Free A Tragic Wreck by T.K. Leigh Page A

destroy me, too . Olivia knew they were true. And what she did no longer seemed selfish. It was selfless . She was saving Alexander from the inevitable pain of her path of destruction.
    “I…I can’t do this, Alexander. I have to go,” she cried, turning abruptly and running out of the bar, leaving him alone.
    “Olivia, love,” he called after her, trying to catch up. He saw her bolt out the front door of the hotel into a silver Lexus convertible. “Damn it!” he shouted as the car drove off, but not before she turned her head around, meeting his eyes one last time.
    Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his cell phone, punching a button. “Martin,” he growled, his speech slurred. “Go over there and keep watch for me. Alert me if there’s any movement.” He hung up before retreating back to the restaurant. He downed the scotch on the bar and retired to his suite for the evening. Tomorrow was another day, and he wouldn’t start drinking at noon.

C HAPTER T EN
F EEL A GAIN

    “A RE YOU SURE YOU ’ RE okay, Libby?” Cam asked as he drove down the tree-lined streets on the south end of the island. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.” Taking in her appearance, he wondered if maybe she had gotten sick in the ladies’ room. Her eyes were red and her face was pale. The playful Olivia was nowhere to be found. He grabbed her hand after shifting into fourth. “Come on, Libby. Don’t shut me out. We were making so much progress.”
    Olivia tilted her head toward him. “I’m sorry,” she replied dryly. She was desperate to get the evening out of her head. It had started out so nice. Earlier, she actually felt something she hadn’t in so very long…hope. Hope that she could survive life after Alexander, and then he had to go and show up at her little oasis.
    After a silent car ride that felt as if it had lasted hours instead of mere minutes, Cam pulled up outside of Olivia’s beach cottage. She didn’t even wait for him to open the door for her. She bolted out of the car, anxious to forget the whole night.
    “Libby, wait. Please,” Cam begged, catching up to her as she fumbled with her keys, frantically trying to unlock her front door with shaky hands. “Please,” he repeated, grabbing the keys out of her trembling fingers. “Let me fix this.” He trailed his hand down her arm, trying to calm her down.
    Olivia turned around and met his eyes as he unlocked the door. “There. All better,” he said quietly, gently pushing the door open.
    “Would you like to come in?” she asked, her voice soft. She wanted to forget about seeing Alexander, and she needed Cam to do that.
    Running his hand through his hair, a look of hesitation spread across his face.
    “Please, Cam. I just don’t want to be alone right now,” she begged, her eyes brimming with tears.
    All of Cam's resolve to do the right thing melted at that moment. “Okay. I won’t leave you, Libby.” He followed her into the quaint house. Olivia needed him, and it felt good to be needed.
    “Would you like a coffee?” she asked as she made her way through the open living room into the airy kitchen, placing her clutch on the island and throwing off her heels.
    “If it’s not any trouble,” Cam replied, following her into the kitchen and sitting on a barstool.
    “No trouble at all. How do you take it?”
    “Black.” He winked.
    Olivia smiled, remembering how Cam had noticed the little things about her, like how she began drinking her coffee black. She felt it matched her mood lately.
    After preparing two cups of coffee in her one-cup brewer, she handed one to Cam and led him over to a large white couch in her living room. It was a small space, but the high ceilings made the room seem much larger and open.
    “This is a great view you have,” Cam remarked, looking out the enormous front windows at the ocean.
    “I’m quite fond of it myself,” Olivia replied, sitting on the couch, facing the large windows. “Who needs TV