I'll Be There

10 | right my wrongs

As Olivia drove towards her next stop, her recently acquired feeling of peace started to crumble. The idea of two tough conversations in one day made her want to take an immediate detour home, but she knew she owed someone else an apology. Whether that person wanted to hear it or not was a different story.

"It's him."

After a long silence, Olivia nodded.

"Why?"

"I couldn't leave him at the hospital alone."

"So I didn't stand a chance."

"No, it wasn't like that. He needed help and -"

"Save it, Olivia."

Now standing in front of Justin's door, she took a deep breath. Her fist hovered over the door as their last interaction replayed in her mind. At this point, all she wanted was a chance to say sorry.

"Hi."

"What do you want?" he leaned against the edge of the door, his eyes scanning her over.

Even though it had been expected, his greeting still felt like a dagger.

"I wanted to come and say I'm sorry."

"Okay."

"And that you're a great guy, and you don't deserve to be lied to."

"Then why'd you do it?" His face remained expressionless.

"It's complicated," she sighed.

"Alright," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. He didn't have time for her vagueness, "so are we done here?"

"I guess so," she pulled on her sleeve. She couldn't expect him to forgive her without any explanation, so this was it.

"Well, it was nice getting to know you, Olivia. Or at least part of you. I hope he's worth it."

As he closed the door on her, she felt a deep pang of sadness. It had only been one month. But in that month, he had treated her with care and intention. She may not have been deserving of the energy, but she appreciated it nonetheless.

After walking back to her car, Olivia finally headed home. Once she arrived, she went straight for the bathroom, stripping out of her sweats, not caring to pick them up to place them in the hamper.

In the shower, she let the pressure of the hot water work the muscles in her back, hoping to find release from the day. While she had done what was needed, she couldn't help but feel shame for all the hurt she caused. The feeling hung heavy on her heart, and she was ready to sleep through the rest of the day.

Slipping into bed, she hugged her pillow close to her. So much for a stress-free, self-care year.

____________________________

One Month Later

"So, whatever happened to coffee shop guy?" Gabby asked as she and Olivia walked out to lunch. Olivia was about to reply when Gabby abruptly grabbed onto her wrist, "wait, don't look now, but Spencer James' fine self is standing in our lobby."

Instinctively, Gabby's head shot down as she tried to avoid eye contact, her hand discreetly smoothing down any potential flyaways. Shaking her head, Olivia scanned the lobby. She found Spencer by the door, scrolling through his phone.

"I'm sorry. Did I not say, 'don't look?'" Gabby asked to no one in particular since Olivia was clearly choosing to ignore her.

"He's probably here for me," Olivia replied casually.