Olivia's POV
"All we need to do is tell the Head Guardian that the Guardian responsible for my ability to see you is Hugo's Guardian and not you," I say as Samuel and I get off the bus.
We're on our way to work, and despite it being less than twenty-four hours since I met Charlie, I feel like the meeting happened days ago.
"Wait."
I stop and turn to Samuel. He has his hands clasped behind his back, which I'm sure is because of the female Guardian shuffling behind an old lady across the street. Otherwise, I'm sure he would have grabbed my hand and tugged me back, instead of simply telling me to stop.
"I know what you're thinking." I press the wireless earbud deeper into my ear. "You're doubting that the Head Guardian will know who Hugo is, right?"
Samuel glances at the Guardian across the street and nods.
"Then we first need to find out what the Guardian's name is. That should be enough to clear your name."
I turn in the direction of the intersection from the accident, but before I can take a single step forward, Samuel clasps his hand over my shoulder. With an iron hold, he forces me to turn a hundred and eighty degrees and then edge in the direction of the café instead.
"You promised to listen to me," he reminds me.
"I know, but we're running out of time. The three weeks the Head Guardian gave us are almost up." I turn my head to steal another glance at the intersection, but the glare Samuel shoots me tells me it's never going to happen.
"We still have three days left," he says.
"I thought you wanted to clear your name and avoid an additional punishment as soon as possible."
"I do want to clear my name, but I first want to find out why the Guardian saved you; especially because you aren't his charge."
The final tone in his voice leaves me with no other option but to drag my feet all the way to the café, where Ramona is already waiting for me.
"Morning," she greets me with her usual grumble. "Where's the cop's son? Did you have a fight?"
"Nick?" I ask. "He's busy right now, but he promised to swing by a little later. And no, we didn't fight."
"Wouldn't hurt if you did," Samuel mutters.
I begin to roll my eyes at him, but before I can complete a full circle, Samuel grabs my chin and presses a jealous kiss onto my lips. It's nothing but a brief brush of our lips, but that doesn't stop the ridiculous smile that sneaks onto my face.
"What's with the look?"
Ramona's question reminds me that while I'm aware of the good-looking Guardian standing less than half a step from me, all she sees is me making kissing faces at an empty patch of air.
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." I shake my head and make my way to the staff room.
Tying my apron, I round the counter and wait for Ramona to switch the front sign from closed to open. The moment she does so the first handful of our regular customers enter, and I busy myself with preparing their usual orders. Samuel, on the other hand, makes himself comfortable on his by now usual stool.
Right when I finish delivering the first round of coffees, the entrance bell goes off, but to my surprise, the person who enters isn't another one of our regular customers. It's someone even more familiar.
"Dad?"
I gape at my dad as he waves at me and skips to the counter. Of all the empty stools he chooses the one Samuel is sitting on, which forces the Guardian to jump off before Dad can brush against him.
"If he were anyone else, he would be sitting on the floor right now," Samuel grumbles and takes the stool on my dad's left.
I can't help but snort at Samuel's grumpy mood and then hurry around the counter. "What are you doing here, Dad?"
"You said that I shouldn't stalk you anymore. That I can approach you when I want to know how you're doing," Dad says. "So, here I am."
"Okay," I drawl and begin to prepare a cup of hot chocolate because I know Dad doesn't drink coffee.
"I heard you went to the hospital," he shoots right out. "What happened?"
"I went there to visit Nick's brother." I wave off his concern but then pause. "How do you already know about it? Were you stalking me?"
"No." Dad raises his arms into a big x sign. "I swear on our combined lives that I wasn't anywhere near the hospital... yesterday. I heard about your presence there from... from someone I know."
"Someone you know?" It isn't usual for Dad to be so vague, which is why his answer immediately rings a warning bell inside my mind.
"Yes well, that's actually the reason I'm here today. No matter how much of a bad guy I'll seem after I tell you this, I need you to know the truth. You see... I..."
Because of his inability to go straight to the point, I set down the half-finished cup and focus my eyes on him. Whatever he's about to tell me isn't just another piece of the latest gossip.
"You seeâ" Dad averts his eyes and turns to the front entrance. "I... Mina?"
At Mom's name, I snap my head in the direction he's looking. In the now open doorway stands Mom, with her right hand still resting on the door handle. She sends me a warm smile, which fades the second her eyes land on Dad.
"Why is your mom here?" Samuel asks.
Before I can answer him, Dad shoots to his feet and lifts his hand in greeting. "Mina."
Mom begins to lift her hand but then stops halfway. Wordlessly she spins around and hurries out of the café.
"Mom!" I call after her, but it's already too late.
"I really thought things were turning for the better between us." Dad shakes his head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I'll have to reschedule our talk."
"Go." I gesture to the door.
"Thanks for understanding." Dad smiles, turns to the door, but then snaps his head back to me. "If you don't hear from me in a couple of days, it means that your mother killed me. Please make sure to find my body and allow me to have a proper funeral." With one final wave, Dad skids out of the café.
I snort at his parting words, but at the same time know that if Mom were to kill anyone, Dad would be first on her list.
"Finally," Samuel breathes out.
"What?" I turn to him.
"You're smiling again." He scoots back onto his usual stool. "You've been frowning since you saw Hugo's Guardian. But apparently, the thought of your mother murdering your father is all you needed."
I reach to my lips and find out he's right. A small smile is playing on my lipsâone I wasn't even aware of.
"It's not about that. I'm smiling at how ridiculous my dad is sometimes."
"Sometimes?" Samuel snorts.
"Fine, a lot of the time." No matter how much I love my father, there's no denying that he's not like the dads I've seen portrayed on TV.
"Will you now stop frowning because of the Guardian?"
"It isn't because of him." I lower my eyes onto the half-finished cup of hot chocolate. "It's about Charlie."
"What about him?"
I can feel Samuel's eyes digging into the top of my head, but I resist the urge to look up. "I don't know what to do. It feels like the guilt is eating me from inside out."
"Are you talking to air again?"
I spin around to find Ramona standing a step behind me. She pushes her thick glasses up her nose, while her eyes flicker across what she must see as an empty other side of the counter. I automatically point at the wireless earpiece still inside my ear, but Ramona rolls her eyes.
"If the air isn't giving you any useful advice, I suggest you apologize to the person you've wronged. It's the only way to stop the nasty feeling of guilt."
"Will it work?" The mere thought of saying the words "I'm sorry" makes me shudder, but compared to the agony I've been going through ever since I came face to face with Charlie, it doesn't seem so daunting anymore. "Should I go to the hospital?"
I grab the strap of my apron, but then realize where I am and what time it is. We've just opened the café, so there's no way I can leave for at least another five hours.
"Go." Ramona nods at the front entrance. "Apologize to whomever you need to. But do me a favor and stop by the bench Hugo's always sleeping on. Tell him his shift will start early today."
"Thank you." I pull Ramona into a quick hug and then tear the apron off my waist.
Before the older woman can change her mind, I dash into the staff room, grab my belongings, and then fly out of the café.
It's time I face the consequences of my actions.
***
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