Chapter 49

Olivia

I woke up the next morning with a new sense of determination in my heart.

Throughout the night, I tossed and turned as I tried to brainstorm ways to cheer up Nathan. I eventually came to the conclusion that maybe part of his issue was that, aside from work, he had been spending all of his time at the villa.

Maybe he just needed some time out, in the fresh air, doing something that he enjoyed.

I had noticed a few days after moving into the villa that there was a set of golf clubs in the storage room with Nathan’s name on them.

I never recalled him being too much of a golf fan, but maybe he picked it up over the past ten years that we were apart; and as I loaded them into my car, I felt as though this plan was bulletproof.

Once, when I was in middle school, I had a crush on a boy in my class. I didn’t even remember his name now, but I remembered that I struggled every day to get him to notice me. Finally, after whining about it to my dad for a week straight, my dad made an interesting point.

“Olivia, if you want him to notice you, try showing some interest in the things that he enjoys,” my dad said. “Showing even the smallest spark of interest in someone else’s hobbies is a surefire way to get them to notice you, whether you’re looking for friendship or something more.”

When I tried my dad’s advice, it actually worked. The boy who I had a crush on noticed me, and we actually wound up ‘dating’ for a week; although, dating at that time was nothing more than holding hands and sitting next to each other in the cafeteria.

But still, it worked.

And although I wasn’t trying to show Nathan that I wanted more than friendship, I just wanted him to know that I cared for him, and I wanted to make him happy.

So, just before I knew that he would be finishing up his work at the Alpha Council, I got dressed in an outfit that would be perfect for golfing and headed out to meet him outside of the Council building.

Arriving at the Council, I parked outside and stood outside of the car while I waited with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipating swirling around in my stomach. It wasn’t long before Nathan finally walked out.

I watched for a moment from where I stood as he came out of the building. He looked tired and a little haggard, with his head hanging slightly. He didn’t see me at first as he rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.

“Nathan!” I called, wanting to get his attention.

He suddenly jerked his head up in surprise. When he saw me, his eyes widened in shock as he looked me up and down, taking in my khaki pants and knit sweater.

“Olivia?” he said, walking up to me. “What are you doing here? You look like you’re dressed for a day on the golf course.”

“I am.” I smiled and gestured to the golf clubs in my back seat. “I figured we could go golfing today,” I said with a smile. “It’s Friday. It’s sunny, and you’re out of work early. What do you say? I’ll drive.”

Nathan looked oddly taken aback. A mixture of confusion and reluctance took over his expression, and I instantly felt my stomach drop a little.

“Golf?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “Are you serious?”

I nodded enthusiastically, trying my best to hide my worry. “Yeah!” I replied, ignoring the looks from the other Alphas, including Colin, as they emerged from the Council building. “I thought it would be a fun way for us to spend some time together and enjoy the outdoors.”

Nathan fell silent. As we stood there, I couldn’t help but notice that the other Alphas seemed to be staring and snickering at us. My face started to flush with embarrassment, but I forced myself to keep my chin held high for Nathan’s sake.

“Come on!” I urged him. “Let’s go and have some fun!”

“Um…” Nathan hesitated, glancing back and forth between me, the golf clubs, and the other Alphas. “I don’t know, Olivia.”

I felt my heart drop. “But… Why not?”

Nathan simply shrugged. “Olivia, I appreciate the thought, but I’m really exhausted today,” he said quietly, keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard by the other Alphas. “Besides, the weather is really cold despite the sun. Maybe we should wait until it’s warmer out.”

My heart sank as disappointment washed over me. I had only hoped that this surprise would bring us closer and cheer Nathan up, but it only felt as though it pushed him even further away.

For a few moments, my eyes searched his face for any hint of a change, but he just looked at me with mild remorse.

Finally, I let out a deep sigh and nodded, staring down at the ground with my arms folded across my chest.

“Alright,” I said quietly, hoping that he couldn’t hear the shake in my voice. “I guess you’re right. Maybe another time.”

Nathan nodded, his gaze distant, and started to walk toward his car. “Yeah, I think it’s for the best,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll see you at home.”

As I watched him drive off, my eyes threatened to overflow with tears. Although my back was turned, I could hear the other Alphas whispering as they passed by.

“Some relationship that is,” one of the Alphas said as he walked past. He was speaking more loudly than the rest, as though he wanted me to overhear him. “Who do they think they’re fooling?”

The tears in my eyes burned, threatening to spill out at any moment. I swallowed hard and quickly climbed into my car before the Alphas could get any satisfaction from seeing my face, and I quickly drove away.

The weight of the Alphas’ judgment, in combination with Nathan’s repetitive rejections, wore heavily on me. It felt as though no matter what I did, some sort of barrier had formed between the two of us that I just couldn’t break down.

I wished that I could just understand what was going on with Nathan. Was it that our accidental intimacy that had begun to form between us reminded him too much of Layla? Did he feel guilty, like he didn’t deserve the right to move on after what happened between them?

Or was he just pushing me away even harder now because he was worried that something would happen between us?

If that was the case, I wished that he would just talk to me about it. But it felt as though he refused to open up to me, his childhood best friend, and I couldn’t understand why.

As I drove home, I fought back the tears that had begun to spill out onto my cheeks. When I arrived back at the villa, I felt my throat close up as I saw the golden glow of the lights on inside.

Damn you, Nathan, I thought to myself as I nervously climbed out of the car and walked up to the front door. I shouldn’t be so upset over you.