Olivia Graham was twenty-two when she started a whirlwind romance with charismatic Jakob overseas.
By age twenty-five, Liv was back home and checking off the widowed box on paperwork. With zero plans, Olivia and beloved dog Snuggles find themselves...
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He takes a seat at the kitchen island in front of me with his beer. "Do you want to talk about Jakob?" he asks reluctantly.
I shrug. "I don't know."
"What was he like?" Chris doesn't meet my eyes, but his voice is kind. Inquisitive. I feel like I'm a kid again.
"He was charming," I begin. "He easily won me over in Portugal by romancing me. Turns out, we were in the same study program, but he was from Greece. He just never went to class."
I look up at Chris, but he's staring at his beer bottle as I continue. I stir in the chicken to mix it all together as I offer more details.
"We could talk about things in ways that I hadn't with boys I dated. We talked about things that mattered to me like religion, philosophy, sociology, psychology," I count off. "And I got to learn things about life through that. It was nice not to have only to discuss; I don't know, The Bachelor, or Ohio State versus U of M."
I grin up at Chris, who is a big Wolverines basketball fan. "Not that those things can't be important, you know."
He chuckles, watching the wok sizzle. His head tilts, and he peeks up at me, and my stomach jolts at his piercing gaze.
What am I doing?
"And, well, he made me laugh, and he was always telling me flirtatious things. Jakob really knew how to make somebody feel special."
"Well, that's nice," Chris concludes. "You are special, Liv."
The flattering remark makes me feel elated, but the silence that overtakes after is like thick-cut bacon that is in dire need of being sliced.
"He cheated on me pretty early on," I blurt out.
"He did what?"
"Slept with other girls," I admit with a frown.
Chris wears a matching grimace. "Will never told me that."
"He doesn't know. Will never liked Jake. No reason for me to give him more ammunition."
"Well, that blows." He takes a long pull from his beer bottle.
I wave my hand. "It was a long time ago."
"Why did you decide to stay with him?"
"I told you, he was very charming. Until he wasn't."
It's silent as I continue cooking. Shit. I shouldn't have admitted that. It's just that there's something about Chris that makes me feel desperate.
He clears his throat. "Liv, you don't mean he hurt you, right?" I make a little face, and Christopher stands up, leaning over the counter. "Tell me."
"Not as bad as what you are making it out to be. Frustrated arm grabs, an occasional passionate fight could lead to some broken things or an uncomfortable touch like a poke or a little push."
