Protecting Olivia

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

ETHAN

Livy was quiet for the second half of the trip. We were laughing and talking for the first half, then something changed and I don't know what. She told me she was just tired but I'm not so sure, I can't think of anything that I may have said that would change her mood, but for the last couple of hours of the drive she stared out the window lost in thought.

I tried to speak to her, tried to get her laughing again but she barely responded. By the time we checked into the bed and breakfast and made our way to our little two-bedroom cabin, I couldn't take it anymore. I hated the silence from her, I hated that it was most likely my fault that she was upset about something and I had no idea what I had done. As soon as we walk through the front door, I place our bags on the floor and turn to her.

"Please tell me what's wrong. Did I say something?" I can practically hear the begging in my voice but I don't care, I want the carefree Livy back who was in the car with me. Livy shakes her head and sighs, her shoulders slumping.

"You didn't do anything Ethan, I promise, I'm just tired." She tells me, offering me a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. I know she's lying, but I also know she won't tell me no matter how hard I push. "Did you want to go and see your aunt today or tomorrow?" Livy asks, effectively changing the subject.

"Tomorrow, we can get settled in today and take a look around." I say, watching her closely for any signs of what might be wrong. She doesn't look me in the eye, instead just nods and grabs her bag before moving to one of the doors off of the lounge room we had walked into. I take that as my cue to look around, taking in the quaint cabin, two bedrooms to the left of the small open living area that held a kitchenette, a small couch and TV. To the right was another door which led to a bathroom. The cabin was small, but homely and would be comfortable for the time that we would be here.

"I'm going to have a nap," I hear Livy say before one of the doors shut. I let out a sigh and slump down onto the couch, wanting nothing more than to go in there and pull her into my arms and take away whatever is bothering her. But I know that won't help, right now she wants nothing to do with me. Unable to take the tension I feel in that small cabin, I stand up and walk out the front door, letting it slam shut behind me.

*

I find a small secluded space on the rocks looking over the ocean that helps me to calm down, though it doesn't help the ache in my chest at the thought of Livy being back at the cabin by herself, of her sudden change in mood and knowing that there is nothing I can do about it.

In the back of my mind, I'd hoped that this trip would bring us closer, reignite something for her that never extinguished for me. It was wishful thinking, I knew that, I knew that she deserved more than me and that I could only really hope to be her friend, but a piece of me wasn't willing to give up on the chance of being with Livy again.

There would never be anyone else for me but Livy, and I was content living my life alone with the knowledge that I had that, even for a short time. I just had to find that contentment again, allow Livy to be happy with me on the sidelines, watching from afar. No matter how hard it would be, it would be worth it just to keep her in my life.

After an hour or so I returned to the cabin, wanting to know that Livy was okay and also just wanting to be near her. When I'd walked in, Livy was sitting on the couch, she looked over to me and gave me a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, studying me carefully as I close the door behind me. "I really was just tired; I shouldn't have been so moody." I let out a long breath and went to sit beside her.

"It's alright," I tell her she sighs in relief and smiles genuinely.

"Did you take a look around?" she asks and I shake my head.

"No, just went down to the rocks not far from here. We can look around now if you want?" I offer. She nods her head and jumps up from the couch, disappearing into her room and coming out a moment later with her shoes on. I chuckle at her eagerness, standing and gesturing towards the door. "Lead the way,"

Livy excitedly leaves the cabin and I follow after her, locking the door behind us. We walk in a comfortable silence through the small town. There isn't much to it, though with a population of less than a thousand I knew that there wouldn't be much here. It did have a big tourist population though, with the town being known for their rock lobsters found along the coastline.

Along the docks that seemed to be the centre of the town, there were a couple of quaint shops that we browsed, Livy picking up a couple of souvenirs for both Matthew and Mia. We laughed at a few of the things we found, the mood between us going back to how it was at the beginning of our car ride.

We find a nice restaurant that boasts about the rock lobster on offer, though it was closed for that night I made a mental note to take Livy there one of the nights we were here for. The restaurant itself looked fancy, something that you would go to for a date night. As much as I would love to take Livy out on a real date, I knew this would be as just friends. Still, I felt like I owed her something like that, considering we never got to go on a real date in the time we were a couple.

I made a mental note of the opening days and hours, a plan forming in my head to give Livy a night that I couldn't give her eleven years ago.