(Olivia)
I looked up at Derek, searching his eyes for a clue, a reassurance, but all I found was shock and tension. I wanted to say something, to pull him back to our moment, but I didn’t know how to do that now, not with Rebecca standing there. Her presence was heavy, like a cloud that suddenly darkened our day.
Rebecca’s gaze didn’t shift from Derek, and I could feel the history between them stretching out like an invisible line. I’d heard about her before—knew she’d been part of Derek’s life, a complicated chapter he rarely talked about. The look on her face wasn’t anger or friendliness, but something else I couldn’t place. It made me uneasy.
She took a step closer, her eyes cold and focused, and then, to my surprise, she looked right at me.
“Olivia,” She said, her voice sharp but s
