Page 85 of Misfortune and Mr. Right

“Who is it?” I shout on my way to the door.

“It’s me! Logan? It’s Olivia!”

I open the door and she’s panting, holding her chest as if she raced here from somewhere, which is ridiculous since she only lives across the building from me.

“Hi.” Olivia looks up at me.

“Hi. Are you okay? Is everything alright?”

“Yes. No. I am. But totally not. Don’t worry.”

She’s still out of breath.

“So you are okay, but not, and I shouldn’t worry?”

Olivia nods. “Mm-hmm.”

She’s staring up at me as if she’s seeing me for the first time ever. I can’t decipher the expression on her face. And then she does the most unexpected thing.

She wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me.

“Thank you!” Her words sound muffled against my chest. “Thank you!”

She steps back, looking up at me and smiling.

“For what?”

I told our landlord to keep my call a secret. I thought Olivia might consider me overbearing or overstepping or over … something. But I wanted to do that for her. I want to do everything for her. Getting her apartment repaired is the least of what I’d do for her. I guess Steve, our building manager, couldn’t help himself. He just had to spill the fact that I called.

Olivia’s voice is soft. Her brown eyes meet mine, a tenderness in her expression I’ve never seen before. Then her hand raises to cup my jaw.

Am I dreaming?

“For what you did for Lynette. Thank you.”

“I’m going to kill Gil,” I say under my breath.

“Don’t. I sort of cornered him. I dragged it out of him, I promise.”

“Your hand is on my face.”

“I’m sorry,” she starts to pull it away, but I place my hand over hers, keeping it in place.

“No. Don’t be. I’m not complaining. I just wasn’t sure you knew.”

“I’ve been so wrong about you.” She shakes her head as if she’s ashamed of herself.

“I gave you reason to think the worst of me—for years.”

Olivia looks up at me, her eyes flitting between mine and then down to my lips.

“You are the best man I know.”

“Because I paid three months of your sister’s rent?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Not because you paid her rent. Because you possess the kind of generosity and humility that would lead you to do something so unbelievably selfless, and you didn’t even want me to know.”

“I did it for you.” My voice is careful. I’m still not fully convinced I’m awake, though Olivia’s gentle touch to my cheek makes it pretty clear I am. “I wanted to ease your stress over her situation.”

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