CHAPTER 8

Livia 

“I am totally in for it, babe!” Roxy squealed, giving Ryan a kiss on the cheek and blushing so hard she looked like a teenage girl sitting with her crush. 

I stared out the window of the car as everything outside became a rushed blur of houses and green trees. The events of the previous day still tugged heavily in my mind, dragging me back to that moment over and over again.

 I didn’t sleep a wink last night because every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face.

I shouldn’t have said what I said. I definitely shouldn’t have stopped Ace right at that moment. What is wrong with me? Why did I even do that? 

I gave a long, tired sigh, the kind that feels like it’s pulling air from your very soul. It will be a miracle if I am still hired.

“Something wrong?” I heard Roxy ask. Her face turned back to face me

“Oh... no, it’s nothing. Just tired,” 

“You have been deathly quiet, and it is unlike you.” She countered

“Am I that much of a talker?” I asked with a small, forced chuckle that felt dry in my throat.

“Hmmm... kind of. I have heard you sigh like five times now, like you have a lot on your mind.”

She wasn’t wrong. I had a ton on my mind: like a literal mountain of anxiety.  Where do I even begin? “Hey, I think I just fired myself from the best-paying gig of my life by being a socially awkward disaster?” 

Yeah, hell no

“It’s all good... basically trying to adapt to the babysitting world again,” I said, shifting to a safer truth.

“It’s that tough?” she asked curiously, her eyes widening.

“Depends on the child involved,” I muttered. 

The jeep came to a sharp stop and I made my way out of the car to take in the view of my surroundings. I took a deep inhale allowing the morning air to fill my lungs. 

The campus was filled with the usual energy of students rushing to find coffee or get into class. It helped to calm my nerves a little.

Thankfully, we didn’t have Mr. Sterling’s course today, which was a massive relief for me. I have no idea how I was going to sit in class listening to him without feeling awkward.

“Where are you going?” I asked, noticing Roxy walking toward a block that definitely wasn’t where we were having class in the next thirty minutes.

“Oh, just... want to check something out. I will be out in five!” She waved a hand dismissively, but the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear was a dead giveaway.

I didn’t believe a single thing she said, but I decided to drop it when I saw Ryan approaching us. 

Classes went slower than a snail. I sat through lectures that felt like they were being taught in a foreign language. I desperately wanted to just go home and sleep in the comfort of my bed.

By 1:30 PM, my stomach growled so loudly I thought the couple whispering to themselves beside me heard it.

“The usual, Liv?” Mrs. Lia asked, already reaching for the serving spoon as soon as I reached the front of the line.

“You know me too well,” I said with a genuine smile.

She beamed at me while handing out my food with extra servings of the bourbon chicken and rice. “You look like you need it, sugar.”

“Nothing like being friends with the lunch lady,” I teased, taking the heavy tray.

I pulled a chair backward to give me space to sit on it when suddenly, the plastic leg gave way and I found myself sitting on the floor with my food splattered all over my pink shirt and partly on my black jeans.

I felt a surge of sharp, throbbing pain at my lower back and buttocks. It hurt like hell.

For a second, there was absolute silence. Then, the soundtrack of my humiliation began. 

A few snorts, followed by laughter and then snickers from the surrounding tables. 

I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me at that moment.

I stood up using the table as support when I felt my leg slip on the chicken sauce on the floor. I was going down with a second fall in less than a minute!

This is going to be beyond embarrassing, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact because at this point, there was no way of saving myself.

That’s when I felt a strong hand catch my arm and hold me in position, preventing me from hitting the floor again. The grip was firm and steady.

I looked up and saw a guy I didn’t recognize. He had messy brown hair and an expression that looked more concerned than amused. 

He held me up until I was stable enough and guided me away from the floor mess.

“I... I am... thank you,” I said, basically out of words. 

“That fall must have hit you pretty bad. You should definitely get it checked out and wash up,” he gestured sympathetically toward my stained shirt.

“Yes... uhm... I will. Thank you again. Really.”

He nodded like it was no big deal and walked back to his seat. I began to feel the intense stare of people and decided to use the nearest restroom. 

I sat on the toilet seat for what felt like hours. My head was in my hands as I tried to put myself together. My back hurt badly, and my shirt was a sticky mess.

 I felt my phone buzz inside my bag and took it out, half expecting a text from Roxy asking where I was.

Change of plans. Come to the office at 2 pm. Do not be late. 

The message came from a number I did not recognise, but I do recognise the tone of the message in the last sentence. When I checked my watch, my face drained of colour.

1:58 PM.

“Are you kidding me?” I whispered to the empty stalls.

I stood up immediately, ignoring the sting in my back, and bolted out of the cafeteria. I don’t think I have ever ran as fast as I did today.

But why the heck would he send me that message just two minutes before the time? Is this guy insane! I shouted in my mind.

Normally, it took at least fifteen minutes to get to the administration offices, but how I arrived at the exact spot in less than three minutes needs to be studied.

 As the car peeled out of the office, my heart kept beating really fast to the point I thought I might pass out. 

I leaned back and closed my eyes, trying hard to keep calm. But the more I tried, the harder it became, and I began to feel really dizzy. 

I heard the driver ask if I was okay, followed by the faint look of worry on his face before everything went black.