LOGINOLIVIADarren continued to kiss me. His hands tightened around my waist, guiding me towards the bed behind us.At first, I didn’t reciprocate. Then, it got intense, and I could barely breathe from the roughness of his lips against mine.“Darren…” I moaned in his mouth, my chest tightening.He didn’t stop, didn’t respond, and only broke off after my back gently collided with the bed.His eyes bore into mine, glistening with desires. My chest heaved uncontrollably as I stared, unsure if I wanted to continue.“I’m not going to force you to do anything,” he said quietly, both hands on the bed as his figure hovered over me. “If you don’t want this, then… I’ll stop.”I kept staring, my thoughts spiraling as I tried to control them. He asked me. “Do you want this, Olivia?”Did I want him to keep kissing me? Touching me in ways I craved? I wasn’t sure if I did.I averted my gaze to the door, my fingers digging into the bedsheet. My lips were throbbing, and amid the pain, kissing Darren had aw
OLIVIA“Is he… okay?”I asked quietly as I sat on the bed, tending to Darren’s chest wound while he sat on a chair in front of me.“Maybe,” he said flatly. “He deserved whatever happened to him for doing what he did.”I poured the saline solution onto the gauze. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the room as I pressed it to his skin.My hands trembled despite my best effort to stay steady. Darren's eyes met mine, and my lips curved into a small smile, even though I was silently freaking out. "This might sting," I whispered, wiping around the wound. He sucked in a breath and flinched, making me feel a pang of guilt. My gaze dropped to his chest before I could stop it, and guilt tightened in my chest.“Are you okay?” I asked softly.He nodded, his gaze never breaking, and I had to pretend like I wasn’t aware, my cheeks heating up.“Yeah. It doesn’t hurt that much though.”“It’s deeper than you think,” I murmured. “And I’m still not happy that you shot someone because of me.”I hated
OLIVIA“Is that… blood on your shirt?”I asked, eyes widening as I leaned closer, my index finger pointing at the stain. Darren glanced at the spot, and I saw the flash of confusion in his eyes.He stuttered. “B… Blood?”“What blood?” Roberta turned to face us, her voice cracking in worry. “Did you get hurt, Darren?”It was a small stain, but it looked fresh. I brushed my finger against the fabric, and when I pulled it back, blood stained my skin.I panicked. “How did you get this?”Roberta scurried to his side, gasping when she saw the blood-soaked stain on the right side of his chest.“What happened?” She shrieked.Darren held my wrist and gently took it off his chest; his lips curled into a small smile like he wasn’t bleeding.“You both need to stop worrying now,” he shrugged, facing Roberta with a reassuring expression. “It’s just a nip.”That didn’t look like just a nip to me. It felt like something sharp had pierced through his skin, and watching the red slowly spread through th
OLIVIA“Did Darren say when he was coming?”I asked Roberta, Darren’s mother. We stood in the dining room, setting the table for lunch. The last two months in the De Lucas’ house were unlike anywhere I’d ever lived. They were very accommodating, and they treated me like a special guest.Roberta and Dario—his parents… doted on Alix and spoiled him like he was their grandchild. I tried to help with chores, do whatever I could to show my gratitude, but they hardly allowed me to do anything.“He called three days ago,” she responded, arranging the cutlery next to the plates. “But he didn’t say anything about his next visit.”I nodded. “Okay.”Three weeks. So he’d called but didn’t even bother to leave a message for me?Not even a word? Great.I kept folding the napkins into little triangular shapes like she’d taught me. My mind drifted, wondering why Darren hadn’t come by in the past three weeks.“You sound disappointed. Do you miss him?”I caught her staring at me when I raised my head.
OLIVIA“Get her out of my house!” Francisco screeched. “I don’t want her feeding off me anymore.”Hearing those words made my chest tighten. I stood outside the house, carrying Alix in my arms as he sobbed uncontrollably.A month had passed since I’d refused his advances, and Francisco’s attitude hadn’t changed.“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Darren asked. “I mean, Olivia has nowhere else to go, and—’“—That’s none of my business,” Francisco sneered, throwing me a cold glare. “She can go to hell for all I care.”I exhaled sharply, gently rocking Alix in my arms. Darren was the guy who’d helped me to the hospital, and he’d brought me to live with Francisco, who was his cousin, after I explained my ordeal to him.I’d spent the last month tending to Francisco like a nanny. I washed, cooked, cleaned—did everything. But all that meant nothing because he wanted me in his bed.Darren walked out moments later, my luggage in his grip. He filled the doorway effortlessly—tall, b
OLIVIASix years ago, I never would have believed Isabella would be the one to throw me out.But being under the same roof with Fernando brought so many different experiences. We argued often, she slapped me and cursed me out repeatedly, and even went as far as starving me for days.I still couldn’t understand how she became that person. I’d been roaming the streets of Mexico for five hours straight without any rest.My feet were aching, caked with mud from hours of walking barefoot. My hair was a mess, my dress the same one I’d worn for days because Isabella refused to let me touch her things.And I hadn’t brought anything else.The sun scorched my skin as I dragged my feet through the busy streets. The streets were packed, yet no one spared me more than a glance.When they did, their faces were etched with scorn.Mexico.Italy. Willowcreek. New Orleans.That had been my journey since my father died. Isabella brought me to Mexico, and I still had no idea who’d saved me from the wra







