Page 62 of Outrun The Devil
Olivia's eyes never wavered from Jessica's face, taking in every detail with a mix of tenderness and concern. She longed to shield her daughter from the horrors that had unfolded, to erase the trauma etched upon her innocent features.
“So... vampires and werewolves huh?”
Shock found Olivia's face as realization hit hard moments before another wave of guilt settled over her heart.
“I would have told you eventually.”
The door opened and Nathan came in. Her heart fluttered.
When Olivia’s eyes met his, a silent question lingered there, and he nodded. Relaxing, she offered him a smile.
“Your captain stopped by, wanted to congratulate you on closing the case.”
Olivia knew that Mike was doing more than that. But she made a mental note to call him later.
“So, it’s finally over,” Olivia said.
“Yeah, finally.”
Awkward tension filled the room, and Jessica must have felt it because she was excusing herself. Olivia tried to object but Jessica was gone before the words left her mouth.
With Jessica gone, it left her and Nathan in that hospital room alone. The man she'd hated on sight when she met him weeks ago and now... Now her heart fluttered when he entered the room.
Nathan pulled up a chair next to Olivia's bed, his eyes betraying a sense of worry and concern. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice gentle.
Olivia tried to sit up straighter, wincing in pain as she did so. “I'll be fine. It's just a few scratches.”
Nathan shook his head. “You were lucky. It could have been a lot worse.”
Olivia nodded, her thoughts dwelling on the danger that had led her to that moment. “I never thought it would be this bad,” she said softly. “I never wanted to put Jessica in danger.”
Nathan reached out and took her hand. “You did what you had to do, Olivia. You saved her life.”
Olivia looked at him, her heart beating faster at the intensity of his gaze. “Thank you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nathan leaned in closer, his eyes locking onto hers. “I care about you. I just can't seem to stay away.” He grinned.
Olivia knew she should pull away. The moment meant nothing in the long run. But she couldn't, at least not right then. When Nathan kissed her, she didn't pull away. She sank into it and couldn't help thinking she was asking for more trouble.
When Olivia finally came up for air, it was at that moment she realized that Xavier wasn’t walking into the room to interrupt them.
“Where did Xavier run off to?” she asked.
“He thought it best to give you some space,” Nathan said sharply.
Olivia smirked, shaking her head. “You told him to fuck off didn’t you?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, something like that.”
As the weeks passed, Olivia found herself confined to the sterile walls of the hospital room.
The pain from her injuries was a constant reminder of the brutal encounter with Victor Blackwood. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Each day, she underwent grueling sessions of physical therapy, pushing herself to rebuild her strength and regain her mobility.
The nurses and doctors marveled at her resilience, admiring her determination to overcome the physical and emotional toll of the attack. They saw a fighter in her, a woman who refused to let adversity define her.
But behind the facade of strength, Olivia wrestled with her doubts and frustrations. The scars on her body were not just reminders of the physical wounds, they were also symbols of her perceived failure. She couldn't shake the feeling that she should have been better prepared, more in control of the situation. The self-doubt gnawed at her, threatening to consume her spirit.