T. Leigh - A Tragic Wreck

“You scared me there, sweetheart,” he said softly, gazing down at the woman lying on the sand.

Olivia looked around, trying to get her bearings. She went surfing. She tried to make a new friend and now she looked like an idiot. She stood up, but her legs were weak, causing her to lose her balance. Cam caught her. “Hey. Take it easy,” he said softly. “You bumped your head pretty good. Let’s get you back inside your house. You should probably go lie down.”

Cam led Olivia up the beach to her house, helping her to the couch. Once she was settled, he walked through her living room and into the kitchen, searching the freezer for some ice. He put some in a plastic bag and brought it to her.

“Here,” he said, leaning down and placing the ice pack on her forehead. “You should probably keep this on your head. There’s a little bit of swelling.” He brushed a piece of hair out of Olivia’s eyes.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.” He looked around the house, noticing how minimalist everything looked. It was as if she had just rolled into town with a suitcase. There was nothing personal, aside from a guitar case leaning up against a wicker chair. He walked over and sat down. “Do you play?” he asked, gesturing to the case.

Olivia took the ice off her forehead and sat up, facing Cam. “Yeah. A little, I guess. In a former life. I really haven’t played lately, though. Since I got here. The guitar’s just been sitting there, collecting dust.”

Cam looked into her eyes. She seemed so empty.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a large, orange long-haired cat walk down the stairs and into the living room. The cat stalked to Olivia, jumped on her lap, and curled up in a ball. “This is Nepenthe,” she explained.

“Ah,” Cam breathed. “The ancient elixir of depression.”

Olivia turned her head. “How did you know that? Not a lot of people know what 'nepenthe' is.”

“I have a brain full of useless information.” Cam laughed. There was an awkward silence. He was attracted to the woman sitting across from him, snuggling up with her cat, but she seemed so distant and uninterested in anything. He didn’t know much about her, but he wanted to learn more.

“Can I take you to dinner tonight? There’s this great place right on the water on the other side of the island.”

Olivia looked around. “I don’t know. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Come on. It’ll be fun. I promise. Just as friends. No pressure. I just want to get to know you, be your friend.”

Olivia had been avoiding all social situations for the past several weeks. Certain things set her off, triggering a panic attack. Looking out her large front windows at the ocean, she hoped for some guidance about what to do. She was getting to like her new home. If she got involved with Cam, she would just leave him, too. That’s what she did. She ran. Always. That was all she knew.

“Hey, Libby. The answer isn’t there in the ocean.”

She looked back at Cam, a smile still on his face, but also something else. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it was almost like a look of compassion.

“I just want to get to know you. That’s all. I want to spend some time with you.”

“But why?” Olivia asked, her brows furrowed.

“What? Why wouldn’t I?”

“I could give you a thousand reasons,” she mumbled under her breath.

“As friends. That’s all, Libby. Come to dinner with me. Let me be your friend.”

Olivia sighed, petting Nepenthe. “I don’t need any friends. I’m perfectly happy in my little oasis here on the beach.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t make me beg.”

Olivia’s heart stopped. Alexander’s husky voice flashed through her memory… I like it when you beg .

Her lip started to tremble and she quickly jumped off the couch, walking toward the stairs and away from Cam, desperately trying not to fall apart in front of him. She had finally gotten through an entire week without breaking down and crying when she thought about Alexander, but that memory was too much. She couldn’t take it. Her heart was in pieces and she knew it was all her fault, but it still didn’t make it hurt any less.

Knowing that he had somehow upset her, Cam caught up to her and grabbed her arm. He didn’t want to leave on such a sour note. “Libby, please. Whatever I said, I’m sorry.”

She turned to face him, tears running down her face.

“I just want to make you smile. Please. Just come to dinner with me. I promise I’ll help you forget about whatever it is that has you so upset.”

She looked up at Cam, surprised at his height. He was even taller than Alexander, which was a feat at six-foot-five. Maybe he was right. Maybe what Olivia needed was someone to help her forget. She couldn’t possibly go on living her life as she had been. Every day was a struggle to get through. She felt something when she looked at him. It wasn’t sparks and shivers and tremors like it was when she looked at Alexander, but something was far better than nothing.

Cam pleaded with her with his eyes, desperate to find out more about this mysterious woman who had come to the island and captured his attention so quickly.

“Okay. I’ll go out with you.”

A smile spread across Cam's face, and Olivia couldn’t help but giggle a little at the look of excitement. “Great!” he exclaimed. “I’ll pick you up at seven.” He left before Olivia could protest.

She fell back onto the couch. For the first time in weeks, she actually had something to look forward to that evening. She was unsure how to feel about that. Would she just find herself in the same situation as she did with Alexander? No. Impossible. She refused to let it get that far. She couldn’t. It nearly tore her apart when she had to leave Alexander, and she vowed to never do that again…even if it meant spending the rest of her life alone.

“Damn it, Nepenthe. What have I gotten myself into?” Her cat stood up and stretched before settling back down on Olivia’s stomach.

OLIVIA SCOURED HER CLOSET looking for something to wear that evening. She refused to call it a date. It was just two friends getting to know each other. Olivia was done dating. She should never have gotten close to Alexander. It ended horribly. Life was better before. It was uncomplicated. She could fuck anyone she wanted and never get attached. That was what she needed in order to get her life back on track. Maybe Cam would help her with that.

But after she had gotten a taste of what a real relationship was like, could she even think about going back to her old ways? She loved the butterflies she felt fluttering in her stomach when she thought about that special someone. She loved the cute things Alexander did for her, like sending her text messages just to say he was thinking about her. Sending flowers to her office just because. Is that feeling truly worth it when you know it will end in heartbreak? She wasn’t sure.

Olivia fell onto her bed, wishing she still had all her clothes. She left Boston in such a hurry that she barely had much in terms of acceptable dinner attire. Most days she roamed around her house in a pair of gym shorts and a tank top. Other than that and running clothes, she didn’t have much need for anything else.

She glanced at the clock. It was just a little past noon. She had more than enough time to go to the mall and get back in time for dinner. She quickly threw on a pair of shorts and tank top, and jumped in her car, heading toward Jacksonville. Within an hour, she finally pulled off the interstate and into a crowded mall parking lot.

Shit , she thought. Christmas shopping. She had completely lost track of the days and it was a few weeks before Thanksgiving. People were clearly getting their shopping done early. Instead of trying to find a parking spot, she made a bee-line for the valet and threw the attendant the keys to her Audi before running into the mall in search of a store that could have something for her to wear. As she navigated through the swarms of people pushing and shoving their way through the shopping center, she thought about how much she missed Boston and the convenience of living around the corner from a street lined with designer boutiques. She hated shopping malls.