Forbidden

Chapter Twenty One

The ride home was eerily silent, but no one seemed to mind. Olivia had grown fond of the quietness. She felt numb, and that feeling both scared Olivia and filled her with peace all at the same time. She hadn’t laughed in who knew how long, but she didn’t feel like she could enjoy herself. Her father had just left everyone behind after months and months of suffering. Fun had become a foreign noun.

                As they pulled into the drive, Olivia climbed out and quickly greeted everyone who had gathered outside and walked up to her bedroom. She wasn’t in the mood to hear condolences or apologies. She shut the door gently behind her and twisted the lock. She sat on her bed and reached for a picture of she and Marshall when he had first been put on bed rest. He was smiling, holding his hand in a thumbs up gesture as if to say he were alright. Olivia shook her head.

“I miss you Daddy,” she whispered.

                Olivia placed the picture frame back on her bedside table and opened the drawer, pulling out the blue box her father had handed her not too long ago. She heard it squeak open and she lifted the gorgeous white gold ring, placing it on her ring finger.  It was stunning. It had a princess cut diamond in the center with three smaller diamonds lining the top and bottom of the center stone and there were even more diamonds lining the entire circle of the ring. Olivia sighed and removed it, placing it safely back where it belonged and shut the bedside drawer.

                She didn’t want to be here. There was an entire room filled with people downstairs and she had never felt more alone. She wanted to be with Nick, where she felt safe and understood and comforted. Olivia stood from her bed and grabbed her purse off of her vanity and headed downstairs. She found Kenley talking with Mrs. Gabriel, a neighbor whom had known the Chandler’s for years.

“Hey, Ken, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll be right back Mrs. Gabriel.”

                Kenley walked up to Olivia.

“What’s up?”

“I’m gonna head out. I really just . . . can’t be here right now. You want a ride home?”

“You’re goin’ to Mr. Cereno’s aren’t you?” Kenley asked in an understanding way.

“Yeah. I think I am. You want a ride?”

“A’right. Let me grab my stuff.”

                Olivia found Liz and told her she’d be taking Kenley home and wouldn’t be gone too long and Liz excused her. Liz didn’t really need Olivia around when she had all of these other people paying her attention.

                Olivia pulled into Kenley’s drive and said her goodbyes and thanked her for coming and being by her side.

“You wanna do somethin’ tomorrow?” Kenley asked before getting out of the car.

“Maybe. Probably. I don’t know. Give me a call in the mornin’, okay?”

“You know I will. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Ken.”

                Olivia drove away from Kenley’s house and headed towards Nick’s; her safe haven. When her father was sick and Olivia needed to just get away, she always found peace and a sense of belonging at Nick’s house. Even if he wasn’t home, Olivia still found refuge there. It was secluded; you couldn’t hear the sounds of the city. It was the most perfect place to be.

                As she pulled into the cul-de-sac, she felt the tension in her shoulders melt away. He was already sitting on the front porch steps, as if he had been waiting for her all along. He walked up to Olivia’s car and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I knew you’d come here,” he smirked.

“I knew you’d be waiting,” she smiled back. “I just had to get out of there. I’ve had enough for one day.”

                Nick nodded his head.

“Did you tell your mom?”

“No. Not yet. It’s the worst possible timing but I’m gonna tell her soon.”

“Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Nick, I don’t care anymore. I want to be with you. I’m tired of hiding it and lying to cover my tracks.”

“I know, me too. I just mean how do you think she’s gonna take it?”

                Olivia shrugged.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

                There was a distant sound of thunder and the winds picked up again, threatening to put a damper on an already dreary day.

“It was nice earlier. Is it supposed to storm?”

“The Weather Channel put out a few warnings for some severe storms,” Nick confirmed.

“Good. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

                Nick picked Olivia up off the ground and carried her inside just in time for the rain to start pelting down around them. The cool air inside of the house felt refreshing as the discomfort from the humidity melted away. As soon as Nick sat Olivia down on the couch, she turned to him.