Page 25 of The Recovery Coach
They all stood from where they’d been hunched over in opposite corners of the room and turned to him, hands on their hips.Olivia’s lips twitched, her amusement over their synchronization hard to hide.“You don’t even own a sleep mask, do you?”she asked.
“I’m pretty sure I do…” Connor said.
Daisy threw her hands up and walked out of the room, Roxie close behind her.They acted pissy, but Connor and Olivia could clearly hear them giggling right outside his bedroom door.
“I knew you would love them,” Connor whispered loudly.
“They’re great.”
“I know you struggle making friends, but you can trust them.They’re good people.The best.”
“I don’t struggle making friends.I love people!”Olivia argued.
Connor didn’t even bother to respond with words, instead directing a pointed raised eyebrow at her.
“Oh, fuck off,” she said.
He grinned.“Goodnight, Livy.”
“Goodnight, Connor.”She backed out of the room and turned off the overhead light.
As she closed the door behind her, he yelled, “I looovvee yoouu!”
Together, Daisy, Roxie, and Olivia yelled, “Love you too!”
The game ended around the time games usually started to accommodate a matinee schedule, so the night was still young.She mulled over Connor’s words.If he said she could trust Roxie and Daisy, she could.And if she was going to be rooming with Connor, she’d need all her stuff.
She gathered her nerves and forced herself to trust her new friends.“Hey, what are you guys up to tonight?”she blurted as they walked together toward the living room, scared they would gather their belongings and bolt with Connor asleep.
The girls had planned on spending the entire evening with Connor.Their night opened up when he went to bed so early.Olivia explained her situation with Lance, and Daisy and Roxie agreed to help her.She was thrilled to have emotional support while retrieving her belongings.
“What kind of music gets you fucking psyched?”Roxie asked, climbing into the passenger seat of Daisy’s car.
Olivia said, “80s hair bands,” and Roxie turned it on, no further questions.She didn’t know where the answer had come from.When she wanted to get fired up, she usually turned to 2000s bubblegum pop, but that didn’t seem to fit the vibe.They rocked out together for the twenty-minute drive, Roxie playing the air guitar while Daisy and Olivia belted out incorrect lyrics to iconic songs.
Daisy parked in front of Lance’s apartment.“You’re sure he won’t be home?”she asked.
The pump-up strategy worked because sitting in front of the building Olivia had spent the last six months of her life in filled her with fire rather than the utter despair and dread she’d experienced in the days leading to this moment.
Olivia nodded and got out of the car.According to the hospital schedule Lance would be working until late the next morning.She scanned into the building, her entourage following her.
She hadn’t bothered to tell Lance she was coming.He had no claim on her time, no entitlement to her whereabouts.
The apartment was exactly how she’d left it.But instead of her normal sense of hesitant relief upon entering, annoyance surfaced.Nothing in the apartment spoke to her.She could leave everything behind and not miss any of it.The carpets, walls, and furniture were beige and clean enough that it looked like nobody lived there.There wasn’t a single piece of décor that highlighted her personality or interests.All photos on the wall were carefully curated portraits of Lance’s family.Olivia didn’t have family photos to put up.She couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken pictures with Jayden and her father.Probably her high school graduation when Christina insisted they pose and smile with Olivia’s diploma.
She led the way to the bedroom and showed Daisy and Roxie which drawers needed to be emptied.Olivia took a duffel bag into the bathroom to gather her toiletries and favorite towels.
“Hey Olivia?”Roxie called from the bedroom before she’d emptied the linen closet.
Olivia stuck her head out the bathroom door.“Yeah?”she asked.
Daisy and Roxie had their heads bent together.They stood next to Lance’s dresser.
“You should see this,” Daisy said.
Olivia’s stomach hollowed out as she crossed the room to join them.“What is it?”she asked.
Roxie handed Olivia a little black box.“I shouldn’t have snooped.I’m sorry.”
