Chapter 21

Chapter 21

OLIVIA

I looked up to see Dante standing beside our table, a friendly smile on his face.

I felt relief wash over me, grateful for the interruption.

"Hey Olivia, Ryan needs to see you," Dante said, his voice low and smooth.

I nodded, pushing my chair back. "Okay, thanks Dante."

Dante nodded and walked away, leaving Melody and me alone again.

I watched Dante walk away, I caught Melody staring after him with a dreamy expression.

I nudged her playfully. "What are you staring at?"

Melody blinked, looking back at me with a sheepish grin. "Dante is just too cute."

I laughed. "Stop crushing on my coworker."

Melody chuckled. "I'm not crushing on him, I just appreciate a good-looking guy."

We both laughed and continued packing up our things.

As we finished eating, we started heading inside the building. I asked Melody to wait for me in the visitor's waiting area.

"I'll be right back," I said, giving her a quick hug. "Just wait here, okay?"

Melody nodded. "Okay, take your time."

I smiled and headed upstairs to meet with Ryan.

As I reached Ryan's office, I knocked on the door and waited for his response.

"Come in," Ryan's voice called out.

I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Ryan looked up from his desk, a hint of a smile on his face. One of his sleeves was rolled up, revealing a strong, muscular arm. The other hand was busy searching for something on his desk.

I felt a flutter in my chest as I greeted him. "Hi Ryan, may I come in?"

Why did I sound so sweet? Well, let's keep it that way.

Ryan looked up, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're already in, Olivia. Please, have a seat."

I smiled and walked over to the chair in front of his desk.

I couldn't help but notice the way his shirt fit snugly across his chest, the top two buttons undone.

My eyes drifted back to his face, and I felt a flush rise to my cheeks. "So, what's the meeting about?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Let's get started, shall we? I need your assistance with something."

I nodded, trying to focus on the task at hand. But my eyes kept drifting back to his biceps, visible beneath the rolled-up sleeve.

Olivia, focus!



I and Ryan had a small argument again, I won't go into details but I'm sure as hell that I offended him.

He warned me about kissing him but I couldn't resist the urge and I kissed him.
"I won't be able to follow you home today, Olivia," Ryan said curtly, his deep voice low and rough.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I nodded, trying to appear nonchalant. "No problem, Ryan."

Ryan's gaze lingered on mine for a moment before he looked away, his jaw clenched. "I have something I need to attend to."

“Sounds good.”I sensed a hint of frustration in his voice, but I didn't push the issue and just played it out cool.

With that, our meeting came to a close. I gathered my things, trying not to brush against Ryan's arm as I stood up.

I walked out of Ryan's office, I felt his eyes on me, but I didn't look back.

I made my way to the visitor's waiting area, where Melody was patiently waiting for me.

"Hey girl!" Melody exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. "I'm so glad you're finally done."

I laughed, trying to shake off the tension I'd felt in Ryan's office. "Sorry about that. Let's get going."

We walked out of the office building and headed to my car.

While we drove home, Melody chatted excitedly about her plans for the next week.

"I'm so glad I can finally spend some quality time with you," Melody said, grinning at me.

I smiled back at her, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "Me too, Mel."

When we got home, we decided to take a bath and get changed before settling in for the evening.

We sat in the living room, Melody started gossiping about her latest crushes.

"Oh my god, Olivia, I have to tell you about this one guy I met last week," Melody said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Typical Melody , she's a heartbreaker too.

I laughed, feeling my tension melt away. "Do tell."

Melody started a detailed story about her encounter with the guy, and I listened with amusement.

The way we talked, I found myself opening up to Melody about my own experiences.

"I don't know, Mel," I said, "I just feel like I'm not really connecting with anyone lately."

Melody nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean."

And then, without thinking, I mentioned Ryan's name.

"...and then Ryan said..."

Melody 's eyes snapped to mine, a look of surprise on her face.

"Ryan?" Melody repeated, her voice low and curious.

I felt a flush rise to my cheeks as I realized my mistake.

But before I could respond, Melody 's eyes widened in recognition.

"Wait a minute," Melody said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is Ryan you're seeing? Your dad's best friend?

"Melody , calm down," I said, trying to placate her.

But Melody was having none of it. Her face was red with anger, and her voice was shaking.

"Why would you even think of being with a man who's old enough to be your father?" Melody demanded.

I took a deep breath and tried to explain. "Melody , I've had feelings for Ryan for a long time. Ever since I was sixteen."

Melody 's eyes widened in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?" she shouted. "We're best friends, Olivia. We're supposed to share everything."

I hesitated, unsure of how to explain. "I was scared, Mel. I didn't know how you'd react."

Melody 's expression turned hurt. "You think I'm that judgemental? You think I wouldn't understand?"

I quickly clarified, "No, Mel, it's not that. I just didn't know how to bring it up."

But Melody was already defensive. "So you're saying I'm judgemental now?"

I sighed, trying to calm her down. "Mel, that's not what I meant."

But Melody was beyond reason. "You're the one who's being ridiculous, Olivia. You're thinking of hooking up with your father's best friend. Someone who's old enough to be your father."

My anger flared up at her words. "And what about you, Mel? You're the one who hooks up with every guy you meet. Your body count is over twenty."

Melody 's face turned red with rage. "How dare you," she spat. "At least I'm not thinking of dating someone who's practically a grandfather."

I stood up, my heart pounding with anger. "He's not my grandfather, Melody . And he's not old. He's just... experienced."

Melody snorted. "Experienced? Is that what they're calling it these days?"

I glared at her, my anger boiling over. "You know what, Melody ? Forget it. Just forget the whole thing."

Melody 's expression turned co
ld. "Fine. Forget it. But don't come crying to me when you realize what a mistake you're making.”

“Get up, leave.” I demanded as tears streamed down my face.