Loving Olivia

Chapter 29 - The Decision

I mutter another thank you and fold it into my pocket. I think I might frame it and put it on my bedroom wall. It's certainly my biggest accomplishment.

I decide to read with Abel today. I know at this point he probably doesn't need my help, but I haven't read with him in a while, and I need to see it for myself. Maybe this way it'll become real.

We head outside the classroom and my body protests again when I sit on the floor. These last two days really have been so intense.

I don't even have to ask Abel to start reading. He just grabs the book and does it himself. So I sit back in amazement and try to hold in my emotions as he doesn't mispronounce a word. I'm so incredibly proud of him.

But my emotions catch up with me when I hear footsteps approaching us, and I lift my head up to see that it's none other than my hunk of a boyfriend. My mouth literally falls open as I take in his rumpled bed hair and lottery winning grin.

He looks surprised to see me out here in the hallway and almost stops when he sees I'm with a student. But I wave him over, telling him that it's okay.

He kneels down in front of me, smiling as he caresses my cheek with his thumb. He does it only once, but it's enough to send my heart racing.

"Hi," he says softly.

"Hi," I respond.

We stare at each other like a couple of kids until I manage to snap back to reality. "This is Abel," I say, pointing towards him.

"Hey little man," Nico greets him, looking in his direction for the first time. "You taking care of my girl for me?"

Abel nods and then turns to me with wide eyes. "He's your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. We go to college together. Nico's on the soccer team."

"Whoa," Abel says, with all the expression of an impressionable kid.

"Sorry for interrupting. I didn't think you'd be out in the hallway. I was going to wait for you outside but I got here early," Nico tells me.

"It's okay," Abel surprisingly responds for me. "You can read with us if you want."

Nico grins and moves to the other side of him. "Sure, kid. Show me what you got."

Just like that, Abel picks up reading again. He does it so eagerly too, like he wants to show off his abilities, and I feel like a proud mother. Nico winks at me as Abel continues reading, and it melts my heart that he's here with me, being a part of this.

Once we're finished, Nico waits for me as I head back inside the classroom with Abel to pick up my belongings and say goodbye to Mrs. Gutierrez and the rest of the students. Nico helps me into my coat and then quickly tugs me along towards the school exit. We reach his car in the parking lot, and he opens the door to the backseat, boosting me inside as he follows behind me.

Before I have a chance to ask him what we're doing here instead of the front, he pulls me towards him and kisses me so tenderly it might as well have been the first time.

"God, this morning was torture," he says against my neck.

"Tell me about it. I didn't think I was going to get through it."

"Why didn't you wake me up? I would have driven you," Nico says, sounding hurt.

"I didn't want to bother you and I thought you could use the extra sleep for today's game. We went to sleep pretty late last night."

He pulls back to look at me and cups my face. "Baby, I almost had a heart attack when I woke up and you were gone. I knew you had work, but I thought you might be upset."