Page 108 of The Bossy One

The only thing she’d left behind was the old sweatshirt she’d borrowed from me. She’d folded it neatly and placed it on the chair by the window.

Something about seeing that sweatshirt by the chair shattered my numbness. She was gone. She was gone. Olivia was gone. And I’d never see her again.

I’d wanted her to take that sweatshirt, damnit. She’d liked it so much, and I’d liked the idea of keeping her warm, even after we parted. But I hadn’t reallysaidthat, just made jokes about it.

Just like I hadn’t told her how badly I wanted her to stay in Ireland. Just like I hadn’t told her how I felt about her. I hadn’t told her I’d lost the ability to picture a future without her. I hadn’t told her she’d somehow become my true north.

I hadn’t told her I loved her.

I grabbed the dresser for balance. She’d told me she’d decided to stay in Ireland. And instead of telling her I fucking loved her, I’d put her on the first plane out.

I’d been too obsessed with winning the argument, with defending myself, to hear what she’d really been saying. I’d heard,You can never make me stay nowwhen what she’d been trying to say wasI was so close to staying, please give me a reason to.

“No,” I blurted into the empty, silent room. “No, this isn’t how this ends.”

I’d won her back two times already when I’d fucked up.

Third time’s the charm, I thought.

I grabbed my phone and called her, but it went to voicemail. I pulled up our message thread to text her, but I didn’t know what to say. There’d been a connection over text, but we’d only truly connected in person.Don’t get on that plane,I wrote.Wait for me, Olivia.

She didn’t respond. I had no idea if she’d see it. I had no idea if she’d wait. But I knew I had to try.

“Catie! Get your shoes on!” I yelled, racing downstairs to grab my keys. “We’re going to the airport!”

* * *

I didn’t drive nearly as fast as I wanted to, not with Catie in the car with me. But we still made the trip in record time. I parked illegally, grabbed Catie, and raced into the airport. Shannon was a small, quiet airport. One glance told me Olivia wasn’t in the departures area. She’d already gone through security.

I checked my watch. Olivia’s flight didn’t board for another half hour.

I headed to the nearest airline counter. “I need two tickets.”

“Where to?” the employee asked.

“I don’t care. Anywhere.”

“Sir, that’s highly unusual. Do you have luggage?” He looked at me suspiciously.

“Uncle Declan,” Catie said, “I don’t have my passport.”

“Are you her legal guardian?” the employee asked. “Because if not, the child needs ID.”

“She’ssix,” I said. “Never mind. We aren’t going anywhere. We just need tickets so we can get through security. There’s someone I need to talk to.”

“Sir, we can’t do that,” the employee said.

“Please,” I said desperately. I opened my wallet and dropped every bill I had on the counter. “I’ll buy your most expensive ticket.”

Catie tugged on my shirt. “Why won’t they let us see Olivia?”

“They will, love,” I promised. “They will.”

“I willnot,” the employee said, indignant.

I slammed my hands flat on the counter. “The woman I love is about to get on a plane and I haven’t told her…she doesn’t know… She’s not answering her phone.Please.”

The employee looked torn. “If you have a specific destination in mind, and the child has official ID, I can help you. Otherwise, there’s nothing I can do.”

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