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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Oh, my god.
My eyes travel Olivia's body, taking in the heavenly sight. An adult Olivia in a bar is foreign, and I love it.
Her jeans are tight, and her black top is loose, with an off the shoulder look. Those collarbones are begging my lips to touch them.
I keep envisioning myself on her couch, my hand tangled in her long hair, her mouth open in a pant against mine as she looks up into my eyes.
Casey and I had been laughing laughing about a dumb movie we saw last month when I caught sight of Livvie tossing a shot back near the bar with Sean. Grimacing, she shoots a chaser as he laughs with her.
Joel follows my gaze and pulls me out of my fantasy. "Damn, Sean always manages to find the cutest girls."
Liv leans over, saying something in his ear before Sean escorts her to the hallway. "Hey! Ryan!" Joel calls out. Sean spins, and Joel motions him over. "Who is that?"
Sean glances at me. "Olivia."
"Date?" Joel prompts.
"Just a friend."
"Up for grabs?"
"No," Sean and I both deny vehemently.
Casey and Joel raise their eyebrows, but my eyes are on her walking back into the room. Sean bounces on the balls of his feet, wildly waving his hands, and she lets out a carefree laugh.
I gesture to my jacket on a free barstool. "Casey, baby, can you hand me—"
Liv speaks the same time as me, faltering at the end, a tight smile forming. It doesn't reach her eyes. "Good thing you're tall! I was having a hard time—Hi, Chris."
Sean clears his throat, touching his hands to her waist from behind. "Livvie," he begins.
Livvie?! He calls her that? That's a family thing.
"These are some of my friends. You already know Chris, and that's Joel and Casey."
"Hi!" Casey greets her. "It's nice to meet you. And hey, I heard you've had a rough month; I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Olivia murmurs, the two of them exchanging a kind smile. "And it's nice to meet you, too, Casey."
Liv's eyes flicker to mine for a second, and I avert mine to resist rolling my eyes. How dare she come here with him after ignoring me. I introduced them, and she ditched me for him.
