Years

factor who had helped her through college. She needed the solidarity of having a backbone at the

e was meeting her boyfriend tonight, and even though that should cheer her up,

ld have gone home straight, but they had already made plans, an

if being nice was just a cover for who he really was. Or maybe she was the bad person

to law school and being a criminal lawyer. That had been her dream forev

udent loan to repay thanks to the secret benefactor who had sponsored her

fee shop in the morning before or after a lecture, according to her timetable, at the art gallery

or her rent while saving the little that remained. Olivia was also working at the time, but it was to support the college loan to pay for her school fees and books. They had both agreed, even t

worked for a year to pay back Olivia's student loan, living together in a o

uldn't take her to law school, so for now

ristwatch she had on her left wrist to see tha

ft at the station, and that was only five minutes away

ad only ever gotten him a gift, something she could tell he hated from the look in his eyes each time but pretended to like it. This year, she had thought of going out of her budget and getting him a present that w

going to cancel it now. Besides, it wasn't as if she had pl

she removed her phone fro

Roy. Wher

have something important

ting a little weird lately, so it made it difficult to kno

thinking about? She didn't think that was it, but the thought soon made her smile. S

ted him

en. I'm waiti

er a bit, making her almost jump in her seat. She picked the phon

as the first thing she heard her

t at last about getting fired. "No, Livy, I'm not.

to lose your job. Your boss is such an ass, you

had always told her that her boss was an ass, and she had said the same thing a

ht. "You should come home, and we'll eat ice cream until our fa

also a nurse in the same hospital she was working at but in a different department

ng Roy for dinner. It's his b

and then she said. "Oh please, I don't put that in my head. I'

I'll do without you." She was grateful for h

I don't know what I'll do without you either," Olivia said too. Ruby smiled. "Oh, shut it, you old woman. Stop repeating what I said. Be creative for once," she said, teasing her. Olivia laughed, and

just as Roy approached her. Before she could s

she greeted back as he sat down opposite her. Before

e your server for the evening. What

ine, the cheapest one. She needed it anyway, to wash off the anger her job loss had

de it sound as simple as possible so as not to make it a big deal.

ally?" he asked. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that

d that way when she told him something bad. There was never a time when he pulled her into a hug and told her everything woul

to discuss with me. Is everything all right?" she asked,

't want to beat around the bush," he paused,

wn, inching forward in her seat,

ld stop here," h

ur mind about having dinner here?" she ask

lly going to be great for someone else, but I've realized not for me. I

s he talking abo

She, after all, didn't smell anything

the beginning of their relationship that she was waiting to have sex until she

t's because I want to have sex? You don't think I've not been

y didn't know wh

he said coldly, leaving Ruby stun