He takes one look at Olivia and glares my way. “What the hell is going on?”
“Nothing,” Olivia says, placing her hand on Nick’s chest to calm him down.
“It doesn’t look like nothing. It looks like you’re crying,” Nick says to Olivia, then he looks at me. “What’s going on?”
“I was just telling Olivia that I’ve put my mom’s house up for sale, so if all goes well, I’ll be moved out soon.” The last thing I want is for my best friend’s future husband to think I’m leeching off her. For Killian to make those comments, words must’ve been spoken between him and Nick.
“Unnecessarily,” Olivia says through her sobs. Nick wraps his one good arm around her waist in a comforting and protective manner, and my heart squeezes as I wish, not for the first time, I had someone to hold me like that.
“We both know if I wasn’t living here, you guys would already be married and living together.” I look at Nick to deny it, and he frowns but doesn’t say a word.
“I asked you to move back here and Nick understands that.” Olivia steps out of Nick’s hold. “I know something is up with you, but you won’t let me in. I haven’t once asked you to move out or even indicated I want you to. So can you please tell me why you’re pushing me away?”
“I’m not pushing you away. I’m just so sick of our friendship being one-sided.”
“One-sided? You don’t think I’ve been a good friend?” Of course she would jump to that conclusion!
“No! One-sided meaning me! What have I done in this friendship? You’ve paid my way for the last seven years. You take me out for my birthdays and buy me expensive gifts for the holidays. You even have to pay for my ticket to your charity event because I can’t afford it. Meanwhile, what have I ever done for you?” I throw my hands in the air in defeat and blink back my tears, willing them not to come. “Nothing! I’ve done nothing! And to top it off, I’m the reason why you haven’t gotten your happily-ever-after!”
“Are you serious?” Olivia questions. “You were the one who pushed me not to run when I got scared. You’re the reason I got my happily-ever-after. And as far as our friendship goes…When I was lonely and lost in Paris, you befriended me. You let me cry on your shoulder for months over my mother’s death,” she says. “And then when I was dumped by my cheating ex, it was you who ran away with me to New York.” She swipes at her falling tears. “When I found out I was pregnant and thought nothing would ever be okay again, you held me in your arms on the floor of the bathroom and promised me it would be.”
The tears I was holding back finally fall.
“And even though you hate New York, when I said I wanted to move home, you packed up your stuff without saying a word.” Olivia steps forward until she’s directly in front of me. “No amount of money could ever pay for the friendship you’ve given me. Having you in my life is worth a thousand times more than anywhere I pay for us to live, or whatever gift I buy, or the ticket I purchase for you for a stupid dinner. It’s just money.”
A humorless laugh escapes me. “It’s just money to someone like you. It’s everything to someone like me who doesn’t have any.”
“Is that what this is about?” Olivia asks. “Do you need money? Did something happen? I can help you. Just let me in.”
My eyes widen at her words, shocked that after everything I just said, her answer is to offer me money. Having no clue how to even respond to what she said, I turn to walk away.
“I’m sorry!” Olivia grabs my hand. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just—I don’t know how to fix this! Tell me how to fix this, please. I just want my best friend back.”
“You can’t, and even if you could, I wouldn’t let you.” I let out an exhausted sigh. “Look, I’m sorry I’ve been so distant lately. I’m working a lot and taking care of my mom and sister. It’s not you. I’m not moving out because I’m mad at you. Like I said before, it’s something I need to do for my mom. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but it’s time I stand on my own two feet.”
“Wait a second,” Nick cuts in. “Did Killian say something to you?” I shake my head, and Nick gives me a hard stare, silently telling me not to lie. “Damn it, he did, didn’t he?”
“It doesn’t matter if he did or didn’t,” I tell him, because it doesn’t. Everything Killian said was the truth. “Look, you guys have an event to get ready for, and I need to get to my mom’s.”