Page 22 of The Recovery Coach
“Yeah, she worries too much.”
Olivia’s lips relaxed from her manic grin into a soft smile.Christina Hale was the sweetest mother in the universe.She’d texted Olivia all day trying to offer any assistance she could from afar since apparently Olivia had agreed to help Connor out until he could get around independently again.
“Anything you need to tell me?”she asked.
“Fuck,” Connor said around a mouthful of cheeseburger.
She loved that he’d assumed she would help.But she was going to make him spell it out.And hold it over his head.
“I’m sorry,” he said.“Mom threatened to fly out to take care of me, and I panicked.I figured I could convince you.Or pay you.I could totally pay you.And then you could quit your job.This place is fucked up.”
“I like my job.”
The softness in Connor’s features turned hard and unyielding.
“They treat you like shit.”
“No, they don’t.Everyone is nice.”As she said it, she realized it was a lie.Until the previous week everyonehadbeen nice.She had friends.Colleagues who would cover for her.She’d spent some workdays with a real possibility of seeing her boyfriend.Everything had been perfect.But since the breakup, most of her coworkers had taken sides.Work was turning into a nightmare.
“That nurse warned me to steer clear of you.Lectured me about how you manipulate people,” he said.
Connor was getting heated, and Olivia held her hands up to soothe him, like she would a startled horse.“I’m sorry she was weird.I swear it’s not that bad.”
“It’s not that bad?You work with your asshole ex!Why would you want to stay here?”His voice rose with every word, his frustration showing.
Olivia put a lid on her simmering temper.“She and Lance are close.That’s all.And I don’t really want to stay here forever, but I can’t just leave.This is my job.”
“What the fuck is her deal about Lance?She’s weirdly invested for a random coworker,” Connor said at a lower volume.
She waved away his concern.“Amanda has it in her head that Lance and I broke up because of my relationship with you.”
Connor stared at her.Blinked.Frowned.Blinked again, bewilderment and frustration cycling over his face.He opened his mouth to respond.Closed it.“Why the fuck does she care?”
She didn’t want to answer.If Connor found out that Amanda was the nurse Lance had cheated with, she would never hear the end of it.He’d be pissed off about Olivia being nice.She chewed on her thumbnail, trying to figure out how to answer his question without lying.
He didn’t wait for her explanation.“You should quit.Nobody should have to work like this,” he said, turning his attention back to his dinner.
Olivia sighed.“I can’t quit.”
“Yes, you can.I’ll pay you to be my live-in nurse.Assistant.Bestie.Literally for existing.”
For a second, Olivia considered the offer.Not having to deal with the increasing toxicity sounded nice.Avoiding Amanda and Lance would be a huge win.She planned to find a new job, anyway.But that would be putting all her financial eggs in the basket of a man again.She still hadn’t gained access to any funds since the last time she’d made that mistake.
Instead of admitting her hesitation, she leaned on humor.“Maybe that’s a good idea.You could introduce me to all your friends.I would be like a live-in puck bunny,” she baited him, needing him to focus his energy on something other than convincing her to abandon her job.
It was the exact wrong thing to say.Instead of laughing, he got angry.She rolled her lips between her teeth, suppressing her own laughter at his outrage.
“You better be fucking joking.I’ll kick some asses.”He flung his blankets off and moved to get up, paying no mind to his obvious inability to walk.
Olivia stood, placing a hand on his shoulder as she fought the giggles threatening to escape.
“Okay, okay.Settle down.I’m not sleeping with your teammates.”
“Good.Fucking keep it that way.”
She adjusted his covers and sank back into the chair next to his bed.Resting her elbows on her knees, she covered her face with her hands.
“Ugh,” she said.“I’ve ruined my life.”
