Loving Olivia

Chapter 18 - The Dark of the Morning

Nico

My eyes sting as they flash open. It must be just before dawn so it's only been a few hours since we fell asleep. We ended up having one of those late nights where you stay up in bed, talking about everything and nothing in particular. I've had a lot of great nights with Olivia, but this one was hands down the best of them. Our Fridays keep getting better and better.

I see her sleeping soundly next to me, and I shut them again. I'm used to sleeping the way she does, but I can't seem to do it anymore. Before I could easily sleep well past noon on a weekend, but now I'm constantly waking up even before seven in the morning. It's like she walked into my life, and suddenly I'm an early riser when a couple of months ago I wasn't even acquainted with the term.

I try to fall back asleep, but it's impossible to do with her in my arms. I can't stop thinking about her even as I hold her. Everything about her is intoxicating. Her scent, the way she breathes so softly, her small hand resting on my chest. Every part of her is so ingrained within me that it keeps me awake.

My feelings for her feel so raw and intense and they only seem to multiply by the day. It makes everything I've ever felt before seem so shallow. More and more I'm realizing that whatever I felt before was simply the puppy love version.

I open my eyes again, and she's just so damn beautiful. She looks so elegant even when she's sleeping, and the way she's stretched out really does remind me of a cat. My gatinha. Shy yet playful, incredibly smart and independent, and a whole lot mysterious.

The selfish part of me wants to wake her up, but I know she needs her sleep, especially since I kept her up so late last night. It's incredible how deep her sleep is. Sometimes it seems as if she's making up for years of it.

It takes a miraculous effort, but I somehow refrain from touching her and go about mentally planning our day. She doesn't know it yet, but I'm taking her to my family's beach house in Marbella today after we visit her father. She said she wanted to go to the beach so I'm taking her. Even if it's cold outside, I think she'll still be able to enjoy it, and I think it will be good for her to get away even if it's for two days.

Olivia didn't ask me where we're going and I love her even more for it. It's like it doesn't even matter to her as long as we're together. She's happy going anywhere, whether it's to a fancy restaurant or a hole in the wall. It makes me want to surprise her even more.

It's also the perfect opportunity since she's not babysitting tonight, and I know her mom won't have a problem with it since I've somehow won her over. We have an unspoken agreement that as long as I get her home by Sunday evening, we're good.

I'm enjoying the silence of the morning when my phone lights up on my nightstand. I pick it up, thinking it's either my parents or one of my sisters-in-law sending a photo of my nephews in our family group chat. Even though they already constitute ninety percent of the pictures on my phone, I'm really hoping it's the latter.

I squint my eyes to adjust to the light and at first I think I'm imagining it. But after seeing Ruiz's name clearly written on the display, I realize I'm not hallucinating, and it stops me cold.

There is only one reason why he would be calling me at this hour.

He's looking for Olivia.

And there's only one reason why he would be looking for her.

Her dad.

My chest constricts as I answer the phone.

"Durant, hey ... can you put her on?" His voice is strained, confirming what this call is about.

My chest constricts even more and it already feels hard to swallow. But somehow I manage to speak. "Yeah, let me wake her up."

I put the phone down and sigh heavily. How the hell am I supposed to do this?

I run my hand down her arm and kiss her shoulder. "Olivia. Wake up, baby," I whisper.

She stirs and a smile spreads across her face. God, she looks so fucking blissful. Which makes what I'm about to tell her a million times harder. I try to remember this look because it's about to change in less than two seconds, and I don't know if I'll ever get to see it again.

"Your brother is on the phone. He wants to talk to you," I try to say calmly. It doesn't come out that way.

As predicted, her expression changes into one of terror as her eyes fly open. "What? What time is it?" she says, sitting up in alarm.

"Around six thirty," I say gently, handing her the phone.

She looks at it in horror and shakes her head. "No," she whispers, not wanting to answer it. I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to answer it either.

"Baby, I'm right here with you." I clutch her hand, hoping to give her some semblance of assurance.

She covers her mouth and sobs. She does it just once, but it's enough to tear my heart out. I instantly bring her in my arms, holding her as tightly as I possibly can.

I don't know what to do. I don't know what to tell her. I don't know how to help her. There is nothing in the entire world that could make this situation better. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that could help you prepare for this.

She takes a shuddering breath as she slowly picks up the phone and brings it to her ear. I sit silently by, holding her as I watch her life change forever.