ADRIAN
I returned to the car with divided attention. I needed to be sure if I was making the right decision or if I was just fooling around.
“Are you convinced that Rene is trying to kill me?” Olivia asked while folding her arms.
I was upset at her question. She wasn’t helping matters.
I wanted to concentrate on my driving, and she wasn’t making it possible for that to happen. Her constant complaints had succeeded in disorganizing my system.
I didn’t know what to say to Olivia. I might escalate the situation. I couldn’t even put myself in order, let alone control a troubled mind like Olivia’s.
Just by looking at her, I could see the fire coming out of her forehead.
I shunned Olivia’s question and started the car to continue the trip when she stopped me. She forcefully pulled the keys away and hid them in her pocket.
“What do you think you’re doing? Please-give me back the bunch of keys. We’ve got a place to be, and you know that,” I demanded.
“Not until you answer my question. I am not letting you have the keys. Is the question too big for you to respond to?” she asked me. I’ve never seen Olivia that pissed off before.
I sighed.
I promised myself that I was never going to yell at Olivia anymore, and I intended to keep the promise.
Although, with her recent attitude, it was only a matter of time before I chose to reciprocate. I wasn’t certain how long I intended to endure her drama.
“Ma’am, let him have the keys. We are not so sure who is behind this. What if they return?” Kate pleaded with Olivia from the back seat.
I lost count of how many times she had come through for me. In the last few hours, she’s proven to be smarter than Olivia. How she ended up as Olivia’s assistant wasn’t clear to me.
“Kate, don’t even dare.
The last time I checked, I didn’t seek your opinion. I will appreciate it if you seal your lips. You are only permitted to speak if I say so,” Olivia issued the warning to Kate.
I salivated, knowing that I was the next victim to suffer from her wrath. To avert that from happening, I decided to speak up.
“Yes, you are right.
Rene is after your life, and we need to stop her before she succeeds. Just so you know, there’s only one way to stop her,” I admitted.
It was a forced confession. I spoke as though I had a gun pointed at my head.
Deep down, I knew that Rene wasn’t the suspect-not until the police were done with their investigation. Keeping my observation to myself was just my unique way of clamoring for peace.
“Now that I’ve admitted that you were right, can I have the keys back now? We’ve been on the road for too long,” I begged.
Olivia broke me and made me feel less of a man. I haven’t pleaded with anyone before-until Olivia came into the picture. To think that we weren’t even in a relationship, yet she made me go that far just to prove my innocence.
“Damn you, Adrian.
So you knew I was right after all? Why did you have to wait this long to confess? I am so disappointed in you,” Olivia bemoaned before passing the keys to me.
I got fed up with driving and wanted to kick her out of the car. I was slowly losing my patience.
The only reason I didn’t kick Olivia out of the car was Kate. Seeing how she had defended me lately, I couldn’t bring myself to treat her like trash. She wasn’t the one that offended me. If there’s anyone that I have got to yell at, it’s definitely Olivia.
Like a perfect gentleman, I held my cool and proceeded with the ride. Until we arrived at the station, none of us said a word to each other. Olivia understood the assignment. She refused to speak to me, knowing the damage she had already done.
“We’re here now.
You both can go inside while I wait here until you come back,” I told Olivia after pulling up at the nearest station.
I tried as much as I could not to look into her eyes. The sight of her was already infuriating to me. I couldn’t wait for us to be done with the investigation so I could return them to their various houses.
While Kate stepped outside the car and walked inside, Olivia stayed behind. I was expecting her to make a move, but none of that happened.
I didn’t bother to question her reason for choosing to stay back. At that moment, nothing about Olivia bothered me anymore-not even the damn investigation.
After some minutes of waiting outside for too long, Kate returned.
“You’re all still inside?
I thought we were here for a purpose?” she asked us.
I pretended not to hear her, even though the question was aimed at me. As the only male in their midst, they all expected me to make the first move and to keep them motivated.
“Yes, that’s right.
I was actually waiting for Adrian to step outside, too. He was supposed to champion this movement as the only man in our midst,” Olivia said in full confidence. She sounded as though we already discussed Kate’s absence.
“What the heck are you talking about? You seem to be missing the point. When did we mutually agree that I was going to do this for you?” I quickly spoke in my defense. This time, I shared a telling look with Olivia to let my words sink into her head.
“Like I said before, you all can go. I will be waiting here,” I repeated what I said the previous time, should they pretend not to hear me.
“This is a joke, isn’t it?
Come on, stop it already. I don’t want to believe you’re being serious right now,” Olivia doubted. She was dumbfounded by my decision to back out at the dying minutes.
Leaning forward, I looked into Olivia’s eyes. “Read my lips. I am not interested in this shit. Since you’re the boss, why don’t you handle it your way?”