Better Man (P.L.)

13.

She drove away, tears streaming down her face in pools. Her makeup was streaked, her car speeding down the road.

"Olivia!" Leonardo yelled, entering the house angrily, with a drugstore bag in hand. "Get over here!"

"Dad?" She rubbed her eyes, moving to grab the rail of the stairs. "What's wrong?"

He tossed the bag towards her, Olivia opening it with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes widened at the home drug test lying inside, Olivia looking to her father in shock.

Leonardo looked upset, but more concerned for his daughter. "Are you taking drugs again?"

She passed the "Welcome to Forks" sign, turning onto the highway to get to Seattle. All she could think about was leaving, driving away further and further from the town that had once brought her the happiness she craved.

Olivia swallowed harshly, setting down the bag. "Who told you?"

"Who told me? Olivia, does that mean it's true? Are you taking drugs again?" She didn't reply, instead looking down.

"Damn it, Olivia. Where are you even getting drugs?" He cursed, Olivia feeling the prick of tears behind her eyes.

"Jason left them in my room." She lied quietly, Leonardo shaking his head.

"Why would you do that to yourself again?"

Her phone rang over and over, Olivia finally just reaching over to mute it. Her eyes landed on the messages displaying on her screen, all from the same person. Paul kept texting her every minute, for the first time since their conversation at the hospital. He was clearly concerned, just wanting to see her.

"It doesn't matter. Besides, it doesn't concern you!" She marched back to her room, Leonardo following after her.

"Doesn't concern me? Olivia, of course it concerns me! You're my daughter! And you're living with me! If you overdose again, that's on me for not taking care of you, like your mother asked!"

"I don't need a babysitter! Especially one who wasn't there for me when I needed them before!" Olivia argued, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

"Hello?" She finally answered a call, Kim sighing in relief.

"Olivia, where are you? What are you doing? You need to come back!"

Kim sat in Emily's, wrapped in Jared's arms. All eyes were on Paul as he hung up the phone, sighing and leaning against the wall.

"What did he say?" Kim asked. Paul shrugged, walking.

"That'd he talk to her. He said to thank you for letting him know."

"Where would she even be getting drugs?" Jacob wondered, Embry shifting in his seat nervously.

"You guys don't think she would go to her ex, do you?"

Paul groaned. "I'm not sure anymore."

"Kim, I'm fine, I just need to get away for the weekend."

"What about Paul? What about me?"

"I'll be back. I just need to make some decisions."

"Olivia! Open this door right now!"

"Gladly." She did as told, walking out of her bedroom with a duffle bag thrown over her shoulder.

"And where do you think you're going young lady?"

Olivia picked up her car keys, pausing by the door. "You left me, Dad. You and Mom divorced and you abandoned me. You don't have to be bounded to me anymore, I'll leave and make this easier for you."

"Olivia, this isn't what I meant. I love you, sweetheart, don't leave me. I didn't want to leave you before and I don't want you to leave me now."

Olivia sniffled, shaking her head. "I have to go, Dad. I just need some time. Since I left the hospital in May, it's been being trapped in rehab, and then being trapped here. I want to go, please."

Leonardo relented. "Okay."

"Will you at least tell me where you're going?" Kim muttered, clearly upset.

Olivia sighed. "Seattle. I'm going to Seattle. You can tell Paul that and that if I need him, I'll call him."

Olivia heard muttering, Paul's voice sounding. He took the phone from Kim, putting it to his ear. "Just, stay safe, please, Livs."

"I promise." She smiled sadly.

The phone rang again, Paul rushing to pick it up. "Hello?"

There was muttering, Paul's face falling. "Okay. I'll let her know. Thanks for telling us."

"And don't worry, we'll talk to her." Paul hung up, turning to Kim. His eyes, for the first time since anyone knew him, were watery, Paul breaking down.

"She left the house, drove off. He said she was packed, so she's leaving the town."

Kim cried out, gasping. "She's leaving?"

Paul grabbed his phone again, typing furiously. "Call her. Text her. Either one. We need to talk to her."

"Okay."

"Liv, are you sure about this?" Kim asked, pushing Paul away. "You're not stable right now, maybe you should pull over, and I'll go find you and we can go together."

"I need to do this alone, Kim. I promise not to take anything, I promise not to drink anything, I just need to go alone."

Kim sighed. "I can't lose you, Olivia. Please, just turn around, I know this is a lot, but we're here for you."

"I know that. And I love you guys so much. But, I need to clear my mind." With that, she hung up, setting her phone down.

She looked up, the rain falling heavily onto her windshield. She turned on the windshield wipers, looking up again.