Finding Olivia (Trace + Olivia #1) (43 page)

“Great,” I grinned. I couldn’t wait to get out of this bed and back home. I
’d had enough of hospitals to last me a lifetime.

The whole process of signing release forms
, and getting everything together, took at least an hour. I had to change, with Trace’s help, into my own clothes, and then be wheeled down to the lobby. The nurse waited with me while Trace brought his car around.

With the nurse and Trace’s help, I hobbled into the car. The rest of my body was healing well, but my chest still felt like an elephant had sat on me.

“Don’t be mad,” Trace winced as we pulled away from the hospital.

“Nothing good, ever comes after those words,” I grumbled, slipping my sunglasses on. “Just tell me what it is and don’t sugar coat it.”

“Avery and Luca are meeting us at the apartment. I’ve managed to keep her away the last few days, but she wants to see you. She’s your best friend, Olivia. She’s been really worried about you and she hasn’t seen you since you woke up.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “I don
’t want her to see me like this,” I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to make it look semi presentable. “Besides, I’m tired and cranky. I want to go to bed.”

“I know,” he took my hand tenderly in his. “But she needs to see you
, to know you’re okay.”

“I’ve talked to her on the phone!” I cried.

“Yes, you have. But that’s not the same as seeing a person in the flesh,” he reasoned.

I sighed. “I want to see her but-”

“I get it, Olivia. I do,” he interrupted. “You’ve been through a lot and you’re not up to seeing people. I tried to talk her out of coming over but…you know Avery.”

“I do and that girl is not easily deterred,” I shook my head.

When we pulled into the garage’s parking lot, Avery and Luca were there in her red beetle, and there was another car, a black Dodge Challenger, which I assumed was Trent’s.

Avery slipped out of her car
, as Trace parked and I took a deep breath, silently pep talking myself.

“Stay put,” Trace warned. “I’ll tell them to head on up and then I’ll help you out.”

I nodded in agreement, because I knew there was no way I’d be able to make it up those steps by myself.

I watched Trace greet Avery and Luca, and point at the door to his apartment. Avery shook her head adamantly and pointed at me. Trace waved his hands forcefully and I
saw his jaw working as he spoke rapidly. Finally, Luca took Avery by the hand and towed her up to the apartment. They knocked on the door, and I watched Trent open it, Ace ran through his feet and sniffed at Luca and Avery.

Trace opened
the car door and unbuckled my seatbelt. He lightly wrapped his arm around my body and helped me from the car. He kept a steady hand on my waist as I shuffled towards the steps. I bit my lip at all the stairs I was going to have to climb and dreading the pain I knew they were going to cause me. I hated being so helpless.

Noticing my look of distress, Trace smiled. “Just try, Olivia. If you get tired after one or two, I’ll carry you.”

I took a deep breath and fought back tears. “I can do this,” I whispered, for my benefit, not his.

“I know you can,” he helped me slowly make my way up. By the time we reached the door I was exhausted and leaning my body heavily against his. My body had taken quite a beating
, and I still wasn’t completely healed everywhere, meaning the simplest tasks exhausted me.

“I want to go to bed,” I begged as he opened the door and Avery rushed towards me.

“Back off,” Trace warned her with a steely gaze in his eyes. I had never heard him use that tone of voice with anyone before.

Avery immediately took a step back
, and kept her mouth shut, which surprised me. Avery wasn’t the kind of person who was too keen on being bossed around.

“She’s tired
, and I told you she wouldn’t be up for company, but you insisted on being here. I know you’re her best friend and you’re worried. But please, let me get her in pajamas, and in bed.
Then
, if she’s feeling up to it, you can see her,” Trace explained.

Avery muttered, “Okay.” Looking over me, she added, “I’ve been so worried about you, Olivia.”

“I know,” I whispered since I didn’t have the energy to speak any louder.

Trace helped me into the bedroom and closed the door. I shuffled over to the dresser and pulled out short pajama bottoms and a long sleeve shirt of Trace’s that would hide my fading bruise
s.
I
didn’t like to see my bruises, and being reminded of what happened, so I knew no one else did either. It was hard enough, knowing something bad has happened to someone, but seeing the evidence all over their bodies tears you up inside.

“I can do it myself!” I yelled at Trace when he tried to help me out of my clothes.

He flinched like I had slapped him. “Are you sure?”

“No!” I croaked and collapsed onto the bed
, sobbing. “I
hate
this, Trace. I feel so helpless. I can’t walk up stairs or change my own clothes! It isn’t fair! Why did this happen to me?” I buried my tear-streaked face in my hands.

I heard Trace kneel in front of me and then he was prying my hand
s away so he could see my face.

“I don’t know why this happened to you, baby, and I know it isn’t fair. But you’re
alive
and that’s something to be grateful for,” his eyes bore into me, straight to my very soul. “I watched you
die
, Olivia, and that’s something I’m never going to forget,” he swallowed thickly. “But you came back to me, because you’re a fighter, and you’ll fight through this and you’ll get through the pain. In no time, all of this will be nothing but a distant nightmare,” his eyes were clouded with tears and his voice was thick with emotion. “It’s okay to question why this happened to you, Olivia. That’s normal. But don’t let it eat you up inside. You have to move on and put it behind you, so you can live your life to the fullest, because that’s all anyone can ever do.”

I took a shaky breath and hiccupped. “How do you always know exactly the right thing to say to me?”

He chuckled but it was weak. “It’s a talent. Now please, let me help you. There’s nothing wrong with letting me help you.”

Slowly, I lifted my arms above my head and
he removed my shirt, careful to keep space between his hands and my healing ribs. He lifted the shirt I had grabbed, over my head, and it fell to my thighs. He removed the sweat pants I was wearing and replaced them with my blue flower pajama shorts. He helped me up and then pulled the covers back. I lay down in the bed and he pulled the blankets up to my chin.

“Do you want me to send Avery away? Or do you want to see her?” He asked.

“I want to see her, but tell her I’m really tired,” I pleaded, gazing up at him. I hoped the concern in his eyes would fade soon. I didn’t like it.

“I’ll tell her,” he bent
, kissing my nose, and strode out of the room.

He’d barely walked out when Avery came barging in. She sunk to the floor beside the bed.

“Oh, Olivia,” she cried, “It’s so good to see you awake. I came to see you at the hospital but you were sleeping and then once you woke up, Trace wouldn’t let me come in and-”

I didn’t want her blaming Trace
, for not being allowed to see me, so I quickly interrupted, “He kept you away because I didn’t want to see you.”

“But…why?” She was confused.

I reached for hand. “You’re my best friend, Avery. I didn’t want you to see me like that…so hurt and tired. I was a mess. I slept most of the time anyway, and my medicine made me a little loopy,” I added a smile to hopefully relieve some of the tension from her body.

“Olivia, none of that matters. I’m your best friend and I wanted to be there for you,” she squeezed my hand.

“I know,” I whispered, my eyes growing heavy. I fought against the sleepiness that was clawing through me. “But after everything that happened…I needed some space.”

“Well,” she looked at me fiercely, “you’re home now and I’m not letting you withdraw from me…or anyone. What happened to you was
horrible
, Olivia. But
please
, don’t let it change you.”

“How can it not change me?” I questioned. “I was almost murdered, Avery, by a man that for twenty years of my
life, I believed was my father.”

She climbed into the bed beside me. “I know you’re going to be…affected by this,
” she paused, running her fingers lightly through my hair to relax me. “But I don’t want to see it make you a different person. This wasn’t your fault, Olivia.”

“It was,” I sobbed. “And if he had found my mom first…he would’ve killed her, and I would’ve had to live with the fact that I got my mom killed, for the rest of my life. I thought I was doing the right thing, getting her away from him.”

“You did the right thing,” Avery held me as I cried. “I know it may not seem like it right now, but you did. You saved her, Olivia, and Trace saved you. Not everyone gets a second chance at life, but you’ve been given one. So, live it.”

e p i l o g u e

October

A few months later

Moving on, after going through something like I did…is difficult, to say the least. There were many days that I didn’t want to get out of bed and face the world, but I knew I had to, and Trace helped to push me. He didn’t let me dwell on what happened. He helped me move on. I didn’t know what I would do without him.

Before I knew it, summer was over
, and I was starting my junior year of college. It didn’t seem possible that so much had happened to me in such a short period of time.

But it did.

I lived.

I died.

I came back.

I moved on.

I wasn’t letting my past define me. Instead, I was choosing to embrace my future, and whatever it had in store for me.

“What are you thinking about?” Trace asked as the air rushed
through the open windows of the Camaro.

“Just thinking,” I murmured, staring out at the orange, yellow, red, and brown leaves. Fall was in full swing.

“About what?” He asked again.

I sighed dramatically at his stubbornness. “Life.”

“That’s vague,” he muttered.

“It was supposed to be,” I giggled. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“And I don’t plan on telling you,” he smirked. “Be patient. Good things come to those who wait.”

“Sometimes, I wonder why I love you so much,” I shook my head, my long wavy hair falling forward.

“It’s because I’m a beast in the sack,” he glanced at me, waggling his eyebrows, before returning his attention to the road.

“You’re so full of yourself,” I snorted.

“When you’ve got it,
you’ve got it
,” he enforced his words with a thrust of his hips. “Ah, here we are,” he pulled off onto the side of the road.

I looked around, my brow furrowing in confusion. “Where are we?”

Trace grinned crookedly at me. “Look around, Olivia.”

I did and a smile spread across my face.

“It’s where we first met,” he took my hand and placed a tender kiss on my knuckles. “A year ago today, I pulled over to help this beautiful girl change her tire. She made me laugh with her incessant use of the word, uh, and her mention of Prince Charming,” he winked. “She woke up something inside me and I knew I had to get to know this girl. You changed my life, from the moment I met you, Olivia,” he feathered the lightest touch of his fingers over my cheek. “Your smile stirred something inside me that I had never felt before.” His eyes were a fierce dark green. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. “This last year has been a rollercoaster. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Every moment with you, is a moment I treasure.”

My heart skipped a beat at his sweet words and tears of happiness pricked my eyes. That stupid flat tire, that I had been so mad about, had changed my life. One moment, that’s all it took
, for my life to change completely, and veer onto a different path.

I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes: “Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” From the moment I met Trace, he’d been taking my breath away, and showing me what life was really about.

“Come on,” he grinned and opened his car door. I did the same.

We climbed onto the
hood of his car and watched the sunset. The color of the sun reflecting off the leaves made them seem as if they were on fire.

“I think there’s one last thing to cross off,” he beamed, pulling the fold
ed piece of paper from his pants pocket.

He kissed my cheek before placing the paper in my hand.
He grabbed a pen and handed that to me as well.

He skimmed his nose along my cheek
, and pushed my hair back, so he could whisper in my ear, “I love you, Olivia.”

I smiled at him and leaned my head against his shoulder. “I love you, too.”

The metal hood of the car wasn’t the most comfortable place, but I didn’t mind. I was here, with my love, and nothing else mattered.

I looked
down at the list in my hand, reading through all the things that just a year ago, had merely been dreams of mine, and now I had accomplished all of them.

Everything was crossed off except for the very last thing.

With a smile aimed at Trace, I drew a line through the last item on the list, the most important one.

Things I want to do

1.
       
Get drunk

2.
      
Fly in a hot air balloon

3.
      
Go to the carnival

4.
     
Go to a concert (even if it’s someone I’ve never heard of)

5.
      
Go to a party

6.
      
Lose my virginity

7.
      
Dance in the rain

8.
     
Go roller skating

9.
      
See the ocean

10.
   
Learn to paint

11.
    
Get a dog… or a cat… or a rabbit. Any pet will do.

12.
   
Sing in front of real people. Avery doesn’t count.

13.
   
Make more friends

14.
  
Shoot a gun

15.
   
Smoke

16.
   
Get a tattoo

17.
   
Learn to pole dance

18.
  
Go skinny dipping

19.
   
Pierce my belly button

20.
  
Fall in love

I never meant to fall in love with Trace, but I did, and by some miracle, he fell in love with me too. We had some crazy adventures along the way, and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world, because all of those crazy things defined us. All the laughs, all the tears, all the kisses, it was all us, and it would always be that way, because I had found someone worth loving through the good and the bad.

I handed the piece of crinkled up paper to Trace and he smiled as he read it over.

“Well, what are we going to do now?” He asked, with his signature cocky grin, that I had learned to love. He threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me fully against him. Both our legs were stretched out, my left flush against his right.

His lips pressed tenderly against the top of my head.

I stared out at the setting sun, squinting against the brightness, as it disappeared over the line of trees.

“I’m sure we’ll think of something.”