CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 206

Olivia’s POV

After I left the table and stepped outside, I felt like I could finally breathe again.

The back door closed behind me softly, muffling the voices and sounds of silverware inside. Out here, in the backyard where I’d played in as a child, everything felt quieter. Calmer. Less suffocating.

I’m not usually like this - emotional, fragile, on the verge of tears for reasons I couldn’t fully explain. But something about today had cracked something open inside me, and I didn’t know how to seal it back up.

I walked to the old swing set Dad had built when Kennedy and I were kids. The wood was weathered now, the paint chipped, but it still held strong as I lowered myself onto one of the swings.

I pushed off gently, letting the moving swing soothe some of the chaos in my mind.

This is so messed up.

Something was wrong. Something bigger than Maxwell knowing I was Kennedy’s sister. Something that felt like a missing puzzle piece - right there in my peripheral vision but impossible to grab.

Everyone else seemed to understand what was happening. Even Kira, who was just as confused as I was, seemed to sense the undercurrents.

Why couldn’t I remember?

Footsteps on the grass behind me made me tense.

"Can I join you?"

MAXWELL’S VOICE.

Of course it’s him.

"What do you want?" I didn’t turn around, just kept swinging gently.

He moved into my peripheral vision, settling onto the swing next to mine. His long legs and masculine body made the child-sized seat look ridiculous, but he didn’t seem to care.

"I wanted to make sure you’re okay."

I scoffed bitterly. "Since when do you care about my wellbeing?"

"I can leave if you want me to."

The offer hung in the air between us, and I waited for my mouth to say yes. To tell him to go. To leave me alone so I could process everything without his overwhelming presence making it impossible to think.

But the word wouldn’t come.

Because despite everything, the anger and the hurt and the confusion, some part of me wanted him here. Needed him here, even if I couldn’t understand why.

So I said nothing. Just gazed at the sand beneath our feet, watching it shift with each small movement of the swing.

The silence stretched out, growing heavier and tensed until I couldn’t stand it anymore.

"Why?" I asked in a soft voice.

Maxwell’s swing creaked as he shifted. "Why was I rude to you that first day?"

"Yes."

He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice was calm. "Because I thought you came to see me."

My head snapped up, eyes locking onto his. "Came to see you? Wait... I thought you said you didn’t know who I was until after I left your office?"

"You looked familiar from the moment you walked in," he admitted. "I just couldn’t place where I knew you from until I did some digging afterward."

"How the hell don’t I recognize you?" The words burst out, frustration and confusion mixing together. "How does everyone else recognize you except me?"

Maxwell smiled sadly, almost wistful. "We didn’t really talk much as kids. I was always with Kennedy. You were just... there. In the background. We exchanged maybe a handful of words, and that was it."

"So you’re saying I never even noticed you?"

"Not really, no."

Okay. That’s fair, I suppose.

But it didn’t explain everything else.

"You were rude to me because you thought I’d come to see you," I repeated slowly, trying to work through the logic. "But then I asked for love advice. About Alex. So why did that make you angry?"

Maxwell’s jaw tightened. "I think you already know the answer to that."

My heart started racing. "Because you had feelings for me?"

He looked at me then - slowly - but didn’t say anything. The silence was answer enough.

Oh God.

I wanted to ask more. Wanted to ask if I was his Olivia - the one he’d talked about in his drunken confessions, the one he’d been searching for, the one he claimed he’d destroy when he found her.

But I couldn’t ask that. Because Olivia didn’t know about those confessions. Only Oliver had heard them.

When it became clear Maxwell wasn’t going to elaborate, I shifted topics.

"Your personal assistant. Oliver. The one who claims to be our cousin?"

"What about him?"

"Why did you bring him? Really?"

Maxwell’s expression was unreadable. "I thought he should meet his distant relatives. It seemed like the right thing to do."

Right. Because that’s totally normal. Bringing a fake assistant to a family lunch.

But I couldn’t push too hard without revealing that I knew something was off. Without revealing that I was the real Oliver.

"You kissed me that day." I said suddenly, the memory of that moment in the restaurant parking lot making me swallow with longing. "In your car, outside the restaurant. Was it because you like me?"

Maxwell’s hands gripped the chains of his swing. "I don’t want to talk about that right now."

Of course you don’t.

Frustration boiled over, hot and sharp. "This is ridiculous, Maxwell. If you like me, just say so. Why are you making everything so complicated?"

He obviously had feelings for me. But he also hated me, or at least hated something about our shared past that I couldn’t remember. And the contradictions were driving me insane.

I stood abruptly, the swing swaying wildly behind me.

"I’m going back inside. Gabriel is waiting for me, and I don’t want him to think I’m rude. Especially since I’m going to date him."

Maxwell stood too, so fast his swing almost hit him. "You’re going to date Gabriel."

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement filled with disbelief.

"Yes," I said firmly, deciding right there that it was the best thing to do. "I’m going to date Gabriel."

Even though Gabriel had clearly been trying to use me as a rebound. Even though I felt nothing when I looked at him except vague physical attraction. Even though every cell in my body was screaming at me to stop playing games and just admit that the only person I wanted was standing right in front of me.

"Do you really mean that?" Maxwell asked quietly.

I was getting angry now - angry at him for making me feel this way, and yet still holding back, angry at myself for caring so much. "Is there something you want to say to me, Maxwell? Because if there is, now would be a great time."

He shook his head, his expression shutting down. "Gabriel is a good guy."

"Oh, now you think it’s okay for me to date him?" I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice. "I thought you were strongly against it before. Told me to stay away from both him and Alex."

"Yeah, well." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "That was before."

"Before what?"

"Before I realized you’d be better off with someone else."

My chest tightened painfully. "Someone like who?"

"Someone who loves you the way you need to be loved, Olivia." His voice was rough, raw in a way that made my eyes sting with unexpected tears.

I took a breath, steadying myself. "I’m only going to ask this question once, Maxwell." My voice was quieter now, stripped of anger, just honest and vulnerable. "Do you love me?"

Maxwell’s eyes closed, his jaw working like he was physically holding back words.

"Now isn’t the right time to discuss things like that."

The non-answer hit me like a slap.

"Right." I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "Okay. I’m going inside now."

I moved past him, my shoulder almost brushing his, heading back toward the house and the complicated mess of a family lunch waiting inside.

His hand shot out and caught my wrist, pulling me to a stop.

I turned back, hope flaring in my chest despite my best efforts to kill it. Say something. Admit your feelings. Tell me the truth about whatever this is between us.

But Maxwell just stood there, his hand warm around my wrist, his eyes searching my face.

Then he shook his head and dropped my wrist, turning to walk in the opposite direction - toward the front yard, toward his car.

I watched him go, my wrist still tingling where he’d touched me.

Watched as he climbed into his car without looking back.

Watched as he started the engine and drove away, leaving me standing alone.

Fine.

If he wanted to run, let him run.

I’d tried. I’d asked the question. I’d given him the opportunity to be honest.

And he’d chosen silence.

Guess I’m really doing this with Gabriel then.

********

Kira’s POV

Lunch finally ended - thank God - and it was time to go home.

The time I’d been waiting for all day.

Kennedy stood from the table, his eyes finding mine across the room. "Kira, I can give you a ride home if you’d like."

Yes. Yes yes yes yes YES.

"That would be great," I said, trying to sound casual instead of desperately excited. "Thank you."

Olivia caught my eye as she headed out with Gabriel, and gave me a look that said we need to talk later, but I just nodded and followed Kennedy toward the door.

Finally.

Finally I was going to be alone with Kennedy Hopton.

Single Kennedy Hopton.

Divorced Kennedy Hopton.

Available Kennedy Hopton.

And I was absolutely, definitely getting that kiss.

Even if it killed me.