head. “You still love Jamie.”
I frown but don’t have any words to fix this. I can tell her that I don’t love Jamie, but it is clear that she wouldn’t believe me.
“I don’t want to give you up,” I say.
I see the tears starting, but Olive shakes them away.
“I broke you and Jamie up,” she says almost defiantly.
“What are you talking about?”
“About five years ago, I was homeless. I was living on the street. Occasionally, I would get to sleep in a homeless shelter, but I mostly slept on benches in parks, tucked in the doorways of shops, or under highways.
“One night, I fell asleep on the doorstep of Jamie’s small office. She only had two employees at that time. She had to wake me up to get into her office that day. She was running late, as always, so she asked me if I would get her a coffee. She offered to pay me ten bucks if did it, so I did.
“And then, the next morning, I got her coffee again. Eventually, she started paying me to be her assistant. She got me off the street and into the apartment that I live in now. She saved me.
“And so, a year ago, she told me about you. Except she never used your name. She always referred to you as her baby, honey, sweetheart, et cetera. She was so in love—or so she said. She thought you were going to propose soon. She was living the fairy-tale life.
“But, over the next couple of years, I got to know Jamie. I knew that, even though you had dated on and off for years, she wasn’t ready to settle down. She had a company to run, and all she talked about was, once you proposed, she would sell the company and be a stay-at-home mom. But she wasn’t ready for that. And, from everything I’d heard about you, you weren’t ready for that. So…”
“So, you broke us up,” I finish for her.
She nods.
“You showed her that message,” I say.
She nods. “You left your phone at her apartment. So, I just let her see what an ass you were.”
“She broke up with me because she thought I was cheating on her. But I wasn’t.”
The tears fall now. “I didn’t realize it until later—when your mother texted that she loved you back. I hadn’t realized it was your mother, but by then, Jamie had already broken up with you, and I thought it was for the best. I thought I was saving her from a life of unhappiness. I didn’t want her to give up everything she had worked so hard for. She needed a man who fit into her life.
“I was one of her closest friends, yet the guy she had been seeing for over a year never even made an attempt to meet me. He never came to her work. She spent most of her time traveling to see him. I didn’t think it was the healthiest relationship.”
She takes a deep breath.
“But, now that I see you two together, I realize how mistaken I was. You two are perfect for each other.”
Her tears flow freely while I’m in a state of shock.
“I’m so sorry, Sean,” Olive says before she pushes past me, leaving me feeling completely empty.
My heart is broken. And I have no idea how to put it back together.
22
Olive
I quit.
I’d been calling in sick all week long, and tonight, I finally quit. Jamie invited me over to her house to get some maternity clothes that she said were too small for her, although I can’t imagine them ever fitting me. And I told her that I was quitting.
She was sad but understood. I told her I was moving in with Owen, but I’m not sure she bought that. Honestly, I haven’t even talked to Owen yet. I’ve been completely avoiding it like the plague.
Jamie wanted me to stay and talk about it, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t handle the thought that Sean could come over to her place at any moment or text or call her. Jamie was clearly back to her happy and bubbly self, so I’m guessing that she and Sean are back together.
I take a brownie from the tray I made earlier today and take a seat on my bed to eat it. Other than talking to Jamie, the only thing I’ve accomplished all week is baking and then eating everything that I baked. At this rate, I’ll gain a hundred pounds in a month.
That can’t be