Old Dreams Lost to the Years

Olivia Lawson's heart clenched at those words.

She instinctively looked toward Damon Holloway in the booth, hoping he would deny it.

If he explained, she would believe him. They had been close for seven years and dated for three. She couldn't believe their entire relationship had been nothing more than a way for him to use her.

But Damon only looked at her in silence. There was relief in his eyes, as if he was glad the truth was finally out.

Fiona Carlisle clearly wasn't happy with his silence. She snatched up her purse and gave him a cold smile.

"You're hesitating, Damon. If it's really that hard to choose, fine. I'm out. You two can stay together forever for all I care."

She turned to leave, but Damon caught her and pulled her into his arms.

"Come on, princess. At least give me a little time to adjust. If I'd known seeing me kiss another woman on a dare was all it took for you to figure out how you really feel, why would I have wasted all that time?"

Olivia dug her nails into her palms, fighting back the sting of tears.

So to him, being with her had been nothing but wasted time. And yet she had truly loved Damon for seven years.

For seven years, she had given him what she treasured most: her love.

At first, he had simply ignored it. Later, when he finally accepted it, it was only because he could use her to provoke his childhood sweetheart, Fiona, and force Fiona to face her own feelings.

So what was she to them? Just the push they needed to finally get together?

Olivia had barely opened her mouth when Damon, still holding Fiona, spoke first.

"Olivia, let's break up. It's over between us."

His utter indifference still sent a sharp pain through her chest.

Her throat tightened, but Olivia forced herself to speak. "Why me?"

"Because you like me." Damon tilted his head, an arrogant, careless smile playing on his lips.

"You chased me for four years and never gave up. Then you practically threw yourself at me. I figured I'd give you what you wanted for once. Shouldn't you be grateful?"

He paused, then let out a quiet laugh.

"At the very least, I let you into a world you never would've gotten into on your own. You should be grateful for that too, shouldn't you?"

Only then did Olivia understand.

He had never loved her.

Worse, he had looked down on her from the very beginning.

He had chosen her because she was utterly devoted to him and had no powerful family to back her up. That meant ending things with her would be easy.

Olivia could no longer remember how she stumbled out of the private club that night. All she remembered were the mocking, amused looks from everyone in the room. They seemed to close in on her from every direction.

She stood at the curb and pulled out her phone to call a ride. Her fingers were trembling, and she accidentally opened her social media feed.

Damon almost never posted anything, but two minutes earlier, he'd made an exception.

A photo filled her screen. Damon and Fiona were locked in a passionate kiss, surrounded by a crowd.

The caption read:

[I used to think I just didn't know how to love someone. Then I got together with you and realized I'd been saving all that love for you. And now you're my girlfriend.]

The comments were all variations of the same thing, wishing them a long and happy relationship.

Even one of Damon's friends, who had recently said Olivia and Damon made a great couple, had changed his tune:

[Now that's the kind of girl who belongs by Damon's side. Congrats, Damon. You finally got your dream girl.]

Everything Olivia had held in all night finally broke loose. She burst into tears, devastated by how much love she had wasted on him.

For the three years they had been together, she had believed Damon's constant attention and the way he always doted on her came from love.

Now she knew it had all been for Fiona. She had been nothing more than a pawn in the push and pull between them.

Seven years of loving him. Seven years of blushing and feeling her heart race at the mere thought of him.

In that moment, every last bit of love she had for him died.

Damon's mother, Vivian Holloway, called from inside, pulling Olivia back to the present.

"Damon, are you going to let our guests in? Why are you just standing in the doorway?"

Olivia looked away, greeted Vivian politely, then walked past Damon and into the house.

Over the years, she had heard her grandfather tell countless stories about Wallace Holloway. She had never imagined Wallace was Damon's grandfather.

And Wallace was also the patient Olivia had been quietly brought in to operate on.

Dinner was lively.

Olivia's phone kept buzzing. When she checked it, her screen was full of messages from her daughter.

A smile tugged at her lips as she typed a reply.

Olivia: [Sweetheart, Mommy misses you too. I'll be home as soon as I'm done with work.]

A reply came almost immediately.

[So you only miss your daughter? What about me?]

Olivia's smile deepened.

Olivia: [Miss you too.]

She set her phone down.

When she looked up, she caught Damon's intense gaze.

Olivia looked away after a single glance and went back to eating.

A moment later, Vivian warmly served Olivia a crab cake.

Olivia looked up, about to speak, when Damon casually cut in from across the table.

"She can't have that."