Page 20 of His To Unravel
As I rinse my face and stare at my reflection in the mirror, I see the steel of resolve in my own blue eyes. I can’t afford even the smallest misstep. If she senses anything too intense, too revealing, she might retreat—and the idea of her pulling away, of slipping from my reach before she’s wholly mine, is…unacceptable.
She’s starting to regard me as more than her partner in a shared project. A confidant perhaps, someone safe. But that’s not enough—I need her to see more, tofeelmore.
The familiarity I’ve cultivated, the ease between us—the shared silence, the quiet understanding, the way her breath catches when our hands brush—those will be the threads I’ll pull tighter. Until we’re so intertwined she can’t remember a version of herself that doesn’t include me.
It will require finesse—a gentler touch that resonates beneath her conscious thoughts, weaving into her doubts and dreams alike.
A ripple of tension, barely there, pulses under my skin. I can’t lose her—not to anyone or anything, least of all to her own fears.
If that means drawing her closer than she’s ready for, leading her past the point of retreat…
My reflection in the mirror is steady, unyielding.
Then so be it.
EIGHT
olivia
The courtyard bustleswith groups of students chatting, their laughter blending with the rustle of leaves overhead.
I spot Landon waving from one of the shaded tables, his familiar, easy grin framed by his tousled, dirty blond hair that looks sun-streaked even on an overcast day. His brown eyes catch mine—warm and familiar—and a pang of nostalgia tugs at my chest as I walk over.
There was a time when we were inseparable, our friendship building effortlessly over shared study sessions, late-night pizza runs, and countless conversations about our dreams and ambitions.
But now, as I approach, an unspoken distance seems to have crept between us.
He smiles as I sit down, but there’s a slight edge to his expression.
“Finally, a sighting of the elusive Olivia Bennett.” Landon teases, nudging my shoulder as I sit down. His tone is light, but there’s an undercurrent I can’t quite place.
I let out a soft laugh, though his words settle uneasily in mychest. “I know, it’s been a crazy semester. Between projects and, you know…everything else.”
Landon raises an eyebrow, pausing mid-bite. “Yeah, I get it. Too busy with new friends to make time for your old ones.”
“You know that’s not it, Landon. We’re just…on different tracks now. Finance for you, management for me. It was bound to happen.”
“Right,” he says slowly, mulling it over. “I guess that’s the downside of being ambitious, huh? It pulls people in different directions.”
I glance away, choosing my next words carefully. “I mean, yeah, I guess. But, you’ll always be a big part of my life here.”
“Will I?”
His words hang heavy between us. I haven’t given much thought to how distant we’ve become lately, too wrapped up in my own world to notice. But now, with Landon here, looking at me like that, I feel strangely detached.
Part of me feels like I’m looking at a photograph—something that once felt real, but is now just a memory frozen in time.
I smile, but it feels thin. “I’m still here, Landon. I promise.”
I settle into my seat across from him and reach for the sandwich he’s already ordered for me. My usual: turkey on rye with extra pickles. The small gesture says more than words ever could—a quiet nod to our shared history, the countless lunches we’ve shared over the years.
He leans back, studying me.
“So,” he started, pausing just long enough to make it seem casual, “Carolyn mentioned you’ve been…spending a lot more time with Nathaniel Caldwell?”
His tone is light, but there’s a tightness in his jaw that betrays him.
I laugh, brushing it off. “Yeah, all of you seem to forget that we’re working on that project together.”
