Chapter 33 - New life
Chapter 33 - New life
Olivia POV
It’s been two days since Raphael broke up with me, I haven’t left mu flat since then, I have been
mourning this relationship that lasted 5 min.
I need to forget him. But obviously, that is not easy when Michael keeps calling me, and showing up at
my door. I’ve been avoiding him and that is why I am moving houses. It is decided. I need a new life. I
need to forget him and his life, I need to do something for me.
I get up from the bed and walk into the bathroom deciding that I am moving forward, I am not this kind
of girl to be crying over a man.
I turn the shower on and I walk in when the water is hot. It burns on my sin but at the same time relaxes
my body.
I wash my hair and deep condition it. Shave my legs and after I finish I apply the moisturizer all over my
body and I do my facial skin routine. When I am done and ready I get dressed in some loungewear.
Nothing better than some cozy leggings, fluffy socks, and an oversized hoodie.
I walk into the kitchen to make some coffee and put some bread on the toaster. First breakfast and then
a new job and a new flat.
After I finish breakfast I sit on the sofa with the laptop on my legs and I start looking for a new job. I
don’t really want to move out of New York but maybe I will have to. It all depends on what I can find.
I found a flat that is a couple of blocks away from mine, so I message the private owner to book a
viewing. It is agreed to be done today at 3 PM. It is only 9 AM. Time to find a new job.
I start scrolling through all the adverts for jobs in my area of expertise and I find a teacher assistant
position at Columbia University. That would be great. I send my CV and expect to be called for an
interview.
In the meantime I apply for every job I can find, barista, waitress, I need to find something fast as I
need to pay rent and I will need to pay moving fees. Hopefully.
The day passes by slowly and I decide to look at my Instagram account and I notice that the number of
followers multiplied overnight. And I have more than one hundred comments on my last post. I start
reading and some of them are really nice wishing me all the best after the break-up and others are just
calling me a gold digger.
I never expected people to look me up on social media after Raphael introduced me to the media. I
start to feel bad about the mean comments and I decide to turn my accounts private. Facebook,
Instagram is now private. I don’t have to put up with people that know nothing about me and start
judging me.
It’s almost time for the viewing of the flat, so I put my converses on. Grab my keys and walk out. I leave
my phone inside and turned off. I know that Raphael would be able to track me down through my
phone so I decided to leave it off.
When I walk out of the building I crash into someone. Someone tall and with a muscle body. Michael.
“Michael” – I say avoiding eye contact.
“Olivia, I need you to come with me”
“No” – I say and start walking away
“Olivia, please, you know he doesn’t take well the word no”
“I don’t care” – I say while I keep walking and Michael follows me
“Okay, can you please stop? He just wants you safe, I am still your bodyguard and that will never
change, Raphael will always take care of you even if you don’t want to”
I interrupt him there – “You can give your boss a message, If he doesn’t stop with this I will ask for a
restraining order. From you and him and every single person he puts after me, I want to forget he
exists” – I let out
“Olivia, he just wants you to stay in one of his flats, that’s all”
“Thanks but no thanks” – I say and walk away as fast as my legs allow me.
I need to get away from Michael. Once I can’t see him anymore I allow myself to stop walking. I passed
the building of the viewing so he wouldn’t see where I was going. I know that eventually, Raphael would
be able to find me if he wanted to, but I am not going to make his life easier. I am not taking anything
from him. I can take care of myself.
I ring the doorbell and one attractive thirty-something old mem opens the door.
“You must be Olivia” – he says while he offers me his hand to shake
“Yes, I am” – I let out while I shake his hand. Nice going, I didn’t even change clothes and this men is
sexy and I look like a tramp.
“Come on in” – he says and I follow him inside.
He shows me the small 1 bedroom flat and I decide to take it, it is only twenty dollars cheaper than the
one I am now and I have everything around here, I have the subway, bakery, grocery store, Starbucks.
I like it.
After we negotiate dates and prices, I shake his hand and start walking home. To my surprise, Michael
is not there. He left. He finally left.
I decide to cook some dinner while I listen to some music. Tomorrow I will start packing my stuff to
move at the end of the week. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
1 week later
I wake up in my new bedroom and it feels weird. At least I don’t have any memories of him here. I
started working at Starbucks just around the corner while I try and find a better pay job. I have an
interview for the position at the university. I am using an old phone that Anna had at home and I
changed my phone number so that would make it more difficult to Raphael to find me. My phone
numbers are not under my name, and my rent was agreed to be put under my brother's name. Gregory
offered to help and I couldn’t say no. We don’t have the best of the relations but at the end of the day,
he is my older brother.
I get up and get myself ready for work. My landlord keeps texting me asking me out on a date but I am
not ready, not after what happened with Lucas and Raphael. I can’t let myself get involved with
someone right now.
My shift goes by without any problems until I see him walking in. Lucas. What the fuck is he doing
here? When I see him I ask my supervisor if I can take a break, and she agrees to it. I usually never
ask for breaks unless I need to use the bathroom.
I disappear into the back of the coffee shop. My heart is racing and my body starts to shake. I am
having a panic attack.
I sit on the floor with my back against the wall and I start doing what Raphael taught me. I play with my
fingers and I start thinking about random things about my brothers. I take deep breathes and I see one
of my colleagues coming in
“Hey, are you okay?” – she asks me
I nod my head and she comes closer. I extend my arm towards her making her stop while there was
still a good distance between us.
“There’s a guy outside looking for you, he says that he is your boss and has an urgency in seeing you”
– she says looking down on me
I feel like I am hit by lightning. My body shakes more and nothing is helping me to relax. I can see him.
I can’t talk to him. I this she understood and she left. Not long after the supervisor walks in and kneels
in front of me with a glass of water.
I am trying to focus on my breathing
“He left” – she says
I nod my head and offer a small smile.
“Go home Liv, you are not okay and I can cover your shift”
I nod my head. And after what felt like hours but has only been five minutes I start talking again.
“Thank you, but I am okay now, I will finish my shift, but do you mind if I do the background work?
Stocktaking and things like that here in the back?”
“Yeah sure, that would actually help me out” – she says offering me a smile.
I stand up and start going back to work when I feel her hand grabbing my arm
“I’ve been there, I won’t let him get close to you here” – she says and I smile. I don’t want to talk about
it anymore.
After I finish my shift I walk home and I am careful to see f Lucas was around, but I couldn’t see him.
Once inside I let myself slide down against the door and sit on the floor.
I take a deep breath and decide to go to bed, tomorrow is my interview and I need to look fresh.