Page 116 of Light My Fire Three Times
There’s a long pause on the other end, and I watch Karl’s jaw tighten.
I can only imagine what Leo’s saying, but when Karl speaks again, it’s with more force. “She’s home now. Resting. I didn’t want to worry you, that’s all.”
I see Karl’s eyes flick toward me, and I force a small smile, even though everything inside me feels so damn heavy.
Leo’s words come through the phone again, this time sharper. “Alright. I’m on my way. I’ll be there in twenty. Don’t move.”
Karl sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll see you when you get here.”
The call ends, and Karl slides the phone back into his pocket. He turns to me with an apologetic look.
“Leo’s on his way. He wanted to know everything, and now…” He rubs his hand over his face, clearly tired himself. “He’s not gonna be happy I didn’t tell him sooner.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I frown. “But it was all a bit chaotic, wasn’t it?”
“True. But thankfully, you’re alright.”
Karl’s eyes flicker to me, a mixture of concern and guilt, and I don’t blame him. This whole mess is too much for anyone to handle, especially when it’s me who’s been at the center of it.
I open my mouth to say something, anything, but my words get caught in my throat. There’s still so much swirling around in my head. I seem to struggle with focusing on one thing. I’m not even sure where to start.
“So…” Karl asks. “Now what?”
Before I can even respond, there’s a knock at the door.
“Leo already?”
Karl shrugs and opens.
“Liv,” Leo says in a rush, his gaze flicking over me, sizing me up, searching for signs of something more than exhaustion. His eyes soften when they land on me, but only briefly before the concern sharpens again. “What the hell happened?”
I wave a hand dismissively, trying to brush it off. “Just too much, Leo. I’m fine.”
“Fine?” Leo’s voice rises in disbelief. “You passed out, Olivia! That’s not fine. It’s this shit with your boss. I know it is.”
“I’m fine,” I repeat, more firmly this time, trying to keep my emotions in check. “I just need some rest, Leo. That’s all. You don’t need to worry.”
“I’m going to kill Richard fucking Stokes,” he rants as he paces up and down. “I’m going to hunt him down. I swear, I’m not going to let him get away with it. He’s going to pay for what he’s put you through, you hear me?”
My heart sinks. I’m already drowning in everything that’s happened. I don’t need Leo to drag me back into the chaos with talk of revenge.
“No, Leo,” I say, as I stand up, my legs wobbly beneath me. “I’m not going to go after him. I don’t want revenge. I just want to move on with my life. I just want the lawsuit to be done with.”
Leo’s face hardens, his eyes flashing with the same protective anger I’ve seen before. “You think it’s normal just to let him get away with this? He’s ruining your life, Liv.”
I shake my head, the frustration starting to build in my chest. “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me, Leo.”
Karl’s stance widens as he squares off with Leo. “That’s enough, man. Let her decide what she wants to do.”
Leo whips his head toward Karl, his face turning red. “And what’s that supposed to mean? You think I’m wrong for caring about her? For wanting to protect her from the asshole who’s been using her like a damn punching bag?”
“No,” Karl responds coolly, though laced with irritation. “But this isn’t your fight to pick, Leo. Olivia doesn’t need you throwing punches for her. She’s telling you she wants to move on, so you need to respect that.”
Leo’s eyes narrow, and the anger rises to a dangerous level. “You think I’m just supposed to stand by and watch this happen,Karl? Watch her crumble under the weight of that asshole’s actions and do nothing? You can’t be serious.”
“Maybeyou’renot serious,” Karl snaps back. “Olivia doesn’t want to keep fighting. This lawsuit is killing her. Every word out of your mouth right now is just piling more pressure on her. Can’t you see that?”
Leo takes a step toward Karl, his fists clenching at his sides. The tension between them could explode at any moment. I can feel my pulse picking up, my stomach churning with dread.
