Samuel's POV
For once, I'm the one hurrying to keep up with Nick's brisk pace as we rush down the street. While I'm happy that he and Olivia are on better terms again, I find myself itching to trip him for the open eagerness he's showing.
Quicker than ever before we reach the already closed café, but we have no problem entering because, despite the closed sign, the glass front door is left unlocked. The moment the annoying bell announces our presence Olivia snaps her head in our direction. Instead of the always welcoming smile, however, her shoulders slump, and she turns back to the counter in front of her.
"What's going on?" Nick and I ask as we stride to our usual seats.
While I stop behind my stool, Nick steps closer to the counter and grabs Olivia's hands, which are resting on the spotless surface. The itch to kick him returns, but instead of giving in, I stride around the counter.
"I found out that the car Anya hit me with contains the evidence we need to prove she's the driver," Olivia explains while keeping her eyes on Nick. "She apparently sold the car after the accident, and now she's trying to..."
Her words trail off as I stop behind her and without pausing, wrap my arms around her stomach. Her entire body stiffens, but a moment later she relaxes and even leans her back further against my chest. My every muscle flexes in anticipation. I want to curse at myself for how big of an effect she has on me, but then again it's not like it should be any differentânot with the person who has grown to mean so much to me.
I can't resist the urge, so I pull Olivia another fraction closer, which forces her to finally pull her hands out of Nick's hold. Then I take half a step to the side, lift one hand off her stomach and rest it on her chin. Before she can remind me of our audience, I lean down and brush my lips against hers. My intention is pure, as I plan for it to be only a chase kiss. The moment she responds to my kiss, however, all rational thoughts fly out of my head. All I can think about is how soft she feels and how damn good she tastes.
"Do we seriously need to watch this?" The choking sound comes from beyond the counter, but the voice is too high to have come from Nick.
Olivia and I jump apart to find Eliza sitting on top of a table a few feet behind Nick and rolling her eyes at us. Before I can say anything in my defense, I realize that on the chair next to Eliza sits the old hag, but opposite to the fellow Guardian, she is eyeing the way Olivia is pressing her hands against her cheeks to hide her blush.
"Are..." Nick coughs and pulls his hands back to his side of the counter. His dejected expression is impossible to miss, but I can't bring myself to feel guilty. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Olivia clears her throat but keeps her hands pressed against her cheeks. "As I was saying, Anya is trying to buy back the car she sold to Weston."
"Weston?" I snap my eyes back to her. Her former crush is the last person I expected her to name.
"How'd you find that out?" Nick asks at the same time.
Olivia glances at me from the corner of her eye and hesitates for a moment before she answers, "Someone told me this. He's not...a person I would normally trust, but I can't risk the possibility of his warning being true."
"It's Lucien, isn't it?" I shake my head. "We can't trust a word he says."
"I know," Olivia sighs and lowers her arms back on the counter. "But I don't have a choice. If what Lucien told me is true, then we need to keep Weston from selling the car back to Anya."
"How're we to stop him?" Nick asks.
"With Brooke's help," Olivia says. "She's searching for Weston right now. I wanted to go with her, but we agreed that it wouldn't be the smartest decision since she blamed me for breaking up with him. She promised to bring him and the car here the moment she's done apologizing to him, though."
"What kind of evidence can the car contain?" I ask.
"I don't know." Olivia shakes her head, but straightens back up and snaps her head back to Nick before either him or Ramona can question who she's talking to. "Do you mind staying here until we get the car?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Nick says.
The itch to knock him down returns, but I restrain myself because he's back to being useful. After all, the moment he leaves, so do I.
Before anyone can say anything else, the annoying bell goes off, and we all turn to the glass entrance. I'm left speechless at the trio who enters. While Olivia's father, Peyton, and Dr. Kate together is still a sight Olivia and I need to get used to, her mother, Mina, in their middle is something I never thought I would see.
Mina has her right hand wrapped around Peyton's forearm and her left one wrapped around Dr. Kate's forearm, forcing the two to stagger behind her. She pulls them to the counter, where they stop beside Nick.
"Is it true?" Mina asks before she stops. "Is it true that this doctor here," she lifts Dr. Kate's arm and flaps it in the air, "is suspected to be the driver who ran you over?"
"I told you she's been cleared of all charges." Peyton shakes his head. "Tell her, Liv. You wereâNick?" Peyton looks at the said guy and then turns around to where the old hag is still sitting beside Eliza. "Olivia's boss? What are you both doing here?"
"Stop trying to change the subject." Mina glares at him and then turns back to Olivia. "Is this woman the one who ran you over?"
"She's not the one," Olivia says and makes her way around the counter. "I already told you Anya was the driver."
"Are you sure?" Mina asks but drops both Dr. Kate's and Peyton's arms. "Because I wouldn't mind another reason to dislike her. The flawless hairdo she achieved without my help just isn't cutting it."
"I'm sorry about her, Dr. Kate." Olivia grabs Mina's arm and pushes her a step away from everyone. "I hope you can understand how hard this is for my mother."
"It's okay." Dr. Kate scratches the side of her neck and looks at anywhere other than Mina. "I know you are all under a lot of stress because of the accident."
"Now, see here. Iâ" Mina begins, but Olivia covers her mouth with her hand.
As Mina levels her daughter with a murderous glare, I also make my way around the counter. Before I can reach Olivia's side, though, the annoying bell goes off again. This time Hugo and his Guardian, Isaiah, enter the café. The moment the Guardian's eyes land first on me and then on Olivia I expect him to vanish. He, however, remains inside the café and even follows Hugo as they make their way closer to our weird group.
"What's going on?" Hugo stops beside the old hag, while Isaiah stops beside him.
While Nick begins to fill in Hugo, along with Olivia's parents and Dr. Kate, on what is going on, I'm more focused on the intent stare Eliza is penetrating Hugo with.
"What?" I ask her.
"Him." Eliza dips her chin at Hugo. "I feel like I've met the boy before, but at the same time I'm sure we've never crossed paths."
"You too?" I gape at Hugo and then shake my head. "It means you most likely met him in your past human life. He really is a very unlucky guy, if so many of us wronged one of his past variations."
I'm about to focus back on the humans when Isaiah clears his throat. "I'll tell the Head Guardian it was me," he says.
"What?" I snap my eyes to him and notice that Olivia does the same. "Why the change of heart?"
"You probably won't believe me, but I finally accepted the reason why I helped your charge." A bitter smile stretches Isaiah's mouth, but it changes into a much softer one as he glances at Hugo and the old hag. "The truth is that I don't want my punishment as a Guardian to end. Not yet."
He's right. It's almost impossible for me to believe that he saved Olivia because he doesn't want his punishment to end. But the earnest look in his expression tells me that no matter how far-fetched, he's telling the truthâor at least what he believes to be the truth.
"Thank you." I nod in acceptance of his decision.
"It's the least I can do since I'm the one who's responsible for your charge's survival. But from now on it's on you to make sure she never tries to harm herself again."
"What?" Olivia snaps her eyes wide open.
Too late do I realize that I still haven't discussed this part of Isaiah's revelation with her.
"What are you talking about?" Olivia asks, but luckily none of the humans are paying her any attention.
"She doesn't know?" Isaiah looks from Olivia to me and then back at Olivia. "Don't you remember cutting into your own arm after the accident?"
Olivia snaps her eyes to the still visible scar drawn diagonally over her inner left forearm, and I immediately notice the way her hands begin to shake the longer she stares at the scar.
"Stop." I diminish the distance between us and cover the scar with my hands. "It doesn't matter."
As Olivia lifts her wide-open eyes to mine, though, I know it's too late. There is no way I can spare her from remembering the last missing piece of the accident.
***
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- E