She plopped down next to me and squeezed me too tight. “I love you too. Now get out because I’m going to be naked when Callum gets home.”
“Hot.” I waggled my brows. “Need a third? You did work at Voyeur. Maybe I could watch.”
She scrunched her nose. “Ew.”
For the first time all week, I laughed. Maybe going to dinner and facing this once and for all would be better than hiding. Because the first step in being the fearless Olivia Witt I wanted to be, was to face your fears. And that’s what I planned on doing.
That bravery lasted all of an hour to get ready and head to the house.
Now, I stood on the front step, wondering if maybe running away would be better. I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, pacing, practicing what I would say for every scenario, but eventually, the door swung open and I froze.
“Okay, I tried to let you come in at your own time, but you’ve been out here for almost ten minutes now,” Daniel said.
I barely held his gaze for the sentence to be over before dropping them to my feet, clasping my sweaty palms together.
“Olivia.”
I didn’t want to look up, but I didn’t want to be this person. I didn’t want to be this scared little girl. I wanted to be the woman he expected me to be. So, slowly, I lifted my chin and met his eyes.
He smiled softly. “Hey, kiddo.” With a nod, he stepped back, waiting for me to go in.
The house was eerily quiet. Where was Mom greeting me at the foyer? Where was the sound of ice rattling in a glass?
“Where’s Mom and Dad? Am I late?’
“On a date.”
I whipped around. “What?”
He stood there with his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “Just you and me tonight.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t look so happy. You used to love when it was just you and me.”
“That was before.”
“Before what?”
God, why did he have to make me say it? “Before the hotel.” I dropped my eyes to the black and white tiles, rolling my lips between my teeth. “Before you saw me the way everyone else does.”
His steps clipped across the floor until the tips came into view. He used a finger to lift my chin, making me look at him again. “Olivia, I’ve always seen what everyone else does.”
My heart dropped to the floor, and I wasn’t sure how I was still standing. The words vibrated through me, rattling the loosely held armor, shattering it to nothing.
“I see it because that’s what you show everyone. But I also see so much more. I see the real you. The determined you. The scared but fierce you.”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes, and I bit my trembling lip. “Really?”
“It’s easier to show the world what they want to see, but it doesn’t change who we really are. And there will be people who come and go and never see past the veneer you wear. There will be people who try to see deeper but are easily convinced there is nothing but the shell.” He dipped his head to make sure I could meet his eyes. “Then there are people like me who know who you are, inside and out, and there is nothing that would ever change that. No mistake, no atrocity, nothing. You may not be my daughter, but I love you like one.”
I couldn’t help it, the tears broke free and slipped down my cheeks. “I love you too, Uncle Daniel.”
Without hesitation, he wrapped me in his arms, and I buried my head in his chest, feeling a true confidence I wasn’t sure I’d ever had slide into place before.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Stop.” He gripped my shoulders and held me back so he could see my face. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”
“I messed up.”
His head fell back, and he laughed. “I’m not going to tell you how much I messed up at twenty-one. You’re a hell of a lot more mature than I ever was at your age—maybe even now—but no matter how mature you are, you’ve got a lot of life to screw up. And you will. It’s what you do about them that makes the difference.”
“What do I do?”
“What do you want to do?”
I wiped at my cheeks. “Ugh. Can’t you just tell me.”
Another laugh. “Nope. If you’re going to be with my best friend—” he stopped to shudder. “Then I won’t be the guide book. You need to figure that man out on your own.”
“So, you’re not mad I was with Kent?”
He looked around the room and took a deep breath. “It’s an adjustment. And I may need therapy, but I’ve already talked to him and laid out my rules.”
“Really? How is he? Is he okay? Are you guys, okay? God, I messed up your friendship. I’m so sorry.”