Page 209 of Finding Olivia (Trace + Olivia 1)

I lived.

I died.

I came back.

I moved on.

I wasn’t letting my past define me. Instead, I was choosing to embrace my future, and whatever it had in store for me.

“What are you thinking about?” Trace asked as the air rushed through the open windows of the Camaro.

“Just thinking,” I murmured, staring out at the orange, yellow, red, and brown leaves. Fall was in full swing.

“About what?” He asked again.

I sighed dramatically at his stubbornness. “Life.”

“That’s vague,” he muttered.

“It was supposed to be,” I giggled. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“And I don’t plan on telling you,” he smirked. “Be patient. Good things come to those who wait.”

“Sometimes, I wonder why I love you so much,” I shook my head, my long wavy hair falling forward.

“It’s because I’m a beast in the sack,” he glanced at me, waggling his eyebrows, before returning his attention to the road.

“You’re so full of yourself,” I snorted.

“When you’ve got it, you’ve got it,” he enforced his words with a thrust of his hips. “Ah, here we are,” he pulled off onto the side of the road.

I looked around, my brow furrowing in confusion. “Where are we?”

Trace grinned crookedly at me. “Look around, Olivia.”

I did and a smile spread across my face.

“It’s where we first met,” he took my hand and placed a tender kiss on my knuckles. “A year ago today, I pulled over to help this beautiful girl change her tire. She made me laugh with her incessant use of the word, uh, and her mention of Prince Charming,” he winked. “She woke up something inside me and I knew I had to get to know this girl. You changed my life, from the moment I met you, Olivia,” he feathered the lightest touch of his fingers over my cheek. “Your smile stirred something inside me that I had never felt before.” His eyes were a fierce dark green. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. “This last year has been a rollercoaster. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Every moment with you, is a moment I treasure.”

My heart skipped a beat at his sweet words and tears of happiness pricked my eyes. That stupid flat tire, that I had been so mad about, had changed my life. One moment, that’s all it took, for my life to change completely, and veer onto a different path.

I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes: “Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” From the moment I met Trace, he’d been taking my breath away, and showing me what life was really about.

“Come on,” he grinned and opened his car door. I did the same.

We climbed onto the hood of his car and watched the sun

set. The color of the sun reflecting off the leaves made them seem as if they were on fire.

“I think there’s one last thing to cross off,” he beamed, pulling the folded piece of paper from his pants pocket.

He kissed my cheek before placing the paper in my hand. He grabbed a pen and handed that to me as well.

He skimmed his nose along my cheek, and pushed my hair back, so he could whisper in my ear, “I love you, Olivia.”

I smiled at him and leaned my head against his shoulder. “I love you, too.”

The metal hood of the car wasn’t the most comfortable place, but I didn’t mind. I was here, with my love, and nothing else mattered.

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