blocked her number and erased her from his life a long time ago, mutual friends be damned.
“Fine. Don’t bother with the gas money—I’ll consider that my charity donation for the month.” Sammy’s jaw clenched. “Good luck with this mess, not that you’ll need it. After all, you always figure your shit out. You’re perfect.”
He turned and stalked toward the door, silently cursing himself for his stupidity. He already had one foot in the hallway when he heard a soft sniffle.
Sammy froze and clenched his jaw harder.
Don’t do it, man. Just don’t.
He did.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Olivia had resumed mopping. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes shone suspiciously bright.
She really did look exhausted. Her movements were sluggish, and her eyes drooped as she pushed the mop across the same spot for what must have been the dozenth time. It was close to midnight; knowing her, she’d been up and going nonstop since five or six in the morning.
Sammy also knew with dead certainty that Olivia would’ve never called him or anyone else if she didn’t need help. She was the one people ran to when they had problems, not the other way around. It must’ve stung her pride that she’d had to reach out to someone else for support—and that her only option had been Sammy, hence why she’d pushed him away when he’d showed up. She didn’t like appearing weak.
Their relationship had died a long time ago, but he still knew her like the back of his hand.
God. Damn. It.
His anger fizzled as fast as it came. Sammy exhaled a sharp breath and raked a hand through his hair, already hating himself for what he was about to do.
“Leave it,” he said roughly. “The place is as dry as it’s gonna get, and there’s not much else you can do till the morning.”
“It could use another go-over with the mop.” Olivia wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Go. I got it.”
“Liv, I swear to God.” Sammy flinched the instant the words left his mouth. He hadn’t used her nickname in years, but it fell out as easily as if they were still together. It tasted bittersweet, like memories of a bygone era.
Olivia’s shoulders visibly tensed as Sammy stomped through the apartment and wrested the mop from her hands. “I’ll mop, you pack what you need for the night,” he said, tone curt. “If you keep going at this rate, you’ll pass out on the floor and drown.”
She rolled her eyes. “It was never that flooded.”
He simply stared at her.
“Fine, Sir Bossy McBosspants.” Olivia walked toward a pile of folded clothes on the coffee table. “I’ll pack.”
Half an hour later, Sammy had dried the floors as best he could, and Olivia had packed an overnight bag and changed into a T-shirt and leggings.
“Let’s go.” Sammy wiped his hands with a paper towel. “I’ll drive.”
“But I haven’t picked a hotel yet,” she protested.
“It’s past midnight. We don’t have time to go through your spreadsheets and figure out which hotel has a Michelin-starred restaurant or offers designer amenities.”
“A Michelin-starred restaurant isn’t a requirement,” Olivia muttered. She followed him into the hall, turning off the lights and locking the door behind her as she did so.
It wasn’t until they were ensconced in his car that she spoke again. “Where exactly are we going if not a hotel?”
“My house.”
Sammy would have smiled at the sputtering that filled the car if he weren’t so damn annoyed and uneasy. He shouldn’t be taking Olivia to his house. He shouldn’t be taking her anywhere. Yet here he was, playing knight in not-so-shining armor to the woman who’d smashed his heart into smithereens a lifetime ago.
Masochists had nothing on him.
“We are not going to your house,” Olivia said after she got her indignant sputters under control.
“According to the driver—AKA me—we are.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m tired, you’re tired, and I don’t want you murdered while searching for a shady hotel room in the middle of the night,” Sammy growled. “I don’t have any Michelin stars or a spa, but I have a clean bed and a bathroom. You’re using them. Tomorrow morning, we’ll figure out the mess with your apartment. And don’t tell me you don’t need help—you called me for a reason. So stop arguing and let’s have some peace, quiet, and rest for a few hours, okay?”
Olivia’s jaw unhinged. She blinked slowly, her long, dark lashes sweeping across her cheeks in a shocked flutter.
Sammy turned the ignition and ignored the voice chanting in his