Olivia watched helplessly as Eve walked away from her. She wanted to call out to her, to stop her, to apologize to her for being such a jerk. But she didn’t. She couldn’t.
She winced in pain from the pressure she’d had to put on her foot. She lifted it slightly but remained where she was. Eve couldn’t know she was hurt. She’d absolutely insist on helping her, fighting her harder than she’d just done. But the mere thought of Eve next to her, pulling her in close and tight, close enough to feel her body and strength again, to smell her enticing scent, really worried her. And she didn’t even want to acknowledge what having her so close would do to her loins. After their first encounter, it had taken hours before she’d regained some control over her thoughts and body, despite the rigors she’d felt from the run. The heat and the throbbing Eve had caused, they’d been new to her and overpowering, and the long, cold shower she’d taken hadn’t doused either. She feared if those feelings came on again, she might do something crazy. Like act on them.
She swayed and for a second thought she might pass out. Was it because of Eve or because of her injury? She wasn’t sure. The light-headedness and the race of her pulse were probably more intensified by both. Both had to be dealt with, whether she wanted to or not. The injury, she’d have to handle herself. And Eve, well, she’d done what she’d had to do and told her to go. It had to be done.
But watching her walk away was awful. She knew she had hurt her. The pain from that alone was seriously surpassing the pain from her ankle. But she couldn’t afford for these feelings to continue. Her future depended on what she did right now. She needed to concentrate on school and continue to rebuild her life, her way this time. Besides, she wouldn’t know what to do with her desire even if she allowed it to overtake her. She could never tell Eve. What if she freaked out? Where would that leave her? Even if Eve somehow felt the same, what would happen next? Touching? Kissing?
What would touching her feel like? What would kissing her feel like? Just how soft was her skin? Just how warm and supple were her lips? She shuddered as her imagination went into overdrive. This was the very thing she was trying so hard to avoid. Eve would soon disappear back down the mountain, and hopefully, so would her lust for her. She took one last look at her and tried to memorize her body. She started with her toned, tanned legs and moved up to her high, tight behind. Then she went on to the muscled contours of her back, which led up to her perfectly etched shoulder blades. The alternating shift of them as she walked was mesmerizing.
Olivia stared after her in awe. Why were things like this in life so cruel? Why did she still have to find Eve so beautiful and so desirable even as she walked out of her life forever? Why couldn’t her feelings go with Eve instead of remaining inside to torture her for what? Eternity? Would it ever cease?
The way Olivia felt right now, she doubted anything having to do with Eve Monroe would ever dissipate.
I’m going to miss her so much and I don’t even know her.
She tore her gaze away from her, needing desperately to regain some semblance of control before she was completely consumed by her grief. The large rock she’d sat on before was nearby. Only a few steps and she’d be there. She quickly hobbled toward it, but the pain was so bad she cried out, unable to hold it in. But she carried on regardless and let out a few more cries until she finally reached her destination and braced herself, dying for some relief. The rock’s rough surface was an instant comfort, and she carefully sat, grimacing as a few more sharp stabs resonated from her ankle. When they lessened, she sighed, but heard the sound of hurried footsteps. She searched the path and saw Eve running. She slid to a stop right next to her. Olivia didn’t speak, the agony of crossing to the rock leaving her too exhausted to even try to downplay her situation.
Eve wrenched off her sunglasses and shoved them into the center of her tight athletic top. The look of worry and determination on her face was so strong Olivia knew she wouldn’t be able to fend her off at this point even if she tried.
“What’s wrong?” she breathed.
“I turned my ankle on the way up.”
“While you were running?”
Olivia nodded. “I stepped on a rock.”
“And you were trying to hide this from me, because?”
“I wanted to handle it myself.”
She chuckled and shook her head as she knelt in front of her. “You are something else, Olivia. You are something else.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, I—”
“I was in pain. So, trying to manage that was quite enough. I didn’t need to be yelled at on top of it.”
“I would’ve never yelled at you.” She tried to touch her leg, but Olivia wasn’t having it.
“You know what? Just stop.” She shifted, trying to move away from her. “Your laughter is far worse than yelling.” The movement, even though she’d done her best not to use her foot, hurt tremendously. “Ow, God dammit!” She clenched her fist and hit her thigh. She was so angry and upset and she couldn’t seem to budge an inch without it triggering some sort of god-awful torture. She just wanted to be left alone.
Eve stared at her for a long moment.
“I wasn’t laughing at you; I was trying to figure you out. I wanted to know why you tried to hide this from me instead of just accepting some help. And when you gave me your answer, I got it. I thought you were being a little irrational and I wasn’t sure what, if anything, I was going to do about it, but I still got it.”
“Got what?”
“That you’re a very proud, self-reliant person who fears judgment and admonishment.”
“What? Oh, my God, whatever.” Eve had hit the nail on the head, and it made her feel all the more vulnerable. And that pissed her off.
But Eve continued.
“Now, is that fear the sole reason why you try to keep me away, or is there some kind of additional trepidation I haven’t totally figured out yet? Probably.”
She reached out again, and Olivia was too overwhelmed with feelings of exposure to swat her away. She was having enough trouble trying to maintain basic human functions, like breathing and swallowing.
Both became even more difficult as Eve touched her knee and kept talking.
“But there is one thing I am now very certain of.”
Olivia scoffed.
“You don’t want me to get close.”
Olivia let out a short laugh. “Oh, please.”
“I’m not trying to upset you. I’m just being honest.”
“You’re being ridiculous. Why would I care if you got close?”
Eve merely looked at her, and Olivia once again had trouble swallowing.
Does she somehow…know?
“This isn’t a good time or place for speculation. So, let’s just focus on your ankle.”
Her fingertips grazed a path down her leg to just above her ankle. Olivia shivered, and if Eve noticed, she didn’t act like it.
“How bad?” she asked.
“I don’t think anything is broken. But it hurts pretty bad.”
“From the look on your face when you tried to move, I’d say pretty bad stands for downright unbearable. Can you put any pressure on it at all?”
Olivia tried to rest her foot on the ground and yelped.
Eve gently cupped her heel and examined her as best she could without touching her further.
“We’ll leave your shoe on. I know you don’t know me or trust me or anything, but I’m really not into torturing people. So, you can rest assured there. Do you think you can make it back with my help? Or do you want me to call someone?”
“Call someone? Like who?”
“The fire department. They can—”
“Oh, God no.” She was hurt, but not that badly. Just thinking about all those people having to come to rescue her because she’d been stupid made her stomach churn with dread. But still, she had to get off that mountain. And she now knew she couldn’t do it alone.
She breathed deeply as she realized what she really hadn’t wanted to have happen was about to, indeed, actually happen.
She’d already cursed once, and if she were someone who did that often, she’d definitely be doing so now.
She steeled herself and once again did what she had to do.
This time she didn’t have to tell Eve to go.
No, this time she had to allow Eve to stay.
She had no choice.