next ferry, but that one was canceled. I offered to drive with her to the ferry, but she declined, saying it’d make leaving even harder. I understood because I would’ve ridden it to the mainland and back to spend more time with her.Desperate much?

I have to keep telling myself this is only a temporary separation. Am I experiencing separation anxiety? Maybe. I lost my dad first, then Corey, and perhaps I’m scared I’ll lose her too.It’s temporary!When the time is right, we’ll be together again. But how long will we have to wait for us to be ready for forever?

This week went too fast, and I became attached to her without effort. She slipped right into my life, finding a permanent, cozy spot in my heart. Isn’t that how it should be when your soul finds its perfect match? A lot of others have tried to penetrate and mend it over the years. Not only women, family and friends did too. My heart wasn’t ready to love or open up again until Olive unexpectedly appeared. Then it screamed at me,“There she is. Finally!”

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