Page 4 of The Recovery Coach
But that freedom also meant seeing less of Jayden and Livy.
When she’d shown up the previous night, his first reaction was absolute horror.He’d assumed it was Lover invading his home and raiding his fridge.He’d registered someone entering his house, but Lover would mind his own business until Hazy finished.When he’d seen Livy, the panic had been immediate.And then she asked that poor girl’s name, and he couldn’t remember.
Livy may as well be Hazy’s sister.She shouldn’t see him getting his dick sucked.No wonder she’d disappeared first thing that morning.He probably scared her away forever.
But she’d let herself into his house.She was always welcome, but what had she expected?
He poured his smoothie into a cup and pressed the cold glass against his cheek before rinsing out the blender, finding his phone, and firing off some texts.
The first went to Livy.
Where’d you go?Are you coming back?
Then, for good measure, he texted Jayden too.
You should check in with Livy.Her boyfriend sucks ass.
Chapter 3
Olivia
Oliviadriftedinandout of sleep in the early hours of the morning, exhausted but relaxed, snuggled into Connor’s side.His warmth permeated her skin, and his subtle smoky-citrus scent filled her nostrils.He felt like home.Like happiness and love, and acceptance.As she teetered more to the awake side of consciousness her heart flipped in her chest, her affection for him hitting her like a freight train.Staying with him long-term would lead to certain heartbreak.Again.
The realization had her on her feet and gathering her belongings before she had cleared the sleep from her puffy eyes.She needed to get to work for her seven am shift, anyway.Leaving early one day didn’t give her an excuse to be late the next morning.
Early mornings were the bane of her existence.The exhaustion never went away, and sleeping on a couch hadn’t done her any favors.
When she badged into the hospital, she headed straight for the break room and poured herself a cup of coffee.She searched the fridge for creamer, sighing when she came up empty.Resigned to drinking her coffee black, she settled onto the couch and held her breath as she scrolled through the news on her phone.It could be tempting to avoid everything going on in the world, but she refused to be ignorant.Every morning with her cup of coffee, she scrolled.For those fifteen minutes she absorbed the horrors and triumphs of the world, and when her cup was empty, she did her best to compartmentalize and focus on what she could control.
Not finding anything life-ruining or tragic upon her first scan, she got a few paragraphs into a puff piece about a local children’s gymnastics team before the fridge slamming startled her.Her attention jumped to a petite, dark-haired woman, and Olivia smiled.Mel was always so nice and upbeat.
“Mel!How are you today?”
The nurse met her gaze but rolled her eyes and turned her back to Olivia instead of answering or returning the happy greeting.
Olivia frowned, confused at the slight.She was probably cranky about the missing coffee creamer—a surefire way to ruin her coworker’s day.Standing, she grabbed the container of sugar from the cupboard for Mel.
“Uh, are you okay?”
She ripped the sugar from Olivia’s hand.“I’m fine.”
“If you weren’t, you could tell me.I’m always happy to help.”
Mel stirred sugar into her sludgy coffee and stole a seat on the couch, curling herLilo and Stitchscrub-clad legs beneath her.She grunted in acknowledgement of Olivia’s offer but didn’t take her up on it.
Olivia sat next to her and finished her coffee, doing her best to shake off the abnormal behavior.She refused to cry at work.These people were her coworkers.They didn’t owe her any explanation for their moods, just like she didn’t owe them any explanation as to why she looked like she hadn’t slept in a week and her cheeks were flushed and chapped.Obviously, Mel was going through something.
The crummy interaction set the tone for her day.All the nurses muttered under their breath and rolled their eyes at her when she interacted with them.Her colleagues in the billing department greeted her in the morning as usual, but throughout the day she noticed a lot of them staring.Whispering to each other.Conversations silencing as she walked past desks or into conference rooms.
Her confusion gradually faded.The news of her breakup had spread, and for whatever reason, the gossip hadn’t painted her in the best light.The nurses probably heard Lance’s or Amanda’s version of events and ran with it, twisting the story until Olivia became a villain.She’d seen it happen to multiple other women in the last few months.Once the nurses decided they didn’t like someone, the entire hospital staff kept them at arm’s length.Healthcare could be a toxic, incestuous, soul-breaking industry, but she’d never been on the receiving end of all the negativity.
After work she allowed herself to have another meltdown in her car.When her tears ran out, she wiped at her swollen eyes and attempted to book a hotel room for a couple of nights until she could figure out a better plan.Her card declined.She attempted it again, and again it declined.Her stomach dropped.She had no way to check the account balance.Lance handled all the bills and finances, and he gave Olivia a budget for her needs.
She checked the time.Fuck.Lance clocked in for the day already.She didn’t want to talk to him, but she’d have to in order to get access to any funds.Sighing, she turned the ignition in The Reaper and pulled out of the work parking lot.One more night with Connor wouldn’t kill her.
Olivia stopped at McDonald’s on the way to Connor’s house.A Diet Coke wouldn’t fix all her problems, but it sure would help, and she could get a treat to bribe Connor with.
The restaurant would also allow her a clean place to wash her face and put herself together before she had to beg her best friend for a place to stay.Her change of clothes and the addition of concealer and lipstick were unnecessary, but the makeup helped her cover the redness of her eyes and provide a confidence boost.She painted it on.
