Chapter 6

Olivia’s POV

The walk to the gate felt like one of the longest I’d ever had. Each step echoing through my head as I moved forward. My mind reeling with the discovery of my masked one night stand. He was none other than my ex-boyfriend’s father. 

“His father? Really, Olivia.” I whispered to myself as I waved for a taxi to stop. 

The car stopped and I hopped in.

“Where to miss?” The driver asked as he peered at me through the rear view window. 

“Just drive.” I said, resting on the window. 

He hesitates at first, but finally roared the car engine to life and drove off. 

The city lights smear across the window, painting my face before washing past me.  

I keep my head pressed to the side of the window, watching buildings and people blur past.

My hands are crossed as I continued to pace about in my mind, thinking of what to do next. I haven’t said a word since I slid into the back seat twenty minutes ago, and when ever the driver asked where to, I just tell him to drive. 

The driver clears his throat. I stare at him and see him looking at me as he held firmly to the steering. I guess he was waiting for me to break the silence, and when I didn’t, he decide to give himself permission.  

“You alright back there?” His voice is low, and careful. The kind that’s used to carrying conversations with people who might shatter if you speak too loud.

I don’t answer right away. Still not sure what to say to him. But for sure, I wasn’t okay. 

He glances at me again. I catch his eyes, dark and steady, almost as if it was peering into me. 

“Long day?” he asks again.

“Something like that,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.

I hear him chuckle. Then he turns the wheel into the next street. He does not say a word again for a minute or two. 

“You know,” he says after another quick turn, “I’ve driven for quite some time. Many times actually, I could do it with my eyes closed. And yet it scares me sometimes how quick people can disappear inside their own heads while they’re sitting right behind me.”

I blink. Something about the way he said it doesn’t feel like small talk. It felt more like he’s seen the same blank stare too many times from passengers.

“I’m not… disappearing,” I say, even though I don’t know what course of action to take next.

“No?” He sounds almost amused, but gentle. “Could’ve fooled me. You’ve been so quiet I started wondering if I accidentally picked up a ghost.”

A tiny surprised laugh escapes me, I placed my hand on my tummy. Nothing different but everything was. 

“That’s much better,” he says softly. “Thought maybe you’d gone mute on me.”

“I’m just…” I trail off, rubbing gently on my tummy. “I don’t even know.”

“Mm, dangerous habit that one.” He takes another turn. I’m beginning to feel he’s just driving around now, instead of taking me somewhere. And honestly I don’t mind. 

“Is that so?” I asked, my voice a bit steady than before. 

“Yes. I’ve gotten the hang of it. Seen it often on the job.” He says, taking a long pause.

I laugh a little again. 

“Tell you what.”

“What?” I asked inquisitively. 

“What if I say I could guess a little about you?”

I froze. 

As if noticing my unease, he doesn’t say anything for a whole block. Just drives.

“Sorry if I spooked you there. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong. I’m not your priest, not your boyfriend, not even your friend. I’m just the guy driving you home. But if it helps to say one sentence out loud… I’m pretty good at keeping secrets. And that too, comes with the job.”

I see him smile at me through the mirror. 

My voice comes out small. “I think everything’s ruined.”

He nods once, like that’s a sentence he’s heard before. “And now you’re confused, feeling uncertain. And by the looks of it, you’ve made some discoveries.” 

“Something like that.”

We come to a hold before the traffic red light. He lets the engine idle.

“Most things that feel ruined,” he says slowly, “aren’t ruined forever. They’re just… off at the moment. But that’s another beautiful angle if you ask me.” That last part felt personal to him than it was to me. 

I look up at him in the mirror. He’s watching the road now, not me. 

“I don’t know what to do.” I whisper.

“You don’t have to. You just have to look at the bright side.” 

“And what bright side is that?” I asked with a bit of anger in my voice. 

He smirks through the mirror. “When things happen, they happen for a reason. Don’t dwell on the negative, but instead on what good to make of it.”

His words washed a sense of relief over me. There was something about what he said and how he said it that made me ease up. 

“St Jerry’s.” I say to him. 

He laughs out loud. “Yes! Finally. That’s good, let’s take you there.” 

The light turns green. He pushes forward.

I let out a shaky breath. “You talk like this to all your passengers?”

“Only the quiet ones who look like they might need someone to talk to.” A small smile touches his mouth. “Rest of the time I just play music and pretend I’m invisible.”

I almost smile back. Almost.

We turn onto my street shortly. 

He pulls up outside my apartment, puts the car in park, but doesn’t turn it off. 

“You’re here,” he says. Not a question.

“Yeah.”

He twists in his seat so he can actually look at me. “Listen. Whatever happened… it’s heavy. I can see that. But you made it through the ride. That’s not nothing. Now you contact or go to those you know truly love you. It helps.”

My eyes burn. I nod once, and then beam him a smile.

He reaches into the center console, pulls out a small card with his details. And hands it to me.  

“If the thoughts get too loud later, and you need to talk or anything. Call the number. I’ll drive you around until they quiet down again. No charge for circles.”

I stare at the card. His name stood boldly imprinted on it. MOSES FREDO. 

“Thank you,” I manage.

He gives me the gentlest look I’ve seen in weeks. “Go inside, eh? One step at a time. You’ve got this.”

I open the door. Cold air rushes in.

“Moses?” I say, halfway out.

“Yeah?”

“I’m not usually this quiet.”

He smiles. “I know. I could tell.”

I close the door. He waits until I’m off to my apartment before he pulls away.