But I want to thank you for what you gave to me. Including being the one who had the strength to stop what could amount to nothing.
Though, I will admit, when we were together it didn’t feel even a little like nothing.
When you find her, make sure she makes you happy. If she’s not beyond a dream, find the one who is. Don’t settle for anything less. If you did, the last hope I have in this world would be dashed, proving my pessimism for eternity.
Be well, Nick. And be happy.
Yours,
– Livvie
She had never, not once, called him Nick.
He had never, not once, called her Livvie.
But he had been her Nick.
And he had not made it safe for her to give him Livvie.
He stared at the note, reading it again.
And then again.
Including being the one who had the strength to stop what could amount to nothing.
Saliva filled his mouth.
Though, I will admit, when we were together it didn’t feel even a little like nothing.
He looked to the painting.
The last hope I have in this world would be dashed…
He pulled out his phone. He did it not thinking.
He kept not thinking when he pulled her name up on his texts.
He used his thumb to type out the words.
He hit send.
He ignored the return texts she sent.
Instead, he set about waiting.
Chapter Sixteen
Reduced to That
Olivia
I was nearly frantic, but definitely panicked as I drove to Nick’s.
So much so, I almost forgot to take the tracking device off my car before I set out.
I remembered. And I looked to see if anyone was watching.
Only then did I take off.
But I did it fast.
His text scared me.
Come over. Now.
He’d never been demanding. Not like that. Not in a text. Not even over the phone. In fact, although he could be somewhat bossy, he was normally laidback, and except for the argument we’d had at the club, he was always in a good mood.
Come over. Now. did not say good mood.
It was also not somewhat bossy.
It was imperative and demanding.
Especially when we hadn’t had any contact in weeks.
My return texts of Are you okay? and Sebring, answer me received no response.
So I took off to do as he said.
Worried.
He had a brother. His brother had a family. Nick also had employees.
Other than that, he’d asked me if I had anyone but I’d never asked him. And our relationship was such he didn’t share about all his friends, buddies he might meet for a beer, high school sweethearts he still kept in touch with.
He might not have anyone either.
In fact, in our world, there were very few anyones you could truly trust.
And he might need someone.
Especially if he needed someone because something had happened to his brother or his brother’s family.
Knight Sebring kept himself and his business to himself.
That didn’t mean there wasn’t danger to his business. If anyone hurt any of the girls he provided protection for, it was known his retribution was swift and brutal.
That might mean enemies.
But it could just be life. A car accident. An illness.
Anything.
Life happened all the time and my experience was most of what happened during the living of it sucked.
So yes, I was worried. I hadn’t heard anything but that wasn’t unusual. Even back in the day when I was directly involved in the life, with my position in it, news reached me slowly. Now, it might not reach me at all.
God, what if someone went after Knight’s Anya?
Or one of their daughters?
This was a terror of mine. It made no sense. After what had happened with Tommy, I decided never to have children.
But sometimes I woke up at night in a cold sweat, having dreamed some enemy of my father or Georgia had decided they should pay through my babies.
Or that I’d done something and my father or Georgia used my babies to pay.
No, I never intended to have any children.
I was also worried because Nick’s text could be construed not as upset, but as anger.
I’d bought him that painting. It had been days ago now and I’d heard nothing.
But maybe he didn’t like it.
That said, he had a right to refuse it and I’d told the handsome Ralphie who worked at the gallery to be certain Nick knew he had that right. So it wasn’t like I was forcing it on him.
But maybe he didn’t want memories of me. Maybe when he found the girl he couldn’t build in a dream, he didn’t want to look at a five thousand dollar painting and remember me. Maybe he thought I was being clingy by giving it to him after he’d ended things so definitively, even if my note didn’t say clingy.
However, none of that prompted an angry Come over. Now. just so he could share that with me. He could simply tell Ralphie he didn’t want it and continue to ignore me.
So no.
I didn’t think that was it.
I just hoped whatever it was—Knight, Anya, one of Nick’s nieces—that it would be okay.