He gestures for me to leave, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by the girls. I watch them exchange a look of disbelief as I stand and then follow him. I feel relief. It’s not been a long day, or particularly hard, but wearing those high heels has my feet aching. I’m tired and clueless about navigating the social complexities of gossiping girls. I can’t help but wonder what might have caused their animosity toward me. But I brush it off, reminding myself that I’m here to learn and grow in this new environment, and I won’t let any negativity deter me from doing my best. I have Blake on my side and that’s all I need.
By the time we pull into Olivia’s driveway, it’s almost three-thirty. I’ve saved so much time. I’d only be halfway here by now. It means that I get to spend more precious minutes with my daughter.
As we step out of the car, I hear laughing children and we walk around to the back garden. Olivia is nothing but a fabulously rich auntie and has built an entire playground there. I collapse onto the swing bench and kick Olivia’s shoes off. I think I have blisters on my blisters. My feet are going to have to toughen up.
“Mommy!” Emma squeals, popping her head out from inside the little playhouse, which is connected to the swing and slide. “Me and Ethan made a sandcastle!”
“That’s nice, honey!” I call back.
Meanwhile, Blake makes a beeline for his son. I’m surprised when he climbs into the messy sandpit, still wearing his fancy, stuffy suit, and shoes. After the big deal he made about appearance and clothes, this shocks me. I watch curiously as he seems to relax for the first time today. That grumpy look on his face is finally gone and he looks relaxed as Ethan stands and cuddles into him. He might be difficult to work with, but I can’t deny that he’s an excellent father to that little boy.
“How was work?” Olivia asks me, making me jump out of my seat. I was so entranced watching Blake and Ethan that I didn’t hear her approach.
“It was…interesting,” I settle on. I don’t want to badmouth the staff in front of Blake after I’d stood up for them. Especially because he’d been right. I gratefully accept the glass of red wine that Olivia passes to me.
“Were they all rude?” she asks as she sits next to me on the swing. “Blake told me that the last manager left without notice because they forced her out.”
Well, he hadn’t told me that, I thought to myself. He only told me that I was replacing Mina. I’m not sure who Mina is and I don’t want to ask.
“They were awful,” Blake answers for me. “I wish I could fire them all.”
Olivia bursts out laughing.
I’m not sure if he’s joking or not, but he’s grinning for the first time that day, half-sprawled in the sand while Ethan buries his expensive shoes.
“What about Lily? Do you think she’ll cope?” Olivia asks her brother.
“She’s all right,” he replies with a bit of a shrug.
“That’s Blake language for you did fantastically,” she translates.
At this, I perk up.
“I did?” I ask him, looking at him hopefully.
“As I said, you did fine,” he replies, sounding unimpressed and a little nonchalant.
Olivia grins, looking between the two of us, a pleased expression on her face.
“Jesus, guys, don’t stop flirting on my account,” she jokes.
My face flames and I hide my embarrassment by taking a long swig of my wine. I hope that Blake doesn’t notice.
Chapter 6
Blake
The following days, we fall into a routine. Olivia watches the children during the day, and me and Lily go to the shop. She picks up the training easily. I learn that she’s clever and polite, and more importantly, she’s fantastic with customers. She sells her first engagement ring to a gentleman looking to propose and I can see how proud she is to be a part of something so special. As I predicted, the girls at the store try to swoop in and steal her sales commission, but I’ve got Lily’s back. With a little guidance, she learns to be strong and say no. We go to lunch together every day. By Friday, she takes to the job like a duck to water.
When Lily and Emma stay for dinner that evening, I insist on driving them home. Olivia had mentioned that the bus takes them another half an hour and it was already late. I tell myself that it’s because Lily’s worked so hard all week and deserves some rest, but deep inside, I know that it’s more than that.
As I walk back through the door, I make my way into the sitting room. I can feel Olivia’s accusatory gaze boring into me, her brows furrowed in concern. She’s always been the perceptive one, able to unravel the complexities of my emotions with a single glance. Maybe it’s because we’re twins. She sees through me like no one else. I’ve never been able to hide things from her. I can’t help but feel a pang of unease deep within me.
“What’s going on, Blake?” she asks. Her voice is filled with a mixture of curiosity and worry.
“What do you mean?” I ask, feigning ignorance.
She gives me a look of disbelief.
“I’ve noticed the way you look at Lily and the way you act around her. It’s like you have a crush on her or something.”
I try to play it cool. I sit down and grab the TV remote, opening the Netflix menu as I feel her eyes burn a hole in the side of my head. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, my eyes averted, unable to meet her piercing gaze. The truth hangs heavy in the air, and I know that I can no longer hide behind the walls I’ve carefully constructed over the past year. It’s not like it works anyway, Olivia sees straight through them.
“Not anymore,” I say with a shrug. “Doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Anymore?” she repeats. “So, there was something?”
I can hear the cogs turning in her and I sigh. I already know that I’ve lost.
“Fine. I…I did have a crush on her,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “Back when we were teenagers. But that was a long time ago, Olivia. Before I met Sarah.”
I try not to think about what happened before I left for college. I still don’t want Olivia to know what happened that night. Lily and I agreed to keep it a secret so I’m not about to share without her permission. I don’t want to betray her trust.
Olivia’s expression softens and a glimmer of understanding flickers in her eyes. She knows the pain I carry but that doesn’t stop her from probing deeper, searching for answers. “I understand, Blake,” she says gently, her voice filled with empathy. “But do you think that those feelings might have resurfaced?”
Frustration simmers within me, tinged with a hint of guilt. How can I explain the whirlwind of emotions that have consumed me in recent days? The conflicting desires threaten to unravel the carefully constructed life I’ve built for myself.
“It’s complicated, Olivia,” I reply, my voice tinged with a mix of defensiveness and uncertainty. “I can’t just act on these feelings. I have responsibilities. I have Ethan to think about. What about Sarah?”
Olivia leans forward, her voice filled with sisterly concern. “I know you’ve been through so much, Blake. But you can’t let fear dictate your every move. Lily is a good person, and you deserve to be happy.”