Page 15 of Sweet Escape
Mom: You can’t just say long story short and drop a bomb like that, Liv. What happened?
Olivia: I caught Jake cheating on me and hopped on a flight, but there was a system malfunction and we landed in Memphis instead of Nashville.
Mom: How are you getting to Nashville?
Olivia: Rental car.
Mom: Ok. I’ll be there. Keep me updated and be safe.
Olivia: Thanks. Love you.
Mom: To the moon and back.
As the miles drag on, neither of us speaks, and something between us shifts. I busy myself with looking up recipes online and playing some sort of puzzle game. Every so often, I glance over at Wilder, but his eyes are locked on the road and his face is impassive.
Somewhere outside of Jackson, Tennessee, Wilder finally fills the silence. “So… about what happened…”
“You mean the part where you fucked my brains out? Twice?”
He lets out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, that. Look, my life is really complicated right now. It sounds like yours is, too. I think it’s best if we leave it at that. Once we get to Nashville, we’ll go our separate ways.”
A sharp twinge of pain lances my chest, but I don’t dare give voice to it. Of course, this didn't mean anything; why would it? “Ok. If that’s what you want.”
“Olivia…”
The moment he uses my full name, I know whatever tenuous connection we had is gone. “It’s fine. I get it. We had our fun, and now we have to go back to real life.”
“I have to focus on my daughter,” he says. “She’s my number one priority. I can’t afford to get tangled up in a long-distance relationship.”
“Jesus, Wilder. It’s not like I asked you to be my boyfriend.” I sigh, feeling guilty for snapping at him. Gentling my tone, I add, “I get it. Really, I do. Your daughter is lucky to have you.”
“I do my best.”
“That’s all anyone can ever ask for.”
A quiet settles between us, and I waste no time turning up the radio to drown out the questions swirling in my head. It’s not just the ‘what the hell just happened?’ of it all, though that is heavy on my mind. It’s clear some small part of me thought this might be something more than it was, and I don’t know what to do with that. I should know better than to pin my hopes on a man.
Leaning back against the headrest, I close my eyes and listen to the top hits station playing on the radio, content to switch off for a little while. This whole trip has really taken its toll. When a familiar intro to one of my favorite songs comes on, I crank the volume, letting the melody consume me. I rolldown the window, a wide smile breaking over my face as the wind rustles my hair.
“I freaking love Ruby Lynn Hayes,” I shout over the music.
Wilder glances over at me with his lips tilted up at one side and a quirk in his brow.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know who Ruby Lynn Hayes is? She’s only the biggest name in country music right now!”
“Oh, I know,” he says, turning his gaze back to the road, his fingertips tapping out the beat on the steering wheel.
I’m not sure what to make of the remark, so I ignore it, letting the music carry me through the rest of the drive. At least I’ll be home soon, and I can figure out where I go from there.Stay positive, Liv. There’s a silver lining somewhere. You’ll find it.
Chapter 4
Well if it isn’t the consequences of my own actions
?I could use a love song - Maren Morris
8 weeks: Baby is the size of a raspberry
Olivia
