Midnight Daffodil (Poisonous Petals #1)

Chapter 41Olivia

forty-one

OLIVIA

W ell, I did it.

Luke dragged me out of the apartment and down to the police station to file a report against Matt. We spent the day petitioning for a protection order. The experience exhausted and terrified me. I worried I'd run into Matt around every corner I turned in the courthouse.

Luke made an entire file to back up my claims, the phone call from the police station when we first reconnected, both the notes, and he made me hand over pictures on my phone of the bruises I had when I left Matt. Mentally exhausted, I wanted to be left alone.

Annoyance unfurled in my stomach. Everyone around me acted like they had all the answers, but I knew Matt better than anyone else.

We finally finished and were told if it was approved, Matt would be served. For now, I had an ex parte protection order effective immediately, though temporary.

The air felt stiff, pressing heavily against my skin; my body hurt; I was over it. Ready to leave, we trudged silently back to Luke’s truck.

He held the door open for me as I climbed in the truck, which felt way too fucking big. He got in and started it up. The silence thickened as he pulled out of the garage and into traffic.

“Do you want to get dinner before I head to work, angel?”

“No.”

I wanted to go home. I couldn’t tell if I was mad at Luke or angry in general, but I wasn’t in the mood for anyone or anything, despite the loud rumble of protest from my stomach.

“Do you want to get something to go?”

“What I want is for you to take me home,” I snapped, staring out the window. I caught Luke side eyeing me. His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he sighed.

“Alright, I can do that,” he replied simply. And the fact that he wasn’t arguing with me pissed me off more.

“Are there any other decisions you would like to make for me? Or is that the only one for today?” Anger bit through my words.

He shook his head, glancing at me confused. “What?”

“You wanted me to turn in the stuff on my phone, you had an entire file ready and waiting, and you came over and whisked me away to do all of this shit. If I wanted to be with someone who continued to make me do whatever they wanted, I would’ve stayed with Matt.” The statement sounded good in my head, but out loud left my mouth dry and itchy.

My words hung heavy in the air. Luke’s lips turned up into one of those ‘did she honestly just say that?’ half smiles as he shook his head.

“I didn’t mean for it to come off like that, Olivia,” he said, voice firm and tender. His resolute tone didn’t budge.

“Well, it did. I didn’t want to do any of this.” Tears stung my eyes as I turned my body away from him. I couldn’t shake the attitude, and the more irritated I got, the more I realized the issue wasn’t with him.

But I was in too deep.

“I worry about your safety, angel.” His voice stayed firm.

“Okay, well, don’t. I don’t want you to. And I don’t need you to,” I barked back.

“Olivia, it’s not that easy for me, and you know that,” he pleaded.

“Don’t patronize me. I didn’t ask for you to create a file on me. I didn’t ask for you to take the notes he left me to the police station. I didn’t ask for your help.” My voice sounded harsh in the silence of the parking garage as we pulled in. “And I don’t want it.”

Luke parked in the same spot as the last time we were here together. When I begged him to make love to me against the Tundra. After the most perfect week we spent with my parents in Dover. I didn’t know how to get back to that. The time we were happy and not having our first argument, where I said a bunch of stupid shit that I didn’t mean.

“You don’t have to ask for my help for me to give it.” He shut off the ignition and turned in his seat to face me.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“That’s what you do when you—” He stopped and shook his head. Wiping his hand down his face, he glanced away from me.

“When you what?”

He pressed his palm against his eyes, letting out a sigh, which annoyed me more.

Whatever.

I turned to open the door, the cold January air slapping my face as the wind blew.

“Olivia,” he pleaded with me. I felt his hand close around my arm.

“Let me go, Luke,” I gritted out, jerking my arm away.

“I’m sorry if it feels like I overstepped. I just—” Luke stopped with yet another unfinished thought.

“You clearly have nothing to say, so let me go and call me when you have actual words,” I snapped.

“I do have words; it’s just hard to say some of them.” His eyes met mine, and I nearly drowned in the Pacific looking at them.

“Oh,” I said innocently, softening my voice, “but it wasn’t hard for you to order me to do all of this today, was it?” My inflection turned cold.

His expression hardened. “What do you want from me, Olivia?”

“I want you to go home and leave me alone.”

Another sigh fell off his lips.

“Yeah, yeah, words are so hard,” I mocked, slamming the door and storming off towards the entrance inside.

I heard the driver’s door open and close, and his footsteps echoed behind me.

“What’re you doing?”

“I was gonna walk you inside. At least make sure you get to the door okay.” He stood there with his hands in his jean pockets.

“Have I not clarified that I don’t want you to? I want you to go home. I’m not some China doll that needs coddling! You all must think I have the intelligence of a fucking child. I can walk to an elevator and down a hall just fine.” I turned my back to go inside with tears welling up. “Don’t follow me.”

As I walked up to my place, I shoved my way through the lobby around guests and tenants. Irritation bubbled up within me—for acting the way I did, for taking things out on Luke, and for the fact that everyone’s actions were justified. I claimed that I wasn’t a battered woman anymore, but I still acted like one. Allowing Matt’s continued control, subconsciously protecting him.

I was pathetic. And I knew it.

The elevator dinged for my floor when I stepped out. The tears fell like lava down my cheeks when I turned to find Luke really didn’t follow me. Disappointment clung to my heart. I’d become so used to his presence in such a short time.

I shuffled down the hall to our door and halted. The rush of blood through my veins created a cacophony of sound that filled my ears, a constant whooshing that blocked out everything, leaving me disoriented.

It stood open.

I never left it open. When Luke picked me up, I locked it. Luke double checked.

So why was it open now?

The pounding in my chest quickened. Blood roared in my ears as I crept closer to the door. Inside was dark, the only light coming from the soft glow of the TV.

I refused to embarrass myself by calling Luke. I gripped the pepper spray that he’d given me and stepped into the threshold. I flicked on the main light and saw three sets of eyes blink up at me while their eyes adjusted to the light.

Cats? Check.

“Hello?” I called in.

Silence.

I continued to check the rooms, closets, and bathrooms everywhere. Even under the furniture. No sign of anyone. The cats all curiously watched me as I scoured every crevice of the apartment. That’s when I got to mine…

My room lay in disarray, with all of my stuff strewn across the floor. A longer glance told me some of my clothes, including panties, were missing, and my vibrator looked like it had been massacred with a knife.

Well, that was officially unusable.

Unease plagued me. Whoever came in didn’t even take anything of value. Panties? Leggings and tops? Can’t do much of anything with that.

Someone wanted me to know they were here.

I didn’t want to call Luke. I wracked my brain for who could come, maybe fingerprint the door.

There was one person…

I dialed the number on my phone, fearing they wouldn’t answer, when finally…

“Did you mean to call me?”

“Uh,” I said quietly. “Yeah, something happened.”

“Why didn’t you call Luke?”

I stayed quiet.

“Oh, is there trouble in paradise? You calling me cuz ya man ain’t acting right? You wanna have a night of passion with a hot Hispanic stud?” Aidan laughed boisterously.

Makes sense why Luke had to really warm up to him. Ugh.

“No. That’ll never be why I call you.”

“Awww, come on princesa , you know I’m just teasin’,” he struggled to catch his breath at his joke. “Unless…”

“Aidan, can you please be serious for one second,” I snapped, explaining the situation in a hurried breath. He pondered silently on the other line.

Please just come here and don’t tattle on me to he who shall not be named.

“You know if I come there, Ima have to bring my boy,” he told me after everything sank in.

“But I just want you to come,” I pouted.

That coaxed a laugh from Aidan. “Oh, no. Don’t let him hear you saying that shit to me. I seen what Luke is capable of. Sorry, I’d rather you be mad at me than him.”

He wasn’t sorry at all.

“Fine,” I said, tempted to tell him to forget it. “I’ll see you guys when you get here.”